London is a tour de force of cultural happenings, and one of its true strengths is allowing us to enjoy the assortment of museums at our fingertips for free. Even when you need to pinch the pennies, you can bank on being able to see the permanent collection at many a gallery across the capital.
It’s something we perhaps take for granted day-to-day in this city, but we can never be certain that it’ll always be this way, at least for all the institutions that currently offer this pleasure. The former interim director of the British Museum has floated the idea of a £20 entry fee to be introduced for tourists in order to fund the site’s redevelopment.
Sir Mark Jones has suggested introducing a cost for visitors to the British Museum, which currently allows everyone to see its permanent collection for free.
Speaking to the Standardhe said: “A master plan would include an increase in space and more space given over to facilities for visitors.”
“The money has to come from somewhere,” he added. “Either a major part of the funding has to be found out of taxation, which is difficult as the public finances are very stressed, or we need to reasonably charge (tourists).”
He compared the costs of The Louvre in Paris (€22 for an adult ticket) and The Acropolis in Athens ($15) and said that £20 would be a reasonable charge for visitors. He did, however, suggest that entry for anyone under 25 should remain free.
Jones has also suggested creating a partnership to share the Elgin Marbles, which have sat in the museum for 200 years after Lord Elgin removed them from Greece when he was ambassador to the Ottoman Empire (which Greece has alleged was done illegally during the foreign occupation).
There is nothing to indicate that these suggestions will be carried out by the British Museum, so for now the museum’s permanent collection will remain free for all visitors.
