14 Best Museums in the World | Travel, Tours and Top Tens.
The
urge to collect things of beauty and significance goes deep into
history. Museums not only exhibit but also safeguard these art objects
for future generations. Today, we feature the best museums in the world. They hold some of the largest and most important art and antiquities collections on the planet.
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), located in Midtown Manhattan in New
York City, is often identified as the most influential museum of modern
art in the world. It arguably contains the best collection of modern
masterpieces world-wide including Monet’s Water Lilies, Picasso’s Les
Demoiselles d’Avignon, and van Gogh’s Starry Night. In addition to the
artwork, one of the main draws of MoMA is the building itself. A maze of
glass walkways permits art viewing from many angles. In 2004 a $425
million face-lift by Yoshio Taniguchi increased the exhibition space of
the museum by nearly 50%.
14. Tokyo National Museum
flickr/Psicoloco
Established 1872, the Tokyo National Museum is the oldest and largest
museum in Japan. The museum’s collections focus on ancient Japanese art
and Asian art along the Silk Road. There is also a large collection of
Greco-Buddhist art.13. Rijksmuseum
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The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam is the largest and most prestigious
museum for art and history in the Netherlands. It has a large collection
of paintings from the Dutch Golden Age including works by Vermeer and
Rembrandt. Until 2013, the museum is being completely renovated, but the
major masterpieces are still on show.12. Prado Museum
flickr/ALVARO CARNICERO
One of the top museums in Spain, The Prado Museum in Madrid features
some of the best collections of European art, from the 12th century to
the early 19th century. The best known works on display at the museum
are the Majas of Goya (La Maja Vestida and La Maja Desnuda) and Las
Meninas by Velázquez. Velázquez not only provided the Prado with his own
works, but his keen eye and sensibility was also responsible for
bringing much of the museum’s fine collection of Italian masters to
Spain.11. Museo Nacional de Antropologia
flickr/Mikey Stephens
The Museo Nacional de Antropología (or National Museum of
Anthropology) in Mexico City contains archaeological artifacts from the
pre-Columbian heritage of Mexico. Opened in 1964 by, the museum has a
number of significant exhibits,such as the giant stone heads of the
Olmec civilization and the Sacred Cenote from Chichen Itza. The most
famous artifact however is the Stone of the Sun which was actually not
used as a calendar but does contain 20 day signs and the 4 era’s of suns
that preceded the current 5th sun.10. National Palace Museum
wikipedia/Wikipedia
The National Palace Museum in Taipei has the largest collection of
ancient Chinese artifacts and artworks in the world. The museum was
originally established as the Palace Museum in Beijing’s Forbidden City
in 1925, shortly after the expulsion of the last emperor of China. In
the final years of the Chinese Civil War the most prized items in the
museum’s collection were moved to Taiwan. By the time the items arrived
in Taiwan, the communist army had already seized control of the Palace
Museum.9. Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
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Designed by Frank Gehry, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain is a
spectacular twisting titanium-clad modern art museum and perhaps the
most celebrated building of the 1990s. The graceful, sensuous curves,
evocative of the ships that used to be ubiquitous along the docks of
Bilbao, are covered in titanium squares, which resemble the scales of a
fish and shimmer in the sunlight. The museum features permanent and
visiting exhibits of works by Spanish and international artists.8. Museum of Modern Art
7. Hermitage Museum
flickr/archer10 (Dennis)
Founded in 1764 by Catherine the Great, the Hermitage Museum in Saint
Petersburg, Russia is a massive museum of art and culture showing the
highlights of a collection of over 3 million items spanning the globe. A
popular tourist attraction,
the Hermitage is truly one of the best museums in the world, with an
imposing setting displaying priceless works by Rembrandt, Da Vinci,
Michealangelo, Reubens and more. The collections occupy a large complex
of six historic buildings including the Winter Palace, a former
residence of Russian emperors.6. Uffizi Gallery
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The Uffizi Gallery in Florence,
Italy, is one of the oldest and most famous art museums in the world.
It is housed in the Palazzo degli Uffizi which was constructed in the
16th century as the offices for the Florentine magistrates. The
collections of Renaissance paintings and sculptures from classical
antiquity are superb. Included is The Birth of Venus by Sandro
Boticelli. There are often long lines starting even before the doors
open.5. British Museum
flickr/KhayaL
Established in 1753, the British Museum in London is a museum of
human history and culture. Its collections, which number more than seven
million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the
world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting
the story of human culture from its beginnings to the present. Objects
include the Rosetta Stone, the key to the deciphering of hieroglyphs,
and the largest collection of mummies outside of Egypt. Its one of the
top destinations in London.4. Metropolitan Museum of Art
flickr/A. Strakey
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, also known as The Met, is an art
museum located on the eastern edge of Central Park in New York City.
This massive gothic-style building, originally opened in 1872 and with
numerous expansions added on over time, holds literally hundreds of
rooms on its two floors, containing more than two million works of art
from across human history and around the world, covering virtually every
field of art in existence. In addition to its permanent exhibitions,
the Met organizes and hosts large traveling shows throughout the year.3- Vatican Museums
flickr/tripleman
Founded by Pope Julius II in the 6th century, the Vatican Museums
inside the Vatican City in Rome are among the best museums in the world.
The museums are most famous for the spiral staircase, the Raphael Rooms
and the exquisitely decorated Sistine Chapel. Under the patronage of
Pope Julius II, Michelangelo painted the chapel ceiling between 1508 and
1512. Today the ceiling, and especially The Last Judgment, are widely
believed to be Michelangelo’s crowning achievements in painting.2. Egyptian Museum
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Home to at least 120,000 items of ancient Egyptian antiquities, the
Egyptian Museum in Cairo is one of the world’s best museums. There are
two main floors of the museum, the ground floor and the first floor. On
the ground floor there is an extensive collection of papyrus and coins
used in by the ancient Egyptians. On the first floor there are artifacts
from the final two dynasties of Ancient Egypt and also many artifacts
taken from the Valley of the Kings. Highlights include the objects from
the Tomb of Tutankhamen and the Royal Mummy Room containing 27 royal
mummies from pharaonic times.1. Louvre
flickr/pmorgan
The Louvre in Paris
is one of the world’s largest and most visited art museums in the
world. The museum opened in 1793 and is housed in the Louvre Palace, a
former royal palace. The famous glass pyramid which in the main
courtyard of the Louvre Palace was added in 1989 and serves as the main
entrance to the museum. Its exhibits come from such diverse origins as
ancient Egypt, classical Greece and Rome, medieval Europe and Napoleonic
France. Its most famous exhibit, of course, is Leonardo da Vinci’s
painting of the Mona Lisa, generally to be found surrounded by hordes of
camera-flashing tourists.