Jointly commissioned by the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions and Art Fund, Twenty-five years of free entry to national museums examines visits, audiences, funding and earned income since universal free entry was introduced at England’s national museums in 2001.
Baker Richards was asked to assemble and verify the evidence from seventy-eight sources, visitor series rebuilt from ALVA figures, and funding considerations restated in today’s money. The analysis does not argue for or against free entry.
- Visits to the fifteen national museum groups rose from 22.8 million in 1999/00 to 44.7 million in 2025/26.
- In the early years after charges were removed, the seven museums that had charged grew more than twice as fast as those that were already free.
- Overseas visitors now account for almost half of attendance.
- The museums earn more from their own activities than they receive in revenue grant-in-aid, while that grant remains below its pre-pandemic average in real terms.
The government announced on 28 September 2026 its intention to retain free entry to national museums.
The report was amended on 30 September 2026 to update footnotes.
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