Blaise Museum in Bristol has seen a significant drop in visitors since parking fees began, raising concerns about accessibility and visitor experience.
In the year after the charges kicked in, only 22,884 people visited the museum. But the next year, that number dropped to just 14,207. Even though it picked up a bit in 2024/25 with 18,005 visitors, that’s still almost 5,000 fewer than before the charges.
Before the fees, in 2021/22, the museum had 1,687 visits, but that was during the pandemic recovery. So, it’s hard to compare those numbers. Cllr Bador Uddin from Henbury & Brentry asked the council about the parking fees and visitor stats at a recent forum.
The council responded, saying the parking at Blaise serves the whole estate, not just the museum. They had set a target of £100,000 for parking income across all parks, and they actually made £101,398 in 2023/24. It seems like the fees are making money, but at what cost to the visitors?
