England's National Museums to Stay Free for Everyone, Including Tourists
You will not need a ticket to walk into England's national museums. Entry stays free for everyone. That includes people visiting from abroad.
The UK Government set out the position on 28 September in an announcement titled 'National museums to remain free for everyone'. The notice was published on the government's official website. It said universal free admission will continue for national museums in England.
Universal free admission is the rule that visitors can enter without paying an entry charge. It covers all visitors, not only people who live in Britain UK Government.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport in London, the government department responsible for museums in England, confirmed free admission would remain for everyone BBC. The BBC reported that confirmation on 29 September. Ministers had looked at whether to change the system. They decided to keep it as it is.
That decision ends months of talk about a possible fee for tourists. Before the confirmation, there had been speculation that international visitors could be charged while entry stayed free for others. The idea was widely discussed. It will not happen.
Reports on 29 September said overseas visitors will not be charged to enter England's national museums. The update was carried by several outlets after the government announcement. It settled the one question many travellers had asked: do I need to pay because I am from abroad. The answer is no.
The policy has a long history. Visits to the United Kingdom's 15 national museums have risen by 96 percent in the quarter-century since free admission was introduced, according to Ocula. Free entry began in 2001. Twenty-five years on, almost twice as many visits are made.
The message was repeated on 1 October, with further reports that free entry will continue ARTnews.
For visitors, this means a simple day out. You can walk in without an entry ticket. You do not need to show where you live. School holidays, rainy weekends and last-minute plans all stay covered.
What makes this stand out is how rare it feels. In many cities a big museum visit starts with a queue for tickets and a sizable bill. In England's national museums, the door stays open.
