4 Must See Museums Around the World

4 Must See Museums Around the World

A museum is a perfect place where people can see art and artifacts from throughout the ages. Museums are very crucial when it comes to understanding the need for cultural diversity and to value and respect it. Museums serve as one of the most significant resources for educational purposes and offer a variety of programs which are informative.

Vatican Museum

Vatican museums consist of different types of sculptures, paintings, and several artworks possessed by different popes of the Roman Catholic Church during their reign. This museum comprises of more than 50 galleries and the entire path across the Vatican museums is about seven miles in length. These Museums have seen their popularity rise globally due to the collection of the most valuable Renaissance art works. These museums are among the most visited museums across the globe. In fact, they are ranked as the fifth most visited museums globally.

Vatican museums have a lot to offer. For instance, the supreme Sistine Chapel one is one of the most adored parts in Vatican museums. The chapel is very prominent as a result of its highly decorated interior as well as ceiling that displays the symbol of God touching Adam’s fingertip.

The map gallery comprises of an astonishing map of 16th century on the walls of Italy. The museum also has a sculpture gallery which features several ancient Greek as well as Roman sculptures.

National Museum of Anthropology

This museum is found in Mexico, the National Museum of Anthropology features some of the most valuable anthropological and archaeological artifacts from pre-Columbian heritage like the Stone of the sun as well as the Aztec Xochipilli statue.

National Museum of China

The National Museum of China is situated in Beijing, Tienanmen square. This museum was built purposely to preserve the culture, art as well as the history of China. This museum contains numerous objects which have been in existence for more than 1.7 million years.

This museum holds some extremely rare artifacts that you just won’t see anywhere else in the world. It’s one of the most adored modern museums across the world and also attracts a great number of visitors globally. This museum opens on all days of the week apart from Mondays.

Louvre Museum

This museum is located in Paris, France. Louvre Museum comprises of many artifacts which may take years for one to explore everything. Paris is also regarded as a city of art Museum. Leonard da Vinci’s Mona Lisa is one of the prominent paintings in this museum, even though there are other stunning paintings like some Italian Renaissance art as well.

Must See Museums in NYC

Must See Museums in NYC

If you are visiting New York City, you should consider checking out some of the museums there. It’s a great way to learn a bit more about world history and get to see cultural heritage right before your eyes.  Search “NYC museums” and you will be blown away by the number of museums this city has to offer. It’s completely up to you to choose, based on your interests, but there are a few that are worth going to, no matter what, because there’s something for everybody.

The American Museum of Natural History is the largest and probably the most widely recognized museum in the entire world. It spans almost 30 buildings that house 33 million specimens. A notable part of this institution is the Hayden Planetarium with its director, popular scientist Neil DeGrasse Tyson. The tens of exhibition halls include Mammal, Bird, Biodiversity and environmental, Human origins and cultural, Fossil halls and so on. Take a look at the Arthur Ross Hall of Meteorites, and, of course, the Harry Frank Guggenheim Hall of Gems and Minerals which has some of the biggest, most popular emeralds, sapphires, and other precious rocks. Other remarkable exhibits are the fossils of Tyrannosaurus rex, Mammuthus and Brontosaurus. Whatever you might be interested in, it’s probably there.

Museum of Modern Art

The Museum of Modern Art is a spectacular destination, collecting various works of modern art. These include paintings, photographs, books, film, architecture, etc. It is said to be one of the most influential museums on the planet. Famous paintings you might recognize include Van Gogh’s “Starry Night”, Pablo Picasso’s “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon” and many others. If art is your thing, then this place is a must.

The Guggenheim

Another artsy place to go to is the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. If you liked the previous location, then you will most certainly appreciate the colossal collection of impressionist, post-impressionist and modern art this museum has in store.

The Met

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, aka the Met, is the largest art museum in the US with over 2 million works from classical antiquity to modern art. If you’re around, make sure you don’t miss Van Gogh’s iconic “Self-portrait with straw hat” from 1887. This place is so gigantic, that it would take you at least a day (most likely two) for a whole tour.

