Menu
The Annual Survey of Museum-Goers is a survey of museum-goers, not casual visitors or the broader public of non-visitors to museums. The Annual Survey began in 2017; beginning in 2020 it has been fielded in partnership with the American Alliance of Museums.
The Annual Survey is fielded by museums of all types throughout the United States (and sometimes Canada). Participating museums are asked to send a survey request to their contact lists, including email and social media. Each participating museum receives their museum’s results via spreadsheet and slide deck, and the aggregate results are analyzed and shared with the museum field. Museums pay a small fee to participate.
n = 107,187 museum-goers
210 museums participating
n = 53,217 museum-goers
140 museums participating
n = 38,866 museum-goers
74 museums participating
n = 9,655 museum-goers
21 museums participating
n = 6,153 museum-goers
14 museums participating
n = 6,026 museum-goers
25 museums participating
Alabama Department of Archives and History (Museum of Alabama)
Applewood Estate/ Ruth Mott Foundation
Arab American National Museum
Armstrong Air & Space Museum
Aurora History Museum & Historic Sites
Bartlett Arboretum and Gardens
Berkshire Museum
Bishop Museum
Blanton Museum of Art
Boscobel House and Gardens
Brandywine Museum of Art
Buffalo Bill Center of the West
Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave
Buffalo History Museum
Buffalo Museum of Science
Bullock Texas State History Museum
Burchfield Penney Art Center
Burke Museum
Carnegie Museums or Pittsburgh
Chandler Museum
Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum
Chicago Children’s Museum
Chicago History Museum
Chicago Zoological Society (Brookfield Zoo)
Chrysler Museum of Art
Cincinnati Art Museum
Cincinnati Museum Center
Clark Art Institute
Clyfford Still Museum
Colonial Williamsburg
Columbus Museum of Art
Connecticut Historical Society
Connecticut Landmarks
Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo
Connecticut Science Center
Conner Prairie Museum
Cranbrook Art Museum
Creative Discovery Museum
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens
CuriOdyssey
Dallas Museum of Art
Dayton Art Institute
DC History Center
Denver Art Museum
Denver Botanic Gardens
Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Denver Zoo
Descanso Gardens
Detroit Historical Society (Detroit Historical Museum & Dossin Great Lakes Museum)
Discovery Museum
Discovery Place
Dumbarton House Museum
Dumbarton Oaks
Dunn Museum
Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum
Eli Whitney Museum
Erie Canal Museum
Exploration Place
Exploratorium
Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center
Farnsworth Art Museum
Fernbank Museum
Field Museum
Filoli
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
Flint Institute of Arts
Florence Griswold Museum
Florida Museum of Natural History
Fort Laurens Museum (Ohio History Connection)
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art
Frye Art Museum
Genesee Country Village & Museum
George Eastman Museum
George Washington’s Mount Vernon
Grand Rapids Public Museum
Greeley History Museum
Gregg Museum of Art & Design
Gunston Hall
Heritage Museum and Gardens
Hermann-Grima + Gallier Historic Houses
High Desert Museum
Historic BK House & Gardens
Historic Deerfield, Inc.
