The research, which is the first large-scale study of its kind in the United Kingdom, shows that the first decade after opening is the most precarious for museums. Many that launched in the late 20th century did not survive to 2025.
To explore and visualise the data, the Mapping Museums Lab has launched an open-access web application.
Key findings of Closed Museums and Their Collections 2000-25: A summary of the data include:
- Closure rates: Museum closures peaked during the austerity years of the early 2010s at 2%, but have since stabilised at around 1%.
- Private museums run by individuals, families or businesses had the highest closure rate at 37%.
- Local authority provision shrinking: 139 local authority museums have closed, an 8% reduction, largely due to funding cuts.
- Closure rate of independent museums rarely exceeded 0.5%.
- Size doesn’t guarantee survival: Thirty large museums attracting up to 100,000 visitors annually have closed since 2000.
Why do museums close?
Funding cuts and rising costs were the most common triggers. Closures often happen gradually, with museums reducing opening hours before shutting completely. Surprisingly, strong visitor numbers did not always prevent closure.
What happens to collections?
The study found no evidence of irresponsible disposal when a museum closes. Collections are often carefully transferred to other museums, schools, universities, or even unusual venues such as care homes and airports. In some cases, they remain in storage or mothballed in situ.
