New Orleans museum offers free admission

New Orleans museum offers free admission

NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans Museum of Art — already free to Louisiana residents — is also offering free admission to out-of-state visitors through Jan. 18.

The dates coincide with the citywide international art show called Prospect.1 New Orleans, and the museum’s exhibit of 108 pieces by jeweler Peter Carl Faberge from the Hodges Family Collection.

NOMA is participating in Prospect.1, showing work by nine of the 81 artists featured. The citywide exhibit’s organizers wanted every bit of it to be free.

Director John Bullard said the holidays are the perfect time to check out both exhibitions and revisit the permanent collection, and free admission means people can visit repeatedly and really get to know the art.

After Jan. 18, the museum will return to free admission for state residents, and an $8 charge for adults visiting from out of state. The out-of-state charges for seniors will be $7, and $4 for children ages 3 to 17.

Job cuts are looming at Colorado resorts

DENVER — Ski resort workers at three Colorado mountains are bracing for layoffs as a Canadian resort operator says the poor economy will force job cuts.

Intrawest Corp. did not say exactly how many jobs will go at its three owned or operated Colorado resorts — Copper Mountain, Steamboat Ski & Resort and Winter Park. But the Vancouver-based resort operator says the drop in business at its resorts is unlike anything it has experienced in recent years.

The company employs 22,000 workers during the peak winter season in Canada and the United States.

Intrawest also operates Canada’s Whistler-Blackcomb ski resort, a major venue for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

Bronx Zoo goes for daytime show this year

NEW YORK — The Bronx Zoo is bringing in reindeer and turning off the lights at its annual evening holiday light show.

Zoo officials have decided to hold a daytime Wild Wonderland instead of the usual nighttime event. On hand will be Clydesdale horses, reindeer and craft workshops where children can make eco-friendly tree ornaments.

By keeping the lights off, zoo officials hope to reduce the zoo’s carbon footprint.

Winter Wonderland will be open beginning Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

For more information, visit www.bronxzoo.com.

Going to Costa Rica? Plan to pay new tax

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica — Tourists flying into Costa Rica will soon have to pay a new $15 tax.

The new tax replaces a 3 percent tax on hotel rooms. It was approved Nov. 20 by Congress and is expected to take effect this year.

The new tax should generate $25 million a year to help the government’s Costa Rica Tourism Institute encourage more visitors to try the Central American nation.

The 3 percent hotel tax generated only about $10 million a year and was hard to enforce.

Associated Press