The world’s most-visited museums in 2025 attracted millions of visitors, with China’s Palace Museum in Beijing taking the top position after recording 19 million visits. China dominated the global ranking, accounting for 12 of the 20 museums on the list, while five European institutions also secured places among the world’s most popular cultural attractions.
The figures come from the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA), which has published its annual global attractions index examining visitor attendance in 2025. The report highlights the continued popularity of major museums, historic palaces and cultural institutions, with China accounting for the largest share of visitors among the world’s leading museums.
Beijing’s Palace Museum ranked first globally, welcoming 19 million visitors during the year. The historic institution, located within the Forbidden City, attracted a large domestic audience. TEA also pointed to China’s extensive network of public museums as a factor behind the country’s strong museum attendance. According to the report, 91 per cent of China’s 7,188 registered museums offer free admission.
The Summer Palace, also in Beijing, took second place with 17.38 million visitors. Another major Chinese attraction, the Museum of Emperor Qin Shihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum in Xi’an, ranked third after recording almost 11 million visits.
France’s Musée du Louvre in Paris was the highest-ranked European museum, placing fourth worldwide with 9.05 million visitors. The Palace of Versailles followed in fifth position, attracting 8.4 million people.
China continued to occupy several positions further down the ranking, with museums in Shenzhen, Dongguan, Beijing, Guanghan, Chengdu, Nanjing and Shenyang among those recording millions of visits. The Shenzhen Nanshan District Museum ranked sixth with 7.46 million visitors, while the Opium War Museum in Dongguan welcomed approximately 6.93 million.
The United Kingdom also performed strongly, with London’s Natural History Museum attracting 7.12 million visitors to rank seventh worldwide. The Vatican Museums followed in eighth place with 6.93 million visits, narrowly ahead of China’s Opium War Museum.
South Korea secured two places in the global top 20. Seoul’s Gyeongbokgung Palace ranked 11th with approximately 6.89 million visitors, while the National Museum of Korea followed in 12th position with 6.51 million.
London’s British Museum completed Europe’s five entries in the global top 20, recording 6.44 million visitors to take 13th place. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York was the only US institution to feature in the ranking, attracting approximately 5.98 million visitors and securing 17th position.
The remaining places in the global ranking went to Chinese institutions, including Prince Kung’s Mansion Museum, Sanxingdui Museum, Chengdu Wuhou Shrine Museum, Nanjing Museum, Shenyang Palace Museum and China Science and Technology Museum.
France’s strong showing reflects its position as one of the world’s leading international tourism destinations. The Louvre’s nine million visitors made it Europe’s most-visited museum, while Versailles demonstrated the continuing appeal of the country’s historic royal sites.
Beyond the two French institutions, London’s Natural History Museum and British Museum were the UK’s representatives in the global top 20. The Vatican Museums, which house extensive collections of art and historical objects, also maintained a place among the world’s most visited cultural institutions.
TEA’s report noted that museum attendance across continental Europe remained relatively stable, with many major institutions having completed their recovery from the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the United Kingdom, some museums recorded notable increases in attendance following the opening of new exhibition spaces and programmes. The report highlighted the Sainsbury Wing at the National Gallery and the Natural History Museum’s exhibition Our Story with David Attenborough as examples of developments helping to attract visitors.
The wider European ranking also includes several institutions outside the five that made the global top 20. Russia, for example, featured prominently with the State Russian Museum, Peterhof State Museum-Reserve, State Hermitage Museum and State Tretyakov Gallery. Türkiye was represented by Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, while Italy’s Pompeii Archaeological Park and the Uffizi Galleries in Florence also appeared on the list.
Other European institutions included the Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna, the Musee d’Orsay in Paris, the Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid, Wawel Royal Castle in Krakow, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and Berlin’s Humboldt Forum.
The European ranking illustrates the range of attractions drawing visitors across the continent, from major art collections and royal residences to archaeological sites and institutions dedicated to national history. While China dominated the global attendance figures, Europe’s established museums continued to attract millions of visitors, maintaining their position among the world’s most popular cultural destinations.
