2009 Visitor Figures

View figures for previous years:

Visits made in 2009 to visitor attractions in membership with ALVA

Rank Site Total visits Charge /free % +/-
1 British Museum 5,569,981 F -6.1%
2 The National Gallery 4,780,030 F +9%
3 Tate Modern 4,747,537 F -2%
4 Natural History Museum 4,105,106 F +9.8%
5 Science Museum (South Kensington) 2,793,930 F +3%
6 Tower of London (HRP) 2,389,548 C +11%
7 National Maritime Museum 2,367,904 F +15%
8 Victoria and Albert Museum (South Kensington) 2,269,880 F +10%
9 National Portrait Gallery 1,961,843 F +6.4%
10 St Paul's Cathedral 1,821,321 F/C +8%
11 Tate Britain 1,501,837 F -7%
12 Westminster Abbey 1,449,593 F/C -2.1%
13 British Library 1,379,475 F +9%
14 Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum (Glasgow) 1,368,096 F -5.33%
15 Kew Gardens 1,300,557 F/C -0.4%
16 Chester Zoo 1,239,044 C -1.6%
17 Edinburgh Castle (Historic Scotland) 1,196,481 C +6%
18 ZSL London Zoo 1,059,170 C +1.9%
19 Roman Baths & Pump Room, Bath 1,037,518 C +5%
20 Eden Project 1,028,264 C -6%
21 Canterbury Cathedral 1,013,118 F/C +3.3%
22 Stonehenge (EH) 990,705 C +12%
23 Royal Horticultural Society, Wisley 964,212 F/C +18%
24 Houses of Parliament 963,362 F/C +5%
25 Merseyside Maritime Museum 945,254 F -7%
26 National Gallery Complex (Edinburgh) 894,161 F +9%
27 Imperial War Museum London (IWM) 887,246 F +6.4%
28 National Railway Museum 807,591 F -1%
29 York Minster 797,100 F/C +4.9%
30 Chatsworth House Trust (TH) 652,969 C +18.4%
31 Leeds Castle (TH) 646,801 C +12%
32 Great North Museum (Tyne & Wear Museums) 638,454 F See note 1%
33 National Media Museum 613,923 F -18%
34 World Museum Liverpool (National Museums Liverpool 605,601 F -23%
35 National Museum of Scotland (National Museums Scot 589,621 F -4.1%
36 Hampton Court Palace (HRP) 541,646 C +10%
37 Tate Liverpool 539,577 F -50%
38 Blenheim Palace (TH) 537,120 C +43.6%
39 Gallery of Modern Art (Glasgow Museums) 536,916 F -4.56%
40 Portsmouth Historic Dockyard 532,158 F/C -4.9%
41 National War Museum (National Museums Scotland) 494,213 F +4.2%
42 Blackpool Tower & Circus 483,822 C +2.3%
43 The Falkirk Wheel (British Waterways) 476,778 F/C -4.8%
44 ZSL Whipsnade Zoo 475,036 C +1.4%
45 Museum of Transport (Glasgow Museums) 468,963 F +2.77%
46 Wakehurst Place (RBG/NT) 456,285 F/C +3.2%
47 Woburn Safari Park (TH) 447,745 C +1%
48 V&A Museum of Childhood 387,823 F +10%
49 Imperial War Museum Duxford (IWM) 387,122 C +1.2%
50 Stirling Castle (Historic Scotland) 383,293 C +2%
51 National Museum Cardiff (Wales) 373,191 F +11%
52 Stourhead (NT) 356,816 F/C +5.2%
53 Beaulieu (TH) 351,975 C +12.7%
54 Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal (NT) 348,749 F/C +6.1%
55 Waddesdon Manor (NT) 347,139 F/C +3.8%
56 Churchill Museum & Cabinet War Rooms (IWM) 314,162 C +8.9%
57 Dover Castle (EH) 304,513 C +4%
58 Urquhart Castle (Historic Scotland) 282,203 F/C +4%
59 Galleries of Modern Art (National Galleries of Sco 274,161 F -2.8%
60 Kensington Palace (HRP) 272,606 C +10.6%
61 Royal Armouries (Leeds) 271,513 F +3.45%
62 People's Palace (Glasgow Museums) 268,591 F +6.50%
63 Polesden Lacey (NT) 262,176 F/C +18.8%
64 Royal Horticultural Society, Harlow Carr 261,581 F/C +21%
65 HMS Belfast (IWM) 260,423 C +6.6%
