The
Beamish Museum in Durham, UK, is set to welcome more than 500,000 during its 2012-13 financial year, its best result in more in 20 years.
In the 10-month period between February and November the social history museum has already welcomed 451,108 visitors, regularly attracting more than 2,500 a day.
One of the museum's fastest growing demographics is local, low-income families.
Despite the increase in numbers, the average visitor spend is slightly down, which the museum attributes to the current economic climate and the ongoing pressures on UK consumers.