Museum enjoying rise in number of visitors

The Fusilier Museum in Moss Street had 19,981 visitors in 2009/2010 and for this year estimate they will have 21,592 people through their door — a rise of seven per cent.

Bury Art Museum visitor numbers have also risen by 1.2 per cent, having seen 43,550 people through the doors in 2012.

Helen Smith, general manager of the Fusilier Museum, said: “The beginning of this year was quite slow but we predict an overall rise in visitor numbers of around two per cent for the year as a whole. The old museum had around 2,000 visitors a year — when we moved to the town centre we had around 20,000 people visit in the first year and figures have gone steadily up.

“We now have a much greater mix of people attending — previously one third of our visitors were pensioners who already knew the place existed but this has now fallen to 26 per cent due to a significant rise in family and school visitors.”

Manchester figures also rose with the Museum of Science and Industry in Deansgate seeing visitors increase by a quarter to 643,000 between 2004- 05 and 2012-13.

The Imperial War Museum North in Salford Quays also reported a 21 per cent rise to more than 300,000.

The figures, published by the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport, also show since 2004- 05 visitors to the British Museum have increased by 15 per cent to over 5.5 million.

Ms Smith said introducing family-friendly activities and exhibitions as well as a free annual pass with every ticket purchased has helped the Fusilier Museum reach a wider audience.

She said: “Our success in attracting visitors is down to marketing the museum more commercially and providing a personalised experience for visitors. “We are the most popular attraction in Bury on Tripadvisor.co.uk, which is down to the personal service we offer.

“Our experienced staff approach the people who come in — many visitors are here because they have a personal connection to the fusiliers and it is nice to give them the opportunity to discuss that.”