10 of the World’s Most Fascinating Museums

In honor of International Museum Day here are ten of the most interesting museums to visit all around the globe

From the LifeMinute.TV Team

May 18, 2023

Museums are an amazing way to immerse yourself in culture, history, and learn more about the city the museum is located in. Each year, International Museum Day (May 18) unites the global museum community to celebrate the role of museums in society. The International Council of Museums began the day in 1977 to raise awareness about the importance of museums for cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace among peoples. Last year, more than 37,000 museums participated in the event in about 158 countries and territories. This year’s theme is entitled “Museums, Sustainability and Wellbeing.” In honor of the day here are ten of the most interesting museums to visit all around the globe.

Louvre Museum
Paris, France 
It is the most visited museum in the world with galleries spanning over 15 acres and is also the home of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.

The Egyptian Museum in Cairo
Cairo, Egypt
It is first of its kind in North Africa and the first national Museum in the Middle East, and has the most Pharaonic antiquities in Egypt. Some of the most important pieces include the seated statue of Queen Nofret, King Senusret 1(1920 BC to 1875 BC), Khakaure Senusret III (pharaoh of Egypt in 1878 BC), and goddess Hathor and treasures of King Tutankhamun’s tomb.

Rijksmuseum
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Home to the largest art library in the Netherlands it is the only museum in the world with a road inside of it. It also houses Rembrandt’s larger than life painting, The Night Watch.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art
New York City, United States
Welcoming millions of visitors each year, the MET features 17 curatorial departments, 2.2 million square feet of space, and more than 2 million works in its permanent collections. Some of its most famous pieces include; Washington Crossing the Delaware (1851) by Emanuel Leutze, Self-Portrait with Straw Hat (1887) by Vincent Van Gogh, and The Dance Class (1874) by Edgar Degas.

Shanghai Museum
Shanghai, China
It is considered one of China’s first world-class modern museums featuring ancient Chinese art with pieces dating back to prehistoric times and through to the Qing Dynasty. Some of its most notable pieces include calligraphy, ceramics, paintings, sculpture, jade, seals known as ‘chops’, ancient coins and a celebrated bronze exhibition.

The British Museum
London, England
Opened in 1759, It is the oldest museum in the world and has more than eight million artifacts, originating from every continent in the world. Three of the most popular exhibits at the British Museum are the Oxus Treasure, the Rosetta Stone, and the Elgin Marbles.

State Hermitage Museum
Saint Petersburg, Russia
It is the second-largest art museum in the world with 3 million items preserved in 365 halls. The most famous paintings are The Return of the Prodigal Son by Rembrandt and The Madonna Litta attributed to Leonardo da Vinci.

Acropolis Museum
Athens, Greece
One of the newest museums, first opened to the public in 2009, it is an archaeological museum focusing on findings of the archaeological site of the Acropolis of Athens. The three main galleries are the Parthenon Gallery, the Archaic Gallery, and the Gallery of the Acropolis Slopes.

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Washington, D.C., United States
Regarded as one of the largest museums in the world it has 28 inter-connected buildings housing 125 million natural specimen and artifacts of plants, fossils, and minerals. The Hall of Dinosaurs has a collection of forty-six complete fossilized dinosaurs. The museum also is the home of the most popular diamond in the world, “Hope Diamond” and is also a huge scientific laboratory within a museum employing a crew of 225 scientists.

Museo Nacional del Prado
Madrid, Spain
Containing some of the world’s finest art collections from Europe dating back to the 12th century, it officially became a museum in 1819. Francisco Goya is the museum's most represented artist but the space still holds countless international works by Dürer, Rembrandt, Raphael, Caravaggio, and has the largest collection of Italian art outside of Italy.