MUSEUMS across Kirklees are celebrating a record-breaking summer.

Attendances have shot up in Huddersfield and Dewsbury, with a 63% rise in August.

The figure of over 70,000 visitors during August includes nearly 13,000 visitors to Bagshaw and Dewsbury Museums, both of which were closed for refurbishment in August 2009.

But even excluding their figures, it still means an overall increase of 35% on last August’s visitor figures.

The increase was welcomed by Clr Mary Harkin, a Cabinet member.

“Many improvements are being made to make our sites relevant to local communities and such a big increase in visitors proves that we are giving the public what they want.”

More than 6,500 people visited the new-look Dewsbury Museum in the month following its reopening.

Bagshaw Museum in Batley, which was closed the two previous Augusts, received nearly 6,200 visitors.

The biggest increase was at Oakwell Hall and Country Park which received a total of nearly 40,000 visitors during the month – a jump of nearly 11,000 on August 2009.

This August’s figures include an increase of more than 8,000 visitors to the site’s visitor centre.

Oakwell kicked off the month with a Yorkshire Day event which attracted up to 10,000 visitors and there were three days of family activities attended by over 3,000 people, including nearly 2,000 children.

Senior Museum Officer Eric Brown said that the new and improved facilities at Oakwell had also attracted visitors: “The new adventure play area has been a real hit. It, together with the revamped Countryside Centre and accessible play area, has attracted an audience of its own and that is reflected in the Countryside Centre count for August.”

Another outstanding success was Castle Hill in Almondbury, which counted more than 5,000 visitors – more than double its previous best figure for August.

The numbers were boosted by the daily opening of Victoria Tower for the first time during August.

Tolson Museum in Ravensknowle Park combined family activities in August with opportunities for visitors to have their say about developments in the museum and the park.

A mini parks event attracted 600 people and many comments on what people would like to see in the park. Three hundred visitors who attended a mini museums event gave staff their ideas for the museum’s new Community Heritage Gallery.

All the museums have free admission, other than Castle Hill and the house at Oakwell Hall.