New figures show more people than ever enjoying England's national museums thanks to free admission. The number of visits to national museums and galleries has risen from 24 million in 1997-98 to 39 million last year, Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell announced today. “Free admission to our national museums and galleries has been a cornerstone of this Government’s cultural policy since 1997. The outstanding success of this policy shows that our investment in excellence has paid off and opened up our world-class collections to people, regardless of their income or background." For more information, CLICK HERE