British Museum Overhauls Bayeux Tapestry Access Amidst Overwhelming Demand
The London institution is extending hours, improving signage, and adding an audio guide to manage queues and visitor experience for the historic embroidery.
The British Museum is implementing significant changes to manage visitor flow and alleviate long queues for the Bayeux Tapestry, following reports of hundreds of visitors being turned away or facing hours-long waits.
Plans include extending opening hours, enhancing signage, and introducing an audio guide. These measures aim to improve the experience for the surge of visitors drawn to the 70-meter-long 11th-century tapestry, which is on a historic one-year loan from France.
Demand for the exhibition, which opened on September 10, has been exceptionally high. A staggering 100,000 tickets were sold on the first day of release in July. The high demand led to queues reportedly reaching up to two hours, and on one occasion, some visitors were denied entry due to a private gala dinner attended by Chancellor John Healey and the Princess Royal. Museumgoers were informed of the private event and some received notices stating they would not be allowed to enter.
The museum has since apologized for the inconvenience caused by the private event, which was hosted by Samsung on a Wednesday. Affected visitors were issued refunds and offered priority booking slots for a later date.
Details regarding the extended opening hours are yet to be confirmed, but the new signage and audio guide are scheduled to be in place starting Monday. The audio guide's introduction comes after a legal challenge was initiated by Dr. Yusuf Ali Osman, who threatened to sue the museum for disability discrimination due to the lack of an audio tour upon the exhibition's opening. Dr. Osman's legal firm, Leigh Day, stated that the museum had prioritized self-guided visits over programmed tours due to visitor number restrictions. The museum indicated that an in-person audio-described tour would be provided on September 30 and that it was exploring the inclusion of an audio-described tour on an app.
Visitors are also currently banned from photographing the tapestry, and a pre-recorded message encourages a one-way flow through the exhibition route. Adult tickets are priced at £33 during peak times and £27 during off-peak hours, more than double the €12 fee charged in Bayeux, Normandy, where under-16s visit for free.