Historic London Town and Gardens
History Nebraska
Honolulu Museum of Art
Hunter Museum of American Art
Illinois State Museum
Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites
International Center of Photography
James Madison’s Montpelier
Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
Japanese American National Museum
Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum
Kalamazoo Institute of Arts
Keeler Tavern Museum & History Center
Kentucky Historical Society
KidsPlay Children’s Museum
LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes
Linn County Historical Society (The History Center)
Litchfield Historical Society
Littleton Museum
Longmont Museum
Lyman Allyn Art Museum
Macculloch Hall Historical Museum
Maier Museum of Art at Randolph College
Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum
Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center
Mattatuck Museum
McKissick Museum
Meadow Brook Hall
Meadows Museum
Mercer Museum
Michael C. Carlos Museum of Emory University
Michener Art Museum
Mid-America Science Museum
Midland Center for the Arts
Minnesota Historical Society
Minnetrista
Mississippi Museum of Art
Missouri Historical Society
Montana Historical Society
Monticello (Thomas Jefferson Fdn)
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA Chicago)
Museum of Contemporary Art Denver (MCA Denver)
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Museum of Fine Arts, St Petersburg
Museum of Discovery & Science (MODS)
Museum of Science and History (MOSH)
Museum of Science and Industry
Museum of the American Revolution
Museum of the Rockies
Mütter Museum
Mystic Aquarium
Mystic Seaport Museum
Naper Settlement
NASCAR Hall of Fame
National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center (Ohio History Connection)
National Gallery of Art
National Maritime Museum of the Gulf of Mexico/GulfQuest
National Museum of Bermuda
National Museum of the Pacific War (Admiral Nimitz Foundation)
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
NC Museum of Dolls, Toys & Miniatures
New Britain Museum of American Art
Newark Museum of Art
New Orleans Pharmacy Museum
Newport Historical Society
Norman Rockwell Museum
Norton Museum
Office of Historic Alexandria (Historic Alexandria Museums)
Ohio History Center (Ohio History Connection)
Ohio River Museum (Ohio History Connection)
Ohio Village (Ohio History Connection)
Omaha Children’s Museum
Parrish Art Museum
Pavek Museum
Peabody Essex Museum
Penn Museum
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
Phoenix Art Museum
Princeton University Art Museum
Reynolda House Museum of American Art
Rhode Island Historical Society
Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm
Roger Tory Peterson Institute
San Bernardino County Museum
San Diego History Center
San Luis Obispo Museum of Art (SLOMA)
Santa Barbara Botanic Garden
Science Museum of Virginia
Science Museum Oklahoma
Sciencenter
Seattle Children’s Museum
Shaker Historical Museum (Ohio History Connection)
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Smithsonian National Museum of American History
Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
South Bend Museum of Art
South Carolina State Museum
Space Center Houston
Springfield Museum of Art
Springfield Museums
Stamford Museum & Nature Center
State Historical Museum of Iowa
Stepping Stones Museum for Children
Strawbery Banke Museum
Tennessee State Museum
The Contemporary Jewish Museum
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
The Florida Aquarium
The Frick Pittsburgh
The Gamble House Conservancy
The Henry Ford
The Historic New Orleans Collection
The Museum of Russian Art
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
The New England Carousel Museum
The Perot Museum of Nature and Science
The Phillips Collection
The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza
The Tech Interactive
The Valentine
The Walters Art Museum
University of Arizona Museum of Art
Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Virginia Museum of History & Culture
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens
Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
Walker Art Center
Warren G. Harding Presidential Museum (Ohio History Connection)
Weisman Art Museum
Wenham Museum
West Baton Rouge Museum
Wheelwright Museum
Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum
Winterthur Museum, Garden, and Library
Witte Museum
Wolfsonian–FIU
WonderLab Museum
Worcester Art Museum
Yakima Valley Museum
Ackland Art Museum
Albany Institute of History & Art
Albuquerque Museum Foundation Inc
American Civil War Museum
Anchorage Museum
Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center
Applewood Estate – Ruth Mott Foundation
Armstrong Air & Space Museum
Bainbridge Island Historical Museum
Bard Graduate Center Gallery
Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive
Bishop Museum
Blanton Museum of Art
Burke Museum
California Academy of Sciences
Calvert Marine Museum
Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh
Catalina Museum for Art & History
Chandler Museum
Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum
Chicago Children’s Museum
Chicago History Museum
Chicago Zoological Society (Brookfield Zoo)
Children’s Museum of South Dakota
Chrysler Museum of Art
