The National Videogame Museum, the only museum in the UK dedicated entirely to videogames, turns five today.
The museum first opened on the 24th of November 2018 and contains almost 5,000 video game related items.
This year, the museum has welcomed over 50,000 visitors this year, its highest number yet, with 70% of visitors coming from outside the city.
Christian Beckett, Marketing and Communications Officer at the museum, said: “Over the last year the number of visitors has significantly increased and we’ve become really established in Sheffield, but what’s really amazing is that people are coming specifically to Sheffield to visit us.
“We’ve even had people from Europe coming to visit as well.
“We’re really starting to establish ourselves as a really good attraction, not just for the city but for South Yorkshire in general.”
During the pandemic, the museum was supported by the Arts Council Recovery Fund, its patrons and its governing body, the British Games Institute (BGI).
It also held its first online exhibition, ‘The Animal Crossing Diaries’, which showed how people stayed connected to each other by playing video games.
Speaking to Museums + Heritage, Co-CEO of the museum Cat Powell said: “Like many cultural organisations, recent times have been challenging for the Museum.
“We survived the impact of the pandemic with the Arts Council England Culture Recovery Fund, plus support from patrons in the videogame industry and community fundraisers.
“It’s humbling to learn that so many people value our work and are willing to step in when needed.”
Looking forward, the National Videogame Museum wants to become accredited by the Museums Association.
Joel Arthur, who used to visit the museum before becoming a member of staff, said: “The fact that we’ve five years old today and can celebrate like this is a really good feeling.
“I want to see us keep growing and continue to expand gaming culture and knowledge around Sheffield and all of Yorkshire.”
The museum offered visitors a £5 discount on all kinds of tickets to mark the occasion.
