Raleigh, N.C. — The North Carolina Museum of Art's "Monet in Normandy" exhibition proved to be one of the most successful shows in the museum's history.

The exhibition attracted more than 214,000 visitors in 13 weeks.

"So many of these people who were exposed to Raleigh for the first time, they're going to come back. They have had a positive experience," said Martin Armes, of the Greater Raleigh Convention & Visitors Bureau. "You never know they might come back and look to move here or relocate their business here."

The exhibit, which opened October 15 and closed Sunday, included 50 Claude Monet paintings. It beat the attendance record set in 2000 when 190,000 people visited an exhibit of sculptor Auguste Rodin's work.

Raleigh was one of only three cities in the country to host the rare collection.The museum stayed open 32 hours straight to accommodate a last-minute rush.