Abstract

The ageing of the population is a current global phenomenon that is transforming society. The health and social care needs of the older population have become some of the main priorities for public policy makers. However, there has been little progress in terms of development of research or public policy addressing the cultural needs of this increasing population group. Museums are not an exception. This paper explores the impact that the ageing of the population is having on museum audiences in the United Kingdom. In this paper, we argue that the ageing population presents both challenges and opportunities that museums will have to face in the very near future. Therefore, this paper contributes to the debate on how and why museums need to make some progress in terms of developing visitor research, museum policies and museum programmes that reflect this important demographic change.