The Louvre is a fixture on countless Paris itineraries, with millions of visitors arriving each year to see the Mona Lisa and its extensive art collections. London’s Natural History Museum and New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art also attract large international crowds, but these familiar names represent only part of the global museum landscape. Historic palaces, archaeological sites, and former royal residences draw millions of visitors, many of whom come to explore buildings preserved for centuries.
The Themed Entertainment Association (TEA), which tracks attendance at major attractions worldwide, includes these sites in its annual museum rankings alongside traditional institutions. Its latest Global Experience Index examines attendance throughout 2025, covering cultural attractions across Asia, Europe, North America, and other regions. The world’s 20 most-visited museums received an estimated 161.4 million visits combined, up 5.4 percent from 2024. Sixteen reported higher attendance than the previous year, with several Asian institutions ranking prominently.
Which Museum Overtook The Louvre In 2025?
Beijing’s Palace Museum welcomed an estimated 19 million visits in 2025, more than double the 9.046 million recorded at the Louvre. The figures, published in the TEA’s October 27, 2026, report, placed the Chinese institution at the top of the global ranking. The Louvre finished fourth, although it remained the most-visited museum outside China.
Chinese museums and historic sites occupied 12 of the top 20 positions, including all three leading spots. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York was the only North American institution to make the list. Europe remained represented by major museums and historic attractions in France, the United Kingdom, and Vatican City, while South Korea had two entries.
The findings form part of TEA’s wider examination of attendance at cultural and entertainment attractions worldwide. In the report’s announcement, CEO Melissa Ruminot pointed to “the growing importance of destinations that bring together a range of experiences.” The museum rankings include institutions whose appeal extends beyond exhibitions to historic buildings, gardens, and extensive grounds.
What Travelers Should Know Before Visiting Beijing’s Forbidden City
The Palace Museum occupies the Forbidden City, which served as the residence and imperial court of China’s Ming and Qing emperors. Construction took place from 1406 to 1420, and the museum opened in 1925. UNESCO designated the complex a World Heritage Site in 1987.
Visitors can explore the Outer Court’s ceremonial halls, former imperial living quarters, and the Imperial Garden. The museum’s collections contain more than 1.8 million works, including paintings, ceramics, calligraphy, bronzes, jade, and timepieces. Special galleries display clocks and other objects from the imperial collections.
Travelers should reserve tickets before arriving. The Palace Museum’s official website states that it does not sell same-day admission tickets. International visitors can book through the museum’s English-language website using their passport details and must bring the original passport used for the reservation to the Meridian Gate entrance. The Beijing municipal government’s visitor guidance states that tickets go on sale seven days before the visit, at 8 p.m. Beijing time.
The museum usually opens Tuesday through Sunday and closes on Mondays, apart from certain public holidays. From April through October, last admission is at 4 p.m.; from November through March, it’s 3:30 p.m. Admission to the Treasure Gallery and Gallery of Clocks requires additional tickets. The official visitor website also provides suggested two-hour, half-day, and full-day routes for travelers planning their time inside the complex.
The 20 Most-Visited Museums In The World In 2025
According to the 2025 TEA Global Experience Index, these were the world’s 20 most-visited museums, ranked by annual attendance:
- Palace Museum, Beijing, China — 19,000,000 visits
- Summer Palace, Beijing, China — 17,381,000
- Museum of Emperor Qin Shihuang’s Mausoleum Site, Xi’an, China — 10,970,000
- Musée du Louvre, Paris, France — 9,046,000
- Palace of Versailles, France — 8,400,000
- Shenzhen Nanshan District Museum, Shenzhen, China — 7,455,000
- Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom — 7,117,000
- Vatican Museums, Vatican City — 6,934,000
- Opium War Museum, Dongguan, China — 6,929,000
- National Museum of China, Beijing, China — 6,900,000
- Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul, South Korea — 6,887,000
- National Museum of Korea, Seoul, South Korea — 6,507,000
- British Museum, London, United Kingdom — 6,440,000
- Prince Kung’s Mansion Museum, Beijing, China — 6,120,000
- Sanxingdui Museum, Guanghan, China — 6,080,000
- Chengdu Wuhou Shrine Museum, Chengdu, China — 6,030,000
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, United States — 5,984,000
- Nanjing Museum, Nanjing, China — 5,860,000
- Shenyang Palace Museum, Shenyang, China — 5,852,000
- China Science and Technology Museum, Beijing, China — 5,530,000
