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London is jam packed with fantastic attractions – from its world-leading cuisine to its spectacular museums and endless activities for kids. It’s hardly surprising that more people lineup for its venues that any other city in the UK. But which of those London venues welcomed in the most visitors last year?
In 2025, London’s Natural History Museum was Britain’s most popular attraction. More than 7.1 million people explored the iconic landmark last year – knocking The British Museum, the long-reigning winner, down to second. According to the Associate of Leading Visitor Attractions (AVLA), this makes it England’s most visited museum or gallery ever.
Only a five minute walk from South Kensington tube station, the crown jewel of British museums holds everything from fossils and gemstones to a VR experience. In the build up to its 150th birthday in 2031, the museum is opening (and reopening) a new permanent gallery every year. Later this year, it’s reopening a gallery which has been closed for almost 80 years, while Fixing Our Broken Planet – which opened in April 2025 – has been visited by more than two million people.
Beyond its main collection, the museum regularly puts on impressive (and sometimes quirky) exhibitions. Currently, you can catch David Attenborough's immersive documentary and wander through the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2025. There’s even a sold-out Pokémon pop-up shop. Not so long ago, it hosted an intergalactic exhibition for the first time in its 145 year history and even did a Harry Potter inspired mythical beast exhibit a few years back.
More than just a pretty face place to visit, the Natural History Museum is also home to over 400 scientists who use the venue’s extensive collection to lead research.
‘We are thrilled to be the UK’s most popular visitor attraction, smashing all previous records for the sector!’ said Natural History Museum Director Dr Doug Gurr. ‘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.’
On the whole, this is great news for British museums, although they’ve yet to return to pre-Covid popularity. Last year there were 165.2 million visits to the 409 most popular UK attraction, which is still 7 percent down on 2019.
The top 10 most visited attractions in the UK in 2025
- Natural History Museum (South Kensington)
- The British Museum
- The Crown Estate, Windsor Great Park
- Tate Modern
- National Gallery
- Southbank Center
- V&A South Kensington
- Somerset House
- Tower of London
- Science Museum
đź“ŤCheck out our 2026 guide to the best museums London has to offer.
Plus, this new east London museum has been named one of the world’s best places to visit by TIME Magazine.
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