The local museums FORT and KALK have attracted more visitors this year than last year. FORT, in particular, has seen a significant increase in visitor numbers thanks to new attractions.
The green walkways at Stevnsfortet and the turquoise lakes and white expanses at Faxe Kalkbrud have been very popular this summer. The FORT and KALK museums, which showcase these unique locations, welcomed significantly more visitors during the peak season than last year.
At FORT, the number of visitors during the summer months has increased by 22 percent, and at KALK, visitor numbers have risen by just under three percent. Both museums changed their names just before the season began and aim to offer new experiences. Among other things, FORT offered a tour specifically designed for children and their families for the first time this summer season.
– “We’re delighted that visitors have made FORT and KALK a priority and have warmly welcomed the museums’ new names and initiatives. The large number of new visitors to FORT and the fact that more families with children are coming show that there is great interest in getting up close to and experiencing history,” says Ilse Sørensen, acting director of Østsjællands Museer.
Extended hours
FORT has also been able to offer new exhibition spaces and an updated guided tour, as Stevnsfort’s original command center was restored and opened to visitors in early June. The restoration process received considerable media attention, and this was also reflected in the visitor numbers.
“The increased visibility also made a difference; we could see it in the number of visitors, which suddenly went up. At FORT, we’ve extended our hours twice and had to add more guided tours to the schedule,” says Ilse Sørensen.
This season, KALK has focused on staffing the exhibition with museum docents, and this has received positive feedback from visitors. New initiatives are on the horizon in the form of a new exhibition on the first floor next year, which is part of a larger development project for the museum.
For the full year 2025, visitor numbers at FORT rose by 19 percent and at KALK by 4 percent.