Officials from the estimable Louvre museum announced that 8.5 million people visited its building last year, tying its attendance record from 2008 and firmly holding its title as the world’s most visited museum.

While it might be tempting to credit the new McDonald’s in the complex’s underground mall for the continued attendance strength, the fast-food restaurant only opened at the end of last year. More likely it was the museum’s priceless works of art — including Leonardos Mona Lisa — that attracted visitors.

The British Museum has announced a visitor total of 5.6 million for 2009, placing it in a strong (however distant) third place. Its attendance declined slightly from 5.9 million in 2008. New York’s Metropolitan Museum also saw a bit of a decline, slipping from 4.82 million in 2008 to 4.2 million 2009, but that figure was still go enough to earn it a respectable fifth place finish.

Read more at the Independent.