They’ve been closed for months, and are staggering towards limited openings, but museums and galleries have a lot of pent up demand to visit — if there are good exhibitions to see.
An annual survey by the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) saw large increases in people visiting museums and galleries in the UK during 2019, and especially in London – with a 4.2% increase in visitor numbers in London, which for a yearly growth rate is pretty strong.
In total, over 70 million people visited the big London attractions in 2019.
What clearly comes out of the report though is that museums and galleries need headline reasons to visit. It’s hardly a surprise that blockbuster exhibitions pull in the money for the museums, but the surge in visits to see curious free things suggests that a dose of novelty can help a lot.
Increase the footfall to see the freebies, and convert the newbie into a paying customer — shops, cafes, and the like.
Space exploration was a big theme for 2019, with the Science Museum, Royal Museums Greenwich, and even the Natural History Museum all seeing big numbers thanks to their exhibitions.
Royal Museums Greenwich saw a 14% increase to 2.9 million visits. Their success was attributed to The Moon exhibition that coincided with the 50-year anniversary of the moon landings and had the highest visitor numbers for a show since 2015, as well as to their inaugural ice rink and international marketing campaigns. The Science Museum, which saw the return of Tim Peake’s Soyuz spacecraft to the museum after a UK tour, and a dedicated Summer of Space programme to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the lunar landing, also saw an increase in 4% to 3.3 million visits.
The Natural History Museum went art – and put Luke Jerram’s inflatable moon in a room and just left it there for people to get tons of selfies with — it was fun, and that attracted 2.2 million people to have a look.
That huge visitor number to look at a giant balloon aligned with Cathedrals increasingly doing odd-things, such as light displays and even a helter-skelter suggests that experiences that go beyond learning really helps to bring in people who might otherwise by dubious about visiting a “dry old museum”.
Tate Modern also saw an increase of 3.9% to 6.1 million visitors – achieving their highest ever figure, as did Tate Britain with the largest increase in London of 42% with 1.8 million visitors.
The National Gallery also nudged past 6 million visitors and an increase of 4.8% over the previous year.
Kew Gardens saw a 23% increase, which was mainly due to the six-month blockbuster exhibition by glass artist Dale Chihuly.
The Museum of London Docklands achieved an 11.7% increase (324,438 visits). through targeted marketing of their activities to their 5 local boroughs as well as the free exhibition Secret Rivers.
English Heritage’s Eltham Palace and Gardens saw a 22% increase which was largely down to the success of their Enchanted event during December when they transformed the palace’s gardens into an ‘enchanting’ experience of light, colour and sound.
Expect to see a lot more of that as garden owning venues around London spot the opportunity to top up their visitor numbers during the traditionally quieter months.
Despite being closed for the first 3 months of 2019 as part of their three-year transformation project, Old Royal Naval College moved up 3 places to 26th in the UK, which was partly due to the newly restored Painted Hall.