66 Attingham Park (NT) 260,035 F/C +20.1%
67 National Waterfront Museum (Wales) 257,888 F +12.8%
68 Belton House (NT) 249,323 F/C +24.8%
69 Larrybane (NT) 241,636 F/C +0.6%
70 Harewood House (TH) 241,052 C +6.63%
71 St Michael's Mount (NT) 240,927 F/C +23.7%
72 Calke Abbey (NT) 239,748 F/C +92.8%
73 Osborne House (EH) 238,931 C +10%
74 Imperial War Museum North (IWM) 236,529 F -1.4%
75 Castle Howard (TH) 232,871 C +14.9%
76 Penrhyn Castle (NT) 228,820 F/C +22.2%
77 Cragside Estate (NT) 225,823 F/C +30.0%
78 Nymans Garden (NT) 221,974 F/C +21.8%
79 Anglesey Abbey (NT) 219,934 F/C +14.8%
80 Lanhydrock (NT) 214,274 F/C +12.9%
81 Tate St Ives 214,189 C +2%
82 Walker Art Gallery (National Museums Liverpool) 213,893 F -46%
83 Sheffield Park (NT) 209,604 F/C +9.0%
84 Cliveden (NT) 206,799 F/C +14.7%
85 Burrell Collection (Glasgow Museums) 203,153 F +0.20%
86 Corfe Castle (NT) 198,874 F/C +23.2%
87 Bodnant Garden (NT) 197,631 F/C +33.4%
88 Wallington Park (NT) 197,535 F/C +9.6%
89 Tintagel Castle, Cornwall 197,283 C +18%
90 Sissinghurst (NT) 194,743 F/C +18.7%
91 Chartwell (NT) 194,323 F/C +11.8%
92 Lady Lever Art Gallery (NM Liverpool) 193,034 F +23%
93 Kingston Lacy (NT) 190,288 F/C +17.7%
94 Bodiam Castle (NT) 187,843 F/C +15.6%
95 Ickworth (NT) 179,035 F/C +13.1%
96 Culzean Castle & Country Park (National Trust for 175,210 F/C +5%
97 Sudbury Hall (NT) 165,851 F/C -6.6%
98 Big Pit: National Coal Museum (Wales) 163,882 F -0.75%
99 Mottisfont (NT) 162,165 F/C +20.4%
100 Claremont Landscape Garden (NT) 159,848 F/C +9.2%
101 Hidcote Manor Garden (NT) 159,381 F/C +27.2%
102 Dunham Massey (NT) 155,085 F/C +32.9%
103 Hardwick Hall (NT) 153,010 F/C +9.8%
104 Killerton (NT) 145,662 F/C +10.4%
105 St Mungo Museum of Religious Art (Glasgow Museums) 144,366 F -5.24%
106 Royal Horticultural Society, Rosemoor 143,003 F/C +7%
107 Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire (EH) 142,723 C +58%
108 Home Farm Wimpole (NT) 138,769 F/C +9.6%
109 Dyrham Park (NT) 137,553 F/C +10.9%
110 Pier Master's House (National Museums Liverpool) 135,260 F -26%
111 1066 Battle of Hastings:Abbey & Battlefield (EH) 135,045 C +11%
112 Dunster (NT) 134,502 F/C +21.7%
113 Royal Horticultural Society, Hyde Hall 134,167 F/C +13%
114 Mount Stewart (NT) 133,343 F/C -1.1%
115 Cotehele (NT) 132,467 F/C +11.9%
116 Whitby Abbey, North Yorkshire (EH) 131,886 C +12%
117 Erddig (NT) 131,861 F/C +21.8%
118 Baddesley Clinton (NT) 131,165 F/C +11.0%
119 Carisbrooke Castle, Isle of Wight (EH) 128,388 C +15%
120 Brownsea Island (NT) 127,333 F/C +14.3%
121 Castle Drago Estate (NT) 126,195 F/C +11.5%
122 National Conservation Centre (NM Liverpool) 124,656 F -3%
123 Trelissick (NT) 121,804 F/C +7.8%
124 Clifford's Tower, York (EH) 118,055 C +3%
125 Natural History Museum at Tring 118,034 F -1.6%
126 Anderton Boat Lift (British Waterways) 117,129 C +7.5%
127 Provand's Lordship (Glasgow Museums) 116,533 F +2.96%
128 Kenwood House, London (EH) 116,454 F +10%
129 Montacute House (NT) 110,529 F/C +3.0%
130 Housesteads Roman Fort, Hadrian's Wall (EH) 105,136 C +8%
131 Tyntesfield (NT) 104,451 F/C +3.4%
132 Audley End House & Gardens, Essex (EH) 99,552 C +12%
133 Burghley House (TH) 98,411 C +14%
