Government drops plan to charge tourists at England’s biggest museums
Key Points
- England's national museums will stay free for all visitors, including tourists.
- The government said charging overseas visitors could deter domestic visitors.
- National museums add more than £1 billion a year to the economy.
- £760 million from the Arts Everywhere Fund is going to museums.
- A long-term strategic plan for museums is in development.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport confirmed on Tuesday (29 September) that overseas visitors will keep free entry to England’s national museums.
The department, led by Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, said charging tourists could deter domestic visitors from going to museums.
It added that the costs and benefits of charging would land unevenly across the sector, so it will not introduce fees for overseas visitors.
Free entry to England’s national museums began in 2001 and has covered every visitor since then.
Earlier this year, the government agreed to explore whether charging overseas visitors could help museums’ finances.
That work formed part of its response to Baroness Margaret Hodge’s independent review of Arts Council England, published in December 2025.
National museums add more than £1 billion a year to the economy and draw visitors from around the world, the department said.
Seven of the UK’s ten most visited museums are national museums. The Natural History Museum drew 7.1 million visitors in 2025, while the British Museum drew 6.4 million.
The £1.5 billion Arts Everywhere Fund is providing £760 million for museums as part of the government’s wider funding package.
Of that, £600 million supports national museums and other DCMS-sponsored cultural organisations with critical maintenance and estate works.
The remaining £160 million is going to local and regional museums, including through the Museum Estates and Development Fund, which targets maintenance backlogs.
A separate £13.6 million Museum Transformation programme will help museums move towards more sustainable business models.
The government will also work with Arts Council England and the sector on a long-term strategic plan for museums. It said it would share further details in due course.
