British Museum Tops UK’s Most-Visited Attractions in 2024

The British Museum has once again claimed the title of the most-visited attraction in the UK, welcoming 6,479,952 visitors in 2024—an 11% increase from the previous year. The iconic London institution continues to draw massive crowds, solidifying its place as a cultural powerhouse.

UK’s Top Attractions See Modest Growth

According to figures from the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (Alva), overall visitor numbers to the UK’s major attractions rose by 3.4% year-on-year, reaching 157.2 million visits across 400 sites. While this marks steady progress, the total still lags 8.8% behind pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

London Still Dominates Tourism

The Natural History Museum secured second place with 6.3 million visitors, followed by Windsor Great Park, which attracted 5.67 million visitors, making it the most popular outdoor attraction. Other top destinations included:

• Tate Modern (4.6 million)
• Southbank Centre (3.7 million)
• Victoria & Albert Museum (3.5 million)
• National Gallery (3.2 million)
• Tower of London (2.9 million)

London’s National Portrait Gallery, which reopened in mid-2023 after a three-year revamp, saw a 36% surge in visitors, making it one of the year's biggest success stories.

Scotland, Northern Ireland & Wales: Regional Highlights

In Scotland, Edinburgh’s National Museum of Scotland remained the top attraction, ranking 11th overall in the UK with 2.3 million visitors. Edinburgh Castle also saw strong attendance, welcoming nearly 2 million visitors.

In Northern Ireland, Titanic Belfast retained its top spot with 881,573 visitors, while in Wales, St Fagans National Museum of History in Cardiff led the way with 600,690 visitors.

Challenges & The Road Ahead

Despite the positive growth, Alva director Bernard Donoghue emphasized that the sector’s recovery remains fragile due to factors like economic pressures, cost-of-living concerns, and slow inbound tourism. However, he noted that UK residents are still prioritizing day trips to cultural and historical sites, helping to sustain momentum.

With tourism gradually rebounding, the numbers suggest that the UK’s rich cultural and historical heritage remains as compelling as ever.