Visits made in 2019 to visitor attractions in membership with ALVA
| Rank | Site | Total visits | Charge/free | % +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | British Museum | 6,239,983 | F/C | 7% |
| 2 | Tate Modern | 6,098,340 | F/C | 3.9% |
| 3 | National Gallery, The | 6,011,007 | F/C | 4.8% |
| 4 | NHM (South Kensington) | 5,423,932 | F/C | 4% |
| 5 | Southbank Centre | 4,360,255 | F/C | -2.05% |
| 6 | V&A South Kensington | 3,992,198 | F/C | 1% |
| 7 | Science Museum | 3,301,975 | F | 4% |
| 8 | Tower of London | 2,984,499 | C | 4.4% |
| 9 | Royal Museums Greenwich | 2,906,000 | F/C | 14% |
| 10 | Somerset House | 2,841,772 | F/C | -9.6% |
| 11 | Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew | 2,316,699 | C | 23% |
| 12 | National Museum of Scotland | 2,210,024 | F/C | -1% |
| 13 | Edinburgh Castle | 2,201,354 | C | 4% |
| 14 | Chester Zoo | 2,086,785 | C | 5.9% |
| 15 | Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum | 1,832,097 | F | 73.73% |
| 16 | Tate Britain | 1,808,637 | F/C | 42% |
| 17 | Royal Albert Hall | 1,721,632 | C | -1.7% |
| 18 | St Paul’s Cathedral | 1,716,417 | F/C | 3.6% |
| 19 | National Portrait Gallery London | 1,619,694 | F/C | 1.02% |
| 20 | Stonehenge | 1,604,248 | C | 3.1% |
| 21 | Scottish National Gallery | 1,583,231 | F/C | -9% |
| 22 | Westminster Abbey | 1,574,401 | F/C | 1.84% |
| 23 | British Library | 1,534,860 | F/C | 5.35% |
| 24 | Riverside Museum | 1,364,739 | F | 8.79% |
| 25 | Roman Baths and Pump Room | 1,325,085 | C | 1.7% |
| 26 | Old Royal Naval College | 1,264,683 | F/C | -1% |
| 27 | Royal Academy | 1,248,882 | F/C | -2% |
| 28 | RHS Garden Wisley | 1,232,772 | F/C | 15.1% |
| 29 | National Museum Royal Navy | 1,122,072 | F/C | -9% |
| 30 | ZSL London Zoo | 1,078,519 | C | 0.5% |
| 31 | IWM London | 1,073,936 | F/C | 1% |
| 32 | Hampton Court Palace | 1,072,823 | C | -3.8% |
| 33 | UK Parliament | 1,063,501 | F/C | -1.9% |
| 34 | Longleat | 1,011,314 | C | 12% |
| 35 | Eden Project | 1,010,095 | C | 0.6% |
| 36 | Giant’s Causeway | 998,014 | F/C | -4% |
| 37 | Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh | 991,110 | F/C | 6% |
| 38 | Blenheim Palace | 984,913 | F/C | 9.23% |
| 39 | The Royal Shakespeare Theatre and Swan Theatre | 974,424 | F/C | -6.8% |
| 40 | Museum of Liverpool | 956,918 | F | -1% |
| 41 | Horniman Museum and Gardens | 952,954 | F/C | 2.8% |
| 42 | Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology | 930,669 | F/C | 5% |
| 43 | Tower Bridge Exhibition | 889,338 | C | 6% |
| 44 | Canterbury Cathedral | 876,646 | F/C | -1.9% |
| 45 | Merseyside Maritime Museum | 836,980 | F | -7% |
| 46 | Titanic Belfast | 828,017 | F/C | -1% |
| 47 | National War Museum, Edinburgh | 805,934 | C | 1% |
| 48 | Oxford University Museum of Natural History | 792,282 | F | 1% |
| 49 | Shakespeare’s Globe | 781,240 | C | -4.6% |
| 50 | Bodleian Libraries | 760,815 | F | -16% |
| 51 | Durham Cathedral | 727,367 | F | 9.6% |
| 52 | National Railway Museum | 714,379 | F | -13.4% |
| 53 | York Minster | 706,484 | F/C | 1.7% |
| 54 | Museum of London | 706,219 | F/C | 1.7% |
| 55 | World Museum | 672,514 | F | -53% |
| 56 | Clumber Park | 666,997 | F/C | 1% |
| 57 | Tate Liverpool | 660,022 | F/C | -6.67% |
| 58 | ZSL Whipsnade Zoo | 648,945 | C | 6.7% |
| 59 | Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery | 644,100 | F | -23% |
