The line graph compares trends in the average number of visitors to three museums per month during the summer of 2013.
Overall, although visitor numbers fluctuated over the period, attendance at all three museums increased towards the end of the summer, with the British Museum remaining the most popular throughout.
During the early summer months, visitor numbers at the British Museum rose sharply, while attendance at the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum moved in the opposite direction, both experiencing a decline over the same period. Specifically, visits to the British Museum increased from around 600 thousand in June to a peak of approximately 750 thousand in July. By contrast, the Natural History Museum saw a fall from just under 600 thousand to about 450 thousand visitors, while figures for the Science Museum declined more modestly from roughly 400 thousand to nearly 350 thousand.
In August, visitor numbers across all three museums either fell to their lowest point or levelled off. The British Museum experienced a notable decline to approximately 500 thousand visitors, whereas attendance at the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum became relatively similar, at around 350 thousand and 300 thousand respectively.
However, in September, visitor numbers rebounded across all three institutions. Each museum recorded an increase of roughly 150 thousand visitors, resulting in totals of about 650 thousand for the British Museum, 450 thousand for the Natural History Museum, and approximately 430 thousand for the Science Museum.