Cincinnati Art Museum
Cincinnati Museum Center
Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences of West Virginia
Columbia River Maritime Museum
Columbus Museum of Art
Conner Prairie
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
Dayton Art Institute
Dayton Society Of Natural History (Boonshoft Museum of Discovery)
DC History Center
de Saisset Museum
Decorative Arts Center of Ohio
Delaware Art Museum
Denver Art Museum
Denver Botanic Gardens
Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Denver Zoo
Desert Botanical Garden
Discovery Center of Idaho
Discovery Museum
Edgewater Historical Society and Museum
Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art
Exploration Place
Exploratorium
Fernbank Museum
Filoli Historic House and Garden
Florida Museum of Natural History
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
George Washington’s Mount Vernon
Grand Rapids Art Museum
Green Bay Botanical Garden
Greentrike/Children’s Museum of Tacoma
Gund Gallery at Kenyon College
Gunston Hall
Harriet Beecher Stowe House
Henry Art Gallery
Heritage Museums & Gardens
High Desert Museum
Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens
Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County
History Colorado
History Nebraska
Hunter Museum of American Art
Illinois Holocaust Museum
Illinois State Museum
Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston
International Center of Photography
John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art
John Michael Kohler Arts Center
Johnson County Museum
Juneau-Douglas City Museum
Kentucky Historical Society
LancasterHistory
Lehigh University Art Galleries
Litchfield Historical Society
Littleton Museum
London Town Foundation
Lone Star Flight Museum
Longmont Museum / City of Longmont
Lowe Art Museum
Madison Children’s Museum
Marbles Kids Museum & IMAX
Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum
Meadows Museum
Michael C. Carlos Museum of Emory University
Minnesota Historical Society
Minnetrista Museum and Gardens
Mississippi Museum of Art
Missouri Historical Society
MOCA
Montana Historical Society
Museum of Boulder
Museum of Discovery & Science
Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI)
Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA)
Museum of Northern Arizona
Museum of Russian Icons
Museum of Science and History (MOSH)
Museum of the American Revolution
Museum of Ventura County
Mystic Seaport Museum
Naper Settlement
National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center
National Gallery of Art
National Museum of American History
National Museum of Natural History
National Susan B Anthony Museum & House
Neville Public Museum
New Bedford Whaling Museum
Newport Historical Society
Nicolaysen Art Museum
Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art, Utah State University
Norman Rockwell Museum
North Carolina Museum of Art
Norton Museum
Office of Historic Alexandria (Historic Alexandria Museums)
Ohio History Center
Omaha Children’s Museum
Oneida Community Mansion House
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Perot Museum of Nature and Science
Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science
Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
Pro Football Hall of Fame
Quincy Art Center
RISD Museum
Rockwood Park & Museum
Roger Tory Peterson Institute
Rollins Museum of Art
San Diego Museum of Art
San Jacinto Museum and Battlefield Association
San Luis Obispo Museum of Art
Science Museum Oklahoma
ScienceWorks Hands-on Museum
Seattle Art Museum
SFMOMA
Sharlot Hall Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
South Carolina State Museum
Space Center Houston
Springfield Museum of Art
Springfield Museums
Tampa Bay History Center
The Africa Center
The Contemporary Jewish Museum
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
The Fralin Museum of Art at the University of Virginia
The Frick Pittsburgh
The Gamble House Conservancy
The Henry Ford
The Iowa Children’s Museum
The Museum of Flight
The Museum of Russian Art
The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
The Newark Museum of Art
The Phillips Collection
The Trout Gallery, The Art Museum of Dickinson College
The Valentine
The Walters Art Museum
The Wolfsonian – FIU
U.S. Botanic Garden
UCR ARTS, University of California, Riverside
University of Michigan Museum of Natural History
University of Wyoming Art Museum
Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Virginia Museum of History & Culture
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens
Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
Washington State Historical Society
Weisman Art Museum
Whitney Plantation
Wichita Art Museum
William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum
Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library
Witte Museum
WonderLab Museum of Science, Health, and Technology
Worcester Art Museum
Yakima Valley Museum
Alexandria Museum of Art
American Civil War Museum
Applewood Estate/ Ruth Mott Foundation
Art Gallery of Windsor
Atlanta History Center
Bainbridge Island Historical Museum
Bard Graduate Center
Barnes Foundation
Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive
Blanton Museum of Art
Carnegie Museums or Pittsburgh
Charles Allis Villa Terrace Museums Inc.
Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum
Chicago History Museum
Chicago Zoological Society
Chrysler Museum of Art
Cincinnati Art Museum
Cincinnati Museum Center
Clark Art Institute
Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Clyfford Still Museum
Colby College Museum of Art
Colorado Spring Fine Arts Center
Columbus Museum of Art
Conner Prairie Museum
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum
Decorative Arts Center of Ohio
Denver Botanic Gardens
Denver Zoo
Desert Botanical Garden
Detroit Zoo
Discovery Museum
EarlyWorks Family of Museums
Edgewater Historical Society and Museum
Edith Wharton Restoration, Inc.
Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art
Exploration Place
Exploratorium
Filoli
Florence Griswold Museum
Florida Museum of Natural History
Grand Rapids Art Museum
Green Bay Botanical Garden
Grounds For Sculpture
Harwood Museum of Art
High Desert Museum
Historic Deerfield, Inc.
Historic London Town and Gardens
History Nebraska
HistoryMiami Museum
Hunter Museum of American Art
i.d.e.a. Museum
Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center
Illinois State Museum
Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston
Kentucky Historical Society
Lehigh University Art Galleries
Library of Congress
Litchfield Historical Society
Littleton Museum
Longmont Museum
Louise Wells Cameron Art Museum
Lowe Art Museum
Madison Museum of Contemporary Art
McLean County Historical Society
Meadows Museum
Michener Art Museum
Mid-America Science Museum
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Minnetrista
Mississippi Museum of Art
Morris-Jumel Mansion
Museum of Arts and Design
Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
Museum of Danish America
Museum of Geology
Museum of Russian Icons
Museum of Ventura County
Mystic Seaport Museum
Naper Settlement
National Gallery of Art
Neville Public Museum
New Britain Museum of American Art
Newport Historical Society
Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art, Utah State University
Norman Rockwell Museum
Ohio History Center
Omaha Children’s Museum
Orlando Science Center
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science
Racine Art Museum Association, Inc.
Reynolda House Museum of American Art
Rhode Island Historical Society
Rochester Museum & Science Center
Rockwood Museum
Roger Tory Peterson Institute
San Bernardino County Museum
Sandy Spring Museum
Santa Barbara Museum of Art
Science Museum of Minnesota
Science Museum Oklahoma
Seattle Aquarium
SFMOMA
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History
South Carolina State Museum
Space Center Houston
Springfield Museum of Art
Springfield Museums
Stratford Hall
Taft Museum of Art
Tenement Museum
The Africa Center
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
The Contemporary Jewish Museum
The Frick Pittsburgh
The Henry Ford
The Hyde Collection
The Museum of Russian Art
The New York Botanical Garden
The Perot Museum of Nature and Science
The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza
Thomas Jefferson Fdn (Monticello)
United States Botanic Garden
University of Michigan Museum of Natural History
University of Nebraska State Museum
Vesterheim Norwegian American Museum and Folk Art School
Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art
Virginia Museum of History & Culture
Vulcan Park and Museum
Weisman Art Museum
Wenham Museum
Wexner Center for the Arts
Wichita Art Museum
Wolfsonian–FIU
WonderLab Museum
Worcester Art Museum
Allentown Art Museum
American Writers Museum
Arizona Museum of Natural History
Bard Graduate Center Gallery
Chicago History Museum
Children’s Museum of Phoenix
Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry
Cincinnati Art Museum
Cincinnati Museum Center
Columbus Museum of Art
Conner Prairie Museum
Denver Botanic Gardens
Denver Zoo
Descanso Gardens
Desert Botanical Garden
Discovery Museum
Everhart Museum
Ford’s Theatre Society
Gateway Science Museum
George Eastman Museum
Goldstein Museum of Design
Grand Rapids Art Museum
Heritage Museums & Gardens
Historic London Town and Gardens
