National Museums Liverpool venues figure prominently in list of top 20 North West free attractions, despite falls in visitor numbers due to industrial action, while Chester Zoo takes third place in UK paid-for league table. Tony McDonough reports
Liverpool city region and Cheshire visitor attractions feature prominently in latest Visit Britain 2024 visitor league tables for the North West and UK.
Chester Zoo was once again the standout performer. It welcomed 1.99m visitors through its gates in 2024, just below its pre-COVID 2019 peak of 2m. It is the third most popular paid for attraction in the UK behind only the Tower of London and Kew Gardens.
It topped the North West top 20 list of paid-for attractions. Knowsley Safari Park was fifth with 525,642 visitors (down 4%), the Beatles Story was 10th with 237,121 (slightly up), Speke Hall in 12th welcomed 205,720 people (down 2%) and Eureka! in Wirral saw 102,452 through the door (1% down).
National Museums Liverpool (NML) venues were prominently in the Visit Britain top 20 list for North West free attractions. Out of the seven NML venues only Sudley House did not appear on the list.
However, out of the six that did figure, only the Museum of Liverpool on the city’s waterfront, which took third place, saw an actual rise in visitor numbers. Its 829,692 visitors in 2024 was 19% up on 2023. Only Manchester Central Library and The Lower saw more people.
NML’s World Museum in Liverpool welcomed 829,692 visitors through the door in 2024, 20% down on the previous year and was in sixth place. The Maritime Museum was in eighth with 502,428 visitors, 28% lower than 2023.
In 14th place the Walker Art Gallery saw 175,476 people come through the door, down 20%, the International Slavery Museum was down 37% to 166.083 in 15th place while the Lady Lever Gallery in Port Sunlight, in 17th, welcomed 150,204 people, down 18%.
There were no other Liverpool city region venues in the free attractions list. Chester was seventh in the 2024 table with 541,945 visitors, 13% down on 2023.
NML told LBN planned closures of its venues due to industrial action by its employees in 2024 had led to the fall in numbers but said 2025 had shown signs of a recovery in visitor figures.
In a statement it said: “In 2024 National Museums Liverpool saw reduced visitor figures due mainly to the planned closures of most of its venues during industrial action.
“Once resolved, we were happy to see visitors return to our venues in strong numbers for the rest of the year, attracted by some really exciting exhibitions, including Bees at World Museum and Holly Johnson at the Museum of Liverpool.
“2025 has started really positively across our venues, particularly at Walker Art Gallery which began the year with the powerful Conversations exhibition and is now buzzing with visitors to Liverpool Biennial, and Museum of Liverpool which, at the heart of our beautiful waterfront, has seen fantastic visitor numbers so far this year.”
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Jamie Christon, chair of Marketing Cheshire and chief executive of Chester Zoo said the county’s “world class tourism” gems had proved their value to its £3.9bn visitor economy.
Other venues featured in the league tables included Tatton Park, Dunham Massey, Lyme Park and Gardens, Quarry Bank Mill, BeWILDerwood and Jodrell Bank Centre for Engagement.
“It’s great to see Chester Zoo ranked third in the national table and topping the North West rankings – and joined in the most visited lists by so many brilliant attractions that help fuel Cheshire and Warrington’s £3.9bn visitor economy,” said Jamie.
“The region’s world class tourism offer continues to evolve with new attractions for 2025 including Lapland UK bringing its premium Christmas experience to Capesthorne Hall, creating 1,200 seasonal jobs.”