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Heritage


First-of-its-kind research from Historic England has quantified the impact of local heritage on residents, with the annual economic benefit of historic sites in the country worth an estimated £29bn


English Heritage is testing body-worn cameras at four of the national organisation’s sites in an attempt to deter anti-social behaviour and crime, as well as to protect its staff during ‘confrontational situations’


The Smithsonian Institution will introduce a new policy on human remains that will see descendants or communities of origin able to decide what happens to their ancestors


As staff at the Eiffel Tower continue to strike over the monument's management, France’s culture minister has suggested classifying the iconic building as a national monument, which would allow the state to help fund necessary works


Normandy’s historic D-Day landing beaches could finally be named a Unesco World Heritage Site with the cultural organisation now ready to consider a new application 80 years on from the event that marked the beginning of Europe’s liberation from the Nazis


The British Museum has been bombarded with social media messages from Chilean Instagram users demanding the return the institution’s iconic Easter Island statues from its collection


Saudi Arabia’s tourism push is hitting the rails with the country investing US$75m into an Orient Express-style luxury train that will travel to two of the Kingdom’s World Heritage Sites


Blenheim Palace has announced a ‘groundbreaking’ organic waste project that will act as a ‘major step’ towards such sites meeting net zero sustainability goals


Charity organisation Survival International has called on Prince Harry to ‘distance himself’ from African Parks and step down from its board, after allegations emerged accusing some of its guards of abuse against Indigenous people


Japanese authorities are fighting over tourism on Mount Fuji by announcing plans to introduce a toll and visitor cap on the World Heritage site’s most popular hiking trail


The American Heritage Museum has unveiled the restoration of a WWII-era German Deutsche Reichsbahn Rail Car in the first phase of a project aiming to develop a comprehensive permanent exhibit remembering the Holocaust


An Australian natural heritage attraction will undergo a significant renovation project to protect the site and streamline the visitor experience


A cultural attraction dedicated to China’s Great Wall will become a national museum when it reopens in 2025 following an extensive renovation


Argentina no longer has a Ministry of Culture after its new President Javier Milei abolished the government office one day into his four year tenure


Officials from Israeli museums have called on the International Council of Museums to recognise Hamas as a terror organisation “akin to the Taliban”


A stolen Van Gogh painting has been recovered by a private detective after its holder declared the work “a massive headache” to keep in their possession


The famous Italian city of Venice is set to tackle over-tourism with the introduction of a €5 a day entry fee for visitors to the Unesco World Heritage Site


The Great Wall of China has suffered ‘irreversible damage’ after two people dug a hole through the wall with an excavator to create a shortcut


Up to seven people could soon be charged with the theft of a solid gold toilet stolen from Blenheim Palace in 2019 following a major breakthrough in the case


Christie has worked with Maxin10sity to create a projection-mapped spectacle that has seen Germany’s Karlsruhe Palace transformed into a digital masterpiece


London’s British Museum has sacked an employee after several items from its collection were reported 'missing, stolen or damaged'


Archaeologists have unearthed what they believe to be the remains of the Roman Emperor Nero’s private theatre in the Italian capital


London’s Horniman Museum has been awarded £5.7m by the National Lottery Heritage Fund for its Nature + Love project


New research from environmental group Greenpeace has found that extreme weather conditions, caused by climate change, are already a significant threat to ancient heritage sites in China


Unesco says it’s deeply dismayed over an attack carried out by the Russian forces, which hit several cultural sites in the city centre of Odesa, while President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has pledged retaliation for the act


The UK government has approved a controversial plan to build a £1.7bn tunnel beneath Stonehenge that Unesco worries could place the prehistoric monument at risk


Extreme flooding in northern India has seen water make it all the way to the walls of the Taj Mahal - the first time such an occurrence has happened in 45 years


The First Bank of the United States in Philadelphia has been granted US$22m in federal funding to turn the historic building into an interactive museum


London Mayor Sadiq Khan has said that the UK and Greece should come to an agreement to share the controversial Parthenon Marbles currently on display at the British Museum


Abu Dhabi’s culture and tourism board has revealed ambitious plans to grow its tourism economy to 24 million visitors a year


The Met and the Smithsonian have worked with the US Army to help train soldiers in preserving and protecting cultural heritage in conflict zones


Concerns have been raised after local government passed a bill allowing intensive irrigated strawberry farming on a World Heritage-protected wetland in Spain


The US is set to rejoin Unesco, nearly six years after the Trump administration withdrew the country from the organisation. The move comes amid rising concerns that China has been influencing Unesco’s policy making processes


The conflict in Sudan has left experts fearing for the country’s cultural heritage, with museums unable to adequately protect their collections


Crypto membership collective TemDAO is using blockchain technology to preserve cultural and world heritage sites, with its innovative new approach potentially a game changer when its comes to heritage funding


Australia’s government is providing greater protection to the Great Barrier Reef, announcing a AU$160m package to phase out commercial gill net fishing by 2027


Japanese architecture firm Kengo Kuma & Associates has won an international design competition to design a new visitor centre at Butrint National Park in Albania


Five cultural institutions are in the running for this year’s Art Fund Museum of the Year 2023


The Nerja Caves has launched a new VR experience that allows visitors to access parts of the caves that have previously been closed to the public


