National Museum of Natural History: visits US 2021

The number of visits to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in the United States rose in 2021 over the previous year, after falling sharply in 2020 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In 2021, the number of visits to this institution totaled nearly one million. While the volume of visits increased by 72 percent from 2020, it remained way below pre-pandemic figures, since all Smithsonian museums in the U.S. stayed closed between March 2020 and May 2021 due to the health crisis. Overall, the National Museum of Natural History was the most visited Smithsonian museum in 2021.

Number of visits to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in the United States from 2001 to 2021 (in millions)

Characteristic	Number of visits in millions
2021*	0.98
2020*	0.57
2019	4.2
2018	4.8
2017	6
2016	7.1
2015	6.9
2014	7.3
2013	8
2012	7.6
2011	6.6
2010	6.8
2009	7.4
2008	7
2007	7.1
2006	5.8
2005	5.6
2004	4.4
2003	5.2
2002	6.26
2001	8.4

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Release date

May 2022

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Region

United States

Survey time period

2001 to 2021

Supplementary notes

*All Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo closed to the public on March 14, 2020 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The museums and the National Zoo reopened in phases starting in May 2021 with timed tickets and a limited schedule.

The source specifies that: "because the Smithsonian museums are free, we cannot base our visit tallies on a number of tickets sold. Smithsonian security officers use hand clickers to count everyone entering the museums (in some buildings they count people leaving) through public entrances during the hours the museums are open. The counts sometimes include staff, as well as visitors who leave the museum and return. A person visiting three Smithsonian museums on any given day will be counted three times. The newest Smithsonian museum, the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), has an automated counting system that counts visitors (and staff) as they enter the museum".

The source does not provide a date of publication. The date given is the date accessed. Figures have been rounded.

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