# 3: Food and Drink in a Museum Setting
Image by herry wibisono: Pixabay
Food and drink are both problematic for museums and visitors. Food and drink are not allowed inside museum galleries. Keep your drink in your bag if it is closed like a water bottle. Find a bench in the main lobby to consume your drink or go near the main entrance doors.
Depending on how long you will be at the museum, you have three options for your trip.
1. You can eat before or after your trip. Security will gladly tell you about the rules.
2. The second option is to have lunch in a museum café halfway through your trip and take a break.
3. The third option is to keep your admission tickets with you and any stickers or tabs that go on your clothing. It is a place nearby as this can usually be a cheaper option. Then once you have finished lunch, return to the museum. If you find a place within walking distance, you don’t have to give up your parking space.
While you are walking around museums, the kind of container drink matters. Museum staff might be more lenient with you and will enable you to keep your beverage if it has a lid that closes tightly like a plastic water bottle. Those caps seal on and have minimal risk of spillage and leaks. Even disposable coffee cups with the kinds of lids they have might not be good enough. So, if any museum staff member, especially security, asks you to put away your food and drink, please do so.
You can make eating your meal the last thing before leaving the museum. Remember to visit the gift shop before the café. That way, you don’t have to carry your purchases all over the museum. Once you finish eating, you can take your leftover food and items to your car. This is also an excellent strategy to keep in mind if you’re using a ride share program and someone is picking you up.
If you arrive at the museum and have a coffee, for example, that you want to finish as staff, you can sit down nearby. Take your time, enjoy your beverage, and view a map to get your bearings. As long as you’re seated safely away from any artwork, museum staff should let you finish your drink.
If you have a medical need to keep food and drink on your person, please let guest services know at the front desk and or security when you see them. They might be able to put a sticker on your water bottle, for example, to alert security and fellow museum staff.
If you are approached by security, there is no shame in letting them know that you have diabetes, for example. I have it and need to always keep candy with me, if not a drink. Always do your best to follow the rules. They keep the art and visitors safe. This is just from both my personal experience as a museum visitor and a former employee.