An official location tour dedicated to hit BBC series ‘Call the Midwife’ has opened at The Historic Dockyard Chatham in Kent, UK


Pembrokeshire County Council has approved plans to transform a grade II-listed prison in Haverfordwest, Wales, into a visitor attraction


A major museum dedicated to William Shakespeare will be built on the foundations of the theatre where the famed playwright hosted some of his first works


Continuum Attractions has taken up operations of the Loch Ness Centre, which is set to reopen next month following a £1.5m redevelopment


A new museum celebrating the legacy of Amelia Earhart is set to open its doors in the aviation legend’s hometown of Atchison, Kansas


Amnesty International says that Cambodian officials are forcing residents of the Angkor Wat World Heritage site to ‘voluntarily’ leave in the name of preserving the popular heritage attraction, with the move affecting an estimated 10,000 families


Kate Mavor CBE has announced that she will step down as CEO of English Heritage later this year


Thousands of UK museum and heritage workers have joined industrial action protesting against low pay and other working conditions.


Teaching the construction sector the necessary skills to retrofit the UK’s heritage structures could provide the British economy with a £35bn boost, a new report has suggested


The UK’s National Lottery Heritage Fund has announced several changes to its funding priorities to address concerns for the ‘health and future of the nation’s heritage’


Ukrainian security company Ajax Systems has installed US$13,000 worth of security equipment to protect several Banksy artworks in Kyiv created by the artist during the Russian invasion


3D printing has been used to create a full-size replica of a World Heritage site in China, offering visitors an up close and personal experience while also securing crucial data for future world heritage protection


The Hegra Welcome Centre in AlUla, Saudi Arabia, has unveiled a new exhibit; the reconstructed face of Hinat, a woman who lived more than 2,000 years ago


Unesco has offered its support to the victims of the devastating earthquake that rocked Turkey and Syria this week as concern grows for a number of historically important World Heritage sites in the region


The popular Titanic Belfast attraction will reopen next month with four new galleries and a 7.6m-long replica of the iconic ship following a multi-million pound revamp


Tate St Ives is seeking an architect-led multi-discipline team to lead a major renovation of Palais de Danse, the former studio of renowned sculptor Barbara Hepworth


The UK government has announced the launch of a new Energy Bill Discount Scheme offering significant discounts for vulnerable businesses including museums and heritage sites


After a difficult few years the museum sector is showing promising signs of recovery with several exciting projects set to open this year. Here are 14 of 2023’s most anticipated museum openings


Heritage organisations in the UK are in serious jeopardy of closure as a result of the cost of living crisis, with nine in 10 concerned about their future


A plot to steal a 10-tonne ancient statue of Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses II has been foiled after police arrested three men attempting to make away with the gigantic antiquity


Arguably Britain’s most well known dinosaur - the Natural History Museum’s iconic ‘Dippy’ the diplodocus - is set for a three year move to Coventry starting next month


Culture, heritage and sport sites are set to receive £4.5m over the next three years to support actions in the Welsh Government’s Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan


Longtime member and actor Helena Bonham Carter CBE has become the first female president of The London Library


Cruise operator Holland America Line is celebrating 150 years with the announcement of a partnership with the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation


A wildfire on Easter Island which could have been started deliberately has caused ‘irreparable’ damage to the Unesco World Heritage Site’s iconic moai head statues


Researchers from the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and London’s Natural History Museum have discovered the cause of damage to several medieval murals in a Unesco World Heritage site in Ukraine


The British Museum has proposed a ‘Parthenon partnership’ that could see the Parthenon Marbles - also known as the Elgin Marbles - returned to Greece for the first time in more than 200 years


Detailed replicas of the controversial Elgin or Parthenon Marbles, created by a robot, will soon go on display in London


Unesco has verified more than 150 cultural sites in Ukraine have been either partially or completely destroyed since the Vladimir Putin-led invasion by Russia


The Ford Island Control Tower at Pearl Harbor is now open to the public for the first time in decades following a US$7m restoration


Jean-Luc Martinez stands accused of conspiring to hide the origin of archaeological treasures that investigators say were smuggled out of Egypt during the Arab Spring uprisings


A man entered the Louvre on Sunday disguised as an old lady in a wheelchair in an attempt to deface the Mona Lisa with cake


The Natural History Museum is partnering with the University of Reading on a major new digitisation centre to be built at the Thames Valley Science Park


Unesco’s World Heritage Committee meeting in Kazan has been indefinitely postponed following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine


Organisations including the Auschwitz Memorial and Europa Nostra, as well as the UK’s culture minister Nadine Dorries, have called on Unesco to change the location of its 45th annual World Heritage Committee meeting, which is currently scheduled to take place in Russia


Art and antiquities dealer Roben Dib has been arrested on charges of gang fraud and money laundering


The museum closed due to security concerns in 2019, and was then hit by the coronavirus pandemic


The UN cultural organisation is aiming to mark as many key heritage sites with the Hague Convention emblem, which protects cultural heritage in the event of armed conflict


Los Angeles’ iconic La Brea Tar Pits will soon undergo a major transformation should a masterplan by Weiss/Manfredi pass its environmental review


Escalating tensions between Ukraine and Russia have seen Ukrainian institutions prepare security and evacuation plans should the worst happen


Warwick Castle will soon be home to a Zog-themed playland, with the popular IP set to arrive at the heritage attraction in April


One of the world’s most important works of prehistoric art has found a new home at the British Museum


With so many big things coming in the year ahead, we’ve rounded up all the key events taking place this year. Welcome to your attractions calendar for 2022.


