It seems quite incomprehensible to me how anyone presenting a business case would seek to prevent free public access to your shop and shopfront in order to improve interest in your warehouse.
One of the greatest joys of OW was the ability to pull in for a coffee, an ice cream or hust to get your breath back on a bile ride and be in the company of some piece of history, and maybe even see it running.
How many of those visitors then sais, "hey' lets's check this place out" and payed the entry to the main site?
Taking away the sweetener is simply idiocy!