Visitor boom shows museums are not history
Brighton’s Royal Pavilion and museums are bucking the economic downturn with a 14 per cent increase in visitors.
For the period from last April to January 2012, the council’s five main historic attractions pulled in 592,860 customers, compared to 517,693 the year before.
The flagship Royal Pavilion increased numbers from 272,586 to 303,783 an increase of 11.4 per cent.
Brighton Museum’s numbers rose 17 per cent from 182,559 to 213,996. Hove Museum’s numbers went up almost 30 per cent from 32,017 to 41,574.
The Booth Museum of Natural History in Dyke Road saw figures rise from 19,459 to 21,612 – and increase of 10.5 per cent.
Visitors to Preston Manor rose from 10,982 to 11,895, up 8 per cent.
Councillors put the rises down to sophisticated marketing, special exhibitions and targeting specific audiences. Many national television programmes and other media featured the Royal Pavilion, while winter ice there skating helped increase interest.
In recent years the Royal Pavilion has staged special displays covering the building’s use as an Indian military hospital, plus an exhibition on Regency costume featuring George IV’s coronation gown. A new show starting next month highlights the life of George’s daughter Princess Charlotte, who died in childbirth at 21, changing the course of royal history.
Cabinet councillor for culture Geoffrey Bowden said:
“These are amazing figures, given the economic background. Hove Museum’s increase is spectacular, which I would attribute to it the council’s policy of making it more family-friendly.
“It’s very gratifying that history can be a real crowd-puller if you tell the stories in an imaginative and engaging way.”
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