Museums in Wales may need to start charging, says ex-minister

Museum Wales has seven sites which are free to enter, including the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff

An ex-Welsh government minister is calling for the free entry policy to Wales' museums to be reconsidered due to financial pressures.

Alun Ffred Jones said an entry fee could improve Museum Wales' offering and expand its reach.

It comes after a new report warned that a decline in the quality of museums is "inevitable" without more flexibility.

The Welsh government said it would look at the recommendations and develop a plan.

One idea put forward by a former museum curator is that visitors from outside of Wales could be charged an entry fee.

Museum Wales has seven sites which aim to preserve and promote Wales' culture.

The current free admissions policy in Wales, in line with the rest of the UK, is not to charge for admission to national museums. It was introduced in Wales in 2002.

• Welsh treasures at risk amid £65m repair backlog

• St Fagans in Wales named museum of the year

The Tailored Review was set up and chaired by David Allen in 2022 to look at Museum Wales' performance, governance and effectiveness.

One of the review's recommendations was that the entrance fee to the sites should remain free, but that "further examination" of charging for special exhibitions was needed. However, museums can do that already.

Mr Jones was the Plaid Cymru heritage minister in the party's coalition government with Labour between 2008 and 2011.

He said he was in favour of the free entry policy, and acknowledged that charging might be "too radical", but questioned the viability of not doing so as the organisation faces financial pressure in the coming years.

He said: "Unless you can prove it's working at the moment then you have to look at another solution and that may involve charging to go to the main museums but also using that money to target particular sections of the population.

"You have to do something. You can't just sit back."

Charging visitors from outside of Wales

Dr Dafydd Roberts, the former keeper of the National Slate Museum in Llanberis, Gwynedd, said he had "sympathy" with Mr Jones' call.

"That could be considered as an admission charge for people living outside of Wales," he said.

"People living in Wales as matter of policy and principle should be allowed free admission.

"Perhaps there could be some sort of universal admission card available and that might be loaded with other benefits as well, such as encouraging people to use public transport to come to our museums."

Visitors at Big Pit said they would be happy to pay, but think free entry makes it more accessible

Some visitors to Big Pit, the National Coal Museum near Pontypool, Torfaen said they would pay an entry fee, but acknowledged that having free facilities made them more accessible.

"I would be prepared to pay," said Dan Phillips from Yorkshire, who was on holiday with his family.

"But it's fantastic that it's free because it means so many more people can use it. I will put some money into the gift shop though."

Emma, from north Devon, added: "We've been to places where we've had to pay before, like the Brecon Mountain Railway, and it helps with the upkeep of the place so I'd be quite happy to pay."

Emma from Devon said she would be "quite happy to pay"

Tracy Watkins, 54, from Beddau, visited the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff on Tuesday with her grandchildren.

She said she would be "really disappointed" if museums began to charge an entry free.

"I don't think we would come because money is tight at the moment," she said.

In the year from March 2019 to February 2020, more than 1.8 million people visited Museum Wales' sites. But in the year up to March 2023, it dropped nearly 28% to 1.3 million.

The Welsh government provides Museum Wales with 80% of its money through a grant.

Dawn Bowden MS, the arts and culture minister, said: "I have asked my officials to work through the final report with Amgueddfa Cymru Museum Wales to explore the implications of each recommendation and develop an implementation plan and timeline."

• YR WYDDFA: Life on Britain's busiest mountain

• WALESCAST: In-depth analysis of Welsh politics