A new initiative from France’s Grand Palais will see the development of digital experiences for some of the world’s most iconic artworks, starting with a debut exhibition on the Louvre’s Mona Lisa


The Gateway to Hell could soon burn no more with Turkmenistan’s President ordering the famous blaze to be extinguished for good


McDonald’s has lost a high court appeal to build a €1.3 m drive-through restaurant directly next to Rome’s historic Baths of Caracalla


The new Ilulissat Icefjord Centre is part of Greenland’s plan to attract more tourists to the country


Pixel Artworks has worked with Merlin Entertainments to develop Sundown Spectacular - an all-new lightshow at Warwick Castle celebrating the end of the British summer


The Taliban has vowed to protect Afghanistan’s heritage but concern is still extremely high following destruction seen in previous years


The exhibition explores the history of the Mary Rose, Henry VIII’s warship, which sank in the Battle of the Solent in 1545


The World Heritage Committee has inscribed 13 new sites in Europe, Asia and the Middle East to Unesco’s World Heritage List


The Highland Council has appointed Mather & Co to help transform the castle into a world-class attraction


Unesco has deleted Liverpool from its World Heritage List after a committee determined new developments were damaging the city’s global heritage


Unesco has said that plans by the British government to build a tunnel beneath Stonehenge will have a ‘highly adverse and irreversible impact’ on the World Heritage site


Castles and palaces in Germany are set to receive a huge investment into refurbishing existing tourist attractions.


The Colosseum’s hypogeum has undergone a major restoration allowing visitors to explore the historic passageways for the first time


The Museum of the Home has been refused permission to remove a statue of Robert Geffrye despite public calls to ditch the controversial work


Unesco says that COVID-19 will have a significant impact on World Heritage long after the pandemic has been brought under control


Belgium will work with the Democratic Republic of Congo to return items looted during the colonial era in the first half of the last century


Historic England’s virtual dive trail tells the story of Stirling Castle, a 70-gun warship that was destroyed in the Great Storm of 1703


A statue famously felled during the Black Lives Matter protests, is now on display in a Bristol museum


Tower Bridge is set to welcome man’s best friend for a very special dog-friendly ‘VIPooch’ event


Emergency restoration work was carried out on the Megalosaurus after its jaw collapsed last year


Kazakhstan has welcomed the country’s first flying theatre ride with Brogent Technologies behind the landmark new attraction


The gold rosary beads were snatched alongside several coronation cups that Mary gifted to the Earl Marshal


Where exactly is the line when it comes to improving the visitor experience and interfering with historic sites?


The Dundee Cultural Recovery Fund will support cultural institutions through financial difficulties and bring tourists back to the area


The 18-pounder Losoya House exhibit features a full-size replica of a cannon used during the Battle of the Alamo in 1836


Lithuania’s government is backing plans to transform its famous Lukiškės Prison complex into a multifunctional hub featuring museums, restaurants, hotels and other commercial and cultural spaces


Take a tour of Queen Elizabeth II’s back garden, with visitors allowed to explore the exteriors of Buckingham Palace unguided for the first time ever


Egypt has celebrated the long-awaited opening of its National Museum of Egyptian Civilization with a procession of 22 ancient Egyptian royal mummies through Cairo


Cruise ships are no longer welcome in Venice following a ruling by the Italian government


The historic Chichén Itzá Maya has been closed to the public while Mexican authorities battle an influx of non mask-wearing tourists


Unesco has revealed the extent of the effects of Covid 19, with only half of the world’s heritage sites fully open to the public


The bid was backed by actors Sir Ian McKellen and Martin Freeman


The historic theatre in London will reopen with a series of Shakespeare classics starting in May


‘Songs of England’ explores traditional folk music associated with different heritage sites throughout England


Coral bleaching caused by climate change is turning the famous wonder white


The 100-year-old key was posted to English Heritage customer services with a note apologising for the 48-year delay


One of India’s highest security prisons has opened to the public, with educational tours taking visitors inside the place where Mahatma Gandhi was held prisoner for several years


There are parts of Chernobyl so dangerous you could die in minutes just standing there but that’s not stopping tourists who are visiting the exclusion zone in record numbers


The renovation is the most significant in the gallery’s 89-year history


‘Sparking visitors with hope, light and connectivity’, Bruge’s WinterGlow returned in December for a series of installations across the historic city


The second round of NLHF’s Culture Recovery Fund makes £36m available for sites across Britain


Grupo Xcaret says its new landmark attractions will now open at the end of the year - 12 months later than originally planned


Recognising the world’s most astonishing attractions, Planet Attractions names 2021’s Wonder Award winners


ELLO, ELLO, ELLO! The former police station will welcome visitors as soon as COVID restrictions allow


Europa Nostra has announced which of Europe's heritage sites are most at risk


German forces likely threw the device into the water to avoid it falling into Allied hands


Our World Heritage is calling on the general public to save world heritage sites


A new set of Accords aim to protect Infinity and Beyond for future generations


The trailer showcases the latest spectacles coming to Puy du Fou for its next season of shows


Actors call on a ‘fellowship’ of fans to help raise £4.5m to fund the house’s purchase and start a programme of events.


