In this article, we’ll take a detailed look at the 25 Most Visited Museums in the World. For a quick overview of the top 5 famous museums in the world, head over to our article 10 Most Visited Museums in the World.
In the realm of art, history, and culture, museums act as treasuries of the human story, capturing our journey across the vast expanse of time and space. They provide a window into the complexities of various civilizations, the progression of art, the marvels of science, and the mysteries of the natural world.
Museums also play a vital role in the economy, supporting over 726,000 jobs in the US alone. Their annual contribution to the economy is substantial, with an impressive $50 billion infused each year. Furthermore, museums contribute significantly to tax revenue, generating over $12 billion annually, with a third of this sum benefiting state and local governments.
For every job created within the museum sector, an additional $16,495 is generated in tax revenue. It's also notable that each direct museum job supports an additional job in the economy. This multiplier effect outpaces many other industries, illustrating the broad economic impact of museums.
Museums are more than just buildings filled with objects. Each one is a testament to the diversity of human creativity and ingenuity, and each artifact tells its own unique story. The lure of these museums often goes beyond their impressive collections; their architectural grandeur, historical significance, and cultural relevance are equally captivating.
The Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., which comprises multiple museums and galleries, each specialized in different fields, has arguably one of the most diverse collections, ranging from natural history to space exploration. The Acropolis Museum in Athens is another marvel, showcasing ancient Greece's rich history and artistic prowess.
Moreover, these museums don't just cater to history buffs or art aficionados. There is something for everyone. Science museums like the National Museum of Natural History or technology-centric ones like the Deutsches Museum in Munich are designed to pique the interest of the scientifically inclined, making learning an engaging and interactive process.
From the iconic glass pyramid of the Louvre Museum in Paris, which houses the enigmatic smile of the Mona Lisa, to the sprawling British Museum in London with its Rosetta Stone, the artifacts contained within these institutions draw millions of visitors annually.
For instance, the Louvre Museum, widely considered the largest museum in the world, attracted 7.7 million visitors in 2022. Likewise, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, one of the most visited museums in the US, welcomes around 3.2 million visitors in the same year.
The way we engage with museums is evolving, too. Technological advancements have led to the growth of virtual tours, which have allowed museums to reach an even wider audience. Even though the COVID-19 pandemic led to a temporary shutdown of many museums, these virtual tours provided a unique opportunity for people to explore museums from the comfort of their homes.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic also brought an unprecedented challenge to museums, resulting in nearly all of them closing their doors to the public. Alarmingly, a third of museum directors expressed fears about the risk of permanent closure of their institutions without immediate support. This represented a potential loss of about 12,000 museums and 124,000 jobs.
While the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) were critical lifelines, a survey conducted in 2022 revealed that attendance was still down by 38%, on average, from pre-pandemic levels. Furthermore, 17% of museum directors still harbored fears of permanent closure without additional financial aid.
25 Most Visited Museums in the World
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Methodology
This article ranks the most visited museums in the world based on data gathered from a comprehensive survey report by the Art Newspaper. The Art Newspaper is a reputable source in the art world that provides authoritative, global coverage on a wide range of art-related topics, including museum visitation.
The methodology followed in this article entailed a careful analysis of the data provided in the Art Newspaper's survey report. This report offers a snapshot of visitor numbers for a broad range of museums across the world in 2022.
The museums were then ranked in ascending order, starting from the 25th position, based on the annual visitor count reported. This means the museum at the 25th spot had the fewest visitors among the top 25, while the museum at the number 1 position received the highest visitor count.
Below is the list of the most visited museums in the world.
Top 25 Most Visited Museums in the World
25. NGV International, Melbourne
Total visitors in 2022: 1.58 million
The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV International) one of the most visited museums in the world. It is the oldest and most visited gallery in Australia. Established in 1861, the museum hosts a wide range of international exhibitions and collections, encompassing art from numerous periods and disciplines. It houses more than 70,000 works of art spanning thousands of years, including a large collection of Australian Indigenous art.
24. Royal Castle, Warsaw
Total visitors in 2022: 1.75 million
The Royal Castle in Warsaw is a castle residency and a symbol of Polish heritage, making it one of the best museums in the world. Serving as the official residence of the Polish monarchs, it's located in Castle Square, at the entrance to the Warsaw Old Town. Its interiors are filled with significant paintings, sculptures, prints, and manuscripts. The museum also houses a rich collection of oriental art, including the largest collection of Chinese paintings in Poland.
23. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Total visitors in 2022: 1.76 million
The Rijksmuseum is the most prestigious and largest museum for art and history in the Netherlands. It displays a large array of the country's historical artifacts as well as works from Dutch masters such as Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Hals. The museum's collection, totaling more than one million objects, spans the years 1,200 to 2,000. One of its most famous paintings is Rembrandt's "The Night Watch."
