Among the Smithsonian museums and institutions in the United States, the National Museum of Natural History was the most visited establishment in 2022, with nearly four million visits. The National Museum of American History and the National Zoo followed in the ranking, with around 1.8 million and 1.5 million visits, respectively.
What is the Smithsonian?
The Smithsonian museums are part of the Smithsonian Institution, which belongs to the United States government and was created after the death of Englishman James Smithson in 1829. Despite having never stepped foot in the U.S., he left his entire estate to the United States government for the “increase and diffusion of knowledge”. The Smithsonian Institution was finally established in 1846 and is today the world’s biggest museum and research complex, as well as the largest not-for-profit cultural institution in the United States.
Have Smithsonian museums recovered from the impact of COVID-19?
After dropping to under 3.5 million with the onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the total number of visits to Smithsonian museums and institutions in the U.S. showed strong signs of recovery in 2022, bouncing back to nearly 15 million. That said, attendance remained below pre-pandemic levels. For instance, the number of visits to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History was roughly seven percent lower in 2022 compared to 2019.
