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British Museum Apologizes for Bayeux Tapestry Crowding
Developing
In Short: The British Museum has announced changes to how visitors see the Bayeux Tapestry, addressing concerns over overcrowding and long queues.
Director Nicholas Cullinan told the BBC that the museum is committed to improving the experience for all visitors.
Cullinan acknowledged that some visitors have spent longer than their allocated 40-minute viewing time, leading to delays and frustration.
He denied that the museum had allowed too many people to book tickets, attributing the issues to visitors wanting to spend more time with the historic work.
The museum has already reimbursed those who were turned away due to backlogs and is considering compensating for travel costs, though Cullinan noted the high expense of mounting the exhibition.
Cullinan also said the museum had sought advice from the Bayeux Tapestry's home museum on queue management and timing.
The exhibition, which opened for the first time in the UK in 900 years, has drawn over 100,000 visitors, with the museum expecting to reach its 100,000th visitor next week.
However, the exhibition has faced criticism over accessibility, with Cullinan stating that the stipulation for the tapestry to be laid flat made it more difficult for wheelchair users to view it.
What this adds
The museum's efforts to address the issues include learning from the Bayeux Tapestry's home museum and adjusting viewing times to accommodate visitor interest.
What's still developing
- The London institution has announced changes to how visitors see the historic work over concerns of overcrowding.
- "Anyone that doesn't have a good experience, we're really sorry about that and we want to put it right," Nicholas Cullinan told the BBC's culture and media editor Katie Razzall.
- "You don't want anyone that comes to see it to have a bad experience, so our focus is very much on getting it right and learning lessons," Cullinan said.
- The problem "isn't just the interest, it's that people want to spend more time than anticipated. And that's a good thing. We want people to come and enjoy it, but it means we have to adjust accordingly and that's what we're doing," Cullinan said.
- British Museum announces changes to ease Bayeux Tapestry queues Bayeux Tapestry arrives in UK for first time in 900 years under police guard Bayeux Tapestry unveiled to UK public for first time at British Museum While the museum is reimbursing those who have been turned away, when asked if they might also compensate people for travel costs, Cullinan said it was "a possibility", but added that "obviously this is an incredibly expensive exhibition to mount."
- Last week, hundreds of ticket holders were reportedly turned away due to backlogs when the museum closed early for a private event.