THE rain might have washed down upon Bathurst on Wednesday, January 17, but nothing could dampen the spirits of Museum Selfie Day attendees and organisers.
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The annual, worldwide phenomenon welcomed hundreds of people to seven of Bathurst's most significant destinations, and called for them to take a selfie.
And two of these destinations were first time draw cards to the itinerary.
This year, Miss Traill's House and Garden, and the Bathurst Regional Art Gallery joined forces with five other museums for a fabulous day of photos and free entry.
Free entry was also available for the Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum, the Bathurst Rail Museum, Chifley Home and Education Centre, the National Motor Racing Museum and the Bathurst Historical Society.
And with outdoor activities off the radar, Bathurst locals certainly made the most of all the indoor fun.
"The day went really, really well," Museums Bathurst audience engagement officer Jo Dicksen said.
"I haven't collated all of the numbers from all of the museums yet, but the ones that have come through, it looks like we've had about a 20 per cent increase in attendance on last year, which is fantastic.
"I spent a good part of yesterday going around and visiting all of the museums and having a chat to people and chatting to the staff about how they had been going, and the general consensus was that everyone was having a fabulous time."
At approximately 11am on the morning of Museum Selfie Day, just two hours after opening to the public, a few locations had already welcomed hundreds of visitors.
And some of these visitors made it their mission to attend each and every offering on the day, taking in all the sights and sounds of Bathurst's best.
"We have people come in and if they haven't been there before, they're often amazed at what's in there," Ms Dicksen said.
"A lot of people see the outside of museums and think it looks small, and think 'well what's going to be in there?' and then they come in and go 'oh wow, this is actually really cool'."
This, in turn, creates a prime promotional opportunity.
"It's really important for the museums because it helps us to let the local community know what they have as part of their community," Ms Dicksen said.
"Even if these days don't encourage people to come back for non-free days, I think it increases the awareness of the museums, and people are better able to talk about what we have in Bathurst.
"So, if they have friends or family coming to visit, then they are more able to recommend them."
Overall, Ms Dicksen said she was extremely pleased with the annual event, and thanked all staff and attendees for taking part in Museum Selfie Day.
These selfies can be searched through the hashtag #MuseumSelfieBathurst, and can be found on Facebook and Instagram.