See Walt Disney’s office exactly as it was, “down to the last paperclip” and learn a little bit about the man behind The Walt Disney Company’s media and theme park empire.


Lego has turned Rome’s historic colosseum into a 9,036-piece construction, which is now available to buy


Viewers from all around the world will be able to marvel at the annual Stonehenge winter solstice


The Australian Museum was closed for 15 months while works took place


The museum is on track for its mid-2022 opening

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Heritage

Wellbeing created by local heritage in England creates £29bn a year in economic benefits, says study


First-of-its-kind research from Historic England has quantified the impact of local heritage on residents, with the annual economic benefit of historic sites in the country worth an estimated £29bn

English Heritage sites trial body cameras in attempt to deter anti-social behaviour


English Heritage is testing body-worn cameras at four of the national organisation’s sites in an attempt to deter anti-social behaviour and crime, as well as to protect its staff during ‘confrontational situations’

Smithsonian to introduce new human remains policy following task force investigation


The Smithsonian Institution will introduce a new policy on human remains that will see descendants or communities of origin able to decide what happens to their ancestors

Eiffel Tower should be classed as historical monument, says France’s culture minister following strikes


As staff at the Eiffel Tower continue to strike over the monument's management, France’s culture minister has suggested classifying the iconic building as a national monument, which would allow the state to help fund necessary works

D-Day landing beaches could be named World Heritage Site as Unesco considers listing


Normandy’s historic D-Day landing beaches could finally be named a Unesco World Heritage Site with the cultural organisation now ready to consider a new application 80 years on from the event that marked the beginning of Europe’s liberation from the Nazis

Influencer causes social storm as British Museum’s Instagram account inundated with calls to return Easter Island statues


The British Museum has been bombarded with social media messages from Chilean Instagram users demanding the return the institution’s iconic Easter Island statues from its collection

Saudi Arabia investing US$75m for region’s first luxury train experience


Saudi Arabia’s tourism push is hitting the rails with the country investing US$75m into an Orient Express-style luxury train that will travel to two of the Kingdom’s World Heritage Sites

Blenheim Palace piloting ‘groundbreaking’ organic waste project in step towards net zero


Blenheim Palace has announced a ‘groundbreaking’ organic waste project that will act as a ‘major step’ towards such sites meeting net zero sustainability goals

Prince Harry urged by charity to step down from African Parks board following serious abuse allegations against rangers


Charity organisation Survival International has called on Prince Harry to ‘distance himself’ from African Parks and step down from its board, after allegations emerged accusing some of its guards of abuse against Indigenous people

Visitor cap for Mount Fuji as Japan cracks down on tourist pollution


Japanese authorities are fighting over tourism on Mount Fuji by announcing plans to introduce a toll and visitor cap on the World Heritage site’s most popular hiking trail

Holocaust-era train car goes on display at American Heritage Museum


The American Heritage Museum has unveiled the restoration of a WWII-era German Deutsche Reichsbahn Rail Car in the first phase of a project aiming to develop a comprehensive permanent exhibit remembering the Holocaust

Australia’s Twelve Apostles to undergo AU$108m renovation to protect site and boost visitor experience


An Australian natural heritage attraction will undergo a significant renovation project to protect the site and streamline the visitor experience

China’s Great Wall Museum set to reopen in 2025 following major renovation


A cultural attraction dedicated to China’s Great Wall will become a national museum when it reopens in 2025 following an extensive renovation

Argentina’s new President Javier Milei abolishes Ministry of Culture after one day


Argentina no longer has a Ministry of Culture after its new President Javier Milei abolished the government office one day into his four year tenure

Israeli museum officials issue urgent appeal to ICOM to condemn Hamas attacks in open letter


Officials from Israeli museums have called on the International Council of Museums to recognise Hamas as a terror organisation “akin to the Taliban”

Stolen €6m Van Gogh painting recovered by private detective after holder brands piece ‘a massive headache’


A stolen Van Gogh painting has been recovered by a private detective after its holder declared the work “a massive headache” to keep in their possession

Venice set to introduce €5 tourist day tax


The famous Italian city of Venice is set to tackle over-tourism with the introduction of a €5 a day entry fee for visitors to the Unesco World Heritage Site

Construction workers attempting to create shortcut dig hole through Great Wall of China


The Great Wall of China has suffered ‘irreversible damage’ after two people dug a hole through the wall with an excavator to create a shortcut

Breakthrough in Blenheim Palace US$6m gold toilet theft


Up to seven people could soon be charged with the theft of a solid gold toilet stolen from Blenheim Palace in 2019 following a major breakthrough in the case

Christie powers projection-mapped spectacle at Schlosslichtspiele Festival with Pandoras Box technology


Christie has worked with Maxin10sity to create a projection-mapped spectacle that has seen Germany’s Karlsruhe Palace transformed into a digital masterpiece

British Museum employee dismissed over missing artefacts


London’s British Museum has sacked an employee after several items from its collection were reported 'missing, stolen or damaged'

Archeologists uncover the remains of Roman Emporer Nero’s lost theatre


Archaeologists have unearthed what they believe to be the remains of the Roman Emperor Nero’s private theatre in the Italian capital

