Museum are institutions that collect, care for, interpret, and exhibit artifacts of cultural or scientific significance. They usually serve a variety of audiences, including schools, students, and the general public. Often, museums also host special exhibitions and offer a variety of programs and activities, such as lectures or tutorials by museum faculty or experts from the field, films, musical or dance performances, and technology demonstrations. Museums may be located in cities, suburbs, or rural areas. The majority of museums are operated by local, state, or provincial governments.
The oldest and most famous museum in the world is the British Museum, which is home to more than 6 million works of art and historical artifacts from ancient Egypt, Greek civilization, Roman culture, Asia, Africa, medieval Europe, and the Americas. Its collections include the Elgin Marbles, which were removed from the Parthenon in Athens; a golden mask from the tomb of Tutankhamun; and masterpieces by artists such as Botticelli and Monet.
The Museum of Modern Art, in the heart of New York City, is one of the most visited museums in the world. Its collection includes some of the most important modern and contemporary artworks by renowned artists such as Picasso, Matisse, Van Gogh, and Cezanne. It also houses the most complete collection of works by the impressionist painters, with pieces such as Degas’s Card Players and Monet’s Houses of Parliament among many others.
Other major museums all over the world include the Louvre, in Paris, where you can admire some of the most important treasures of human history, including paintings by Monet and Renoir, and the El Greco’s famous Garden of Earthly Delights in Madrid, Spain. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York, is another must-visit museum, with masterpieces by Monet and Rembrandt, as well as the legendary Vermeer painting, The Milkmaid.
Many museums have become symbols of their host regions, as they play a role in economic development and revitalization. The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in the Basque region of Spain is one example, built in an effort to transform the once-dilapidated port area of Bilbao into a tourist destination. Other examples of museums playing an economic role can be found in the revitalization of postindustrial cities throughout the world.
Some people may dismiss museums as boring, but the best galleries around the world have mastered the art of enthralling their visitors with carefully curated collections and transcending exhibitions that can make even the most skeptical visitor think differently about society. Museums all over the world have much to teach us about our world, its cultures, and the way that humans live together in harmony or discord. Visit these museums and learn to appreciate the value of art, history, and culture. The knowledge and understanding that you can gain at a museum is a powerful tool in the battle against hatred and ignorance.
