The world’s 20 most visited museums

With record-breaking visitor figures, The Louvre is undoubtedly one of the most popular museums in the world. It is home to over 380,000 objects and a permanent collection that covers 60,600 square metres. Visitors can enjoy sculptures, paintings, drawings, and more, with famous highlights being the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo

As well as its world-class collection, it is also a landmark in itself, thanks to the iconic Louvre Pyramid, designed by the Chinese-American architect I. M. Pei.

The Louvre’s Leonardo da Vinci exhibition was visited by around 1.1 million guests. The show ran for four months in 2019/20 and commemorated the 500th anniversary of the artist’s death.

In 2021, the museum put its entire collection of artworks online. That same year, Laurence des Cars became the first female president of the Louvre in the museum’s history.

At the start of 2023, the Louvre announced plans to limit daily attendance to 30,000 in order to improve the visitor experience after welcoming 7.8 million guests in 2022. Later in the year, it revealed plans to increase its entrance fee by 29 percent in 2024. The institution has not increased the price of admission since 2017.

To mark the Paris Olympics in 2024, it offered yoga classes and other Olympics-themed experiences in its galleries.

The Vatican Museums display works from the Catholic Church’s collection and the papacy throughout the centuries. The museums contain around 70,000 works including Roman sculptures and Renaissance art, as well as Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. There are around 70,000 works in the collection, including Roman sculptures and Renaissance art.

To mark the 500th anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci’s death, the Vatican Museums held a free exhibition of the artist’s famous painting of Saint Jerome in 2019. The work of art was moved from the Vatican Pinacoteca to the Braccio di Carlo Magno in Saint Peter’s Square.

Here, it was on display for three months alongside a document from the Historical Archive of the Fabric of Saint Peter which details da Vinci’s stay in an apartment arranged for him in the Vatican Belvedere.

In 2022, Pope Francis announced plans to return the 2,500-year-old Parthenon marbles held at the Vatican Museums to Greece. The three fragments at the Vatican include a head of a horse, a head of a boy and a bearded male head. They have been in the Vatican’s collection since the 19th century.

In a statement, the Vatican said the pope was returning the marbles as a “donation” and “a concrete sign of his sincere desire to follow in the ecumenical path of truth”.

The third most visited museum in the world is the National Museum of China in Beijing, China. This free museum is home to 1.3 million objects, displayed in a series of galleries exploring everything from ancient ceramics and calligraphy to jade and bronze treasures, as well as Buddhist sculptures and socialist-realism art.

Recent exhibitions have covered a wide range of topics from across the world of art, culture, history and politics. These have included The Power of Truth: Marking the Bicentenary of the Birth of Karl Marx, The Journey Back Home: An Exhibition of Chinese Artifacts Repatriated from Italy and The Splendor of Asia: An Exhibition of Asian Civilizations.

Museums in China are experiencing huge increases in visitor numbers thanks to the Chinese government’s commitment to free admission policies. There has also been a shift in visitor demographics over the past decade. While museums were traditionally popular among seniors, the younger generation, especially those in their 20s and parents with children, now constitutes a substantial portion of museum-goers.

China witnessed the construction of an additional 383 museums in 2023, bringing the total to 6,565. Despite this growth, the overwhelming demand during peak periods, such as the National Day holiday, has led to overcrowding and discussions on social media platforms regarding the difficulty of obtaining admission tickets.

The UK’s first entry on the list of the most visited museums is London’s British Museum. This was the first public national museum in the world, established in 1753. It houses over eight million artefacts spanning millennia, including the Rosetta Stone and Parthenon Marbles. Admission is free, drawing millions annually to explore its global treasures and celebrate shared cultural heritage.

The British Museum plans to digitise its entire collection in a bid to increase public access and security after the alleged theft of around 2,000 artefacts, which came to light in 2023. The same year, it announced a new £50m deal with energy giant BP.

In 2024, Olivia O’Leary, international engagement manager, spoke to blooloop about how the museum is developing the next generation of exhibitions to extend its reach and share previously unseen treasures. Later that year, its also announced that architecture firm Studio Weave will design its new visitor welcome pavilions and forecourt after winning a design competition.

Recently, the museum teamed up with K-pop girl group NewJeans, who are now serving as official Korean audio guides for the institution.

The British Museum also launched a £150,000 tender for a project to review and reimagine its brand and visual/vocal identity at the start of 2025. The project is part of the museum’s wider masterplan, which involves renovating and transforming the site, and building new storage and research facilities near Reading.