Horniman Museum’s Nature + Love project awarded £5.7m in Lottery funding


London’s Horniman Museum has been awarded £5.7m by the National Lottery Heritage Fund for its Nature + Love project

Climate change threatens ancient Chinese heritage sites


New research from environmental group Greenpeace has found that extreme weather conditions, caused by climate change, are already a significant threat to ancient heritage sites in China

Unesco and Zelenskyy condemn Russian attacks on historic World Heritage Site


Unesco says it’s deeply dismayed over an attack carried out by the Russian forces, which hit several cultural sites in the city centre of Odesa, while President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has pledged retaliation for the act

UK government pushes through controversial plan to build underground tunnel beneath Stonehenge


The UK government has approved a controversial plan to build a £1.7bn tunnel beneath Stonehenge that Unesco worries could place the prehistoric monument at risk

Floodwaters reach Taj Mahal for first time in almost half-a-century


Extreme flooding in northern India has seen water make it all the way to the walls of the Taj Mahal - the first time such an occurrence has happened in 45 years

First Bank of the United States set to undergo US$22.2m museum transformation


The First Bank of the United States in Philadelphia has been granted US$22m in federal funding to turn the historic building into an interactive museum

Mayor of London says Greece and UK should ‘share’ Parthenon Marbles


London Mayor Sadiq Khan has said that the UK and Greece should come to an agreement to share the controversial Parthenon Marbles currently on display at the British Museum

Abu Dhabi announces ambitious growth plans focused on tourism and culture


Abu Dhabi’s culture and tourism board has revealed ambitious plans to grow its tourism economy to 24 million visitors a year

Met and Smithsonian team up to train US Army to protect cultural heritage


The Met and the Smithsonian have worked with the US Army to help train soldiers in preserving and protecting cultural heritage in conflict zones

Strawberries threaten Spanish World Heritage site


Concerns have been raised after local government passed a bill allowing intensive irrigated strawberry farming on a World Heritage-protected wetland in Spain

US to rejoin Unesco amid rising concerns of Chinese influence


The US is set to rejoin Unesco, nearly six years after the Trump administration withdrew the country from the organisation. The move comes amid rising concerns that China has been influencing Unesco’s policy making processes

Concerns for Sudan’s cultural heritage as armed military conflict continues


The conflict in Sudan has left experts fearing for the country’s cultural heritage, with museums unable to adequately protect their collections

How blockchain is being used for cultural and heritage preservation


Crypto membership collective TemDAO is using blockchain technology to preserve cultural and world heritage sites, with its innovative new approach potentially a game changer when its comes to heritage funding

AU$160m plan to phase out gill net fishing on Great Barrier Reef a ‘globally significant moment’


Australia’s government is providing greater protection to the Great Barrier Reef, announcing a AU$160m package to phase out commercial gill net fishing by 2027

Architects Kengo Kuma to design visitor centre for Albanian World Heritage site


Japanese architecture firm Kengo Kuma & Associates has won an international design competition to design a new visitor centre at Butrint National Park in Albania

Art Fund reveals Museum of the Year 2023 shortlist


Five cultural institutions are in the running for this year’s Art Fund Museum of the Year 2023

Spain’s largest VR experience opens at the Nerja Caves


The Nerja Caves has launched a new VR experience that allows visitors to access parts of the caves that have previously been closed to the public

‘Call the Midwife’ location tour launches at The Historic Dockyard Chatham


An official location tour dedicated to hit BBC series ‘Call the Midwife’ has opened at The Historic Dockyard Chatham in Kent, UK

Plans approved to transform 200-year-old prison in Wales into a visitor attraction


Pembrokeshire County Council has approved plans to transform a grade II-listed prison in Haverfordwest, Wales, into a visitor attraction

Major cultural attraction announced for London with Museum of Shakespeare set to open in 2024


A major museum dedicated to William Shakespeare will be built on the foundations of the theatre where the famed playwright hosted some of his first works

Brand new Loch Ness attraction set to open in May


Continuum Attractions has taken up operations of the Loch Ness Centre, which is set to reopen next month following a £1.5m redevelopment

Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum honours hometown aviation hero in Kansas


A new museum celebrating the legacy of Amelia Earhart is set to open its doors in the aviation legend’s hometown of Atchison, Kansas

Amnesty International says Cambodian government is overseeing ‘mass forced evictions’ from Unesco World Heritage site


Amnesty International says that Cambodian officials are forcing residents of the Angkor Wat World Heritage site to ‘voluntarily’ leave in the name of preserving the popular heritage attraction, with the move affecting an estimated 10,000 families

English Heritage CEO to step down


Kate Mavor CBE has announced that she will step down as CEO of English Heritage later this year

UK museums workers join public sector strike


Thousands of UK museum and heritage workers have joined industrial action protesting against low pay and other working conditions.

