Some of the most fascinating and instructive tourist destinations in the US are museums, which are found all throughout the nation. For a variety of reasons, millions of people from all walks of life visit and appreciate US museums. The Themed Entertainment Association, a group that advocates for creatives, and AECOM, a renowned infrastructure company, recently conducted a study on museum attendance in the United States. Their results were intriguing. In 2020, they released an updated report that detailed their findings regarding museum attendance the year before. They discovered that the total number of visitors to American museums fell by 13.2% between 2018 and 2019 and that the COVID-19 epidemic will probably cause a significant drop in attendance in 2020.
Let’s examine the top 10 museums in the US for visitors this year:
1. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.Â
With 6,770,000 visits in 2019, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is the most popular museum in the country. However, compared to the total of 7,360,000 visitors in the previous year, this represents an 8% drop.
The Met was also closed for a portion of 2019 due to an expansion, which is another reason why attendance at the museum has decreased. New entry pricing structures for both local and out-of-town tourists are another factor. In 2018, the museum also staged two wildly successful exhibitions: Michelangelo: Divine Draughtsman and Designer and Heavenly Bodies and the Catholic Imagination. In the subsequent year, attendance figures decreased in the absence of these hugely successful exhibitions.
The Fifth largest museum in the world, affectionately referred to as “The Met,” is home to almost two million permanent artworks from all around the world.
2. American Museum of Natural History.
The American Museum of Natural History is ranked second on our list of the most popular museums in the United States. The American Museum of Natural History, which is situated in New York City close to Central Park, welcomed 5,000,000 visitors in 2019—exactly the same amount as the year before.
One of the biggest natural history museums in the world, the American Museum of Natural History has 45 permanent exhibition halls, a planetarium, and a library. More than 200 scientists work at this premier research centre, which is housed in 26 interconnected buildings and serves as a museum.
Established in 1869, this well-known location, together with its scientific collections and displays, is steeped in American history. The goal of the museum is “to discover, interpret, and disseminate knowledge about human cultures, the natural world, and the universe through scientific research and education.
3. National Museum of Natural History.Â
Situated in the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., comes in third place on our list. In 2019, 4,200,000 people visited the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, a 12.5% drop from 4,800,000 in 2018. Though admission is free and people are counted into the building by security officers using handheld clickers, these figures may not be as accurate as those of other museums. This iconic Washington landmark originally contained art, cultural, and historical artefacts when it opened in 1910. It developed into a cherished museum over time, and today it holds 126.5 million artefacts. These include sea creatures, butterflies, bearded women, and bones.
4. National Gallery of Art.Â
The fourth most popular museum in the United States, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., features artwork by artists from A to Z from every culture. Known as a gift to the country, 4,074,000 people came to the gallery in 2019 to take in thousands of masterworks and discover a variety of artistic mediums. Compared to the previous year, when 4,404,000 individuals visited the gallery, this represented a 7.5% decrease in attendance. Serving the people of the United States of America through the preservation, acquisition, display, and promotion of national and worldwide art is the goal of the National Gallery of Art.
The Renaissance artist Andrea del Verrocchio, who coached Leonardo da Vinci, was on display in this well-liked 2018 exhibition.
5. National Air and Space Museum.Â
The National Space and Air Museum, which ranks fifth in our ranking of the top 20, has flight as its subject. Its lengthy and rich history started many moons ago. However, the museum’s current mission is to “stimulate people’s appreciation for the importance of flight to humanity while honouring the past.” 3,200,000 people visited this Washington, D.C. location in 2019 to learn about aviation history. That is about half of the 6,200,000 tourists that came in the year before.
The unanticipated government shutdown and a significant, multiyear refurbishment in late 2018 could be the cause of this drop in attendance.
6. National Museum of American History.Â
The sixth place on our list of the top 20 is the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. This location is home to thousands of treasures from American history, such as the original Star-Spangled Banner, Abraham Lincoln’s top hat, and Dorothy’s ruby slippers from WICKED. There were 2,800,000 attendees in 2019 as opposed to 4,100,000 in 2018, a 31.7% decrease from the year before. The decline could be brought on by both a shrinking American population and more competition across museums and art centres.
7. California Science Center.Â
The California Science Centre, housed in the Exposition Centre in Los Angeles, California, is ranked lucky number seven in our list of the top twenty. The number of visitors to the centre decreased by 12.7% in 2019 (2,200,000) when compared to 2,520,000 in 2018. The successful exhibition King Tut: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh, which attracted more people to the centre, may be the cause of this decline in attendance.
The goal of the California Science Centre is to enrich people’s lives by fostering exciting, memorable experiences that will pique interest and promote scientific learning in everyone.
8. National Museum of African American History and Culture.
The National Museum of African American History and Culture, which rose in attendance by 5.3% in 2018 and 2019, comes in at number eight on our list of the top 20. In 2018, there were 1,900,000 visits, and in 2019, there were 2,000,000. The rise in interest in equality in America and the Black Lives Matter movement both domestically and internationally may be the cause of this surge in attendance.
The National Museum of African American History and Culture is the only national museum solely dedicated to documenting African American history, culture, and way of life. It is situated in Washington, D.C. “Raised the bar of awareness around African-American history and museums,” according to the Smithsonian affiliate museum.
9. Smithsonian American Art Museum.Â
On our list of the top 20 most visited museums, the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) in Washington, D.C., comes in at number nine. Compared to 3,150,000 visits in 2018, they had 2,000,000 visits in 2019, a 36.5% decline.
The venue’s conversion into a stand-alone museum is the primary cause of this decline in attendance. Formerly known as the Donald W. Reynold Centre for American Art and Portraiture, the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery no longer jointly recorded attendance.
This national museum of art is devoted to gathering, appreciating, and comprehending the amazing creativity of American artists as well as associated international partnerships.
10. The Museum of Modern Art.Â
The Museum of Modern Art in New York City, also referred to as MoMA, saw a 28.2% decline in visitors between 2018 and 2019. In 2018, 2,774,000 visitors were recorded, while in 2019, 1,992,000 visitors were recorded. According to certain surveys, the public is evolving and becoming less interested in galleries, which could be the cause of the attendance fall as well as the rise of a contemporary trend in New York City.
Since the 1920s, the MoMA has honoured and exhibited art, with the stated goal of “sharing great modern and contemporary art with the public.” Some of the finest cutting-edge modern and contemporary art in the US may be found at MoMA.
FAQ’S:
Q1.What are the best times to visit these museums to avoid crowds?
Weekdays and off-peak seasons generally have fewer visitors. Additionally, early mornings or late afternoons might be less crowded. However, it's always wise to check the museum's website for any special events, exhibitions, or peak times that might affect visitation.
Q2.How can I purchase tickets for these museums?
Ticket purchasing methods vary by museum. Most museums offer online ticketing through their official websites. Some also provide options for purchasing tickets on-site or through third-party platforms. It's advisable to check the museum's official website for the most accurate and up-to-date information.
