2011 Visitor Figures

View figures for previous years:

Visits made in 2011 to visitor attractions in membership with ALVA

Rank Site Total visits Charge /free % +/-
1 British Museum 5,848,534 F/C +0.1%
2 National Gallery 5,253,216 F/C +6%
3 Tate Modern 4,886,769 F/C -3%
4 Natural History Museum 4,873,275 F/C +4.9%
5 Science Museum (South Kensington) 2,917,500 F/C +6.0%
6 V&A (South Kensington) 2,789,400 F/C +6%
7 Tower of London (HRP) 2,554,746 C +5.9%
8 Westminster Abbey 1,899,956 F/C +36%
9 National Portrait Gallery 1,880,104 F/C +3%
10 St Paul's Cathedral 1,819,925 F/C -4%
11 Old Royal Naval College Greenwich 1,671,000 F +31%
12 National Museum of Scotland (National Museums Scotland) 1,494,728 F +141% ***
13 Tate Britain 1,488,358 F/C -11%
14 British Library 1,484,900 F/C +2%
15 Chester Zoo 1,425,319 C +11%
16 Edinburgh Castle (Historic Scotland) 1,302,826 C +8%
17 Royal Botanic Gardens Kew 1,188,933 C +4.2%
18 Roman Baths & Pump Room Bath 1,130,857 C +7%
19 Stonehenge (EH) 1,099,656 C +9%
20 ZSL London Zoo 1,090,741 C +7.85%
21 Riverside Museum (Glasgow Museums) 1,068,986 F Opened 2011%
22 Houses of Parliament 1,054,151 F/C +9%
23 Canterbury Cathedral 1,039,922 F/C +0.6%
24 Royal Horticultural Society Wisley 1,032,872 F/C +14%
25 Eden Project 1,001,774 C +0.1%
26 Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum (Glasgow Museums) 981,061 F -8.4%
27 Imperial War Museum (London) 973,445 F/C -9%
28 Scottish National Gallery (NGS) 925,574 F/C -4.5%
29 Merseyside Maritime Museum (National Museums Liverpool) 883,295 F/C -14%
30 Royal Observatory Greenwich (RMG) 879,550 C -44.21%
31 National Maritime Museum (RMG) 848,080 F/C +22.42%
32 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh 790,545 F +11.8%
33 World Museum Liverpool (National Museums Liverpool) 771,380 F/C +3%
34 Ashmolean Museum (OUM) 738,339 F/C -32% *
35 National Railway Museum 732,256 F/C +17.3%
36 Chatsworth House Trust (THE) 722,906 C +0.9%
37 Museum of Liverpool (National Museums Liverpool) 667,526 F/C N/A%
38 Gallery of Modern Art (Glasgow Museums) 608,680 F +24%
39 Leeds Castle (THE) 597,010 C +7%
40 Hampton Court Palace (HRP) 586,548 C +6.7%
41 Tate Liverpool 585,019 F/C -5%
42 Blenheim Palace (THE) 571,567 C +9%
43 Oxford University Museum of Natural History (OUM) 553,918 F +6%
44 National War Museum (National Museums Scotland) 504,086 F -6%
45 ZSL Whipsnade Zoo 502,785 C +17%
46 York Minster 493,904 F/C +0.46%
47 National Media Museum 486,668 F/C -7.6%
48 V&A Museum of Childhood 446,700 F +11%
49 Stirling Castle (Historic Scotland) 433,394 C +15%
50 Wakehurst Place (NT) 417,605 C +3.84%
51 The Falkirk Wheel (British Waterways) 413,004 F/C -6%
52 National Museum Cardiff 411,730 F +14.85%
53 International Slavery Museum (National Museums Liverpool) 401,629 F -12%
54 Stourhead (NT) 397,035 F/C +9.76%
55 Imperial War Museum Duxford 387,508 C -3%
56 Pitt Rivers Museum (OUM) not open all of 2010 368,856 F +42%
57 Churchill War Rooms 364,583 C +11%
58 Dover Castle (EH) 355,499 C +2%
59 Beaulieu (THE) 350,498 C -1.0%
60 Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal (NT) 348,297 F/C +1.69%
61 Waddesdon Manor (NT) 331,480 F/C +2.48%
62 Cliveden (NT) 329,326 F/C +40.79%
63 Urquhart Castle (Historic Scotland) 315,911 C +10%
64 Attingham Park (NT) 315,535 F/C +13.74%
65 Sudbury Hall (NT) 314,250 F/C +97.42%
66 Imperial War Museum (North) 302,298 F/C +22%
