The Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) and AECOM published the TEA/AECOM 2023 Theme Index and Museum Index: The Global Attractions Attendance Report, a study of attendance at the world's most visited theme parks, amusement parks, waterparks and museums.
Most museums in North America continued steadily on the road to recovery, though at this point many are considering 2023 attendance as their new baseline. Collectively, North American museums grew 34% over 2022 and achieved 90% of 2019 levels. Recovery levels, growth, and museum performance do not appear to vary based upon geography, museum type, or whether or not they have free or paid admission. Instead, recovery appears to be most closely tied to reliance on tourist markets, tourism recovery, and reinvestment into new visitor experiences.
See how North American Museums fared in 2023 compared to previous years:
Top 20 Museums in North America |
Rank |
Museum, Location |
Change |
2023 |
2022 |
2019 |
1 |
The Metropolitan Museum of Art,
New York, NY, USA |
67.2% |
5,364,000 |
3,209,000 |
6,770,000 |
2 |
American Museum of Natural History,
New York, NY, USA |
NA |
5,000,000 |
NA |
5,000,000 |
| 3 |
National Museum of Natural History,
Washington, DC, USA |
12.8% |
4,400,000 |
I 3,900,000 |
4,200,000 |
| 4 |
National Gallery of Art,
Washington DC, USA |
17.6% |
3,830,000 |
3,256,000 |
4,074,000 |
5 |
Museum of Modern Art,
New York, NY, USA |
29.7% |
2,840,000 |
2,190,000 |
1,992,000 |
6 |
National 9/11 Museum,
New York NY, USA |
NA |
2,265,000 |
NA |
NA |
7 |
National Museum of American History,
Washington, DC, USA |
16.7% |
2,100,000 |
1,800,000 |
2,800,000 |
8 |
National Air and Space Museum,
Washington, DC, USA |
353.5% |
1,900,000 |
419,000 |
3,200,000 |
9 |
Houston Museum of Natural Science,
Houston, TX, USA |
5.9% |
1,800,000 |
1,700,000 |
1,974,000 |
10 |
California Science Center,
Los Angeles, CA, USA |
0.4% |
1,700,000 |
1,694,000 |
2,200,000 |
11 |
National Museum of African American History and Culture,
Washington, DC, USA |
46.4% |
1,600,000 |
1,093,000 |
2,000,000 |
| 12 |
Griffin Museum of Science and Industry,
Chicago, IL, USA |
30.2% |
1,476,000 |
1,134,000 |
1,388,000 |
13 |
Smithsonian American Art Museum (with the Renwick Gallery),
Washington, DC, USA |
27.3% |
1,400,000 |
1,100,000 |
2,000,000 |
| 13 |
Museum of Science,
Boston, MA, USA |
24.7% |
1,400,000 |
1,123,000 |
1,458,000 |
| 15 |
The Art Institute of Chicago,
Chicago, IL, USA |
27.5% |
1,322,000 |
1,037,000 |
1,666,000 |
| 16 |
Denver Museum of Nature & Science,
Denver, CO, USA |
13.5% |
1,306,000 |
1,151,000 |
1,487,000 |
17 |
Space Center Houston,
Houston, TX, USA |
NA |
1,270,000 |
NA |
NA |
| 18 |
The J. Paul Getty Museum,
Los Angeles, CA, USA |
37.6% |
1,251,000 |
909,000 |
1,439,000 |
| 19 |
California Academy of Sciences,
San Francisco, CA, USA |
28.9% |
1,245,000 |
966,000 |
1,321,000 |
| 20 |
National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center,
Washington, DC, USA |
9.1% |
1,200,000 |
1,100,000 |
NA |
TOP 20 TOTAL ATTENDANCE FROM 2023 AND 2022
(PUBLISHED PRIOR YEAR TOTAL) |
33.8% |
44,689,000 |
29,657,000 |
NA |
2023 ATTENDANCE AS % OF 2019 PUBLISHED ATTENDANCE |
89.8% |
|
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Source: TEA/AECOM 2024 Theme Index and Museum Index: The Global Attractions Attendance Report
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