Museums across the West Midlands have been boosted by news they will continue to receive special Government funding for three years.
They will receive a total of £16.4 million thanks to Renaissance, a national scheme to designed to transform England's regional museums, which is part of a £100 million project designed to revitalise museums across the country.
Most of the West Midlands money will go to the five museums which form the region's museum hub - Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Herbert Art Gallery and Museum in Coventry, Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust in Telford, Potteries Museums & Art Gallery in Stoke-on-Trent, and Wolverhampton Arts & Museums.
Rita McLean, leader of the region's museum hub, said: "This funding is fantastic news. It will help us continue to improve museum collections and displays, attract new visitors, and deliver even better services to schools throughout the region."
"It also recognises there was a regional imbalance in the way money was allocated in the past and is more than welcome as a means of trying to redress the balance."
The majority of the money will be spent on the galleries, IT resources, and improved conservation facilities.
The funding comes on top of £4.9 million already allocated to museums in the West Midlands as part of Renaissance.
Announcing the funding Mark Wood, chairman of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, which manages the Renaissance scheme, said: "England has some of the finest regional museums in the world, and the West Midlands includes some outstanding examples."
Arts Minister and Birmingham MP Estelle Morris said: "We already know the real difference the Renaissance scheme can make.
"It has delivered impressive results in record time and is attracting new visitors of all ages and from all walks of life into regional museums. I'm delighted that museums in the West Midlands can now build on these achievements over the next few years."
