The Fresno Metropolitan Museum

The exhibition announcements that typically grace the Web site of the Fresno Metropolitan Museum have been replaced with a somber message: “Thank you for 25 years of curiosity. The Met says goodbye.”

The beleaguered museum has announced that it is closing its doors for good, having run 45 percent over its operating budget last year and accumulated $5 million in debt, according to its executive director, Dana Thorpe.

The museum plans to spend the next two months selling off its collection to cover unpaid debts and finalizing the other necessary work associated with its closure. A group of investors has stepped in to cover those administrative costs; they will be repaid from the sale of the museum’s work.

By the end of January, the museum plans to vacate the building, which is owned by the city of Fresno, which put up $15 million to cover costs associated with the museum’s recent renovation when the project ran over budget.