Museum + Gallery awarded VisitEngland’s quality mark
St Albans Museum + Gallery has been awarded VisitEngland’s quality accreditation after being examined by an expert assessor.
All of the attraction’s facilities – including its exhibitions, shop, café and overall visitor experience – were evaluated.
It achieved a highly impressive 89% score, well above the 60% needed for accreditation.
The Museum + Gallery will now be able to display Visit England’s quality mark – an assurance to potential visitors of exceptional services.
St Albans City and District Council runs this City Centre attraction which was opened four years ago in the former Town Hall in St Peter’s Street.
The building was renovated at the cost of £7.75 million, funded by the redevelopment of the former Museum of St Albans site and a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant.
It includes a well-preserved pre-Victorian courtroom with basement cells and a spacious Assembly Room.
Councillor Dr Allison Wren, Vice-Chair of the Public Realm Committee and Lead Councillor for Museums, said:
The Museum + Gallery has become one of the region’s cultural gems and this VisitEngland accreditation recognises the hard work and imagination of Council officers and the Museum staff.
We will now be able to display the award on the building, on the Museum + Gallery website and our promotional material. It is a sign to people that they can expect an outstanding visitor experience. In particular, the Museum + Gallery received 100% for its cleanliness and retail offerings.
The assessor's report also contains a few detailed recommendations as to where we could make improvements and these were attended to immediately after the report was received.
VisitEngland’s quality assessor praised the current exhibitions saying The Art of Grieving had left some visitors “visibly moved”.
All aspects of the Museum ranging from the décor to the layout were given the highest rating, either a ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’ score.
Assessors will check on the Museum + Gallery every year to ensure it still meets the standard required for its Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme.
Verulamium Museum, which is also run by the Council, received VisitEngland’s Quality Accreditation in December last year.
For more information about St Albans Museum + Gallery, go to: https://www.stalbansmuseums.org.uk/visit/st-albans-museum-gallery.
Contact for the media: John McJannet, Principal Communications Officer: 01727-819533, john.mcjannet@stalbans.gov.uk.