Have you ever wondered which are the most visited museums in the United States? One of the greatest things about modern technology is the fact that it makes all forms of artistic expression immediately available no matter where you live or who you are. With just a click you can access an endless collection of famous paintings, buildings, sculptures, and more. But as time goes by and mankind evolves, one thing still remains unchanged: there’s nothing like experiencing live art, like observing a brushstroke from a short distance. And that’s exactly why people still enjoy going to museums, just as this countdown proves.
If you care for a worldwide perspective of art, just check out our list on the World’s Most Visited Art Museums.
Let’s take a look at the countdown and find out just how many people go to the most visited museums in the United States each year.
10. Museum of Fine Arts
With 1,134,289 visitors a year, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston is one of the most visited in the country. Moreover, this gallery is one of the largest museums in the United States as it holds over 450,000 works of art. The Museum of Fine Arts was founded in the late nineteenth century and over the years it has managed to gather an impressive collection that includes Egyptian artifacts, French impressionist pieces, Chinese Art, and Japanese pottery among other attractions.
9. Guggenheim Museum
Located in New York City, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum receives 1,199,123 visitors eager to appreciate the works exhibited within its walls. This Upper East Side gallery has a wide collection of modern and contemporary art including pieces by Modigliani, Klee, Kirchner, and Léger.
8. Smithsonian American Art Museum
Together, the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Renwick Gallery, one its branches, are some of the most visited museums in the United States and rank 50th on the worldwide list. The Washington D.C. galleries proudly receive 1,200,000 visitors annually, who wish to enjoy their vast collections.
7. Los Angeles County Museum of Art
With 1,202,654 visitors every year, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art is the seventh most visited museum in the country. It holds more than 120,000 works, which makes it the largest art museum on the West Coast. Also known as LACMA, the museum has a wide range of pieces including pieces by Rembrandt, Renoir, Heizer, and Gauguin.
6. Art Institute of Chicago
Established in 1879, the Art Institute of Chicago is not only of the most visited museums in the country (1,539,716 visitors annually), but also one of the oldest ones. Some of the most notable works of the permanent collection including El Greco, Delacroix, Manet, and Van Gogh paintings.
5. Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco
Also known as FAMSF, the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco is a gallery that holds a permanent collection worth over $1 billion. Each year around 1,690,078 people visit this California museum and enjoy the 150,000 art objects in display.
4. J. Paul Getty Museum
Usually referred to as The Getty, this LA museum is one of the most visited in the country. Around 1,728,815 people enjoy the works of Rubens, van Dyck, Rembrandt, Monet, van Gogh, and many more every year.
3. Museum of Modern Art
The New York Museum of Modern Art, commonly known as the MoMA, hosts 3,066,337 visitors annually. The museum’s wide collection offers a taste of modern and contemporary art in all of its forms including architecture, photography, painting, sculpture, design, film, and other media. Some of the most celebrated pieces of the gallery are works by Picasso, Bacon, Chagall, Dalí, Lichtenstein, Magritte, Kahlo, Mondrian, Warhol, and Pollock.
2. National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. is the proud recipient of a staggering 4,093,070 visitors every year. The fact that this art museum is free of charge probably has something to do with the large amount of visitors it gets, but this is definitely not the only reason behind its popularity.
1. Metropolitan Museum of Art
Not only is the Metropolitan Museum of Art the most visited art gallery in the United States, but also the third one worldwide. With 6,226,727 people enjoying its exhibitions every year, The Met shows just how important art is to society still in the times we live in.
