Beamish, The Living Museum of the North has been listed among the top 20 most visited paid-for attractions in England, in a new VisitEngland report.
The museum welcomed 838,632 visitors in 2024, a 5% increase on the previous year, making it 18th in the list of paid-for attractions nationally, and the most visited attraction in the North East.
VisitEngland’s 2024 Annual Survey of Visits to Visitor Attractions showed a small rise in visits to attractions across England in 2024 compared to 2023, although remaining down overall on pre-pandemic levels.
Rhiannon Hiles, Beamish’s Chief Executive, said: “It’s wonderful to again be named in VisitEngland’s report. It is credit to the hard work of all our staff and volunteers, and to the special place that Beamish holds in our visitors’ hearts.
“In a climate where visitor numbers across England are still challenging, it is fantastic that our visitors and communities keep returning to and supporting beamish, which we are so very grateful for.”
The annual survey looks at trends in visitor numbers and profiles, entrance fees, employment, sustainability, accessibility by public transport, funding, and marketing and communication.
VisitEngland Director Andrew Stokes said: “England’s first-class attractions, from our world-renowned museums, art galleries and historic houses to our places-of-worship, our parks and gardens, remain vitally important to our tourism offer to both international and domestic visitors.
“With summer on the doorstep and the school holidays fast approaching, make this the year you discover England’s fine attractions. Not only will you be giving our great attractions a much-needed boost, I know you will enjoy a fantastic day out with family and friends creating memories of a lifetime.”
The Tower of London was listed as the number one most visited paid for attraction in England with 2.9 million visitors. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew was second with 2.3 million visitors, and Chester Zoo third with 1.9 million.
The visitor numbers report comes at an exciting time for the museum as it is currently celebrating being shortlisted for Art Fund Museum of the Year 2025, with the winner to be announced 26th June. The museum is also looking ahead to a fantastic summer season, with its Summer of Fun: Tales from the Rails event from 19th July to 1st September.
With the museum’s Unlimited Passes and Friends of Beamish memberships, visitors can pay once and visit free for a whole year, including daytime events.