2018 Headline results
The results from this survey are reported annually, providing an overview of the visitor attraction sector.
The full report on the 2018 is available here: 2018 Full Trends Report (PDF, 5MB)
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.
| RANK | Most visited PAID attractions | Most visited FREE attractions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Name of attraction |
Number of Visitors in 2018 (E) = Estimate |
Name of attraction |
Number of Visitors in 2018 (E) = Estimate |
|
1 |
Tower of London |
2,855,438 |
Tate Modern |
5,868,562 |
|
2 |
Chester Zoo |
1,969,768 |
British Museum |
5,828,552 |
|
3 |
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Gardens* |
1,858,513 |
National Gallery |
5,735,831 |
|
4 |
St Paul's Cathedral |
1,657,446 (E) |
Natural History Museum (South Kensington) |
5,226,320 |
|
5 |
Windermere Lake Cruises, Bowness |
1,634,654 |
Brighton Pier |
4,890,680 (E) |
|
6 |
Royal Academy of Arts |
1,594,140 |
V&A (South Kensington) |
3,967,566 |
|
7 |
Stonehenge |
1,555,868 |
Science Museum |
3,174,963 |
|
8 |
Westminster Abbey |
1,546,017 |
Somerset House |
3,143,626 |
|
9 |
Roman Baths and Pump Room |
1,302,381 |
National Portrait Gallery |
1,586,451 (E) |
|
10 |
ZSL London Zoo |
1,133,952 |
British Library |
1,437,839 |
|
11 |
Houses of Parliament |
1,075,550 |
World Museum Liverpool |
1,416,632 |
|
12 |
RHS Garden Wisley |
1,071,088 |
Tate Britain |
1,272,523 |
|
13 |
Eden Project |
1,006,928 |
Serpentine Gallery |
1,208,531 |
|
14 |
Bodleian Library |
910,806 |
Imperial War Museum London |
1,061,798 |
|
15 |
Blenheim Palace |
906,885 |
MAC Birmingham |
1,011,351 |
|
16 |
Longleat |
904,714 |
Museum of Liverpool |
962,009 |
|
17 |
Hampton Court Palace |
902,584 |
Horniman Museum and Gardens |
926,849 |
|
18 |
Tower Bridge Exhibition |
836,654 |
Merseyside Maritime Museum |
897,415 |
|
19 |
Shakespeare's Globe |
819,000 |
Ashmolean Museum |
882,494 |
|
20 |
Tatton Park |
775,000 (E) |
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery |
831,548 |
*Please note, ALVA data was provided in 2018 for Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, whereas in some previous years this was provided by a central contact. In all 2018 deliverables, historical data for Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew has been updated to reflect ALVA data.
