The Surprising Place Millions of Americans Visited in 2019

Although your Instagram feed may make it seem like everyone is visiting places like Greece, Portugal, and Peru, there is one location that is apparently more popular than ever: the local library.

According to a recent Gallup survey, “Visiting the library remains the most common cultural activity Americans engage in, by far.”

In fact, the average American adult took a trip to the library 10.5 times in 2019. That number, Gallup explained, exceeded “participation in eight other common leisure activities,” including attending live music or theater events, exploring national parks, visiting museums, and going to casinos.

As the study showed, Americans went to live music or theatrical events and national or historic parks roughly four times throughout the year on average, and visited museums and casinos two and a half times annually. Americans also took one and a half trips to amusement or theme parks and just 0.9 trips to the zoo.

There were also slight differences in behavior for men and women. For example, Gallup found that women reported visiting the library nearly twice as frequently as men, at 13.4 visits compared to 7.5. Men, however, were more like to go to casinos, national parks, and sporting events.

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There was even a variance in where people visited based on the region they live in. According to Gallup, those who reside in the eastern part of the country reported visiting a museum with the greatest frequency, while those in the West went to more national parks and gambling casinos.

Still, throughout it all, libraries reigned supreme. Gallup theorized that’s because libraries are an extremely cheap thrill.

“Despite the proliferation of digital-based activities over the past two decades — including digital books, podcasts, streaming entertainment services, and advanced gaming — libraries have endured as a place Americans visit nearly monthly on average,” Gallup wrote. “Whether [it's] because they offer services like free Wi-Fi, movie rentals, or activities for children, libraries are most utilized by young adults, women, and residents of low-income households.”

It's time to check out your local library. Just remember to return your books, or you could face a hefty fine.