World Museum Index
The most-visited museums in our coverage, ranked by annual attendance — with admission and suggested visit time for each.
Quick answer
The Louvre is the world's most visited museum at 9.7 million annual visitors, followed by Vatican Museums (6.8 million) and The National Gallery (6 million). World Museum Guide ranks 40 museums by attendance below — every figure from our verified data file, downloadable as CSV.
Visitor information last reviewed 30 June 2026. Check the official museum site for current details.
| # | Museum | City | Annual visitors | Admission | Time needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Louvre | Paris, France | 9.7 million | €22 for EEA visitors; €32 for non-EEA visitors (since 14 January 2026) | 3–5 hours |
| 2 | Vatican Museums | Vatican City, Vatican City | 6.8 million | €20 at the ticket office; €25 booked online (includes €5 booking fee) | 3–4 hours |
| 3 | The National Gallery | London, United Kingdom | 6 million | Free | 2–3 hours |
| 4 | Tate Modern | London, United Kingdom | 5.9 million | Free | 2–3 hours |
| 5 | The British Museum | London, United Kingdom | 5.8 million | Free | 2–4 hours |
| 6 | American Museum of Natural History | New York City, United States | 5 million | $37 for adults from outside NY State; pay-what-you-wish for NY State residents (suggested $25) | 3–4 hours |
| 7 | State Hermitage Museum | Saint Petersburg, Russia | 5 million | 1,200 RUB (700 RUB from 4 PM; 500 RUB from 6 PM on late days) | 3–5 hours |
| 8 | Uffizi Gallery | Florence, Italy | 4.3 million | €25 on the day; €29 booked in advance (includes reservation); €16 for entry from 4 PM | 2–4 hours |
| 9 | Museo Reina Sofía | Madrid, Spain | 3.8 million | €12 standard admission; free during late afternoons | 2–4 hours |
| 10 | Musée d'Orsay | Paris, France | 3.6 million | €16 online; €14 at the museum; Thursday late entry from 6 PM €12 online | 2–4 hours |
| 11 | Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) | New York City, United States | 3.5 million | $30 for adults; children 16 and under free | 2–4 hours |
| 12 | Museo del Prado | Madrid, Spain | 3.2 million | €15 general; €7.50 reduced | 2–4 hours |
| 13 | The Metropolitan Museum of Art | New York City, United States | 3.2 million | $30 for adults; pay-what-you-wish for NY State residents and NY, NJ & CT students | 3–5 hours |
| 14 | Rijksmuseum | Amsterdam, Netherlands | 2.7 million | €25 for adults; ages 18 and under free | 2–3 hours |
| 15 | National Gallery of Art | Washington D.C., United States | 2.6 million | Free | 2–4 hours |
| 16 | Museu de Arte de São Paulo | São Paulo, Brazil | 2.5 million | R$85 standard adult admission; free on Tuesdays and Fridays 6–9 PM with advance reservation | 2–3 hours |
| 17 | Van Gogh Museum | Amsterdam, Netherlands | 2.1 million | €25 for adults; timed tickets sold online only | 2–3 hours |
| 18 | Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum | Oświęcim, Poland | 2 million+ | Free | 3.5–4 hours |
| 19 | The J. Paul Getty Museum | Los Angeles, United States | 1.8 million | Free | 2–4 hours |
| 20 | Art Institute of Chicago | Chicago, United States | 1.5 million | $32 for adults (Illinois residents discount available; free for children under 14) | 2–4 hours |
| 21 | Te Papa Tongarewa | Wellington, New Zealand | 1.5 million+ | Free | 2–4 hours |
| 22 | The Egyptian Museum | Cairo, Egypt | 1.5 million | 200 EGP for non-Egyptians | 3–4 hours |
| 23 | United States Holocaust Memorial Museum | Washington D.C., United States | 1.5 million+ | Free | 2–3 hours |
| 24 | Acropolis Museum | Athens, Greece | 1.2 million | €15 standard admission (April–October), €10 (November–March) | 2 hours |
| 25 | Canadian Museum of History | Gatineau, Canada | 1.2 million | From CA$25 standard admission | 2–3 hours |
| 26 | Guggenheim Museum Bilbao | Bilbao, Spain | 1.1 million | €13 standard admission | 2–3 hours |
| 27 | Pergamon Museum | Berlin, Germany | 1.1 million | Closed for renovation — see the official Museum Island site for tickets to the other museums | 2–3 hours |
| 28 | Anne Frank House | Amsterdam, Netherlands | 1 million+ | €16 standard admission | 1–1.5 hours |
| 29 | Neues Museum | Berlin, Germany | 1 million+ | From €14 standard admission (Museum Island pass available) | 2 hours |
| 30 | Smithsonian American Art Museum | Washington D.C., United States | 1 million | Free | 2 hours |
| 31 | Museum of Islamic Art | Doha, Qatar | 900,000 | 50 QAR for non-residents; free for Qatar residents | 2–3 hours |
| 32 | The Broad | Los Angeles, United States | 900,000 | Free | 90 minutes |
| 33 | Dallas Museum of Art | Dallas, United States | 800,000 | Free | 2–3 hours |
| 34 | Louvre Abu Dhabi | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | 800,000 | 63 AED standard admission | 2–3 hours |
| 35 | Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art | Bentonville, United States | 700,000 | Free | 2–3 hours |
| 36 | Jewish Museum Berlin | Berlin, Germany | 700,000+ | €8 standard adult admission | 2–3 hours |
| 37 | National Museum of Indonesia | Jakarta, Indonesia | c. 700,000 (2025) | Rp50,000 for Indonesian adults; Rp150,000 for foreign visitors (Rp50,000 for KITAS holders) | 2–3 hours |
| 38 | Churchill War Rooms | London, United Kingdom | 500,000+ | From £28 standard admission | 90 minutes |
| 39 | National Gallery of Australia | Canberra, Australia | 500,000 | Free | 2–3 hours |
| 40 | Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa | Cape Town, South Africa | 300,000 | R250 for international visitors | 2 hours |
Attendance figures as recorded in each museum's verified profile (oldest verification 2026-06-30). Reuse freely with attribution to World Museum Guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most visited museum in the world?
The Louvre in Paris leads with 9.7 million annual visitors, ahead of Vatican Museums (6.8 million) and The National Gallery (6 million).
Where do these visitor figures come from?
Each figure is the annual attendance recorded on the museum profile in our verified data file, checked against official and published sources. The CSV export carries the same numbers.
Can I download the data?
Yes — the full index is available as CSV at /world-museum-index.csv, free to reuse with attribution to World Museum Guide.