New York has a vast collection of museums with a total of millions of specimens. It’s physically impossible to visit them all on a single trip, which is why you need to prioritize and choose based on what interests you. This list of museums is a great place to start and if your time in New York is limited, pick one or two and you will not be disappointed.

5 Free Museums to See in London

5 Free Museums to See in London

The city of London has nearly 300 museums spread across the city with many of them offering free admission.  Some will charge for specific exhibits but you can tour most of the museum without having to pay.  That leaves you with the choice of which museums you want to check out.  Here are 5 free museums to see in London with some incredible exhibits.

The British Museum

The British Museum was founded back in 1753 and it was created to serve as an encyclopedia of nature and art from all over the world.  Although they still have a huge collection of artifacts from all over the world, you can even see an actual Egyptian mummy, they have moved many of their exhibits to other museums.  Books have been moved to the British Library and natural history exhibits have been moved to the Natural History Museum.  That brings us to the next place you need to see.

The Natural History Museum

This is a great place to bring the kids, they have a huge collection of dinosaur skeletons and plenty of other exhibits that your kids will find interesting.  They have more than 30 galleries that exhibit everything from history to modern ecology.  There will be plenty of school children from around the country that come here to visit annually.  It is also a working museum with more than 300 scientists all trying to solve a variety of global issues.

The Science Museum

This is also another incredibly popular museum to bring the family to see.  The museum was opened back in 1857 and still holds its own as one of the leading science museums in the world.  Today the museum houses nearly half a million artifacts ranging from the Apollo 10 space craft to microchips.  Be prepared to spend the day and take a tour, you will love it.

The Museum of Childhood

Recapture your childhood at one of the world’s largest museums dedicated solely to childhood toys and objects.  With exhibits going back to the 1600’s all the way up to today.  You can find collections that feature games, dolls, doll houses, furniture and puppets.  This is the perfect family outing while you are in London, families can interact with many of the exhibits and everyday offers prizes and giveaways.

The Imperial War Museum

The War Museum has exhibits that show the horrors of war from WWI up to the present day.  The museum wants to encourage understanding modern warfare and the conflicts the British Commonwealth has fought in.  It is regarded as one of the must-see museums in the city.

Visiting the Smithsonian

Visiting the Smithsonian

Visiting the Smithsonian is a rite of passage for school children within a day’s drive of the museum but if you weren’t lucky enough to pay a visit when you were a kid then it should be added to your must-see list.  The place is filled with an astounding amount of artifacts including the Hope Diamond, you simply can’t see everything in a day.  Many of the galleries and museums have free admission so you have no excuses not to check it out.

The Origins

When English chemist James Smithson passed away in 1829 he bequeathed his entire fortune to the US, which totalled more than half a million dollars.  That was a huge sum at the time, however the government had no idea what to do with at the time until they finally decided to build a natural history museum.  It grew to become of the most incredible museums in the world.  Here is what you can expect to see here.

National Air and Space Museum

If you have ever been remotely interested in space travel then you need to check this place out, but be prepared to spend the day.  They house some of the rockets used for the Apollo and space shuttle missions.  You can also see the origins of modern flight in the Wright Brothers wing and there are tons of films and videos to check out throughout the museum.  They even have an IMAX theater where you can see some interesting films.  Here is a look at what you can expect to see.

Be Prepared for Crowds

The Smithsonian, while massive, is still the most visited museum in the world so be prepared for the crowds that will be here.  There are several different buildings that are all packed with history and science exhibits so there are busloads of school kids all over the museum.  Some of the more popular exhibits will have lineups to get in so have some patience.

Booking a Tour

You might want to try one of the formal tours of the different museums available.  There are tours of everything from the Postal Museum to a tour of the National Art Gallery.  You can check out exhibits from former president to natural history.  All of the tour guides are employed by the museum and are incredibly knowledgeable on the subjects they are showing you.  Again many of the tours are free of charge making them well worth it.