Museums all over the world are sanctuaries of art, history and culture that offer a window into the past. They beckon visitors to slow down, learn and find a new perspective on their lives and the world around them. Museums are also a place where conversations can be had between strangers over works of art that connect on a universal level. While some people may dismiss museums as stuffy or boring, the best museums have perfected the art of engaging visitors and making them think differently about society.
Some of the most popular museums in the world are art and historical institutions, like the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., or the Shanghai Museum of Art and History in China. Others are natural history museums, like the South African Museum in Cape Town, or science museums, such as the National Museum of Natural History in Stockholm, Sweden. These museums are designed to educate their guests about the world and the delicate balance between nature and humans.
Interestingly, many of the world’s museums started as private collections or ‘wonder rooms’ filled with rare and curious artifacts and objects. Often these early collections were accessible to the wealthy classes only, if they could afford to travel and visit them. Other times these collections were stolen from the tombs of ancient civilizations or illegally gathered by those with means. These early museums were known as the ‘cabinets of curiosities’.
As time went on, more and more of these collections were made public, albeit with restrictions and a certain degree of elitism. Some of the world’s most famous museums include the Louvre, with its iconic pieces like the Venus de Milo; the Egyptian Mummies; the Rosetta Stone; and the Mona Lisa. Other well-known museums, such as the National Gallery in London, are dedicated to European art from the middle ages to modern day.
With the growth of social media and digital technology, more and more museums are turning to these platforms to promote their collection and attract a wider audience. Some of these websites allow visitors to view and interact with the art or history that is being displayed. They can even listen to audio and watch videos about how the works were created or how the exhibitions came to be.
While the internet can replace a visit to an actual museum, there will always be those who yearn for the physical experience. Those people will be happy to know that the best museums in the world, as measured by visitor numbers from Statista, still remain popular with people worldwide. From venues in the heart of cities to locations in far-flung destinations, here are the 10 most visited museums in the world.
