The challenges of operating a free-to-access museum

The Clifton Suspension Bridge, connecting Bristol with North Somerset, is entirely funded by tolls which have paid for its upkeep since it first opened to the public in 1864. Its accompanying museum is free and features a permanent exhibition about the design, construction and maintenance of the bridge.

Last year, Clifton Suspension Bridge and Museum received UK Museum Accreditation from Arts Council England, in recognition of our adherence to national benchmark standards for the care and accessibility of our historic collections.

The trust which runs the bridge and museum is an independent charity, established in 1952, with the purpose of maintaining the bridge while educating the public in its historical significance. So, accreditation was a hugely exciting milestone, particularly as we run the museum and bridge without any local or national government funding.

We’re fully committed to ensuring our museum remains accessible to all, but running it as a free-to-access site without public funding is not without its challenges.

Assumption of public funding

As bridgemaster, I oversee and approve decisions regarding the museum and the infrastructure of the bridge on behalf of the trust. The museum is an invaluable asset in delivering on our commitment to inspire and educate the public with the unique stories behind the bridge.

An iconic Bristol landmark, people often assume the bridge and accompanying museum are run by the local council and funded by council taxes. In fact, our museum is funded entirely through public donations, sales from our shop, hard hat tours and our schools programme.

And It is critical to our operations that these activities generate the funds to preserve the bridge’s history – for the enjoyment of the public today and generations of tomorrow.

The biggest challenge for any self-funding museum is to break even so we   continually explore new ways to generate funds, regularly questioning current practices and experimenting with new ways to enhance the visitor experience.

Immersive and memorable experiences

We routinely review the landscape and evolving visitor expectations. In the current financial climate, our visitors are more likely to pay for an enriching activity that offers a deeper connection than to donate.

We’ve adapted to these expectations by developing memorable activities such as our underground experiences. These have proved very popular, expanding year-on-year since 2017 – except during the pandemic years.

Our schools’ programme is also highly successful and connects young people from the local area with our stories, while generating revenue through interactive sessions. Thanks to a grant from the Nisbet Trust, we’ve been able to offer fully-funded visits to schools with 25% or higher pupil premium.

I’d advise any museum looking to drive footfall and revenue to consider the opportunities to make exploration of their artefacts and stories more immersive, bringing them to life in new and interesting ways.

Optimising our retail offering

Our museum shop has always offered a valuable source of income with visitors keen to purchase a souvenir. To maximise the opportunity to capitalise on this, we collaborated with a retail consultant to revitalise our retail offer, improving our lighting and visual displays to drive a better customer experience. By investing strategically in our retail offer, we saw our sales double overnight.

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Trish Johnson says the Clifton Suspension Bridge Trust remains committed to preserving the historical significance of the bridge and providing valuable experiences for visitors. Photo: Jon Craig

The impact of funding reductions

Since 2012, the sector has seen top-down funding and support for museums gradually decreasing, making it increasingly challenging to maintain standards of pay for museum staff – and for heritage professionals to find rewarding roles suitable for their experience.

I’m proud that, through careful budgeting, working to maximise income from various sources and seeking external support and funds where available; our small but dedicated team has gone from strength to strength.

Schemes delivered by organisations such as the Social Enterprise Academy have helped us become more sustainable, while the Gift Aid Small Donation Scheme has allowed us to claim additional gift aid on anonymous donations.

Volunteers have become more important than ever and we are lucky to have a passionate team who support our front-of-house operations. While Covid lockdowns and the cost-of-living crisis diminished our pool of volunteers, with many citing caring responsibilities as reasons for reducing or stopping their previous commitments, we have seen a recent resurgence in recruitment and our team is growing once again.

Local community and visiting tourists

Engaging with both visiting tourists and the local community is vital for raising awareness about the bridge’s historical significance and operational needs. We use a variety of external channels, such as our own website, newsletter and social media, as well as partner organisations to connect with our visitors. With an eye on continuous improvement, we’re currently refining our tone of voice and messaging to reach a broader audience.

Looking to the future, the Clifton Suspension Bridge and Museum hopes to increase awareness and engagement with its rich heritage and archive collections. We’re exploring how technology can enhance our visitor experiences and provide new ways to connect with our stories, in the hope that there will be funding grants available to support these integrations.

Running a free-to-access museum without public funding will continue to be a labour of love requiring dedication, innovation, and commitment from the internal team, coupled with visitor support and donations.

Despite these challenges, the Clifton Suspension Bridge Trust remains committed to preserving the historical significance of the bridge and providing valuable experiences for visitors so that the museum will continue to inspire and educate for generations to come.

More information can be found here.

Items from the Clifton Suspension Bridge Museum collections can be viewed online.