Green retrofit of UK’s heritage sector could provide £35bn economic boost


Teaching the construction sector the necessary skills to retrofit the UK’s heritage structures could provide the British economy with a £35bn boost, a new report has suggested

National Lottery Heritage Fund announces changes to funding priorities as part of Heritage 2023 strategy


The UK’s National Lottery Heritage Fund has announced several changes to its funding priorities to address concerns for the ‘health and future of the nation’s heritage’

High-tech security systems installed to protect Banksy’s Ukraine murals


Ukrainian security company Ajax Systems has installed US$13,000 worth of security equipment to protect several Banksy artworks in Kyiv created by the artist during the Russian invasion

World Heritage site reproduced using 3D printers opens in China


3D printing has been used to create a full-size replica of a World Heritage site in China, offering visitors an up close and personal experience while also securing crucial data for future world heritage protection

Reconstructed face of 2,000-year-old woman revealed in Saudi Arabia


The Hegra Welcome Centre in AlUla, Saudi Arabia, has unveiled a new exhibit; the reconstructed face of Hinat, a woman who lived more than 2,000 years ago

Unesco offers support as earthquake damages World Heritage sites in Turkey and Syria


Unesco has offered its support to the victims of the devastating earthquake that rocked Turkey and Syria this week as concern grows for a number of historically important World Heritage sites in the region

Titanic Belfast to reopen in March following £4.5m revamp


The popular Titanic Belfast attraction will reopen next month with four new galleries and a 7.6m-long replica of the iconic ship following a multi-million pound revamp

Tate seeks architect for major Palais de Danse project


Tate St Ives is seeking an architect-led multi-discipline team to lead a major renovation of Palais de Danse, the former studio of renowned sculptor Barbara Hepworth

UK energy relief extended to support museum and heritage sector


The UK government has announced the launch of a new Energy Bill Discount Scheme offering significant discounts for vulnerable businesses including museums and heritage sites

Fourteen of 2023’s most anticipated museum openings


After a difficult few years the museum sector is showing promising signs of recovery with several exciting projects set to open this year. Here are 14 of 2023’s most anticipated museum openings

Cost of living crisis leaves nine in 10 heritage sites fearing for their future


Heritage organisations in the UK are in serious jeopardy of closure as a result of the cost of living crisis, with nine in 10 concerned about their future

Police arrest three in Egypt after failed attempt to steal 10-tonne statue of Ramesses II


A plot to steal a 10-tonne ancient statue of Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses II has been foiled after police arrested three men attempting to make away with the gigantic antiquity

Natural History Museum’s Dippy headed to Coventry for three-year exhibition


Arguably Britain’s most well known dinosaur - the Natural History Museum’s iconic ‘Dippy’ the diplodocus - is set for a three year move to Coventry starting next month

Anti-racist action in culture, heritage and sport gets £4.5m boost from Welsh government


Culture, heritage and sport sites are set to receive £4.5m over the next three years to support actions in the Welsh Government’s Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan

Helena Bonham Carter named first female president of The London Library


Longtime member and actor Helena Bonham Carter CBE has become the first female president of The London Library

Holland America Line partners with Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation for 150th-anniversary celebration


Cruise operator Holland America Line is celebrating 150 years with the announcement of a partnership with the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation

Wildfires cause ‘irreparable’ damage to Easter Island’s famous statues


A wildfire on Easter Island which could have been started deliberately has caused ‘irreparable’ damage to the Unesco World Heritage Site’s iconic moai head statues

Natural History Museum partners with National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine to help save historic artworks


Researchers from the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and London’s Natural History Museum have discovered the cause of damage to several medieval murals in a Unesco World Heritage site in Ukraine

British Museum proposes ‘Parthenon partnership’ with Greece over Elgin Marbles


The British Museum has proposed a ‘Parthenon partnership’ that could see the Parthenon Marbles - also known as the Elgin Marbles - returned to Greece for the first time in more than 200 years

Parthenon Marbles replica carved by AI to go on display in London


Detailed replicas of the controversial Elgin or Parthenon Marbles, created by a robot, will soon go on display in London

More than 150 cultural sites in Ukraine have been partially or totally destroyed during the Russian invasion


Unesco has verified more than 150 cultural sites in Ukraine have been either partially or completely destroyed since the Vladimir Putin-led invasion by Russia

Pearl Harbor's Ford Island Control Tower opens to public following decade-long restoration


The Ford Island Control Tower at Pearl Harbor is now open to the public for the first time in decades following a US$7m restoration

Former Louvre president Jean-Luc Martinez charged with money laundering in art trafficking case


Jean-Luc Martinez stands accused of conspiring to hide the origin of archaeological treasures that investigators say were smuggled out of Egypt during the Arab Spring uprisings

Man smears cake on the Mona Lisa as he encourages people to ‘think of the earth’


A man entered the Louvre on Sunday disguised as an old lady in a wheelchair in an attempt to deface the Mona Lisa with cake

London’s Natural History Museum announces plan to open major new research centre with the University of Reading


The Natural History Museum is partnering with the University of Reading on a major new digitisation centre to be built at the Thames Valley Science Park

Unesco’s World Heritage meeting in Russia indefinitely postponed


Unesco’s World Heritage Committee meeting in Kazan has been indefinitely postponed following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Pressure on Unesco to relocate World Heritage Committee meeting from Russia


Organisations including the Auschwitz Memorial and Europa Nostra, as well as the UK’s culture minister Nadine Dorries, have called on Unesco to change the location of its 45th annual World Heritage Committee meeting, which is currently scheduled to take place in Russia

Man who sold works to Louvre and Met arrested on suspicion of selling looted antiquities


Art and antiquities dealer Roben Dib has been arrested on charges of gang fraud and money laundering

Baghdad’s Iraq Museum celebrates reopening after three-year closure


The museum closed due to security concerns in 2019, and was then hit by the coronavirus pandemic

