How many museums need be sacrificed?
- Paul Baker
- Feb 25
- 3 min read
Updated: May 8
Will we see a bonfire of museums?
How many must close before we collectively say, "No more"?
And if some survive while others disappear, what does that say about the heritage we truly value? Will we let steam engines vanish but fiercely protect treasures taken from other nations? Who decides what stays and what goes?
The Silent Crisis in Museums
This is my second blog on the growing crisis facing museums—just weeks after my last. I hadn’t expected to return to this topic so soon, but every day, new headlines emerge about museums at risk. Some are shutting their doors for good, while others face severe cuts, stripping them of their ability to engage audiences, care for collections, or fulfill their core mission.
We’ve already seen a few UK heritage sites close. Many others are being squeezed so tightly that they may soon be unable to justify their existence. This raises an urgent question: At what point do we reach the threshold where museum closures become irreparable?
A Crisis Yet to Hit Home?
On my social media page, Save Our Museums (UK), I’ve noticed that London appears to have been somewhat insulated from these cuts—at least for now. But across the rest of the UK, closures are mounting. A heritage site in Wales recently shut down, and museums in northern England, the West Midlands, and Scotland are on the brink. Cannock Chase could be the next to go. Meanwhile, concern is growing in places like Leeds and Bristol.
How many more will be lost before policymakers take notice? How bad must things get before we collectively demand action? It seems only a matter of time before this crisis moves from scattered regional stories to national headlines. And when that happens, what will be done?
What Will We Choose to Save?
If enough museums collapse, the government will eventually be forced to act—but will some types of heritage be deemed more "worthy" of saving than others?
Will sites linked to the royal family be untouchable?
Will the British Museum’s contested artifacts be protected while industrial heritage fades away?
Will paintings and decorative arts receive more funding than historic steam engines and railway museums?
And if so, what does this say about class and cultural priorities in Britain?
It’s not a question of whether we value one type of heritage over another—it’s a question of whether hard decisions will be made in a way that is fair, transparent, and inclusive.
Avoiding the Inevitable Debate
If cuts continue, a debate will become unavoidable. Which museums matter most? If funding is available for some but not others, who gets to decide? Will decorative arts always rank higher than industrial history? Will London's elite institutions be protected while smaller regional sites disappear?
Perhaps these are questions we should be asking before the crisis reaches its peak. If we wait until it's too late, we may find that the choices made—by default or design—say far more about our society than we’d like to admit.
The Future Is Still Unwritten
This story is still unfolding, and it could go in many different directions. But one thing is certain: we can’t afford to keep ignoring it.
If we don’t start this conversation now, we may wake up to find that the heritage we took for granted is gone—and with it, a part of our identity.
Let’s talk about this before the decisions are made for us.
Join the Discussion
📌 Follow my Save Our Museums (UK) page for updates.📖 Read my previous blog on how this crisis has evolved.🔗 Check out recent media reports—some suggest that 3 in 5 museums fear closure.
The time to act is now. Let’s not wait until it’s too late.
Paul Baker
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