2017 Headline results
The results from this survey are reported annually, providing an overview of the visitor attraction sector.
The full report on the 2017 is available here: 2017 Full Trends Report (PDF, 4.1MB)
The survey is carried out through a mix of online and postal interviewing. This approach means we're unable to verify results provided by individual attractions beyond a very basic 'sense check'. Read more about our methodology (PDF, 123KB).
Survey users should also be aware that the lists of English attractions included in the report only feature those that choose to participate and make their results public.
The Annual Survey of Visits to Visitor Attractions is an official statistic and is produced in adherence with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics (2009). You can find out more about what this means by visiting Official Statistics.
If you have any queries about the survey, get in touch. Results of the survey are published according to our release timetable.
*National Portrait Gallery figures revised September 2018 to reflect updated figures
| RANK | Most visited PAID attractions | Most visited FREE attractions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name of attraction | Number of Visitors in 2017 | Name of attraction |
Number of Visitors in 2017 (E) = Estimate |
|
| 1 | Tower of London |
2,842,970 |
British Museum | 5,906,716 |
| 2 | Chester Zoo |
1,866,628 |
Tate Modern |
5,656,004 |
| 3 |
Flamingo Land Theme Park and Zoo |
1,691,083 |
National Gallery |
5,229,192 |
| 4 |
Windermere Lake Cruises, Bowness |
1,611,491 |
Brighton Pier |
4,684,000 (E) |
| 5 |
Stonehenge |
1,582,532 |
NHM (South Kensington) |
4,434,520 |
| 6 |
St Paul's Cathedral |
1,571,197 |
V&A South Kensington |
3,789,748 |
| 7 |
Westminster Abbey |
1,547,001 |
Science Museum |
3,251,634 |
| 8 |
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Gardens |
1,485,337 |
Somerset House |
3,223,350 |
| 9 |
Roman Baths and Pump Room |
1,318,976 |
Tate Britain |
1,777,877 |
| 10 |
RHS Garden Wisley |
1,143,175 |
National Portrait Gallery* |
1,703,411 |
| 11 |
ZSL London Zoo |
1,102,790 |
British Library |
1,426,433 |
| 12 |
Royal Academy of Arts |
1,049,962 |
MAC Birmingham |
1,130,186 |
|
13 |
Eden Project |
1,024,156 (E) |
Imperial War Museum London |
992,690 |
| 14 |
Houses of Parliament |
1,007,568 |
Serpentine Gallery |
987,092 (E) |
| 15 |
Hampton Court Palace |
984,862 |
Horniman Museums and Gardens |
942,971 |
| 16 |
Drayton Manor Park & Zoo |
973,797 |
Ashmolean Museum |
937,568 |
| 17 |
Shakespeare's Globe |
924,220 |
Merseyside Maritime Museum |
922,503 |
| 18 |
Blenheim Palace |
918,776 |
The Ice Cream Farm |
805,765 |
| 19 |
Tower Bridge Exhibition |
812,196 |
Oxford University Museum of Natural History |
768,487 |
| 20 |
Yorkshire Wildlife Park |
792,053 |
Museum of Liverpool |
737,120 |
