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And the world's top museum is ....

By Katia Hetter, CNN

Updated 9:51 AM ET, Thu June 16, 2016

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The Louvre is the world's most-popular museum, according to the 2015 Museum Index released by the Themed Entertainment Association and AECOM. The Louvre welcomed 8.7 million visitors. Click through the gallery to see the rest of the world's most popular museums.
Photos: Top 20 museums around the world
1. Louvre, Paris – The Louvre is the world's most-popular museum, according to the 2015 Museum Index released by the Themed Entertainment Association and AECOM. The Louvre welcomed 8.7 million visitors. Click through the gallery to see the rest of the world's most popular museums.
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The National Museum of China was the second most-visited museum in the world in 2015, with 7.3 million visitors.
Photos: Top 20 museums around the world
2. National Museum of China – The National Museum of China was the second most-visited museum in the world in 2015, with 7.3 million visitors.
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The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington tied for third most-visited, with 6.9 million visitors.
Photos: Top 20 museums around the world
3. National Museum of Natural History, Washington – The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington tied for third most-visited, with 6.9 million visitors.
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The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington tied for third place with 6.9 million visitors in 2015.
Photos: Top 20 museums around the world
The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington tied for third place with 6.9 million visitors in 2015.
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The British Museum had 6.8 million visitors in 2015.
Photos: Top 20 museums around the world
5. British Museum, London – The British Museum had 6.8 million visitors in 2015.
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The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York had 6.3 million visitors in 2015.
Photos: Top 20 museums around the world
6. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York – The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York had 6.3 million visitors in 2015.
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The Vatican Museums hosted 6 million visitors in 2015.
Photos: Top 20 museums around the world
7. Vatican Museums, Vatican City – The Vatican Museums hosted 6 million visitors in 2015.
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China's Shanghai Science & Technology Museum had 5.9 million visitors in 2015. The museum's eye-popping 41% increase in visitors was likely due to consolidation of one large and several small museums.
Photos: Top 20 museums around the world
8. Shanghai Science & Technology Museum, China – China's Shanghai Science & Technology Museum had 5.9 million visitors in 2015. The museum's eye-popping 41% increase in visitors was likely due to consolidation of one large and several small museums.
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The National Gallery in London hosted more than 5.9 million people in 2015.
Photos: Top 20 museums around the world
9. National Gallery, London – The National Gallery in London hosted more than 5.9 million people in 2015.
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The National Palace Museum in Taiwan had nearly 5.3 million visitors in 2015.
Photos: Top 20 museums around the world
10. National Palace Museum, Taiwan – The National Palace Museum in Taiwan had nearly 5.3 million visitors in 2015.
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The Natural History Museum in London welcomed nearly 5.3 million visitors in 2015.
Photos: Top 20 museums around the world
11. Natural History Museum, London – The Natural History Museum in London welcomed nearly 5.3 million visitors in 2015.
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The American Museum of Natural History in New York City welcomed an even 5 million visitors in 2015.
Photos: Top 20 museums around the world
12. American Museum of Natural History, New York – The American Museum of Natural History in New York City welcomed an even 5 million visitors in 2015.
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London's Tate Modern hosted 4.7 million visitors in 2015.
Photos: Top 20 museums around the world
13. Tate Modern, London – London's Tate Modern hosted 4.7 million visitors in 2015.
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The National Gallery of Art in Washington welcomed more than 4.1 million visitors in 2015.
Photos: Top 20 museums around the world
14. National Gallery of Art, Washington – The National Gallery of Art in Washington welcomed more than 4.1 million visitors in 2015.
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The Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington hosted 4.1 million visitors in 2015.
Photos: Top 20 museums around the world
15. National Museum Of American History, Washington – The Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington hosted 4.1 million visitors in 2015.
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The State Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia, saw 3.7 million visitors in 2015.
Photos: Top 20 museums around the world
16. State Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Russia – The State Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia, saw 3.7 million visitors in 2015.
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The Musee d'Orsay welcomed more than 3.4 million people in 2015.
Photos: Top 20 museums around the world
17. Musee d'Orsay, Paris – The Musee d'Orsay welcomed more than 3.4 million people in 2015.
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The Victoria and Albert Museum in London hosted 3.4 million visitors in 2015.
Photos: Top 20 museums around the world
18. Victoria and Albert Museum, London – The Victoria and Albert Museum in London hosted 3.4 million visitors in 2015.
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Beijing's China Science and Technology Museum welcomed nearly 3.4 million visitors in 2015.
Photos: Top 20 museums around the world
19. China Science Technology Museum, Beijing – Beijing's China Science and Technology Museum welcomed nearly 3.4 million visitors in 2015.
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The Science Museum in South Kensington, London, hosted nearly 3.4 million visitors in 2015.
Photos: Top 20 museums around the world
20. Science Museum, London – The Science Museum in South Kensington, London, hosted nearly 3.4 million visitors in 2015.
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world top 20 museums 2016 Louvreworld top 20 museums 2016 National Museum of China02 top museumsAir and Space Museum DC05 top museums06 top museums08 top museumsworld top 20 museums SSTM07 top museums13 top museums09 top museumsworld top 20 museums 2016 AMNHworld top 20 museums 2016 Tate Modern14 top museumsworld top 20 museums 2016 SMHAHworld top 20 museums Hermitage17 top museumsworld top 20 museums 2016 Victoria Albert world top 20 museums 2016 China Science Technology Museum19 top museums

(CNN)With Mona Lisa's intriguing smile, the Venus de Milo, the Law Code of Hammurabi and so much more, it's no wonder that the Louvre is the most popular museum in the world.

For the fourth year in a row, the Louvre dominated the recently released TEA/AECOM Global Attractions Attendance Report's museum rankings.
The Paris museum attracted 8.7 million visitors, according to the 2015 Museum Index.
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    About 106.5 million people visited the top 20 museums in the world last year, a slight drop from 107.3 million in 2014, according to the index.
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    Fluctuation in museum attendance numbers is often driven by popular temporary exhibits, such as Tate Modern's "Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs" in 2014.
    London had six museums in the top 20, the most of any city. Washington, D.C. came in second place with four, while Paris and New York tied for third place with two each.

    Musee du Louvre, 99 rue de Rivoli, 75058 Paris France;

    World's 20 most-popular museums
    1. Louvre, Paris, France (8,700,000 visitors)
    2. National Museum of China, Beijing, China (7,290,000)
    3. Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C., United States (6,900,000)
    3. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Washington, D.C., United States (6,900,000)
    5. British Museum, London, United Kingdom (6,821,000)
    6. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, United States (6,300,000)
    7. Vatican Museums, Vatican, Vatican City (6,002,000)
    8. Shanghai Science & Technology Museum, Shanghai, China (5,948,000)
    9. National Gallery, London, United Kingdom (5,908,000)
    10. National Palace Museum (Taiwan), Taipei, Taiwan (5,288,000)
    11. Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom (5,284,000)
    12. American Museum of Natural History, New York, United States (5,000,000)
    13 Tate Modern, London, United Kingdom (4,713,000)
    14 National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., United States (4,104,000)
    15. National Museum of American History, Washington, D.C., U.S. (4,100,000)
    16. State Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Russia (3,668,000)
    17. Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France (3,440,000)
    18. Victoria and Albert Museum, London, United Kingdom (3,432,000)
    19. China Science and Technology Museum, Beijing (3,360,000)
    20. Science Museum (South Kensington), London, United Kingdom (3,356,000)
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