22. Wawel Royal Castle, Krakow
Total visitors in 2022: 1.79 million
Once the residence of the Kings of Poland and the symbol of Polish statehood, the Wawel Royal Castle is now one of the Poland’s premier art museums. The complex is a fascinating mixture of architectural styles, ranging from medieval, renaissance, and baroque. The museum showcases a wide range of exhibits, including royal chambers, an armory, and a collection of Oriental art.
21. MMCA Seoul, Seoul
Total visitors in 2022: 1.8 million
A central hub for Korean modern art, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) is one of the most popular museums in the world. Established in 1969, it has become a multi-cultural complex where traditional art coexists with the contemporary, fostering an environment of creativity and inspiration. The MMCA's collection includes more than 8,000 pieces that span the gamut of modern and contemporary Korean art – paintings, sculptures, installations, photographs, and video art.
20. State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
Total visitors in 2022: 1.9 million
The State Tretyakov Gallery is the foremost depository of Russian fine art in the world, making it one of the most visited museums in the world. Founded in 1856 by merchant Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov, the gallery's collection covers more than 1,000 years of Russian art, from early religious paintings to a rich collection of modernist works. Its unique collection includes more than 170,000 works of painting, sculpture, and graphics.
19. National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh
Total visitors in 2022: 1.97 million
The National Museum of Scotland’s broad collection features the wonders of nature, art, design, fashion, science, technology, world cultures, and Scottish history, all under one roof. From the ancient past to the cutting edge of modern science, the diversity of its collections is truly remarkable. Notable exhibits include the famous Dolly the Sheep, the first mammal cloned from an adult cell, and the world's oldest color television. Museum visitors statistics show that it attracted around 1.97 million visitors in 2022.
18. M+, Hong Kong
Total visitors in 2022: 2.034 million
M+ in Hong Kong is a revolutionary museum of visual culture dedicated to collecting, exhibiting, and interpreting art, design, and architecture, moving image, and the Hong Kong visual culture of the 20th and 21st centuries. It is one of the largest museums of contemporary visual culture in the world, boasting a collection of over 6,000 objects. While it officially opened in 2021, it had already been actively acquiring works, staging exhibitions, and developing digital content before the building's completion.
17. Museum of Modern Art, New York
Total visitors in 2022: 2.19 million
With a vast collection that includes works of designs, paintings, architecture, drawing, sculpture, photography, prints, and electronic media, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) has firmly established its role as a leader in the contemporary art world. It showcases works by groundbreaking artists like Vincent Van Gogh, Salvador Dalí, and Frida Kahlo.
16. Galleria Degli Uffizi, Florence
Total visitors in 2022: 2.22 million
Galleria Degli Uffizi is one of the oldest and most famous art museums in the world. It holds an exceptional collection of priceless works, particularly from the period of the Italian Renaissance. Among the iconic works on display are Botticelli's "The Birth of Venus" and "Primavera," along with masterpieces by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Caravaggio.
15. Somerset House, London
Total visitors in 2022: 2.34 million
Somerset House is a significant cultural hub in the heart of London, encompassing one of the city's most beautiful courtyards. This Neoclassical building, built on the site of a Tudor palace, hosts a diverse and dynamic array of events, exhibitions, and installations. It is home to The Courtauld Gallery, renowned for its Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces, as well as King's College London's Cultural Institute.
14. Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Total visitors in 2022: 2.37 million
The Victoria and Albert Museum, often referred to as the V&A, is renowned for its expansive collection of applied and decorative arts and design, as well as sculpture, spanning some 5,000 years. It is one of the world’s biggest art museums, housing a permanent collection of over 2.8 million objects, including textiles, ironwork, ceramics, jewelry, costumes, glass, furniture, medieval objects, sculpture, prints, drawings, and more.
13. Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid
Total visitors in 2022: 2.45 million
The Museo Nacional del Prado stands as one of the world's most popular art galleries. With a collection that focuses on European art from the 12th century to the early 20th century, it boasts around 8,200 drawings, 7,600 paintings, 4,800 prints, and 1,000 sculptures. Among its most notable works are masterpieces from artists such as Velázquez, Goya, and El Greco.
12. State Russian Museum, St Petersburg
Total visitors in 2022: 2.65 million
As the world's largest depository of Russian fine art and one of the most visited museums in the world, the State Russian Museum offers a comprehensive representation of Russian artistry, from icons of the 10th century to works of contemporary artists. The museum's extensive collection comprises over 400,000 exhibits, covering the entire history of Russian fine art.
11. National Gallery, London
Total visitors in 2022: 2.72 million
The National Gallery houses an impressive collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900, including works by masters such as Renoir, da Vinci and Van Gogh. Its commitment to preserving and showcasing European painting's breadth and depth continues to make it an essential stop for art enthusiasts worldwide.
