GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park not only has returned to the ranks of the 100 most-visited museums in the world, it surpassed the Detroit Institute of Arts in visitors in 2014.
The Art Newspaper ranked Meijer Gardens 91st on its list of 100 most-visited museums with 654,167 visitors last year.
Related: Meijer Gardens marks 20th anniversary by dedicating work by dissident Chinese artist Ai Weiwei
Only four institutions in the Midwest, topped by The Art Institute of Chicago in 40th place with more than 1.4 million visitors in 2014, were among the 100 on the most recent list published annually in April by the London-based art publication.
The Minneapolis Institute of Arts ranked 85th with 698,467, and the Detroit Institute of Arts was 98th with 629,909 in 2014, according to the worldwide survey.
Last year, the most visited museum in the world was the Louvre in Paris with more than 9.2 million visitors.
In the United States, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City ranked fourth with more than 6.1 million visitors, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. reached eighth place with nearly 3.9 million people passing through its doors.
Meijer Gardens, which opened in April 1995, celebrated its 20th anniversary last month, just one month after welcoming its 9 millionth visitor to the institution at 1000 E. Beltline in Grand Rapids Township.
Related: Meijer Gardens marks 20 years (slideshow)
The sculpture park and botanical gardens made its debut on the 100 Most Visited Museums list in 2010 in 97th place with 504,488 visitors during its 15th anniversary in 2009.
In 2012, Meijer Gardens, with Michigan's only tropical conservatory and 158 acres of grounds, was ranked 94th with 578,020 visitors the previous year.
Related: Meijer Gardens ranks in Art Newspaper's 100 most-visited art museums worldwide in 2012
In 2014, Meijer Gardens, with sculpture by Auguste Rodin, Richard Serra, Louise Bourgeois and Henry Moore in its Sculpture Park, ranked just below the National Gallery of Australia in the capital city of Canberra and just above the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebaek, Denmark.
In June, Meijer Gardens opens its $22 million Japanese Gardens, which is expected to draw even more visitors.
Related: Take first look inside Meijer Gardens Japanese Garden, opening in June
Jeffrey Kaczmarczyk covers arts and entertainment for MLive and The Grand Rapids Press. Email him at jkaczmarczyk@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Google+.