Revealed: The 20 most popular attractions in Britain
The British Museum has been confirmed as the most popular UK attraction for the 10th year running, with 6,420,395 people passing through its doors in 2016.
Figures released today by the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) revealed that all of the 10 most popular spots are in London, with the National Gallery, the Tate Modern, the Natural History Museum and the Southbank Centre completing the top five.
The most popular tourist attraction outside of London last year might come as a surprise, with Chester Zoo pipping the likes of Edinburgh Castle, Stonehenge and the Roman Baths and Pump Room to the honour.
A big rise in visitor numbers was seen at the Tate Modern, which unveiled a new 10-storey extension in June; exactly 5,839,197 people visited last year, up 24 per cent on 2015. Kew Gardens saw an 19 per cent increase in visitors, while Hampton Court Palace, the National Museum of Scotland, Glasgow’s Riverside Museum, Blenheim Palace, Cliveden, Urquhart Castle, and Sissinghurst were among the other attractions to witness a significant rise in popularity.
Conversely, visitor numbers fell sharply at the Southbank Centre (-23 per cent), the Tate Britain (-15.8 per cent), Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (-17 per cent), and the National Football Museum (-26 per cent).
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A number of UK attractions such as Alton Towers, Legoland, Madame Tussauds and Thorpe Park are not members of the ALVA, so do not appear on its list.
The 20 most popular UK attractions
British Museum - 6.42m
National Gallery - 6.26m
Tate Modern - 5.84m
Natural History Museum - 4.62m
Southbank Centre - 3.9m
Somerset House - 3.44m
Science Museum - 3.24m
V&A Museum - 3.02m
Tower of London - 2.74m
Royal Museums Greenwich - 2.45m
National Portrait Gallery - 1.95m
Chester Zoo - 1.9m
Kew Gardens - 1.83m
Westminster Abbey - 1.82m
National Museum of Scotland - 1.81m
Edinburgh Castle - 1.78m
Royal Albert Hall - 1.66m
Scottish National Gallery - 1.54m
St Paul’s Cathedral - 1.52m
British Library - 1.5m
The 10 most popular attractions outside London
Chester Zoo - 1.9m
National Museum of Scotland - 1.81m
Edinburgh Castle - 1.78m
Stonehenge - 1.38m
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow - 1.26m
Riverside Museum, Glasgow - 1.26m
Roman Baths and Pump Room - 1.22m
RHS: Garden Wisley, Surrey - 1.11m
Royal Shakespeare Theatre and Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon - 1.07m
Eden Project, Cornwall - 1m