It wasn’t until the government at the time introduced free admission that everything changed. In the decade after free admission was introduced, visits to formerly paid-for museums in London increased by around 151%. In the last 25 years, free admission has also made London’s museums and galleries into a remarkable economic asset. It’s no surprise, then, that free admission generates about £1 billion every single year in overseas tourism revenue. London’s free museums and galleries are the envy of the world, but they shouldn’t be taken for granted.