Visitors to the Natural History Museum in London can view items from its 80 million-strong collection of specimens. These cover five main subjects; botany, entomology, mineralogy, palaeontology and zoology. It is particularly famous for its dinosaur exhibits.

In 2019, The Natural History Museum received support from the National Lottery for its Urban Nature Project. This transformed the attraction’s five acres of outdoor space, creating a space for urban wildlife research and conservation. The new garden spaces opened to the public in summer 2024 and the occasion was marked by the unveiling of a new bronze cast of Dippy the diplodocus.

The museum is one of several to have declared a planetary emergency and in 2021, the museum was involved in a series of events at COP26 in Glasgow. A key strategy that underpins a lot of its work is its goal to create advocates for the planet. Representatives from the museum also took part in COP28, engaging in critical conversations around the planetary emergency, biodiversity loss, nature-based solutions and the vital role of data.

In 2024, the museum announced that it is planning a £550 million transformation ahead of its 150th anniversary in 2031.

Next on the list of the most visited museums in the world is The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met).

The Met is the largest art museum in the United States and holds more than 2 million works in its permanent collection. It is famous for holding blockbuster attractions, such as 2018’s record-breaking Michelangelo: Divine Draftsman and Designer. It also hosts the Met Gala each year.

In 2021, Sofie Andersen, head of digital content at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, spoke to blooloop about digital storytelling and the museum’s online strategy.

In recent years, The Met has also announced plans to return items to a number of countries, including Thailand, Cambodia and Nepal.

At the end of 2024, The Met unveiled its designs for a new $550 million wing for modern and contemporary art, set to open in 2030. The concept by Mexican architect Frida Escobedo – the first woman to design a wing in the museum’s 154-year history – includes the renovation and expansion of The Met’s existing modern and contemporary wing.

The Met will reopen its Michael C. Rockefeller Wing in May 2025.

China Science and Technology Museum was founded in 1988 before being expanded in 2000. It then moved into new buildings in 2006 ahead of the 2008 Summer Olympics in the city.

China Science and Technology Museum has five permanent exhibitions: Science Paradise, The Glory of China, Science & Technology and Life, Explorations and Discoveries, and Challenges and the Future. Visitors can also enjoy a dome theatre, giant screen theatre, 4D theatre and motion theatre.

China has plans to become a ‘museum powerhouse’ by 2035 by developing outstanding museums with Chinese features and attractions through a ‘Museums of Excellence Development Plan’. Chinese museums have been quick to adopt new technologies including developing digital collectibles as an alternative to NFTs.

Image: China Science and Technology Museum, Wikimedia Commons 

Nanjing Museum was one of the first museums to be established in China and has since been expanded in both 1999 and 2009. It holds a large permanent collection with more than 400,000 pieces, including an impressive display of Ming and Qing imperial porcelain.

One of the permanent installations at Nanjing Museum is an exhibition on the Jiangsu Area in Ancient Times, covering ancient history through to the to Ming and Qing dynasties. Visitors can view a dinosaur skeleton and a wall made of bricks from the Northern and Southern Dynasties.

Image: Nanjing Museum, Wikimedia Commons

The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York is one of the largest natural history museums in the world. It spans 26 connected buildings and is home to 45 permanent exhibition halls, as well as a planetarium and a library. It is home to more than 34 million specimens.

A new wing, the $465 million Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation opened to the public in May 2023. Designed by Studio Gang, this is home to research facilities, scientific collections, new exhibits, an insectarium, and a butterfly vivarium. The 230,000-square-foot Gilder Center also enhances the museum’s visitor experience, connecting 10 buildings that were constructed over nearly 150 years.

Apex, the most expensive dinosaur fossil ever discovered, went on view at the museum at the end of 2024. Thought to be the largest and one of the most complete stegosaurus specimens ever found, it measures 11.5 feet tall and 27 feet long and is nearly 80 percent complete.

Image: Kenneth C. Griffin Exploration Atrium. Alvaro Keding/© AMNH

The Suzhou Museum, opened in 2006 in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, houses a rich collection of Chinese art and historical artefacts. It was designed by I. M. Pei, who was inspired by his ancestral ties to Suzhou and its traditional aesthetic.

The museum’s architecture blends modern elements with classical Suzhou design, characterised by whitewashed walls, grey tiled roofs, and serene water features. The layout incorporates traditional Chinese garden principles, creating tranquil spaces filled with courtyards, ponds, and carefully curated landscaping.

