Looking for the most popular museums in the world? The UAE is home to a number of fantastic museums, including the forthcoming Museum of the Future, and soon the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. (The countdown is on.)
As excitement continues to build and we all start planning our first visits, it seems only fitting to take a closer look at some of the most popular museums in the world. From temples to modern art to vast buildings that celebrate millions of years of human history, consider adding these top museums in the world to your travel list.
Museum of Modern Art, New York
Set in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, the museum that everyone knows as The Met houses work from a who’s who of famed modern artists – from Picasso to Pollack, Matisse to Warhol. There are galleries filled with contemporary film, photography and fashion pieces and fascinating, oft-changing temporary exhibits. The building itself is glorious: expansive, impressive and light-flooded. And on-site restaurant The Modern serves noteworthy food to boot.
moma.org.
Museo Reina Sofía, Madrid
Madrid’s mile-long Paseo del Prado or Art Walk is home to three of the most renowned museums in the city, if not the capital: Prado, Thyssen-Bornemisza and, perhaps the most famed of them all, the Reina Sofía. Crowds from all over the world flock to this amazing gallery for contemporary art and sculpture. Picasso’s Guernica and the Salvador Dali exhibition are the major draw for many, but the impressive collection also includes famed works from Spanish artists Tàpies, Dalí and Miró.
museoreinasofia.es/en.
Natural History Museum, London
One of many brilliant things about the crowd-pleasing, awe-inspiring, utterly immersive Natural History Museum is just how popular it is with visitors of all ages – children very much included. The permanent collection houses over 80 million natural specimens and is split into collections with four different coloured zones and numerous interactive exhibits. Crowd favourites (particularly amongst the younger set) include the world-famous, ex-London Zoo resident Guy the Gorilla, Hope the blue whale and the Dinosaurs Gallery.
nhm.ac.uk.
National Museum of China, Beijing
Located on the eastern side of Tiananmen Square in Beijing, the National Museum of China was officially established in 2003, when the Museum of the Chinese Revolution and the National Museum of Chinese History were merged. The result is a huge, free-to-enter museum with an extensive and impressive collection dedicated to educating visitors about the history and art of China.
chnmuseum.cn.
Shanghai Science & Technology Museum, Shanghai
One of the newer museums on this list, the hugely popular Shanghai Science & Technology Museum is known for its vast collection of historical relics (bronze, ceramics, paintings, sculptures, ancient coins and such) which are split into 14 main exhibitions across several floors. These include the World of Robots, World of Animals and Space Navigation. The space is also home to four IMAX theatres and puts on an impressive 10,000 science/environment-related screenings a year. It’s one of the most popular museums for learning.
en.sstm.org.cn.
The British Museum, London
You could, in all seriousness, spend days exploring The British Museum where upwards of 80,000 objects spanning two million years of human history are on display. In addition to the original columned building which was completed in 1852, the cultural bemouth boasts a glass-roofed inner courtyard designed by Norman Foster, and a contemporary 2014 extension which is home to various temporary exhibitions. It’s almost impossible to pick a highlights list here but the Egyptian Mummies, Rosetta Stone and Parthenon sculptures are all considered perennial big hitters. The British Museum has a sweeping list of pieces which highlight it being the first public national museum in the world.
britishmuseum.org.
The Louvre, Paris
The established older sister to the dazzling Louvre Abu Dhabi is quite simply the grande-dame of the museum world, with a reputation as the best known and busiest on the planet. It’s easy to see why: beyond the iconic glass pyramid entrance, a plethora of peerless art awaits. Visitors are spoilt for choice as to which seminal piece they stand in awe of first, from the Mona Lisa to the Venus de Milo statue, Winged Victory of Samothrace monument and Vermeer’s The Lacemaker, the list goes on and on.
louvre.fr/en.