67 Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (NGS) 301,344 F/C -3.4%
68 Royal Horticultural Society Harlow Carr 296,670 F/C +8.1%
69 Nymans Garden (NT) 294,294 F/C +39.45%
70 Polesden Lacey (NT) 289,934 F/C +17.60%
71 Belton House (NT) 278,658 F/C +5.46%
72 Calke Abbey (NT) 278,111 F/C +12.50%
73 St Michael's Mount (NT) 276,639 F/C +4.76%
74 Anglesey Abbey (NT) 272,461 F/C +17.80%
75 Harewood House (THE) 251,349 F/C +1.45%
76 Castle Howard (THE) 245,209 C +13.2%
77 HMS Belfast 243,179 C +1%
78 Larrybane (NT) 240,397 F/C +1.25%
79 Walker Art Gallery (National Museums Liverpool) 240,376 F -4%
80 Kingston Lacy (NT) 234,124 F/C +15.06%
81 People's Palace (Glasgow Museums) 232,657 F -5.3%
82 Osborne House (EH) 231,197 C 0%
83 Sheffield Park (NT) 228,025 F/C +15.63%
84 Lanhydrock (NT) 221,372 F/C +5.23%
85 Dunham Massey (NT) 219,720 F/C +11.98%
86 Wallington Park (NT) 219,159 F/C +10.12%
87 Locomotion - The National Railway Museum in Shildon 217,682 F/C +12.1%
88 Corfe Castle (NT) 216,652 F/C +14.24%
89 Mottisfont (NT) 209,689 F/C +10.90%
90 Kensington Palace (HRP) 209,485 C -10% **
91 Tate St Ives 209,265 C +1%
92 Cragside Estate (NT) 207,191 F/C +9.46%
93 Tyntesfield (NT) 206,889 F/C +67.60%
94 Chartwell (NT) 199,971 F/C +5.97%
95 Tintagel Castle Cornwall (EH) 198,218 C +4%
96 Burrell Collection (Glasgow Museums) 198,211 F +5.6%
97 Pier Master House (National Museums Liverpool) 196,444 F +25%
98 Lady Lever Art Gallery (National Museums Liverpool) 189,135 F -6%
99 Sissinghurst (NT) 188,225 F/C +21.80%
100 Bodiam Castle (NT) 188,049 F/C +6.73%
101 Museum of the History of Science (OUM) 183,738 F +3%
102 Claremont Landscape Garden (NT) 182,843 F/C +16.26%
103 Hidcote Manor Garden (NT) 177,403 F/C +19.32%
104 Ickworth (NT) 177,001 F/C +10.78%
105 Hardwick Hall (NT) 176,992 F/C +7.17%
106 Bodnant Garden (NT) 170,929 F/C -10.54%
107 Erddig (NT) 168,281 F/C +19.72%
108 Dyrham Park (NT) 167,909 F/C +23.54%
109 Killerton (NT) 166,239 F/C +3.13%
110 Baddesley Clinton (NT) 164,318 F/C +25.73%
111 Royal Horticultural Society Hyde Hall 157,361 F/C +13.4%
112 Mount Stewart (NT) 150,314 F/C -2.11%
113 Penrhyn Castle (NT) 149,118 F/C -35.29%
114 Royal Horticultural Society Rosemoor 145,322 F/C +0.5%
115 Cotehele (NT) 144,555 F/C +11.64%
116 Home Farm Wimpole (NT) 143,973 F/C +8.68%
117 Dunster (NT) 143,312 F/C +11.75%
118 The Queen's House (RMG) 140,916 F -5.68%
119 Audley End House & Gardens (EH) 136,077 C +13%
120 Natural History Museum at Tring 128,974 F +13.9%
121 Trelissick (NT) 125,377 F/C -1.05%
122 Castle Drago Estate (NT) 124,728 F/C -1.88%
123 Brownsea Island (NT) 122,049 F/C -6.02%
124 Hatfield House (THE) 120,004 C +47%
125 Kenilworth Castle (EH) 119,648 C +8%
126 Montacute House (NT) 119,590 F/C -4.33%
127 Whitby Abbey North Yorkshire (EH) 118,946 C +1%
128 St Mungo Museum of Religious Art (Glasgow Museums) 112,941 F -21.0%
129 Burghley House (THE) 107,816 C +11.3%
130 Wrest Park (EH) 89,648 C +121%
131 Provand's Lordship (Glasgow Museums) 77,732 F -27.4%
132 Pendennis Castle (EH) 76,657 C +7%
133 Woburn Abbey & Gardens (THE) 73,629 C +6.8%
134 Walmer Castle (EH) 69,723 C +7%
135 Bolsover Castle (EH) 69,248 C +15%
136 Old Sarum Castle (EH) 68,902 C +14%
137 Sudley House (National Museums Liverpool) 66,851 F -2%
138 Scotland Street School Museum (Glasgow Museums) 62,397 F +26.1%
139 Eltham Palace (EH) 59,275 C +10%
140 Wroxeter Roman City (EH) 57,278 C +177%
