London’s Natural History Museum is the most popular free museum in England, according to new figures from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
The Natural History Museum admitted 586,304 visitors in March, the highest number for any DCMS-funded museum in England.
This is the highest ever Natural History Museum visitor figure recorded for March and a 33% increase on the pre-pandemic figure, showing how the attraction has managed to buck the trend of declining museum footfall post-Covid.
The museum in South Kensington, which has attracted publicity in recent years from the Paddington movie and the installation of a blue whale skeleton, has overtaken competitors such as the British Museum and Tate Modern.
Dr Doug Gurr, Director of the Natural History Museum, said: “We are thrilled to be the UK’s most popular visitor attraction, smashing all previous records for the sector.
“These exceptional results reflect our unwavering focus on delivering a fantastic day out for every visitor, as well as the dedication of our colleagues who work tirelessly to create unforgettable experiences and world-class exhibitions.”
Visitor numbers at the museum have been rising consistently over the last decade, aside from the dip between 2020-2022, when museums were shut for long periods due to the government’s Covid lockdown.
The Natural History Museum is popular with families, especially those with young children.
Jack Coulthard, 42, visits the museum regularly with his eight-year-old son, Harry.
“This place is just fantastic for kids,” Jack said.
“[Henry] is just obsessed with animals, and he’ll spend hours in there looking at all the exhibits – we love the Paddington movie too.”
Of the major London museums, only three (the Natural History Museum, the British Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum) have seen attendance figures rise since the pandemic.
Of these, the Natural History Museum has seen the largest increase (17%), with a quarter of a million more visitors in the summer of 2025 than in the summer of 2019.
A report from DCMS said: “Between 2021 and the end of 2023/24 financial year, museum visitor numbers were generally increasing following the sharp decline to zero visitors during the pandemic.
“Since then, whilst museum visits remain below pre-pandemic levels, recovery appears to have broadly stabilised, with some variation between years. Within each year, we continue to see seasonal variation.”
In contrast, Tate Modern has seen the largest fall in visitor numbers after the pandemic, losing almost half a million summer visitors since 2019, a decrease of 28%.
Unlike cultural attractions in other countries, many of England’s museums offer free entry to visitors thanks to funding from DCMS and corporate sponsorship.
Despite political pressure in recent years, the government’s commitment to maintaining this public subsidy has endured at a time of general uncertainty surrounding arts funding.
This accessibility is often valued most by tourists such as Manuela Acosta Martínez, visiting the Natural History Museum with her children from Madrid, who praised how easy it is to visit UK museums.
Manuela said: “In my country, galleries are usually not free to go into, so it is really great in London that we can see so many wonderful exhibitions without paying.
“The Prado museum, the art gallery in Madrid where I am from, can be expensive, especially with a family.
“We went to the Victoria and Albert Museum this morning and we loved seeing all the art – there is so much here. You are very lucky.”
Manuela is one of a high number of tourists which make up a large proportion of museum visitors during the summer months.
Responding to the latest DCMS figures, VisitBritain CEO Patricia Yates stressed the importance of cultural attractions in promoting tourism.
Yates said: “Our wonderful museums are powerful motivators for travel for both domestic and international visitors and we congratulate the Natural History Museum for reaching a record high in its visitor numbers.
“Every year millions of people come to Britain drawn by our first-class heritage attractions including the world-renowned Natural History Museum, inspired by the mix of history, storytelling, the brilliant exhibitions and experiences.
“Those visitors then go on to explore other destinations across Britain, supporting our restaurants, high streets, shops, pubs and hotels, and boosting the wider economy.”
Analysis of the data over the last seven years reveals a 11% decline in museum footfall, with the persistence of a “stay-at-home” culture.
However, the latest monthly figures from DCMS show the number of visitors has stabilised after a rise in numbers after museums were closed during the Covid pandemic.
The top eight museums for visitor attendance are all situated in London, demonstrating how much of the UK’s cultural wealth is concentrated in the nation’s capital.
Featured image credit: Diego Delso via Wikimedia Commons under CC BY-SA 3.0 licence.
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