The 23 most visited cultural attractions in the UK

If it seems like museums like the National Portrait Gallery and the British Museum are getting more crowded every year, you're not imagining it.

The Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) has just released visitor figures from 2015 for the UK's most popular cultural attractions to prove it.

While visitors to the top 230 British attractions included in ALVA's list increased by an average of 3.2% from 2014, visitors to cultural institutes in London were boosted by 1.61%. Interest in Scottish sites increased the most, however, with 5.48% more visitors.

The ALVA provided numbers for its member attractions including museums, galleries, castles, palaces, zoos, cathedrals, historic houses, heritage sites, and gardens.

"More people visited the V&A, the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum, combined, than visited Venice," Bernard Donoghue, the director of ALVA, was quoted in a press release. "More people visited the British Museum and the National Gallery, combined, than visited Barcelona and more people visited the Southbank Centre, Tate Modern and Tate Britain, combined, than visited Hong Kong."

As you come to terms with the fact that British institutions are collectively packing in more visitors than large cities, check out the 23 most visited sites in the country below.