THE opening of a new £1.8m gallery saw a spike in visitors to Bradford’s National Science and Media Museum, new figures show.

The new Wonderlab, a free interactive gallery based around light and sound, opened to the public last month.

Museum bosses have revealed that the gallery attracted 6,300 visitors in its first week, from March 25 to 31.

The opening weekend alone saw 3,000 people come through the doors, a 60 per cent jump in visitor numbers compared to the same weekend the year before.

John Darnborough, learning programme developer at the museum, said: “To get that many people was a really strong showing, right from the off.”

Mr Darnborough said visitors had been giving their feedback on the gallery too.

He said: “It has proved really, really popular. I haven’t heard any negative comments.

“People are saying, ‘This is exactly what Bradford needed,’ and there’s a really positive vibe about the place.”

He said they were expecting a busy Easter break, with lots of special events planned.

He said: “We are absolutely free and families should pop down over Easter to see the Wonderlab gallery.

“I might be a bit biased, but I do think it’s the best new gallery in the country.”

Attractions in the Wonderlab include a mirror maze, a 15m echo tube and a musical laser tunnel, as well as the world’s first permanent 3D-printed zoetrope.

He said they had also been running test shows in the studio space, which he described as a “little mini theatre” within the gallery.

Mr Darnborough said the gallery was now “not rushed off its feet, it’s just ticking over nicely” but people were still advised to book a time to look round.

He said: “We are seeing people spend 45 minutes to an hour as an average in there, so there’s lots to do.”

And he said many visitors who hadn’t been to the museum for a while were revisiting other galleries.

He said: “We have still got the old favourites. Wallace and Gromit are still there, and the daleks are still knocking about.”

The National Science and Media Museum, which fought off a closure threat in 2013, has more developments in the pipeline.

Bosses are now looking to fundraise about £5m to develop new permanent galleries which celebrate its collections.