The museum houses an extensive collection of over 15,000 items, including ancient jade carvings, porcelain, calligraphy, paintings, and historical relics. Many of these highlight Suzhou’s cultural significance and artistic legacy.

The exhibits span multiple dynasties and showcase the evolution of Chinese art and craftsmanship. Particularly noteworthy are the artefacts from the Ming and Qing dynasties, which reflect the region’s prosperity and cultural achievements.

Visitors to Tate Modern can explore Tate’s collection of British and international modern and contemporary art from 1900 to the present. Tate Modern is housed in one of London’s historic buildings, the former Bankside Power Station. Here, it is able to display very large pieces in the huge Turbine Hall.

Founded in 2000, Tate Modern celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2020 and had a series of events planned, before COVID-19 struck. This included a special immersive exhibition by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama featuring her ‘Infinity Rooms’.

In 2021, the director of digital at Tate, Hilary Knight, spoke to blooloop about how digital enhances the museum’s mission. Tate Modern appointed Karin Hindsbo, former director of Oslo’s National Museum, as its new director in 2023. She is the second woman to take on the role.

See also: Tate’s Carmel Allen on the transformational power of art

The Hunan Museum first opened in 1956. In 2012, it closed for a significant redevelopment and expansion project, opening again in 2017. It now covers an area of 50,000 square metres and holds over 180,000 items,

It is one of China’s leading museums, celebrated for its extensive collection of artefacts, particularly from the Han Dynasty and earlier periods. A standout feature of the museum is the Mawangdui Han Tombs exhibit, which includes the remarkably well-preserved body of Lady Xin Zhui (Marquis of Dai) and a wealth of burial artefacts such as silk garments, lacquerware, and ancient manuscripts written on silk.

When the museum reopened in 2017, it included China’s first tomb projection, supported by 14 Christie projectors.

Washington D.C.’s popular National Museum of Natural History is the third American museum on this list of the world’s most visited.

Part of the Smithsonian Institution, this museum first opened in 1910. It covers 1.5 million square feet with 325,000 square feet of exhibition and public space, which is dedicated to natural history, with a huge collection of specimens, including plants, animals, fossils, rocks and meteorites, as well as cultural artefacts.

Permanent exhibits include the famous Bone Hall, which can now be explored with an innovative AR app. In 2021, the museum also launched a new AR experience that immerses visitors in a holographic orca pod.

In 2024, The Smithsonian launched a two-year, $2.5 billion fundraising campaign – the largest in the institution’s history. The campaign will finish in 2026 to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Image credit: Hugh Talman and James Di Loreto

The Hubei Provincial Museum is home to over 200,000 objects, including the Sword of Goujian. It was first established in 1953. The building covers over 42,000 square meters and is home to more than 13,400 square metres of exhibition space.

A key highlight is the Zenghouyi Tomb artefacts, unearthed in 1978 from the tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng, a 5th-century BCE ruler during the Warring States period. Highlights from this tomb include the Bianzhong (a set of 65 bronze chime bells) and other finely crafted bronze instruments, which are remarkable for their size, complexity, and acoustic precision. These bells provide invaluable insights into ancient Chinese music and metallurgy.

The museum also features exhibitions on prehistoric cultures, such as the Qujialing and Shijiahe civilisations, showcasing pottery and tools that reflect early life in the region. Another notable section focuses on Chu culture, exploring the traditions and artistic expressions of the ancient Chu State.

The National Museum of Korea is the country’s largest museum, devoted to preserving and showcasing Korea’s cultural heritage. Established in 1945, it relocated to its current state-of-the-art facility in Yongsan Family Park in 2005. The architecture combines traditional Korean aesthetics with modern design, symbolising a bridge between the past and the future.

The museum features over 300,000 artefacts, ranging from prehistory to modern times, with around 15,000 items on display at any one time. Notable exhibits include ancient pottery, intricate celadon from the Goryeo Dynasty, and the iconic Gold Crown of Silla, a testament to the craftsmanship of the Kingdom of Silla.

The museum also showcases Buddhist art, calligraphy, and paintings alongside internationally significant treasures, including artefacts from the Silk Road and East Asian cultural exchanges. A highlight is the Pensive Bodhisattva, a 7th-century gilt-bronze statue considered a masterpiece of Korean Buddhist sculpture.

The Guangdong Museum highlights the history, art, and natural heritage of Guangdong Province. Established in 1959 and relocated to a modern building in Zhujiang New Town in 2010, the museum is a prominent landmark known for its architectural design, which resembles an intricately carved ivory box.