Unesco 'gravely concerned' for Ukraine's cultural heritage as Russia invasion continues


The UN cultural organisation is aiming to mark as many key heritage sites with the Hague Convention emblem, which protects cultural heritage in the event of armed conflict

Environmental review underway for La Brea Tar Pits redevelopment masterplan


Los Angeles’ iconic La Brea Tar Pits will soon undergo a major transformation should a masterplan by Weiss/Manfredi pass its environmental review

Ukraine’s museums prepare for the worst as Russian conflict approaches


Escalating tensions between Ukraine and Russia have seen Ukrainian institutions prepare security and evacuation plans should the worst happen

Zog comes to Warwick Castle with new themed playland


Warwick Castle will soon be home to a Zog-themed playland, with the popular IP set to arrive at the heritage attraction in April

5,000-year-old chalk sculpture deemed UK’s ‘most significant ancient discovery’ to go on display at the British Museum


One of the world’s most important works of prehistoric art has found a new home at the British Museum

Attractions Calendar: Your diary dates for 2022


With so many big things coming in the year ahead, we’ve rounded up all the key events taking place this year. Welcome to your attractions calendar for 2022.

Mona Lisa goes digital as Grand Palais unveils new initiative for immersive art exhibitions


A new initiative from France’s Grand Palais will see the development of digital experiences for some of the world’s most iconic artworks, starting with a debut exhibition on the Louvre’s Mona Lisa

Turkmenistan’s ‘Gateway to Hell’ to be extinguished


The Gateway to Hell could soon burn no more with Turkmenistan’s President ordering the famous blaze to be extinguished for good

McDonald’s loses appeal to build drive-through next to ancient Roman baths


McDonald’s has lost a high court appeal to build a €1.3 m drive-through restaurant directly next to Rome’s historic Baths of Caracalla

The new visitor attraction that just opened its doors 250km north of the Arctic Circle


The new Ilulissat Icefjord Centre is part of Greenland’s plan to attract more tourists to the country

Pixel Artworks lights up Warwick Castle with Sundown Spectacular


Pixel Artworks has worked with Merlin Entertainments to develop Sundown Spectacular - an all-new lightshow at Warwick Castle celebrating the end of the British summer

Concern over danger to Afghanistan heritage sites still high despite Taliban pledge to protect culture


The Taliban has vowed to protect Afghanistan’s heritage but concern is still extremely high following destruction seen in previous years

Historic Portsmouth Dockyard launches immersive Mary Rose experience


The exhibition explores the history of the Mary Rose, Henry VIII’s warship, which sank in the Battle of the Solent in 1545

Thirteen sites added to Unesco’s prestigious World Heritage List


The World Heritage Committee has inscribed 13 new sites in Europe, Asia and the Middle East to Unesco’s World Heritage List

Mather & Co announced as exhibition design partner for Inverness Castle redevelopment


The Highland Council has appointed Mather & Co to help transform the castle into a world-class attraction

Everton stadium plans and waterfront redevelopment sees Liverpool stripped of World Heritage status


Unesco has deleted Liverpool from its World Heritage List after a committee determined new developments were damaging the city’s global heritage

Roadworks endanger Stonehenge’s World Heritage status


Unesco has said that plans by the British government to build a tunnel beneath Stonehenge will have a ‘highly adverse and irreversible impact’ on the World Heritage site

German government approves €400m plan to restore some of country’s most important castles


Castles and palaces in Germany are set to receive a huge investment into refurbishing existing tourist attractions.

Colosseum’s underground labyrinth opens to the public following €25m restoration


The Colosseum’s hypogeum has undergone a major restoration allowing visitors to explore the historic passageways for the first time

Museum of the Home faces protests as British government prohibits removal of statue with links to slave trade


The Museum of the Home has been refused permission to remove a statue of Robert Geffrye despite public calls to ditch the controversial work

COVID-19 will impact World Heritage for years to come, says Unesco report


Unesco says that COVID-19 will have a significant impact on World Heritage long after the pandemic has been brought under control

Belgium’s government reaches deal to return colonial-era relics to Congo


Belgium will work with the Democratic Republic of Congo to return items looted during the colonial era in the first half of the last century

Explore a 300-year-old shipwreck with Historic England’s new virtual dive trail


Historic England’s virtual dive trail tells the story of Stirling Castle, a 70-gun warship that was destroyed in the Great Storm of 1703

Toppled Colston statue goes on display in Bristol


A statue famously felled during the Black Lives Matter protests, is now on display in a Bristol museum

Tower Bridge set to host dog-friendly ‘VIPooch’ event


Tower Bridge is set to welcome man’s best friend for a very special dog-friendly ‘VIPooch’ event

Crystal Palace Park dinosaur receives ‘Roar-some’ facelift


Emergency restoration work was carried out on the Megalosaurus after its jaw collapsed last year

A flight through history: Brogent develops Kazakhstan’s first-ever flying theatre as part of government-backed tourist development


Kazakhstan has welcomed the country’s first flying theatre ride with Brogent Technologies behind the landmark new attraction

Mary Queen of Scots’ rosary beads stolen in Arundel Castle heist


The gold rosary beads were snatched alongside several coronation cups that Mary gifted to the Earl Marshal

Should we interfere with heritage to improve the visitor experience?


Where exactly is the line when it comes to improving the visitor experience and interfering with historic sites?

