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Steve F IMO, It wasn't the entry fee. Tourists expect to drop big $, it IS Manhattan.
We were down that end last year, it was eerily barren. I was curious about the Museum but, no way the missus would have gone in (unless there was a Red Sox exhibit and a cocktail lounge inside). Too bad the financial district "appears" too subtle and sleepy for tourists. I think the fun times and stunning views from the Seaport complex down there are numbered too.
Lower Manhattan has got a ton of classy architecture and a rich, gritty history ie, Five Points, the Great Bridge, Battery Park, Fulton St, old City Hall, the majestic Woolworth Bldg. etc etc. Seems most visitors stop at Canal. More public transit options to the F District would certainly help
Though I do love that M&M store 
, all these modern facades hide some fabulous old struc tures. Times Square, the Rock and mid-town in general, are superficial and plastic. But, give me the periphery any day. Nothing compares to a Bryant Park recharge, enjoying a hot coffee and Danish in the shadow of the American Radiator Bldg, the most beautiful skyscraper on the planet.
Most that visit NYC seek madness, mayhem and martinis. Sadly missing out on the greatest memories.