The museum’s extensive collection consists of over 166,000 artefacts, categorised into four main themes: History, Nature, Art, and Cantonese Culture. The history section explores Guangdong’s long and dynamic past, highlighting artefacts such as pottery, ancient coins, and items related to the Maritime Silk Road, which reflect the province’s role as a centre of trade and cultural exchange.

The natural history galleries showcase fossils, minerals, and exhibits of the province’s unique flora and fauna, providing insight into the region’s biodiversity. The art section features traditional Chinese paintings, ceramics, and crafts, while the Cantonese culture exhibits explore Guangdong’s distinctive traditions, including Cantonese opera, cuisine, and the iconic Lingnan architectural style.

The Musée d’Orsay is located in the former Gare d’Orsay, a Beaux-Arts railway station built between 1898 and 1900. As well as sculptures, furniture, and photography, it holds the largest collection of Impressionist and post-Impressionist paintings in the world.

In 2020, the museum announced the launch of a major expansion project. This will see the creation of a new wing, intended to display the Musée d’Orsay’s Impressionist and Post-Impressionist collection. The project is scheduled to complete by 2026.

In 2021, it appointed Christophe Leribault as director. Leribault was previously curator at the Louvre and director of the Musée Delacroix.

The Musée d’Orsay announced its first-ever VR experience in 2023, as part of a new Van Gogh exhibition. The museum partnered with Vive Arts on the experience, called ‘La Palette de Van Gogh’. This takes inspiration from the last surviving paint palette used by Vincent van Gogh, held in the Musée d’Orsay’s permanent collection.

The National Gallery of Art is dedicated to visual art, education, and culture. Established in 1937, it is divided into two main buildings: the West Building, housing European and American paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts from the Renaissance to the 1800s, and the East Building, which features modern and contemporary art, including works by 20th-century masters.

The collection includes over 150,000 works of art, ranging from early Renaissance masterpieces to contemporary pieces. The museum is particularly known for its Impressionist and Post-Impressionist collections. Alongside paintings and sculptures, the museum holds notable collections of prints, drawings, decorative arts, and photography. The Sculpture Garden, situated between the two buildings, showcases modern sculptures.

Notable exhibitions of recent years include a show on lunar photographs as well as an exhibition on renaissance sculptor and painter, Andrea del Verrocchio, of whom Leonardo da Vinci was a pupil.

In 2022, Nick Sharp, chief digital officer, spoke to blooloop about the museum’s digital strategy and the importance of an authentic voice

The Prado Museum, officially known as Museo Nacional del Prado, is the national art museum of Spain. It boasts an exceptional collection of European art that ranges from the 12th century to the early 20th century. Established in 1819, it houses approximately 8,200 drawings, 7,600 paintings, 4,800 prints, and 1,000 sculptures, in addition to various artworks and historical documents.

In 2017, digital content created by Javier Sainz de los Terreros, the digital communication manager at the Prado Museum, became a global sensation. People worldwide connected with the intimate walks he filmed on his phone using a selfie stick as he navigated the Prado’s empty galleries. His videos featuring ordinary museum workers discussing their favourite paintings were highlighted in the New York Times.

Speaking to blooloop in 2022 about the museum’s digital strategy, he said:

“The kernel of the idea was that it is a privilege for a museum worker to be able to walk through the museum when it’s empty and to be alone in front of the masterpieces. It was a feeling I wanted to share with people, in a way that they would almost be able to smell the place and hear their footsteps echoing.”

That same year, the museum recreated the fragrances of some of the items seen in The Sense of Smell by Jan Brueghel the Elder and Peter Paul Rubens. The painting was the focus of the Prado Museum’s sensory exhibition, titled The Essence of Painting. An Olfactory Exhibition.

The State Hermitage in St Petersburg is the second-largest art museum in the world and dates back to 1764. It has been open to the public since 1852. Visitors can enjoy a huge collection of paintings within the complex of historic buildings. This includes the Winter Palace, which used to be the home of Russian emperors, and the Menshikov Palace.

It holds over 3 million objects, spanning thousands of years of human history and culture. Its collections include ancient civilisations’ artefacts, classical sculptures, European paintings, decorative arts, and applied arts. The museum is particularly known for its Renaissance and Baroque art. It also holds extensive collections of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works.

In 2021, The State Hermitage Museum announced that is was selling digital artworks from a limited digital collection in the form of NFTs. These are digital copies of masterpieces from its collection.