The 10 Most Visited Museums in the World

 

Over the centuries, museums have established themselves in the collective imagination as icons of human civilization. Real temples of wisdom, they have always been considered among the major tourist attractions as they collect the cultural heritage of people – tangible proofs of the progress of scientific, artistic, and historical doctrine.

It is well known that today there are various forms and types of tourism; however, cultural holidays continue to be widely appreciated by travelers. That’s why we offer you a list of the 10 most visited museums in the world.

NOTE: The following ranking is based on the latest report provided by the non-profit Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) in collaboration with the multinational AECOM, an American company in the engineering/construction sector.

Museum	Visitors
Natural History Museum of New York	5.000.000
Natural History Museum in London	5.226.000
National Gallery in London	5.736.000
Tate Modern in London	5.829.000
British Museum in London	5.869.000
National Air and Space Museum of Washington	6.200.000
Vatican Museums, Vatican City	6.756.000
The Met in New York	7.360.000
National Museum of China in Beijing	8.610.000
Louvre in Paris	10.200.000

10. Museum of Natural History, New York

With its 33 million specimens of plants, animals, rocks, meteorites, and human remains, located in 28 buildings, the American Museum of Natural History is one of the largest natural history museums in the world. Being located opposite Central Park, it also offers the opportunity to admire the planetarium and a library.

Hours: Open every day from 10:00 to 17:45. Closed on December 24th (Christmas) and Thanksgiving.

Ticket price: Adults $23.00 (approximately €20.00), children from 2-12 $13.00 (approximately €11.60), children and students $18.00 (approximately €16.00)

9. Natural History Museum, London

Referred to as the Cathedral of Nature, the Natural History Museum of London houses numerous specimens and scientific objects on the earth and its living beings. Inside, there are more than 80 million objects, including the famous specimens collected by Charles Darwin. You will also find numerous specimens ranging from botany to mineralogy, from paleontology to zoology. And, there are numerous dinosaur skeletal exhibits this museum is well-known for.

Hours: Every day from 10:00 to 17:50. Closed on 24th and 26th December.

Ticket price: free admission, only some contents require a paid ticket.

8. National Gallery, London

The National Gallery in London is so full of relics that it would take months to properly appreciate each of them (over 3.200 paintings). Nestled in the heart of London, the Gallery has been collecting works of art since 1824 and its collection includes centuries and artistic styles.

Hours: Every day from 10:00 to 18:00, on Fridays from 10:00 to 21:00. Closed from December 24th to 26th and on January 1st)

Ticket price: free admission, only some contents require a paid ticket

7. Tate Modern, London

Belonging to the English Tate complex (Tate Britain, Tate Liverpool, Tate St Ives, and Tate Online) the museum is one of the most important galleries in entire London. It is located in the factories of the former Bankside thermoelectric plant, today it houses some of the most beautiful works of modern and contemporary art in the world from 1900 to today.

Hours: Sunday to Friday from 10:00 to 18:00, Friday and Saturday from 10:00 to 22:00

Ticket price: free admission, only some contents require a paid ticket

6. British Museum, London

Still in the capital of England, we look at the British Museum, one of the largest and most important museums in the history of the world. Its importance is proven by the nearly 6 million visitors per year and it’s a must-see tourist spot in this city.

Hours: Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 17:00, Sunday from 12:00 to 18:00

Ticket price: free admission, only some contents require a paid ticket

5. National Air and Space Museum, Washington

The museum (along with its second location, the Udvar-Hazy Center, in Chantilly, Virginia) contains the largest and most significant collection of aeronautical and space artifacts in the world. Since its opening, this sensational temple of culture and history has educated and inspired generations of pilots and astronauts from around the world. Here, you can see incredible artifacts, including the original 1903 Wright Flyer, one of the most important aircraft of the pioneering era.

Hours: Every day from 10:00 to 17:30. The work hours extend until 19:30 in the spring and summer months. Open every day, except December 25th.

