Do you visit museums when you travel to another country? If yes, you must know how much of an enlightening and wonderful experience it is. If not, sadly, you’re missing a lot. Museums contain historical pieces of the places you visit. Most of them have stories that may have contributed to art, politics, culture, and more.
Widen your knowledge by exploring the following beautiful institutions included in the world’s most visited museums:
Le Louvre
Photo courtesy of Get Your Guide
After dropping a notch in 2016, The Louvre has regained its spot as the world’s most visited museum in the world. For the year of 2017, it had a total of 8.1 million visitors, a notable 10% increase from the previous year.
Before becoming a museum, The Louvre was actually a medieval fortress and the palace of the kings of France. Today, it houses a collection that is among the most important in the world like the Venus de Milo, the Mona Lisa, and Winged Victory of Samothrace.
Smithsonian Institution
Photo courtesy of Angela B. Pan Photography
With 19 separate museums, galleries, a National Zoo, and a research station, the Smithsonian is said to be the world’s largest research, education, and museum complex. The museum is so large that in 2017 alone, a combined total of 30 million people were able to visit. The National Air and Space Museum had the most number of visitors with a whopping 7 million. Although the length of time you’d spend inside a museum depends on how long you focus on an exhibit, it has been said that it might take you a lifetime to get a glimpse of all displays. Therefore, it’s advisable to plan ahead and take note of what you really want to see.
Some of the main attractions in this museum includes the original Star-Spangled Banner, the Wright brothers’ 1903 Flyer, and the Apollo 11 command module.
The Acropolis Museum
Photo courtesy of Greece Is
Located at the base of the famous Hill of Acropolis in Athens, Greece, the Acropolis Museum opened to the public in 2009. Its 25,000 square meter building houses a stunning ground floor gallery, which provides a walk over history. Apart from being included in TripAdvisor’s world’s top 10 museum, it is also the 3rd best museum in all of Europe.
Its main attractions include the Parthenon Procession where the frieze of Parthenon can be seen. Must see exhibits also include sculptures from 700 to 480 BC and maiden statues called Caryatid Ladies.
State Hermitage
Photo courtesy of Visit Petersburg
Housing more than 3 million items in its historic buildings, the State Hermitage is one of the largest and oldest museums in the world. It was founded by Catherine The Great in 1764 and opened to the public in 1852.
Today, the State Hermitage welcomes more than 2.8 million visitors annually. People flock to this Petersburg museum to see works of Rembrandt, da Vinci, Picasso, Van Gogh, Goya, and more famous artists. Its most alluring attraction, however, is the Treasure Gallery’s Gold Room. The Gold Room is the repository of magnificent jewelry art, most of which belonged to the Romanov Royal Family.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Photo courtesy of New York Times
Placing fourth in the world’s most popular museums in 2017, the Metropolitan Museum of Art or Met is home to a vast array of artifacts. It serves as storage to important relics that span thousands of years.
The Met is known for its powerhouse of a collection which includes even the ancient, classical, and Islamic worlds. Visitors may see numerous paintings, photographs, sculptures, antiquities, armors, and statuary. Gawk at famous pieces like the first-century Egyptian Temple of Dendur and Adam and Eve by Albrecht Dürer.
There are lots of museums you can visit in the world. The mentioned institutions above are only some that continue to spark the curiosity of people. While visiting, make sure to always plan ahead and follow rules and regulations. Like all museums, refrain from being rowdy whether with friends or family. Breaking an artifact is something you wouldn’t want to happen to you.
While going around, make sure to be wary of your valuables as crowds may tend to attract those with bad intentions. Store your phone, wallet, and passport in a secure bag. Today, Filipino tourists are recommended to avail a travel insurance in the Philippines before flight to ensure a hassle free travel.
Malayan Insurance – a leading non-life insurance company, offers a comprehensive travel health insurance in the Philippines, which will make unforeseen events like this easier to deal with.