| 60 | V&A Dundee | 624,600 | F/C | 83% |
| 61 | Churchill War Rooms | 620,933 | C | 7% |
| 62 | Stirling Castle | 609,698 | C | 1% |
| 63 | Chatsworth | 606,420 | C | 0.1% |
| 64 | Edinburgh Zoo | 605,000 | F/C | 2% |
| 65 | Gallery of Modern Art | 576,689 | F | -8.97% |
| 66 | Westonbirt, The National Arboretum | 566,565 | C | 2.5% |
| 67 | Attingham Park | 557,136 | F/C | 13% |
| 68 | Museum of Science and Industry | 556,523 | F | -21% |
| 69 | Urquhart Castle | 547,518 | C | 6% |
| 70 | Leeds Castle | 539,971 | F/C | 16% |
| 71 | Glasgow Cathedral | 537,415 | F | 11% |
| 72 | Cliveden | 524,807 | F/C | 8% |
| 73 | Kensington Palace | 510,304 | C | -7.8% |
| 74 | Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art | 508,090 | F | -11% |
| 75 | RAF Museum London | 496,614 | F | 0.9% |
| 76 | Ulster Museum | 492,689 | F | -15.7% |
| 77 | Carrick-a-Rede | 485,736 | F/C | -2% |
| 78 | Pitt Rivers Museum | 468,013 | F | -7% |
| 79 | Waddesdon Manor | 463,328 | F/C | 0.6% |
| 80 | Glenfinnan Monument | 462,235 | F/C | 22% |
| 81 | Belton House | 460,547 | F/C | 8% |
| 82 | Calke Abbey | 458,380 | F/C | 16% |
| 83 | RHS Garden Harlow Carr | 446,730 | F/C | 1.2% |
| 84 | National Science and Media Museum | 439,916 | F | -4.3% |
| 85 | Glencoe Visitor Centre | 431,855 | F | 101% |
| 86 | Shakespeare’s Birthplace | 422,372 | C | -0.6% |
| 87 | Fountains Abbey Estate | 412,435 | F/C | 6% |
| 88 | London Transport Museum | 411,766 | F/C | 0.92% |
| 89 | Kingston Lacy | 410,812 | F/C | 14% |
| 90 | Polesden Lacey | 405,773 | F/C | 14% |
| 91 | RAF Museum Cosford | 401,477 | F | -7.1% |
| 92 | IWM Duxford | 401,287 | C | 2% |
| 93 | Anglesey Abbey | 399,127 | F/C | 7% |
| 94 | International Slavery Museum | 396,877 | F | 1% |
| 95 | Mottisfont | 393,250 | F/C | 4% |
| 96 | Stourhead | 392,929 | F/C | 0% |
| 97 | Walker Art Gallery | 391,765 | F | 6% |
| 98 | V&A Museum of Childhood | 386,944 | F | -7% |
| 99 | Nymans Garden | 382,948 | F/C | 7% |
| 100 | Scottish National Portrait Gallery | 372,743 | F | 4% |
| 101 | Dover Castle | 368,243 | C | 0.8% |
| 102 | St Michael’s Mount | 359,554 | F/C | 3% |
| 103 | RHS Garden Hyde Hall | 359,230 | F/C | 7.4% |
| 104 | Tyntesfield | 356,766 | F/C | 15% |
| 105 | Osborne | 354,709 | C | 16.3% |
| 106 | The Fitzwilliam Museum | 349,484 | F | -1% |
| 107 | Dunham Massey | 340,235 | F/C | 9% |
| 108 | Wimpole Estate | 335,199 | F/C | 9% |
| 109 | Cambridge University Botanic Garden | 334,461 | C | 10% |
| 110 | Culzean Castle & Country Park | 333,965 | F/C | 5% |
| 111 | HMS Belfast | 327,206 | C | 10% |
| 112 | Beaulieu | 327,121 | C | 2% |
| 113 | Museum of London Docklands | 324,438 | F/C | 11.7% |
| 114 | Wakehurst | 312,813 | F/C | -12% |
| 115 | Gibside | 307,900 | F/C | 12% |
| 116 | Hardwick Hall | 298,283 | F/C | 2% |
| 117 | Sheffield Park and Garden | 295,384 | F/C | -4% |
| 118 | Croome | 289,841 | F/C | 11% |
| 119 | Quarry Bank | 285,762 | F/C | 16% |
| 120 | Ickworth | 283,956 | F/C | 11% |
| 121 | Dyrham Park | 282,547 | F/C | 11% |
| 122 | Killerton | 281,910 | F/C | 5% |
| 123 | Tate St Ives | 278,747 | F/C | -7.9% |
| 124 | Lanhydrock | 275,079 | F/C | 1% |
| 125 | Bodnant Garden | 271,339 | F/C | 6% |
| 126 | Castle Howard | 269,044 | C | 18.4% |
| 127 | WWT Slimbridge | 262,986 | C | -1% |
| 128 | Burns Birthplace Museum | 261,283 | C | -4% |