Cultural Recovery Fund for Dundee reaches million pound target


The Dundee Cultural Recovery Fund will support cultural institutions through financial difficulties and bring tourists back to the area

New outdoor Alamo exhibit recreates ‘iconic’ cannon fired in 1836 battle


The 18-pounder Losoya House exhibit features a full-size replica of a cannon used during the Battle of the Alamo in 1836

Stranger Things prison complex in Lithuanian capital to be transformed into major culture hub


Lithuania’s government is backing plans to transform its famous Lukiškės Prison complex into a multifunctional hub featuring museums, restaurants, hotels and other commercial and cultural spaces

Royal Collection Trust offers public special unguided access to Buckingham Palace gardens


Take a tour of Queen Elizabeth II’s back garden, with visitors allowed to explore the exteriors of Buckingham Palace unguided for the first time ever

Egypt holds grand parade as ancient mummies are moved to new home


Egypt has celebrated the long-awaited opening of its National Museum of Egyptian Civilization with a procession of 22 ancient Egyptian royal mummies through Cairo

Cruise ships banned in Venice as city aims to protect cultural heritage


Cruise ships are no longer welcome in Venice following a ruling by the Italian government

Mexican World Heritage site closed over non mask-wearing tourists


The historic Chichén Itzá Maya has been closed to the public while Mexican authorities battle an influx of non mask-wearing tourists

Nearly a quarter of the world’s heritage sites remain closed due to COVID-19


Unesco has revealed the extent of the effects of Covid 19, with only half of the world’s heritage sites fully open to the public

Celebrity-backed crowdfunding campaign to transform JRR Tolkien house into cultural hub fails to reach goal


The bid was backed by actors Sir Ian McKellen and Martin Freeman

Shakespeare’s Globe to reopen in May as iconic venue announces summer season of performances


The historic theatre in London will reopen with a series of Shakespeare classics starting in May

Exploring English Heritage through song with The Nest Collective


‘Songs of England’ explores traditional folk music associated with different heritage sites throughout England

Great Barrier Reef in poor condition as global warming drives bleaching effect


Coral bleaching caused by climate change is turning the famous wonder white

Missing key returned to Norman tower 50 years after it disappeared


The 100-year-old key was posted to English Heritage customer services with a note apologising for the 48-year delay

Indian prison which once held Gandhi opens to visitors


One of India’s highest security prisons has opened to the public, with educational tours taking visitors inside the place where Mahatma Gandhi was held prisoner for several years

A record number of people are visiting Chernobyl and Ukraine’s government is planning to welcome even more


There are parts of Chernobyl so dangerous you could die in minutes just standing there but that’s not stopping tourists who are visiting the exclusion zone in record numbers

London’s historic Courtauld Gallery to reopen in 2021 following major redevelopment


The renovation is the most significant in the gallery’s 89-year history

Painting with Light illuminates Bruge with winter light show


‘Sparking visitors with hope, light and connectivity’, Bruge’s WinterGlow returned in December for a series of installations across the historic city

Crucial funding for British culture and heritage organisations now available through Heritage Fund


The second round of NLHF’s Culture Recovery Fund makes £36m available for sites across Britain

Effects of global pandemic felt as Xcaret delays launch of US$50m Xibalbá experience


Grupo Xcaret says its new landmark attractions will now open at the end of the year - 12 months later than originally planned

Recognising excellence as inaugural Wonder Award winners are revealed


Recognising the world’s most astonishing attractions, Planet Attractions names 2021’s Wonder Award winners

London’s former Bow Street police station to become museum in 2021


ELLO, ELLO, ELLO! The former police station will welcome visitors as soon as COVID restrictions allow

These are Europe’s 12 most endangered heritage sites


Europa Nostra has announced which of Europe's heritage sites are most at risk

Nazi Enigma machine found rusting in Baltic Sea to go on display at German museum


German forces likely threw the device into the water to avoid it falling into Allied hands

New conservation organisation aims to protect endangered heritage sites with public support


Our World Heritage is calling on the general public to save world heritage sites

Protecting heritage in outer space - NASA wants to preserve the Moon’s historical sites


A new set of Accords aim to protect Infinity and Beyond for future generations

Puy du Fou releases new promo as renowned French attraction gets ready for 2021 season


The trailer showcases the latest spectacles coming to Puy du Fou for its next season of shows

Martin Freeman and Sir Ian McKellen back bid to turn JRR Tolkien’s house into cultural centre


Actors call on a ‘fellowship’ of fans to help raise £4.5m to fund the house’s purchase and start a programme of events.

WATCH: Peek behind the curtain with a look inside Walt Disney’s California office


See Walt Disney’s office exactly as it was, “down to the last paperclip” and learn a little bit about the man behind The Walt Disney Company’s media and theme park empire.

WATCH: Rome’s legendary colosseum transformed into largest ever Lego set


Lego has turned Rome’s historic colosseum into a 9,036-piece construction, which is now available to buy

English Heritage sets up Stonehenge livestream for the winter solstice


Viewers from all around the world will be able to marvel at the annual Stonehenge winter solstice

Australia’s oldest museum reopens following A$57.5m renovation


The Australian Museum was closed for 15 months while works took place

Hong Kong Palace Museum building structure completed


The museum is on track for its mid-2022 opening



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