141 Scottish National Portrait Gallery (NGS) 52,869 F/C ****%
142 Benmore Botanic Garden (Argyll) (RBGE) 45,455 C -7.5%
143 Holkham Hall (THE) 38,221 F/C +29.74%
144 Dawyck Botanic Garden (Borders) (RBGE) 28,697 C -4.8%
145 Logan Botanic Garden (Galloway) (RBGE) 20,677 C -6.6%
146 Glasgow Museums Resource Centre (Glasgow Museums) 11,447 F +26.2%
147 Museum of Transport (Glasgow Museums) 0 F Closed 2011%
Rank Site Total visits
1 British Museum 5,848,534
2 National Gallery 5,253,216
3 Tate Modern 4,886,769
4 Natural History Museum 4,873,275
5 Science Museum (South Kensington) 2,917,500
6 V&A (South Kensington) 2,789,400
7 Tower of London (HRP) 2,554,746
8 Westminster Abbey 1,899,956
9 National Portrait Gallery 1,880,104
10 St Paul's Cathedral 1,819,925
11 Old Royal Naval College Greenwich 1,671,000
12 National Museum of Scotland (National Museums Scotland) 1,494,728
13 Tate Britain 1,488,358
14 British Library 1,484,900
15 Chester Zoo 1,425,319
16 Edinburgh Castle (Historic Scotland) 1,302,826
17 Royal Botanic Gardens Kew 1,188,933
18 Roman Baths & Pump Room Bath 1,130,857
19 Stonehenge (EH) 1,099,656
20 ZSL London Zoo 1,090,741
21 Riverside Museum (Glasgow Museums) 1,068,986
22 Houses of Parliament 1,054,151
23 Canterbury Cathedral 1,039,922
24 Royal Horticultural Society Wisley 1,032,872
25 Eden Project 1,001,774
26 Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum (Glasgow Museums) 981,061
27 Imperial War Museum (London) 973,445
28 Scottish National Gallery (NGS) 925,574
29 Merseyside Maritime Museum (National Museums Liverpool) 883,295
30 Royal Observatory Greenwich (RMG) 879,550
31 National Maritime Museum (RMG) 848,080
32 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh 790,545
33 World Museum Liverpool (National Museums Liverpool) 771,380
34 Ashmolean Museum (OUM) 738,339
35 National Railway Museum 732,256
36 Chatsworth House Trust (THE) 722,906
37 Museum of Liverpool (National Museums Liverpool) 667,526
38 Gallery of Modern Art (Glasgow Museums) 608,680
39 Leeds Castle (THE) 597,010
40 Hampton Court Palace (HRP) 586,548
41 Tate Liverpool 585,019
42 Blenheim Palace (THE) 571,567
43 Oxford University Museum of Natural History (OUM) 553,918
44 National War Museum (National Museums Scotland) 504,086
45 ZSL Whipsnade Zoo 502,785
46 York Minster 493,904
47 National Media Museum 486,668
48 V&A Museum of Childhood 446,700
49 Stirling Castle (Historic Scotland) 433,394
50 Wakehurst Place (NT) 417,605
51 The Falkirk Wheel (British Waterways) 413,004
52 National Museum Cardiff 411,730
53 International Slavery Museum (National Museums Liverpool) 401,629
54 Stourhead (NT) 397,035
55 Imperial War Museum Duxford 387,508
56 Pitt Rivers Museum (OUM) not open all of 2010 368,856
57 Churchill War Rooms 364,583
58 Dover Castle (EH) 355,499
59 Beaulieu (THE) 350,498
60 Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal (NT) 348,297
61 Waddesdon Manor (NT) 331,480
62 Cliveden (NT) 329,326
63 Urquhart Castle (Historic Scotland) 315,911
64 Attingham Park (NT) 315,535
65 Sudbury Hall (NT) 314,250
66 Imperial War Museum (North) 302,298
67 Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (NGS) 301,344
68 Royal Horticultural Society Harlow Carr 296,670
69 Nymans Garden (NT) 294,294
70 Polesden Lacey (NT) 289,934
71 Belton House (NT) 278,658
72 Calke Abbey (NT) 278,111
73 St Michael's Mount (NT) 276,639
74 Anglesey Abbey (NT) 272,461
75 Harewood House (THE) 251,349
