Melbourne Museums attendance tops two million

Museum Victoria's attendances topped two million for the first time last year making it one of the most visited Museum organisations in the world, according to Victorian Arts Minister Peter Batchelor.

Joining the July school holiday crowds at Melbourne Museum, Minister Batchelor said the combined ticketed attendance across Museum Victoria's four venues in the 2009/10 financial year was 2,122,227 - 23% or 500,000 more people than last yearâs record total.

Minister Batchelor explained "this extraordinary result reflects the fantastic offering at the Museum's four venues and the Victorian community's ever-increasing appetite for quality exhibitions and cultural programs.

"Melbourne Museum, Scienceworks and IMAX all smashed previous attendance records, with Melbourne Museum securing its position as the nation's most popular museum with 1,077,773 visitors. The Immigration Museum also had a strong result."

Minister Batchelor said the results put Museum Victoria's four venues in good company internationally, achieving the kind of attendances seen at London's Victoria and Albert Museum, France's Museum national d'Histoire naturelle and the UK's Imperial War Museum.

He added "Victoria's museums provide truly world-leading experiences ... last year, not only did millions of people flock to our venues, but our exhibits were also recognised with international awards."

Highlights during 2009/10 included:
• A Day in Pompeii, the Melbourne Museumâs first Melbourne Winter Masterpieces exhibition attracted 332,679 people, making it the fourth most attended antiquities exhibition in the word last year;
• Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination brought 192,732 visitors to Scienceworks;
• 100,458 patrons viewed Avatar at IMAX Melbourne Museum;
• 414,390 students took part in Museum Victoriaâs education programs, around 44% of the Victorian school population; and
• Wild: Amazing Animals in a Changing World and 600 Million Years: Victoria Evolves opened as part of the $7.2 million redevelopment of the Science and Life Gallery.

Minister Batchelor concluded "blockbuster exhibitions such as A Day in Pompeii, Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination, and Titanic: The Artefact Exhibition have attracted huge crowds, but just as exciting has been the popularity of our redeveloped permanent exhibitions such as Dinosaur Walk and the multiple-award-winning Wild: Amazing Animals in a Changing World."

14th June 2010 - 20 YEARS OF INDIGENOUS THEATRE CELEBRATED AT BUNJILAKA 

22nd March 2010 - TITANIC EXHIBITION EMBARKS FOR MELBOURNE 

27th October 2009 - A DAY IN POMPEII - AUSTRALIA’S MOST POPULAR MUSEUM EXHIBITION 

Asking a small favour

We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

The news we publish at www.ausleisure.com.au is independent, credible (we hope) and free for you to access, with no pay walls and no annoying pop-up ads.

However, as an independent publisher, can we ask for you to support us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine - if you don't already do so.

Published bi-monthly since 1997, the printed Australasian Leisure Management differs from this website in that it publishes longer, in-depth and analytical features covering aquatics, attractions, entertainment, events, fitness, parks, recreation, sport, tourism and venues management.

Subscriptions cost just $90 a year.

Click here to subscribe.