134 Brodsworth Hall, South Yorkshire (EH) 86,683 C +19%
135 The Home of Charles Darwin, Kent (EH) 81,623 C +198%
136 Royal Armouries (Fort Nelson, Portsmouth) 76,715 F +1.62%
137 Belsay Hall Castle & Gardens, Northumberland (EH) 76,648 C +29%
138 Woburn Abbey & Gardens (TH) 65,937 C 0%
139 Scotland Street School Museum (Glasgow Museums) 64,866 F +5.61%
140 Sudley House (National Museums Liverpool) 64,864 F +1%
141 Glasgow Museums Resource Centre 6,497 F +32.51%
Rank Site Total visits
1 British Museum 5,569,981
2 The National Gallery 4,780,030
3 Tate Modern 4,747,537
4 Natural History Museum 4,105,106
5 Science Museum (South Kensington) 2,793,930
6 Tower of London (HRP) 2,389,548
7 National Maritime Museum 2,367,904
8 Victoria and Albert Museum (South Kensington) 2,269,880
9 National Portrait Gallery 1,961,843
10 St Paul's Cathedral 1,821,321
11 Tate Britain 1,501,837
12 Westminster Abbey 1,449,593
13 British Library 1,379,475
14 Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum (Glasgow) 1,368,096
15 Kew Gardens 1,300,557
16 Chester Zoo 1,239,044
17 Edinburgh Castle (Historic Scotland) 1,196,481
18 ZSL London Zoo 1,059,170
19 Roman Baths & Pump Room, Bath 1,037,518
20 Eden Project 1,028,264
21 Canterbury Cathedral 1,013,118
22 Stonehenge (EH) 990,705
23 Royal Horticultural Society, Wisley 964,212
24 Houses of Parliament 963,362
25 Merseyside Maritime Museum 945,254
26 National Gallery Complex (Edinburgh) 894,161
27 Imperial War Museum London (IWM) 887,246
28 National Railway Museum 807,591
29 York Minster 797,100
30 Chatsworth House Trust (TH) 652,969
31 Leeds Castle (TH) 646,801
32 Great North Museum (Tyne & Wear Museums) 638,454
33 National Media Museum 613,923
34 World Museum Liverpool (National Museums Liverpool 605,601
35 National Museum of Scotland (National Museums Scot 589,621
36 Hampton Court Palace (HRP) 541,646
37 Tate Liverpool 539,577
38 Blenheim Palace (TH) 537,120
39 Gallery of Modern Art (Glasgow Museums) 536,916
40 Portsmouth Historic Dockyard 532,158
41 National War Museum (National Museums Scotland) 494,213
42 Blackpool Tower & Circus 483,822
43 The Falkirk Wheel (British Waterways) 476,778
44 ZSL Whipsnade Zoo 475,036
45 Museum of Transport (Glasgow Museums) 468,963
46 Wakehurst Place (RBG/NT) 456,285
47 Woburn Safari Park (TH) 447,745
48 V&A Museum of Childhood 387,823
49 Imperial War Museum Duxford (IWM) 387,122
50 Stirling Castle (Historic Scotland) 383,293
51 National Museum Cardiff (Wales) 373,191
52 Stourhead (NT) 356,816
53 Beaulieu (TH) 351,975
54 Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal (NT) 348,749
55 Waddesdon Manor (NT) 347,139
56 Churchill Museum & Cabinet War Rooms (IWM) 314,162
57 Dover Castle (EH) 304,513
58 Urquhart Castle (Historic Scotland) 282,203
59 Galleries of Modern Art (National Galleries of Sco 274,161
60 Kensington Palace (HRP) 272,606
61 Royal Armouries (Leeds) 271,513
62 People's Palace (Glasgow Museums) 268,591
63 Polesden Lacey (NT) 262,176
64 Royal Horticultural Society, Harlow Carr 261,581
65 HMS Belfast (IWM) 260,423
66 Attingham Park (NT) 260,035
67 National Waterfront Museum (Wales) 257,888
68 Belton House (NT) 249,323
69 Larrybane (NT) 241,636
70 Harewood House (TH) 241,052
71 St Michael's Mount (NT) 240,927
