This year National Museums Liverpool has welcomed more visitors than ever before with 1,608,133 people enjoying visits to the eight museums and galleries in the group. This is a 5% increase on the number of visits in 2004/05.
World Museum Liverpool, one year old on 29 April 2006, has been the star of the show, becoming one of the most popular museums in the country outside London. Over half a million people have flocked to attractions such as the Aquarium, the World Cultures gallery and the Bug House, as well as to the hugely popular temporary exhibitions Face to Face, Eye for Colour and Mongolian Buddhism.
The Lady Lever Art Gallery has continued to build a loyal group of fans, with figures a massive 20% up on last year. This fascinating gallery, nestled in the heart of the Wirral, has continued to delight visitors with its quirky collection and through exhibitions such as Beside the Seaside and Pulling the Lever: Pete Ellis, and most recently the hugely popular Pre-Raphaelite Drawings. The Lady Lever Art Gallery also had the honour of hosting a Picasso painting on loan from the National Gallery in Berlin.
Other highlights of the year have included the Steady States, an exhibition of work by contemporary artist Conrad Shawcross at the Walker Art Gallery, showing our new Beatles acquisitions at the Museum of Liverpool Life and 100% Cotton at the Merseyside Museum.