Visitor figures have fallen at four out of five museums run by Kirklees council in West Yorkshire over the past year.
Attendance at the Bagshaw Museum fell from 37,935 in 2011-12 to 26,721 in 2012-13, while at the Tolson Museum in Huddersfield, they dropped 19.6% to 30,306.
A council spokeswoman said the slump might be down to a cut in opening hours at each museum since October.
Admission charges were also introduced at Red House Museum last June, where numbers fell from 26,665 in 2011-12 to 15,904 in 2012-13.
But visitor numbers at Oakwell Hall in Birstall rose 8.4% to 17,099.
“The poor weather in the summer had a big impact, as all Kirklees museums are in parks or gardens that are less attractive as destinations in the rain,” said a council spokeswoman.
She added that the museum service was being “rebranded” for the summer season.
Attendance at the Bagshaw Museum fell from 37,935 in 2011-12 to 26,721 in 2012-13, while at the Tolson Museum in Huddersfield, they dropped 19.6% to 30,306.
A council spokeswoman said the slump might be down to a cut in opening hours at each museum since October.
Admission charges were also introduced at Red House Museum last June, where numbers fell from 26,665 in 2011-12 to 15,904 in 2012-13.
But visitor numbers at Oakwell Hall in Birstall rose 8.4% to 17,099.
“The poor weather in the summer had a big impact, as all Kirklees museums are in parks or gardens that are less attractive as destinations in the rain,” said a council spokeswoman.
She added that the museum service was being “rebranded” for the summer season.