Five years after admission fees were scrapped, visitors are flocking to British museums, according to government officials.

A host of museums that formerly charged for entry have seen an 83 per cent increase in visits since Dec. 1, 2001, when the government put the free-entry plan into effect, said British Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell.

"These are inspirational figures," Jowell said in a statement.

"There is a real appetite for serious culture in this country — when the obstacle of entry fees is swept away, people come in their millions, and keep coming."

On Friday, Jowell visited London's Victoria and Albert Museum, where visits increased by 122 per cent since 2001.

Other venues with increased attendance after eliminating entry fees include the Natural History Museum in London, the National Railway Museum in York and the National Museums in Liverpool.

Visits to national museums that already had free admission — including the popular National Portrait Gallery, three Tate galleries and the British Museum — rose by eight per cent in the past five years, said government officials.