Public Servant Lifestyle

The free admissions policy for museums with 'national museum' status has proved a massive success as they draw ever bigger crowds.

The Government’s policy of universal free admission for England’s national museums and galleries continues to be a huge success, attracting nearly 11 million extra visitors in its first two years, the Arts Minister, Estelle Morris said.

New figures show that visits are up by 72% at the former charging museums in the year to December 2003, compared with the year to December 2001 when the policy was introduced. There were 5.3 million extra visitors in the first year of the policy, 5.6 million extra last year.

Estelle Morris said: “This is excellent news. Government investment to help scrap admission charges has paid a rich dividend, with 13.3 million people visiting the former charging museums last year, compared to 7.7 million when the turnstiles were in place.

Excellence

“Our national museums and galleries have an international reputation for excellence and innovation. That they are free for all is something that is the envy of the world. We are determined to continue this policy for the benefit of everyone.”

Over the last two years, visits to London’s Science Museum have increased by 120%, to the Victoria & Albert Museum by 117%, and to the Natural History Museum by 74%.

Outside London, visits to the former charging museums have also soared. By 106% at National Museums Liverpool, 38% at the National Railway Museum in York, 29% at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester, and 22% at the Royal Armouries in Leeds.

‘Serious’ Culture

Estelle Morris continued: “These figures give the lie to those that say that people aren’t interested in ‘serious’ culture. They show that, when the obstacles to going – like admission charges – are swept away, the public has a huge and growing appetite for the best of our cultural heritage.”

Total numbers, including visits to the always-free national museums such as The Tate, the National Gallery and the British Museum, came to over 33 million last year, with admissions to the always-free being slightly down (by 0.7 million), and this being offset by the increases of those going to those that formerly charged.

Numbers for the present year look like continuing the trend. Visitors to the always-free have picked up again, aided by the phenomenal success of Tate Modern’s Weather Project by Olafur Eliasson.

More information available in Arts & Culture, United Kingdom, Days Out