THE scrapping of admission charges at some of the country's leading museums a year ago has led to soaring visitor numbers.
The year-end figures reveal that, on average, the number of people visiting museums and galleries which formerly charged for admission has increased by about 70 per cent.
And among the big winners was the National Railway Museum, at York, where attendances were up by 36 per cent.
Always popular, the museum in Leeman Road attracted 543,359 visitors in 2001, the last full year of charging.
But, after the entry charges were scrapped, public interest increased dramatically, with almost 741,000 people going through the turnstiles last year.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article