please empty your brain below
An interesting insight and makes me wonder which attraction has had the largest percentage increase in entry fee. My memory might be failing me, but I seem to remember that to enter Kew Gardens, at any time, was just an old penny in the slot to free the giant metal turnstiles. Happy to be corrected on this as it is a distant recollection. Top price now is £24 or £26.50 with donation.

dg writes: The entrance fee to Greenwich Visitor Centre has increased by an infinite amount. It is not alone.

Waterhouse | 30.03.24 - 7:14 a.m. | #

The water tower looks fascinating, love the bagnio. But I was even more intrigued by Crofton Roman Villa, because as a child I lived in Orpington and briefly went to primary school in Crofton, but didn't know a villa had been discovered after we moved away, so thanks for that. My elderly parents will be interested too.

dg writes: my report from 2009.

Lucy Garden | 30.03.24 - 8:01 a.m. | #

Yes the price, Waterhouse, was indeed 1d, probably in the 1950s or early 60s.

rogergh | 30.03.24 - 8:08 a.m. | #

I was surprised to see that my local Gunnersbury Park and it's museum are still free. But you now have to pay to park, which I thought was introduced to deter dog-walkers. Though it appears it has not worked. I suspect that the clientele have just passed the extra cost on to their own customers.

DaveR | 30.03.24 - 8:15 a.m. | #

My recollection of Kew Gardens was that at the time of decimalisation in 1971 it cost 3d. After decimalisation 1p.
I remember it being widely reported that it was the only thing in the UK that got cheaper after decimalisation, which at the time was considered a very infaltionary action.

MikeK | 30.03.24 - 10:44 a.m. | #

From this month's Which? Travel, comparing 1974 vs 2024 prices:

Tower of London was 10p now £33.60
Kew Gardens was 1p now £12-£24
Westminster Abbey was free now £29
Madame Tussauds was 75p now £33-£47
St Paul's was free now £20.50
London Zoo was 15p now £27

Granted inflation is about 9-fold since 1974, but when we have visitors now I am embarrassed to tell them how much these attractions cost.

Peter | 30.03.24 - 11:43 a.m. | #

The Camera Museum near the British Museum is £3, so another runner up

the wub | 30.03.24 - 12:05 p.m. | #

Tower of London is £1 for Tower Hamlets residents which includes anyone living at DG Mansions.

dg quotes: “I'm not talking attractions you can get into dead cheap with a resident's bonus.”

Scrumpy | 30.03.24 - 12:28 p.m. | #

Along with the resident's bonus, a few places offer £1 entry for families receiving universal credit. London Zoo and RHP mostly. I know you didn't mean those either, but I thought I'd mention it for completion's sake.

Kathryn | 30.03.24 - 4:37 p.m. | #

Peter: Westminster Abbey is still free if you're attending a service. Quite a bargain for those who are willing.

Anonymous | 30.03.24 - 5:47 p.m. | #

Just the Cinema Museum, then. Cheers!

diamond geezer | Homepage | 30.03.24 - 7:00 p.m. | #

Peter: an interesting table you show here.

Of course, although inflation based on a basket of purchases may have risen nine-fold, the cost of running these attractions may have risen by a lot more (or perhaps less). It would also be interesting to know the balance of income from admission and other public sources of funding then and now.

Neil | 31.03.24 - 9:51 a.m. | #

I was thinking along similar lines recently. I have a 1984 book on my shelves entitled 'London for Free' and was wondering how many of the venues in it remain free 40 years later (or even still exist).

Alan S | 31.03.24 - 9:59 a.m. | #

Does free (or reduced) on Art Pass disbar some of the final longlist?

Maybe just the Heath Robinson (which is indeed free on Art Pass, fairly sure it was) and Fan Museum

I haven't checked the others on the longlist, runners up. Finalist is safe though.

MilesT | 02.04.24 - 12:54 p.m. | #

"I'm not talking attractions you can get into for free if you have specific membership."

Also
"I'm not including free attractions."

Also
"I'm not talking attractions you can get into dead cheap with a resident's bonus."

Also
"I'm not talking attractions that sometimes do special cheaper deals."

Also
"I'm not including attractions that used to cost a penny in the good old days."

So an Art Pass is obviously irrelevant
(ditto several other suggestions).

diamond geezer | Homepage | 02.04.24 - 3:16 p.m. | #











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