BBC News reports on a study run by the Art Fund in the UK that discovers museum attendance is on the rise during the recession:

Some 63% of museums offering free entry to their permanent collections saw visitors increase. Institutions report that their incomes are remaining steady despite financial worries, while museums funded by local authorities are worse off. Some of them told The Art Fund that their running costs have risen by 30% compared to the same period last year.

Andrew McDonald, The Art Fund’s director, said: “It’s clear that when times are tough our cultural institutions provide both a great value-for-money experience and a distraction from financial worries. It is worrying to see that investment in museums and galleries appears to be drying up just at the point they have the most to offer people.”

Museums Boosted by ‘Staycation’ (BBC News)