The report also revealed that almost 100,000 fewer people visited the museum in 2011-12, a year of ''some considerable dislocation'' with building work on the site and other changes, Mr Sayers said.

Annual reports for some of the cultural institutions - including the National Museum of Australia, National Library, National Archives and Old Parliament House - have been tabled in Parliament, with most talking up the importance of online visitors, the use of social media and digital collections.

But managing actual visitors to the institutions remains a challenge.

Mr Sayers referred in the report to the Silk Road night market held at the museum in June, which attracted an estimated 10,000 visitors, the highest-attended event since the building opened in 2001.

''The success of this and other programs during school holidays has heightened our awareness of the capacity constraints on the museum's site and the increasing pressures on infrastructure, such as visitor parking,'' he wrote. ''The museum looks forward to working with various levels of government to achieve long-term solutions.''

Mr Sayers said parking at the museum had been inadequate ''right from day one''.

''It's becoming more pressing as the pressure increases on parking at the ANU and the city advances in a westerly direction towards the museum,'' he said.

''It's one of the most disappointing aspects of being director of the National Museum to see people drive around the car park and not being able to find a park.''Mr Sayers said a boom gate such as that used at the National Portrait Gallery or National Gallery of Australia might help to keep the parking for museum visitors only. Future solutions could include multi-level parking on the site, and negotiations would continue with the National Capital Authority, which managed the 350-space car park.

However, a spokeswoman for the authority said a boom gate was unlikely because ''experience tells us the landscape area around it would need be to secured to prevent people driving over grass and garden beds to access the car park without passing through the boom gate''. There were no plans for a multi-storey car park.

''The NCA is aware of parking pressures at Acton and will consider that in preparing advice for government on how to manage parking in the Parliamentary Zone, Russell and Barton. We'll prepare that advice over the next few months,'' she said.

The museum had a record 5.297 million ''visitors'' during 2011-12, including those visiting travelling exhibitions, and 3.81 million online visitors.

Actual visitors to the museum building fell by almost 94,000 people from 1,580,574 to 1,486,842. In comparison, visitor numbers jumped by more than 700,000 people in the previous year.

Mr Sayers said 2010-11 had the benefit of the Yiwarra Kuju: The Canning Stock Route exhibition that attracted more than 120,000 visitors, the most popular exhibition since the museum opened.

There had also been disruption in the last financial year from building work on a new administrative wing.

Mr Sayers believed the recent opening of the display of large objects from the museum's collection in its hall marked the beginning of a period of renewal for the institution as it prepared for Canberra's centenary year.

The Old Parliament House annual report, meanwhile, revealed a record 81,000 school visitors during 2011-12, bringing the program ''close to capacity''. Online visits increased by 24 per cent.

However, few people remain aware of the Museum of Australian Democracy within the Old Parliament House building. Awareness rose from 6 per cent to 8 per cent in the ACT, NSW and Victoria, which however met the target set.