The Box Plymouth has revealed the significant economic and wellbeing impact it delivers for the city, with its newly launched 2025/26 Annual Review showing 356,000 visits and a £21.5 million economic footprint during the year.

 

The museum, art gallery and archive welcomed visitors between April 2025 and March 2026, with 56% travelling from a Plymouth postcode. The Box also continued to introduce new audiences to museums and galleries, with 13% of visitors entirely new to museums and galleries and almost a third, 32%, visiting The Box for the very first time.

 

Spending associated with The Box generated a total economic footprint of £21.5 million, with visitors contributing £17.8 million directly to the Plymouth economy. The Box's own expenditure during 2025/26 added a further £16.3 million in spending.

 

The Box's impact also extends to the health and wellbeing of Plymouth's residents. Engagement is estimated to have delivered £60.6 million in benefit through improved general health among adults aged 30 to 49, alongside a further estimated benefit of £58 million through reduced incidence of depression and dementia among adults aged 50 and over.

 

The Box's national profile also grew significantly during the year. It became Museum in Residence at Downing Street for 2026, with nine paintings from its collection loaned to the Government Art Collection and displayed at 10 Downing Street. Works by artists including Alfred Wallis, Stanley Spencer and Charles Ginner helped tell the story of Plymouth's innovation, resilience and creativity on the national stage.

 

Learning and engagement continued to grow, with The Box now having engaged with 92% of all Plymouth schools since opening. During 2025/26, it welcomed 9,407 student visits, with 84% of schools returning for repeat visits, alongside 27,508 family visitors. The Box's volunteers also contributed 17,000 hours during the year.

 

The Box generated 1,308 pieces of media coverage during the year, reaching more than 1.7 billion people and generating an equivalent advertising value of £7.2 million.

 

The year also saw important research take place within The Box's natural history collections. Researchers from the University of Plymouth used radiocarbon dating on the Kitley Cave Collection for the first time. The collection contains more than 4,000 specimens from sites near Yealmpton, including a woolly rhinoceros tooth which was found to be 44,344 years old.

 

Victoria Pomery, CEO at The Box Plymouth, said: "2025/26 was an extraordinary year for The Box. Welcoming 356,000 visits and generating over £21.5 million in economic impact for our city is a remarkable achievement for a museum that only opened its doors five years ago – and that was all before we were named the 2026 Art Fund Museum of the Year in June!

"But the numbers only tell part of the story, from taking nine paintings to the heart of British government at 10 Downing Street, to reaching almost all Plymouth's schools, to the thousands of hours our volunteers give so generously, this has been a year defined by connection, ambition and pride in our city. As we look ahead to an even bolder programme including our part in ‘Bayeux Around Britain’ and a major new season exploring home and belonging in Plymouth I couldn't be more excited about what comes next."

 

Councillor Jemima Laing, Deputy Leader, said: "Huge congratulations to everyone at The Box on an outstanding year. This new annual review gives me an enormous sense of pride and shows exactly what this incredible institution means for Plymouth. The Box is a major asset for this city, and Plymouth City Council is proud to continue supporting and funding its ambitious vision."

 

The 2025/26 Annual Review follows a landmark year for The Box, which was named Art Fund Museum of the Year 2026 in June.

 

The full Annual Review is available to read online here.