If you were asked to guess what the UK’s most visited tourist attraction would be, what would you pick? Something like Big Ben or the London Eye? The Tower of London, maybe? Edinburgh Castle? Or perhaps the London Zoo? Or St Paul’s Cathedral? Well, according to the latest figures from the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA), it’s none of the above! In fact, the UK’s most visited tourist attraction, in the year 2025, was none other than London’s beloved Natural History Museum.
The stunning London museum, which is one of 3 major museums in South Kensington (alongside the V&A and the Science Museum), drew over 7.1 million visitors last year. And along the way, it even broke its own visitor records. It’s also an all-time record for annual visitors for any UK museum or gallery.
Record-breaking numbers at the Natural History Museum
With 7.1 million visitors in 2025, the Natural History Museum attacted 13% more visitors than it had in 2024, when 6.3 million people visited. This was previously the Museum’s own record-high. And now, with 2025’s numbers, the museum has broken its own record for the third year in a row.
Additionally, each month from April through to December saw the Museum smashing its previous visitor records. These enormous numbers are particularly impressive when compared to other attractions in the UK. According to the ALVA, “for the year 2025… the typical attraction in [the] UK saw a 2% increase in visitors”
As if that wasn’t enough, the Museum also attracted a huge amount of attention for its off-site attractions. “[The] Museum’s global touring exhibitions reached over 1.3 million visitors, and it recorded over 31. 2 million digital engagements across [the Museum’s] website and social media platforms in 2025″.
Natural History Museum Director Dr Doug Gurr said:
“We are thrilled to be the UK’s most popular visitor attraction, smashing all previous records for the sector! 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.“
Even more visitors in the future
But this isn’t the end of the road for the Natural History Museum. Far from it! Sure, the museum might boast a record-breaking number of visitors, but it wants even more! As such, the team is working hard to improve its offerings for visitors in the coming years.
In the coming years, there are ambitious goals to raise £150 million and create “over 100 million advocates for the planet by 2031 – the Museum’s 150th anniversary.”
Following on from the success of the Museum Gardens (5 million visitors in its first year) and the recently-opened Fixing Our Broken Planet gallery (2 million visitors in nine months), the Museum has plans for even more attractions. Visitors can expect a “brand-new or revitalised permanent gallery every year until 2031”. These include everything from the re-opening of a gallery that has been closed to the public for more than 80 years to an exhibition of fearsome deep-sea predators.