| 129 | Corfe Castle | 259,655 | F/C | 8% |
| 130 | RHS Garden Rosemoor | 255,861 | F/C | 9.3% |
| 131 | Cragside Estate | 255,005 | F/C | 7% |
| 132 | Sudbury Hall | 254,083 | F/C | 25% |
| 133 | Chartwell | 253,032 | F/C | 3% |
| 134 | Saltram | 252,075 | F/C | 17% |
| 135 | Wallington | 251,251 | F/C | 6% |
| 136 | Charlecote Park | 250,032 | F/C | 17% |
| 137 | Shugborough Estate | 246,180 | F/C | 17% |
| 138 | IWM North | 244,564 | F | -27% |
| 139 | Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum | 243,069 | C | 6% |
| 140 | Mount Stewart | 239,371 | F/C | 5% |
| 141 | Baddesley Clinton | 234,696 | F/C | 6% |
| 142 | Stowe | 232,056 | F/C | 10% |
| 143 | Kettle’s Yard | 231,941 | F | -5% |
| 144 | Trelissick | 227,681 | F/C | 6% |
| 145 | Hanbury Hall and Gardens | 227,624 | F/C | 12% |
| 146 | Blickling | 225,624 | F/C | 15% |
| 147 | Speke Hall | 224,913 | F/C | 9% |
| 148 | People’s Palace | 223,774 | F | -34.68% |
| 149 | Packwood House | 219,727 | F/C | 8% |
| 150 | The Vyne | 219,053 | F/C | 15% |
| 151 | Kedleston | 211,655 | F/C | 12% |
| 152 | Oxford Botanical Gardens and Arboretum | 211,573 | F/C | 23% |
| 153 | Lady Lever Art Gallery | 210,790 | F | 4% |
| 154 | Lacock | 210,709 | F/C | 6% |
| 155 | Culloden Visitor Centre | 209,011 | C | 1% |
| 156 | Dunster Castle | 206,160 | F/C | 1% |
| 157 | Knole | 204,902 | F/C | 12% |
| 158 | Harewood House Trust | 201,694 | C | 5.9% |
| 159 | WWT Martin Mere | 192,443 | C | -9% |
| 160 | WWT London | 190,206 | C | 7% |
| 161 | Mary Rose, The | 189,702 | F/C | 1% |
| 162 | Monument to the Great Fire of London, The | 182,492 | C | 7% |
| 163 | Locomotion | 180,697 | F | 3.4% |
| 164 | Audley End House and Gardens | 175,725 | C | 3.3% |
| 165 | Ulster Folk & Transport Museum | 172,712 | C | 18% |
| 166 | Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences | 168,021 | F | 7% |
| 167 | Whitby Abbey | 161,461 | C | 9.4% |
| 168 | Clifford’s Tower, York | 160,815 | C | 4% |
| 169 | The St Mungo Museum of Religious Life And Art | 159,157 | F | 10.25% |
| 170 | Tintagel Castle | 154,996 | C | -32.8% |
| 171 | Crathes Castle | 153,217 | F/C | 18% |
| 172 | Doune Castle | 152,987 | C | 8% |
| 173 | Walmer Castle and Gardens | 152,391 | C | 46.7% |
| 174 | NHM (Tring) | 151,787 | F | 1% |
| 175 | History of Science Museum | 148,412 | F | -16% |
| 176 | Anne Hathaway’s Cottage | 146,698 | C | 1.3% |
| 177 | Highland Safari Park | 142,000 | F/C | -30% |
| 178 | 1066 Battle of Hastings, Abbey and Battlefield | 136,647 | C | 10.3% |
| 179 | Wrest Park | 135,420 | C | 5% |
| 180 | University Museum of Zoology | 134,739 | F | 8% |
| 181 | Eltham Palace and Gardens | 134,238 | C | 22% |
| 182 | Kenwood | 132,468 | F | 1% |
| 183 | Carisbrooke Castle | 131,358 | C | 4.5% |
| 184 | Shakespeare’s New Place | 124,991 | C | 13.8% |
| 185 | Guildhall Art Gallery | 123,731 | F/C | 6% |
| 186 | Threave Garden | 120,840 | C | 24% |
| 187 | Kenilworth Castle and Elizabethan Garden | 119,047 | C | 8.2% |
| 188 | Skara Brae | 115,136 | C | 3% |
| 189 | National Museum of Rural Life | 113,525 | C | 13% |
| 190 | Ulster American Folk Park | 112,916 | C | -3.6% |
| 191 | Housesteads Roman Fort – Hadrian’s Wall | 111,508 | C | 1.7% |
| 192 | National Maritime Museum Cornwall | 110,386 | F/C | -9% |
| 193 | Burghley | 107,887 | C | -8.2% |
| 194 | Linlithgow Palace | 103,312 | C | 9% |
| 195 | Provand’s Lordship | 94,481 | F | 5.66% |
