For every trip out of the country, one must always consider including three things in the itinerary: the best dining places, the must-see tourist spots, and of course, the shopping destinations. BUT, if you truly want to maximize your stay, we suggest you squeeze in a museum visit to your schedule. Housing hundreds of years of works of art, these historical sites will make you learn and appreciate the rich culture of the country even more.
Below, a list of the Best Museums in the World according to Trip Advisor’s 2015 list, mixed in with a few of our own favorites. They can also serve as great OOTD backgrounds, mind you.
1. The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Where: New York, USA
Why: There's more to the MET than Serena and Blair's favorite steps. It's the largest art museum in the United States and one of the most visited in the world.
2. Musee du Louvre
(Photo by Philippe Lejeanvre | Getty)
Where: Paris, France
Why: Don't just take an OOTD beside the pyramid - go inside! It is the home of Mona Lisa and 35,ooo other works by some of history's greatest artists.
3. Vasa Museum
(Photo by Jonathan Nackstrand | Getty)
Where: Stockholm, Sweden
Why: It's a maritime museum like no other. It houses the only almost fully intact 17th century ship that the museum was named after. The Vasa is a 64-gun warship that sank in 1628.
4. The Acropolis Museum
(Photo by Xavier Testelin | Getty)
Where: Athens, Greece
Why: It's where you'll find ruins from Greece's rich ancient history.
5. Van Gogh Museum
(Photo by Jasper Juinen | Getty)
Where: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Why: Because, Van Gogh.
6. Academia Gallery
(Photo by Jean-Erick Pasquiere | Getty)
Where: Florence, Italy
Why: It houses the original statue of David.
7. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
(Photo by Mark Theiler | Getty)
Where: Washington DC, District of Columbia
Why: You'll be amazed by the evolution of aviation technology.
8. The Museum of Qin Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses
(Photo by Zhang Peng | Getty)
Where: Xi'an, China
Why: You won't see these popular terra-cotta warriors anywhere else in the world.
9. Art Institute of Chicago
(Photo by Scott Olson| Getty)
Where: Chicago, Illinois
Why: It has a great collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art.
10. Musee D'Orsay
(Photo by Bertrand Rondoff Petroff | Getty)
Where: Paris, France
Why: The Beaux-Arts railway station built between 1898 and 1900 is as amazing as the art it houses.
11. State Hermitage Museum and Winter Palace
(Photo by Alex Segre | Getty)
Where: St. Petersburg, Russia
Why: It is one of the largest and oldest museums in the world. It is a large complex of six historic buildings, which includes the Winter Palace, a former residence of Russian emperors
12. Museo Nacional del Prado
(Photo by Ullstein Bild | Getty)
Where: Madrid, Spain
Why: Features not only the best of Spanish art, but also the world's finest collections of European art, dating from the 12th century to the early 19th century. Some were from the former Spanish Royal Collection.
13. National Gallery
(Photo by Mary Turner | Getty )
Where: London, United Kingdom
Why: From Leonardo da Vinci to Vincent van Gogh, see priceless works of art for free.
14. Rijksmuseum
(Photo by Michel Porro | Getty)
Where: Amseterdam, the Netherlands
Why: If you visit during the winter season, you can even ice skate in the frozen courtyard.
15. Museo Nacional de Antropologia
(Photo by Francesca Yorke | Getty)
Where: Mexico City, Mexico
Why: It contains significant archaeological and anthropological artifacts from the Aztec period.
16. British Museum
(Photo by Jonathan McManus | Getty)
Where: London, United Kingdom
Why: It houses artifacts from all over the world.
17. The National WWII Museum
(Courtesy of the National WWII Museum)
Where: New Orleans, Louisiana
Why: If you want to see the remnants of the World War
18. Pergamon Museum
(Photo by Sean Gallup | Getty)
Where: Berlin, Germany
Why: The history housed here is larger-than-life.
19. Instituto Ricardo Brennand
(Courtesy of Instituto Ricardo Brennand)
Where: Recife, Brazil
Why: It houses the world's largest assemblage of paintings by Frans Post.
20. Inhotim
(Photo by Eduardo Eckenfels | Getty)
Where: Brumadinho, Brazil
Why: Features outdoor artwork that are also great for OOTDs.
21. Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial
(Photo by Uriel Sinai | Getty)
Where: Jerusalem, Israel
Why: It's Israel's official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. Quite eerie, but a must-see, nonetheless.
22. The Vatican Museum
(Photo by Giulio Origlia | Getty)
Where: Rome, Italy
Why: You'll see the famous works of Raphael and Michael Angelo, as well as the Sistine Chapel and the lush gardens of the Pope's home.
23. Museum of Latin America
(Photo by Gabriel Rossi | Getty)
Where: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Why: It's dedicated to modern and contemporary Latin American art.
24. Museum of New Zealand
(Photo by Hannah Peters | Getty)
Where: Wellington, New Zealand
Why: Art, geology, geography, flora, fauna–all in one space.
25. 9/11 Memorial Museum
(Photo by Anadolu Agency | Getty)
Where: New York, USA
Why: You'll see the telling of the tragic 9/11 story through multimedia displays, artifacts, and narratives. Say a silent prayer while you're there.
26. Pinto Art Museum
(Photo by Philippe Lejeanvre | Getty)
Where: Antipolo, Rizal, Philippines
Why: Because it's best to see our very own before going elsewhere. Here's a list of museums to visit in the Philippines.
