Despite Terrorism Fears, Louvre Remains Top Museum. Overall Attendance Flat

The Art Newspaper has its annual museum attendance figures for 2015.

The terrorist attacks on Paris in November had an impact on visitor numbers to the city’s museums. Many institutions closed and school tours were cancelled in the wake of the tragedy. Overall, the Louvre’s total attendance dipped to around 8.6 million, down from 9.2 million in 2014. The Centre Pompidou’s attendance also fell 12.5%, to three million visitors. The Musée d’Orsay’s figures held steady, while attendance at the Palais de Tokyo rose to more than 820,000.  Despite a difficult year, the Louvre is still the world’s most-attended museum.

London’s British Museum, which is free to visit, remained in second place, with 6.8 million visitors (up from 6.7 million in 2014). The National Gallery in London fell from third to fifth place after a series of strikes led to temporary room closures. It was overtaken by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, whose 6.5 million visitors included those also who went to the Cloisters. London’s Tate Modern sees attendance fluctuate more than its peers. It drew 4.7 million visitors in 2015, one million fewer than in 2014. The museum’s extension, which is due to open in June, should give it a significant boost this year.

Visitor Figures 2015: Jeff Koons is the toast of Paris and Bilbao (The Art Newspaper)