Parliament less popular than Flamingo Land

Parliament's public galleries saw a slight drop in visitors in 2009 compared to 2008, but remained the thirteenth most popular free tourist attraction in the country.

According to tourism body VisitEngland, 963,362 people watched debates in the Commons and Lords last year, down 3 per cent on the 994,289 who squeezed into the public galleries in 2008.

Despite the fall in numbers the Palace of Westminster still managed to attract more visitors than, among other free attractions, the Imperial War Museum and the Serpentine Gallery.

But MPs and peers were less popular than the Flamingo Land Theme Park and Zoo in Yorkshire, which saw an increase in crowds and drew in 1,418,224 bird watchers last year – and you have to pay to get in.

The British Museum, which is free, attracted the most guests, guiding 5,569,981 punters through its doors in 2009. Although the museum also saw visitor numbers fall by 6 per cent from 5,930,000 in 2008.

Westminster Abbey, across the road from Parliament, attracted 1,449,593 people in 2009.

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