WINSTON-SALEM, NC.- Reynolda House Museum of American Art shattered its previous attendance records this year, thanks in large part to its exclusive exhibition of Ansel Adams photography that closed July 17.

Annual attendance at Reynolda House from July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016 was 35% higher than its average annual attendance over the past 11 years. More than 55,000 visitors came to the museum for tours and events, bolstered by two major exhibitions: “The Artist’s Garden: American Impressionism and the Garden Movement,” on view fall 2015, and “Ansel Adams: Eloquent Light,” on view spring and summer 2016. The Museum was closed in January and February for internal improvements, making the total visitation even more notable.

Average daily attendance for both of the museum’s two exhibitions was among the top three highest visited exhibitions since the museum opened its Mary and Charlie Babcock Wing gallery in 2005. “Ansel Adams: Eloquent Light” now holds the top spot as the museum’s most popular exhibition in history, with a daily average of around 300 visitors.

“It’s been an extraordinary year at Reynolda,” said Allison Perkins, executive director and associate provost for Reynolda House and Reynolda Gardens. “Our North Carolina community has supported us in unprecedented ways through sponsorships, visits, and memberships. We’ve also welcomed more visitors this year from outside the state who experienced Reynolda for the first time. As a result, I believe our historic property and artistic program are becoming even more of a beacon for regional tourism.”

Approximately 50% of visitors to Reynolda House were from outside North Carolina, a 10% increase over past years, and 60% were first-time visitors. Of particular interest to Perkins, she says, is the increase in visitors who chose to become members of the museum. Museum membership grew by more than 20% over the previous year. Members at the museum receive free admission year-round, discounts on programs, and a discount in the museum store, among other benefits.

Perkins attributes the uptick in membership to increased advertising through new corporate sponsorships and partnerships, a robust marketing and social media presence for both exhibitions and the quality of the museum’s artistic program and collection.

“Our members refer to works in the collection as ‘old friends,’ and we feel the same about them,” Perkins says. “More members means that we are connecting in meaningful, long-lasting ways with more people. Our members play a critical role in the success of the museum by providing unrestricted, annual support for our programs and exhibitions.”

Merchandise for the museum’s exclusive Ansel Adams exhibition—t-shirts and water bottles emblazoned with the exhibition’s custom logo and books featuring Adams’s photographs—helped boost sales in the museum store, resulting in a nearly 40% increase in sales from the previous year.

Reynolda House is now preparing for its fall season, celebrating the American farm. Visitors have another Reynolda-exclusive exhibition to look forward to opening Sept. 9, “Grant Wood and the American Farm,” featuring the museum’s Wood masterpiece “Spring Turning” alongside 35 works of art carefully chosen from 17 of the nation’s most prestigious museums. Tours, festivals, and talks will highlight the season. Tickets for “Grant Wood and the American Farm” will go on sale in late summer.