History Nebraska
i.d.e.a. Museum
Illinois State Museum
John Ball Zoo
Kalamazoo Institute of Arts
Litchfield Historical Society
Lone Star Flight Museum
Lowe Art Museum
Meadows Museum
Michigan Science Center
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Minnesota Children’s Museum
Minnetrista
Mississippi Museum of Art
Monticello (Thomas Jefferson Fdn)
Museum of Latin American Art
Museum of Ventura County
Naper Settlement
National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center
National Museum of Wildlife Art
National Veterans Memorial and Museum
Neville Public Museum
New Bedford Whaling Museum
Norman Rockwell Museum At
Ohio History Center
Omaha Children’s Museum
Pacific Science Center
Pro Football Hall of Fame
Science Museum Oklahoma
Shiloh Museum of Ozark History
Space Center Houston
Stax Museum of American Soul Music
Tampa Bay History Center
Tenement Museum
Tennessee State Museum
The American Civil War Museum
The Children’s Museum of the Upstate
The Phillips Collection
The Ringling
The Walters Art Museum
The Wolfsonian-FIU
United States Botanic Garden
Virginia Museum of History & Culture
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens
Washington Pavilion Visual Arts Center
Weisman Art Museum
Wichita Art Museum
Winterthur Museum, Garden, and Library
Wiregrass Museum of Art
Woodland Park Zoo
Abbe Museum
Boston Children’s Museum
Columbus Museum of Art
Discovery Museum
George Eastman Museum
Gunston Hall
History Nebraska
Living Computers: Museum + Labs
Minneapolis Institute of Art
National Building Museum
National Veterans Memorial and Museum
Newark Museum
Ohio History Center
Omaha Children’s Museum
Pacific Science Center
Science Museum Oklahoma
Tenement Museum
The Phillips Collection
Virginia Museum of History & Culture
Wichita Art Museum
Woodland Park Zoo
Abbe Museum
Columbus Museum of Art
Discovery Place
Glazer Children’s Museum
Gunston Hall
Heritage Museum and Gardens
History Nebraska
Living Computers: Museum + Labs
Michigan Science Center
Minnetrista
Naper Settlement
Ohio History Connection
Omaha Children’s Museum
Plimoth Plantation
Abbe Museum
Billings Farm & Museum
Children’s Museum of Atlanta
Connecticut Landmarks
ExplorationWorks
Frederic Remington Art Museum
Georgia O’Keeffe Museum
Glazer Children’s Museum
History Nebraska
KidsQuest Children’s Museum
Litchfield Historical Society
Living Computers: Museum + Labs
Louisiana Children’s Museum
McWane Science Center
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Michigan Science Center
Minnetrista
Mississippi Museum of Art
Monmouth County Historical Association
Ohio History Connection
Peoria PlayHouse Children’s Museum
Powerhouse Science Center
Reynolda House Museum
Washington County Museum of Fine Arts
York County History Center
Survey bias: All surveys have some degree of survey bias (except, perhaps, the US Census Bureau). Blind spots. No survey is perfect. The Annual Survey of Museum-Goers represents only a small sliver of the US population: those that visit museums on a regular basis. It does not represent casual visitors or non-visitors. Broader population samples are far better for assessing the broader population, but they too have a blind spot. That is, there is a large segment of the population that is extremely difficult to survey. Surveys simply never reach them. And while we could weight those sample for, say, income or education (since low-income, low-education households tend to be under-represented even in broader-population samples), that will only tell about those individuals who the survey reached. Having a survey reach you, and then responding to it, is an indicator of broader engagement with the world, and those that are never surveyed may not be as engaged with the world (for lots of valid reasons), and thus have different behaviors and attitudes. Thus, when looking at results from any survey, including those fielded by Wilkening Consulting, take into consideration how large that blind spot is, and be cautious about assuming the results are truly representative of the broader population.