76 Castle Howard (THE) 245,209
77 HMS Belfast 243,179
78 Larrybane (NT) 240,397
79 Walker Art Gallery (National Museums Liverpool) 240,376
80 Kingston Lacy (NT) 234,124
81 People's Palace (Glasgow Museums) 232,657
82 Osborne House (EH) 231,197
83 Sheffield Park (NT) 228,025
84 Lanhydrock (NT) 221,372
85 Dunham Massey (NT) 219,720
86 Wallington Park (NT) 219,159
87 Locomotion - The National Railway Museum in Shildon 217,682
88 Corfe Castle (NT) 216,652
89 Mottisfont (NT) 209,689
90 Kensington Palace (HRP) 209,485
91 Tate St Ives 209,265
92 Cragside Estate (NT) 207,191
93 Tyntesfield (NT) 206,889
94 Chartwell (NT) 199,971
95 Tintagel Castle Cornwall (EH) 198,218
96 Burrell Collection (Glasgow Museums) 198,211
97 Pier Master House (National Museums Liverpool) 196,444
98 Lady Lever Art Gallery (National Museums Liverpool) 189,135
99 Sissinghurst (NT) 188,225
100 Bodiam Castle (NT) 188,049
101 Museum of the History of Science (OUM) 183,738
102 Claremont Landscape Garden (NT) 182,843
103 Hidcote Manor Garden (NT) 177,403
104 Ickworth (NT) 177,001
105 Hardwick Hall (NT) 176,992
106 Bodnant Garden (NT) 170,929
107 Erddig (NT) 168,281
108 Dyrham Park (NT) 167,909
109 Killerton (NT) 166,239
110 Baddesley Clinton (NT) 164,318
111 Royal Horticultural Society Hyde Hall 157,361
112 Mount Stewart (NT) 150,314
113 Penrhyn Castle (NT) 149,118
114 Royal Horticultural Society Rosemoor 145,322
115 Cotehele (NT) 144,555
116 Home Farm Wimpole (NT) 143,973
117 Dunster (NT) 143,312
118 The Queen's House (RMG) 140,916
119 Audley End House & Gardens (EH) 136,077
120 Natural History Museum at Tring 128,974
121 Trelissick (NT) 125,377
122 Castle Drago Estate (NT) 124,728
123 Brownsea Island (NT) 122,049
124 Hatfield House (THE) 120,004
125 Kenilworth Castle (EH) 119,648
126 Montacute House (NT) 119,590
127 Whitby Abbey North Yorkshire (EH) 118,946
128 St Mungo Museum of Religious Art (Glasgow Museums) 112,941
129 Burghley House (THE) 107,816
130 Wrest Park (EH) 89,648
131 Provand's Lordship (Glasgow Museums) 77,732
132 Pendennis Castle (EH) 76,657
133 Woburn Abbey & Gardens (THE) 73,629
134 Walmer Castle (EH) 69,723
135 Bolsover Castle (EH) 69,248
136 Old Sarum Castle (EH) 68,902
137 Sudley House (National Museums Liverpool) 66,851
138 Scotland Street School Museum (Glasgow Museums) 62,397
139 Eltham Palace (EH) 59,275
140 Wroxeter Roman City (EH) 57,278
141 Scottish National Portrait Gallery (NGS) 52,869
142 Benmore Botanic Garden (Argyll) (RBGE) 45,455
143 Holkham Hall (THE) 38,221
144 Dawyck Botanic Garden (Borders) (RBGE) 28,697
145 Logan Botanic Garden (Galloway) (RBGE) 20,677
146 Glasgow Museums Resource Centre (Glasgow Museums) 11,447
147 Museum of Transport (Glasgow Museums) 0

EH = English Heritage
THE = Treasure Houses of England
RBGE = Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
OUM = Oxford University Museums
RMG = Royal Museums Greenwich
NGS = National Galleries Scotland
HRP = Historic Royal Palaces

* First year after re-opening
** A major £12 million refurbishment of Kensington Palace took place during this period, to open new gardens and exciting new visitor routes. The palace will re-open on 26 March 2012.
*** The National Museum of Scotland was partially closed until end July 2011 when it was re-launched.
**** The Scottish National Portrait Gallery closed for refurbishment throughout 2010

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