72 Calke Abbey (NT) 239,748
73 Osborne House (EH) 238,931
74 Imperial War Museum North (IWM) 236,529
75 Castle Howard (TH) 232,871
76 Penrhyn Castle (NT) 228,820
77 Cragside Estate (NT) 225,823
78 Nymans Garden (NT) 221,974
79 Anglesey Abbey (NT) 219,934
80 Lanhydrock (NT) 214,274
81 Tate St Ives 214,189
82 Walker Art Gallery (National Museums Liverpool) 213,893
83 Sheffield Park (NT) 209,604
84 Cliveden (NT) 206,799
85 Burrell Collection (Glasgow Museums) 203,153
86 Corfe Castle (NT) 198,874
87 Bodnant Garden (NT) 197,631
88 Wallington Park (NT) 197,535
89 Tintagel Castle, Cornwall 197,283
90 Sissinghurst (NT) 194,743
91 Chartwell (NT) 194,323
92 Lady Lever Art Gallery (NM Liverpool) 193,034
93 Kingston Lacy (NT) 190,288
94 Bodiam Castle (NT) 187,843
95 Ickworth (NT) 179,035
96 Culzean Castle & Country Park (National Trust for 175,210
97 Sudbury Hall (NT) 165,851
98 Big Pit: National Coal Museum (Wales) 163,882
99 Mottisfont (NT) 162,165
100 Claremont Landscape Garden (NT) 159,848
101 Hidcote Manor Garden (NT) 159,381
102 Dunham Massey (NT) 155,085
103 Hardwick Hall (NT) 153,010
104 Killerton (NT) 145,662
105 St Mungo Museum of Religious Art (Glasgow Museums) 144,366
106 Royal Horticultural Society, Rosemoor 143,003
107 Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire (EH) 142,723
108 Home Farm Wimpole (NT) 138,769
109 Dyrham Park (NT) 137,553
110 Pier Master's House (National Museums Liverpool) 135,260
111 1066 Battle of Hastings:Abbey & Battlefield (EH) 135,045
112 Dunster (NT) 134,502
113 Royal Horticultural Society, Hyde Hall 134,167
114 Mount Stewart (NT) 133,343
115 Cotehele (NT) 132,467
116 Whitby Abbey, North Yorkshire (EH) 131,886
117 Erddig (NT) 131,861
118 Baddesley Clinton (NT) 131,165
119 Carisbrooke Castle, Isle of Wight (EH) 128,388
120 Brownsea Island (NT) 127,333
121 Castle Drago Estate (NT) 126,195
122 National Conservation Centre (NM Liverpool) 124,656
123 Trelissick (NT) 121,804
124 Clifford's Tower, York (EH) 118,055
125 Natural History Museum at Tring 118,034
126 Anderton Boat Lift (British Waterways) 117,129
127 Provand's Lordship (Glasgow Museums) 116,533
128 Kenwood House, London (EH) 116,454
129 Montacute House (NT) 110,529
130 Housesteads Roman Fort, Hadrian's Wall (EH) 105,136
131 Tyntesfield (NT) 104,451
132 Audley End House & Gardens, Essex (EH) 99,552
133 Burghley House (TH) 98,411
134 Brodsworth Hall, South Yorkshire (EH) 86,683
135 The Home of Charles Darwin, Kent (EH) 81,623
136 Royal Armouries (Fort Nelson, Portsmouth) 76,715
137 Belsay Hall Castle & Gardens, Northumberland (EH) 76,648
138 Woburn Abbey & Gardens (TH) 65,937
139 Scotland Street School Museum (Glasgow Museums) 64,866
140 Sudley House (National Museums Liverpool) 64,864
141 Glasgow Museums Resource Centre 6,497

EH = English Heritage
HRP = Historic Royal Palaces
IWM = Imperial War Museum
RBG = Royal Botanical Gardens
TH = Treasure Houses for England
NT= National Trust

Note 1. The Great North Museum launched in May 2009 so there is no comparative figure.
Note 2. The % change for the 8 sites operated by the National Museums Liverpool clearly demonstrates the Influence of having been the European Capital of Culture in 2008.

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