Top 10 most visited museums revealed

The Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) has collaborated once again with economics practice AECOM to reveal the top 10 most visited museums in the world. Statistical analysis was measured based on 2016’s attendance figures. TEA, which is an international non-profit organisation working in the hospitality and entertainment field, released an index which revealed that there were 107.8 million visitors to museums around the world. This is an increase of 1.3 million people from the year before. Global attendance grew by 1.2% in total with European, North American and Asian museums dominating the top ten list. The Theme Index has been running since 2007, with TEA and AECOM working together to produce resources for park operators, land developers and the travel industry.

The National Museum of China was founded in Beijing in 2003, following the merging of the National Museum of Chinese History and the National Museum of Chinese Revolution. The Theme Index showed that last year, it attracted seven million, five hundred and fifty thousand visitors, a rise of 3.6% from the previous year.

The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum houses the world’s largest and most significant collection of aviation and space artefacts as well as the Centre for Earth and Planetary studies. Falling just short of the National Museum of China, the National Air and Space Museum welcomed seven and a half million people last year. Opening in 1976, it is the biggest of the Smithsonian’s 19 museums boasting such objects as the 1903 Wright Flyer and the Apollo 11 Command Module. 311 million visitors have admired the collection since it opened.

Dating back to the 12th century, the Louvre began life as a defensive outpost close to the then western border of Paris. It was designed to prevent any potential invasions from the north and was commissioned by Philip II (Philip Augustus), the first official King of France. The Louvre as we know it opened its doors on 10th August 1793 with a collection of 500 paintings and decorative arts. Now, to many, it is the most famous and recognisable museum in the world. It came in as Europe’s most visited museum, with seven million four thousand people visiting in 2016.

Another member of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC’s National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) is “dedicated to inspiring curiosity, discovery and learning about the natural world with its unparalleled research, collections, exhibitions and education programmes” according to its website. Having opened in 1910, it now houses more than 126 million natural science specimens and cultural artefacts. The NMNH saw a growth of 2.9% in visitor numbers over 2015.

Commonly known as ‘the Met,’ The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City is the largest art museum in the western hemisphere and the largest museum in the United States of America. Opened in 1872, it boasts more than two million works of art spanning 5,000 years of human culture. It attracts more than 6.3 million visitors who come to see works from the likes of Vermeer, da Vinci, Picasso, Monet and Van Gogh.

Dedicated to human history, the British Museum is the most visited museum in the United Kingdom. The world’s oldest national public museum, it was founded in 1753 and opened in 1759, which makes it 17 years older than the United States of America. Between 1900 and 1933, it had its own dedicated tube station. Due to its huge collection, it had to expand, opening the Natural History Museum and also the British Library.

Promoting science, education, cultural and ideological progress, the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum in Shanghai offers visitors around 250,000 different collections. Comprising five main halls to house the exhibits - the Heaven and Earth Hall, the Life Hall, Wisdom Hall, Creation Hall and Future Hall - this is a must-visit attraction in Shanghai.

London’s second appearance in the top 10 most visited museums in the world, the National Gallery sits in the heart of the capital. Located in the tourist hotspot of Trafalgar Square, it is among the most popular attractions in Britain, bringing in over six million visitors.

The Vatican Museum complex is the largest museum complex in the world, with over 1,000 museums and galleries. Founded by Pope Julius II in the 16th century, you can visit the Vatican Historical Museum, Museo Gregoriano and the Museo Chiaramonti.

Named the tenth most visited museum in the world, the Tate Modern is a showcase of British art with a collection that dates from the 1500s to the modern-day. The Tate saw a massive growth of visitors in 2016 with 23.9% more people walking through its doors compared to the previous year.