Free Entry Sparks Museum Boom: Visitors Nearly Double in a Year!

Jersey Museum has seen a huge increase in visitors since it became free to enter. In July 2024, the government started covering the cost of admission, which meant that people no longer had to pay to visit. Over the next year, the number of people going to the museum almost doubled, with a 97% rise in footfall. Louise Downie, who is in charge of curation and experience at Jersey Heritage, explained that making the museum free is important because it allows everyone on the island to enjoy their heritage, no matter how much money they have. She also pointed out that visiting museums can help people feel better, improve their mental health, and give them a chance to meet others.

To keep the museum free, the government has been giving Jersey Heritage a grant of £284,000 each year. Last year, the government spent nearly £11. 5 million on arts, culture, and heritage, with more than half of that money going to Jersey Heritage. This spending is part of a promise to use 1% of the government’s net revenue for the arts and culture sector. The hope is that this funding will continue so that the museum can stay free for everyone.

Other events in Jersey have also become free, leading to bigger crowds. The Battle of Flowers parade was free to attend for the first time last year, and 6,000 more people came compared to the year before. Martyn Maguire, who organizes the parade, said he wants to keep it free, even though it costs money to put on. He believes that making it free helps more people join in and enjoy the event. Other free events, like Channel Islands Pride, also saw record numbers, with 12,000 people attending. A large art installation called 'Bubbletecture' attracted about 42,000 visitors. Surveys showed that more than half of the people who went to the Battle of Flowers would not have gone if they had to pay. The government says it is committed to supporting arts and culture, but some politicians worry that spending more on these things could mean less money for other government departments.