NPR

The Louvre is No. 1 again as the world's most popular museum

The most visited museum in the world last year was, once again, the Louvre, in Paris. Officials at the Louvre complain about overattendance these days. It’s been a top museum destination for decades and saw more than nine million visitors in 2025, according to a new international ranking from “The Art Newspaper.” Other most popular museums include the Vatican Museum, at No. 2, and the National Museum of Korea, in Seoul, at No. 3. In the U.S., museum attendance has been shakier, with wildfires and government shutdowns last year adversely affected attendance at many museums in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.