| 196 | WWT Arundel | 93,743 | C | 3% |
| 197 | Holkham Hall | 89,738 | C | 26.5% |
| 198 | Piermaster’s House | 89,140 | F | -61% |
| 199 | St Andrews Castle | 88,814 | C | -3% |
| 200 | Hall’s Croft | 85,335 | C | 9.3% |
| 201 | WWT Washington | 83,817 | C | 14% |
| 202 | Mary Arden’s Farm | 81,364 | C | 2.5% |
| 203 | Brodie Castle | 79,634 | F/C | -70% |
| 204 | Blackness Castle | 79,265 | C | 36% |
| 205 | Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology | 76,669 | F | -6% |
| 206 | Inverewe Gardens | 76,351 | C | -9% |
| 207 | Fort George | 76,169 | C | 6% |
| 208 | National Museum of Flight | 74,696 | C | -6% |
| 209 | WWT Llanelli | 74,486 | C | 3% |
| 210 | Brodick Castle & Country Park | 68,423 | F/C | 65% |
| 211 | Fyvie Castle | 66,039 | F/C | 12% |
| 212 | Scotland Street School Museum | 65,464 | F | 5.42% |
| 213 | Newhailes | 65,395 | C | -6% |
| 214 | Iona Abbey | 63,884 | C | 0% |
| 215 | WWT Castle Espie | 63,673 | C | 7% |
| 216 | Melrose Abbey | 61,325 | C | 5% |
| 217 | Pollok House | 57,099 | C | -2% |
| 218 | Castle Fraser | 56,822 | F/C | 12% |
| 219 | St Andrews Cathedral | 54,511 | C | -3% |
| 220 | Benmore Botanic Garden | 53,420 | C | 9% |
| 221 | The Polar Museum | 51,469 | F | 7% |
| 222 | Falkland Palace | 49,329 | C | 2% |
| 223 | Pitmedden Garden & Museum of Farm Life | 48,106 | C | 10% |
| 224 | T Rex in Town at Kelvin Hall | 47,935 | C | % |
| 225 | Drum Castle | 47,446 | F/C | -7% |
| 226 | Tantallon Castle | 45,798 | C | 6% |
| 227 | Sudley House | 44,068 | F | 21% |
| 228 | Bannockburn Heritage Centre | 43,427 | C | -8% |
| 229 | Craigmillar Castle | 40,634 | C | 15% |
| 230 | Caerlaverock Castle | 39,143 | C | 11% |
| 231 | Elgin Cathedral | 37,979 | C | -4% |
| 232 | Dawyck Botanic Garden | 37,051 | C | 4% |
| 233 | Georgian House | 32,127 | C | -7% |
| 234 | Dirleton Castle | 31,883 | C | 7% |
| 235 | Hill House | 31,172 | C | 139% |
| 236 | WWT Welney | 30,762 | C | 5% |
| 237 | Jedburgh Abbey | 29,484 | C | 7% |
| 238 | Maeshowe | 29,391 | C | 3% |
| 239 | Dumbarton Castle | 29,197 | C | 2% |
| 240 | Aston Hall | 28,804 | C | -11% |
| 241 | Logan Botanic Garden | 28,761 | C | 14% |
| 242 | Dunstaffnage Castle | 25,429 | C | 16% |
| 243 | Culross Palace | 25,209 | C | -1% |
| 244 | Aberdour Castle | 24,768 | C | -10% |
| 245 | Blakesley Hall | 24,726 | C | 34% |
| 246 | Haddo House | 24,380 | F/C | 60% |
| 247 | Craigievar Castle | 24,072 | F/C | 19% |
| 248 | Tenement House | 23,456 | C | 33% |
| 249 | Dunfermline Palace | 22,860 | C | 18% |
| 250 | Jarlshof | 22,439 | C | -3% |
| 251 | Gladstone’s Land | 20,065 | C | 67% |
| 252 | Museum of the Jewellery Quarter | 19,354 | C | -10% |
| 253 | Kellie Castle | 18,938 | C | 6% |
| 254 | Broughton House & Garden | 18,917 | C | 8% |
| 255 | Leith Hall | 18,842 | F/C | -3% |
| 256 | Greenbank Garden | 17,275 | C | 5% |
| 257 | Glasgow Museums Resource Centre | 17,232 | F | -1.2% |
| 258 | WWT Caerlaverock | 16,105 | C | 16% |
| 259 | Sarehole Mill | 14,383 | C | -20% |
| 260 | Branklyn Garden | 14,115 | C | 15% |
| 261 | Museum of Classical Archaeology | 13,015 | F | -12% |
| 262 | Whipple Museum of the History of Science | 11,845 | F | 8% |
| 263 | Keats House | 11,808 | F/C | -1% |
| 264 | Soho House | 10,374 | C | 21% |
| 265 | Weoley Castle | 8,147 | F | -2% |
| 266 | Museum Collection Centre | 2,407 | F/C | 27% |
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