Ticket price: Free entry

4. Vatican Museums, Vatican City

Founded by Pope Julius II, the Vatican Museums take the 4th position on the list with nearly 7 million visitors per year. Inside, you can find exhibited a huge collection of works accumulated by the Popes over the centuries.

Hours: Monday to Saturday from 9:00 to 18:00. Closed on Sundays, except for the last one of the month.

Ticket price: Approximately €16.00 for admission. Admission is free on the last Sunday of the month

3. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

“The Met”, as the Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York is often called, ranks third with 7.360.000 visitors per year.

Inside, there are over 2 million works of art permanently exhibited, divided into 19 sections. There are also encyclopedic collections of musical instruments, clothes, and weapons from all over the world.

Hours: From Monday to Thursday and Sunday from 10:00 to 17:30, Friday and Saturday from 10:00 to 21:00

Ticket price: Varies between $17 and $25 (€15 – €23)

2. National Museum of China, Beijing

The National Museum of China is located right next to the Forbidden City and Tian’anmen and is arguably the best Chinese museum as well as one of the most visited in the world. It preserves one of the largest collections from Chinese history, with very ancient artifacts from the imperial era, the Second World War, the Communist victory, and modern history.

Hours: Every day from 9:00 to 17:00, closed on Mondays

Ticket price: Free for basic exhibitions and permanent galleries

1. Louvre, Paris: 10,200,000 visitors

 

Which, if not the most famous museum in the world, could win the gold medal? The Louvre takes the first position on the podium with 10.200.000 annual visitors from all corners of the globe.

Currently, the museum collection includes some of the most famous works of art, such as “Mona Lisa” and “Virgin of the Rocks” by the master Leonardo da Vinci, “Venus de Milo” by Nike of Samothrace, and “The Freedom that Leads the People” by Eugène Delacroix.

Hours: Every day from 9:30 to 18:00, closed on Tuesday

Ticket price: Around €15 for all content

The Most Visited Museums in North America

Position	Museum	Where is it	Visitors
10	Houston Museum Of Natural Science	Houston, USA	2,313,000
9	National Museum Of African American History And Culture	Washington DC, USA	2,400,000
8	California Science Center	Los Angeles, USA	2,520,000
7	The Museum Of Modern Art	New York, USA	2,774,000
6	National Museum Of American History	Washington DC, USA	3,800,000
5	National Gallery Of Art	Washington DC, USA	4,404,000
4	National Museum Of Natural History	Washington DC, USA	4,800,000
3	American Museum Of Natural History	New York, USA	5,000,000
2	National Air And Space Museum	Washington DC, USA	6,200,000
1	The Metropolitan Museum of Art	New York, USA	7,360,000

 

The Most Visited Museums in Asia-Pacific

Position	Museum	Where is it	Visitors
10	National Gallery Of Victoria	Melbourne, Australia	3,200,000
9	National Museum Of Korea	Seoul, South Korea	3,300,000
8	Gansu Provincial Museum	Lanzhou, China	3,500,000
7	Shanghai Science & Technology Museum	Shanghai, China	3,540,000
6	Hunan Provincial Museum	Hunan, China	3,600,000
5	Nanjing Museum	Nanjing, China	3,670,000
4	National Palace Museum (Taiwan)	Taipei, Taiwan	3,860,000
3	Zhejiang Museum	Hangzhou, China	4,200,000
2	China Science Technology Museum	Beijing, China	4,400,000
1	National Museum Of China	Beijing, China	8,610,000

 

The Most Visited Museums in EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa)

Position	Museum	Where is it	Visitors
10	Center Pompidou	Paris, France	3,552,000
9	Reina Sofía	Madrid, Spain	3,898,000
8	Victoria & Albert Museum	London, UK	3,968,000
7	State Hermitage	St. Petersburg, Russia	4,294,000
6	Natural History Museum	London, UK	5,226,000
5	National Gallery	London, UK	5,736,000
4	Tate Modern	London, UK	5,829,000
3	British Museum	London, UK	5,869,000
2	Vatican museums	Vatican CITY	6,756,000
1	Louvre	Paris, France	10,200,000