World’s Best Museums 

Visiting a new country can be exciting yet overwhelming experience.  There is art, culture, history, architecture, music, design and science that are all waiting to be learned and explored in cities and towns throughout the world.  A museum can provide a glimpse into local life, or provide education on a broader level. I think museums are a way to get a glimpse of the view of a country. Small, local museums even more-so, they show how they perceive themselves and the rest of the world. Get out to a museum near you, open your eyes and enrich your minds.  Doing some research to choose an interesting museum is better than the field trips you took to in childhood. It’s fun, I promise!  In all of the countries I’ve visited, I think I’ve stumbled on a good museum or two.  Here is a list I’ve compiled by continent and country that are in my opinion some of the world’s best museums. While this doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of some of the world’s best museums, it’s a list I’ve been compiling through my travels and hope to add more!

Best Museums in Africa 

Yves Saint Laurent Museum & Marjarelle Gardins, Marrakech, Morocco

There are several famous and worthy museums in this Northern African country but I chose my personal favorite.  This is a unique space because it pays homage to the designer Yves Saint Laurent, who isn’t Moroccan, however, he gathered much of his inspiration around the time he spent in the country.  Morocco is electric for a creative mind and this museum will evoke artistic imagination through it’s landscape, architecture and exhibitions.  Be sure to check out the Majorelle Gardens, they are located next to the museum and are best to visit early or late in the day to avoid the crowds.

House of Wonders Zanzibar, Tanzania

Once you dig your feet into the sands of the magical island of Zanzibar, you may be hard pressed to leave the beach, but I implore you to spend a few days in Stonetown to see the cultural side of this Tanzanian archipelago.  The museum was a former palace & is a great representation of the European influences that moved through East Africa.

Uganda Museum, Kampala Uganda

This compared to other museums isn’t the fanciest, it in some sections feels dated and it is clearly underfunded but that is part of the reason I put it on my list.  There are artifacts information here that is important when learning about the history of the country and when visitors spend their tourism revenue here it gives the national museum a chance to thrive.  The guides here are friendly & knowledgable, be sure to get a guided tour to learn more than just walking through.

Livingstone Museum, Livingstone Zambia 

Arguably the best museum in the country, the Livingstone Museum has archeological & anthropological exhibits in addition to memorabilia from explorer David Livingstone. It’s the largest & oldest museum in Zambia and is an interesting representation of the history of foreign interest to Africa in the 19th century.

Best Museums in Asia

The Genocide Museum, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

This is one of the most difficult museums I’ve been to and it in no would I say I enjoyed going, but it was an extremely important part of the history of Cambodia. I highly recommend that you visit to get a better idea of the atrocities that unfolded in the late 70’s.  There were over 1 million people who were tortured and murdered by the Khmer Rouge regime.  The museum is the site of a former school that Pol Pot turned into a prison. It acted as a detention center while people were held before being taken to the killing fields.  I’d compare this to going to a Holocaust museum, it is a depressing display of history but it is important to avoid replicating these types of tragedies.

Setia Darma House of Masks & Puppets, Ubud Bali, Indonesia 

When a friend recommended we visit the puppet museum when we were in Bali, I had some reservations.  Puppets?  But I will quickly admit when I’m wrong, this is a collection of traditional Balinese homes that have been converted into a cultural and artisan craft preservation space.  It was fascinating to see hundreds of different masks and puppets, giving you a glimpse into the handicraft & artisanal tradition of the island.

Cheong Fatt Ze Mansion, George Town Penang, Malaysia

The Blue Mansion is an architectural & historical home in the UNESCO city of George Town.  You can tour the mansion but the best thing to do is stay in the section of the home that has been converted into a museum.  The buildings of the city are what makes it so unique, and Cheong Fatt Ze is a great representation.  It also happens to be one of my favorite walking cities!  

Agnes Keith House, Sabah Borneo, Malaysia

This place has a special travel story. It’s where I was bit by a stray dog, creating a chain of events where I found myself in Malaysia & Indonesia getting rabies shots for safe measure. Possible deadly animal attack aside, this former home of the minister of forestry is a writers dream location. Keith was a accomplished author and this was the place where she penned her more famous works.

Jim Thompson House, Bangkok Thailand

Any time I’m in Bangkok, I’ll visit the Jim Thompson House. It’s a private residence turned museum with an impressive collection of Southeast Asian Art. It is a great way to escape from the busy city, the former home sits on a half acre of jungle garden right within the city center.

War Remnants Museum, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

What used to be known as the American War Crimes Museum, this is a tough, but important place for Westerners to gain perspective about the other side of the story of the Vietnam/American War. This is a really good example of how it is important to see history from the other side of the story.

Favorite Museums of the Middle East

Museum of Islamic Art, Doha Qatar

I’m not going to lie, I may have booked a long layover specifically to see this museum. I M Pei (the famed architect that invisioned the pyramids at the Louvre) was commissioned to design this building. The archways along the water feature frame the rest of Doha perfectly.

Pro tip: You can take a tour with Qatar Airways if you have a long layover, they will pick up and drop off from the airport!

Frankincense Museum, Salalah Oman

Showing visitors the history of Frankincense from biblical times to the spice trade through the modern era. It’s an eye opening visit that will take you on a journey into Middle Eastern history. The cafe here also has some delicious food as well as a view of the UNESCO site that accompanies the museum.

Favorite Museums of Europe 

Musee d’Orsay, Paris, France

France is just full of can’t miss museums.  Everyone will have a different favorite, and much like a household full of children, it’s hard to select just one.  The Musee d’Orsay is one that sticks out for me mainly because I’m such a fan of the French Impressionism.

Louvre, Paris, France

It’s the world’s most popular museum, with over 9 million visitors each year.  You could spend days here, it’s a massive space that is the world’s largest and most visited, so there are some tricks on how to try and avoid the crowds as best as you can like buying a museum pass or purchasing your tickets online.  I went in the evening mid week (remember they are closed on Tuesdays) and the second time I visited, I used the Port des Lions entrance which is a less busy way to gain access to the most impressive collection of art & history.

Museum Island, Berlin, Germany

In the Mitte district of Berlin, there is a collection of museums on the north part of the island.  The complex has six museums and is a UNESCO world heritage site.  When the weather is nice it is a great space to walk around, don’t forget all the museums are closed on Mondays.  My favorite is the Old National Gallery and if you are looking to see more than one during your visit, there is a museum pass that has access to all over the course of three days.

Acropolis Museum, Athens, Greece

Greece is more than just beautiful islands and after dinner drinks. Ancient Greece is an important and interesting part of your trip and I think an important and unique part of A Greek getaway is that the history is so tangible. Walking down the street you can see remnants of the past.

Vatican Museum, Vatican City, Italy

The Vatican has one of the most impressive works of art possible on the planet, the Sistine Chapel. I can’t imagine how Michelangelo painted this basically upside down.

Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy

Gosh, I think there are a dozen museums in Italy alone we could talk about. Italy may be known initially for food, but the art and architecture comes in a close second to reasons for a visit. I could have chosen a dozen different museums in this country, but for me Florence is the best. The Uffizi Gallery has some of the most important works of art.

Dublin Writers Museum, Ireland

On a rainy day this is where I could spend an afternoon. The Dublin Writers Museum may be small, but mighty. There’s a library next store, and Chapter One is the restaurant in the lower level, which I’ve been several times.

Viking Museum, Oslo, Norway

My first memory of learning about vikings was on the Norwegian ride at Epcot. I feel like that’s the most American sentence you’ll read on this blog. Since then I was intrigued by the folklore of the region and when I visited Oslo, I made sure I spent an afternoon at the Viking Museum. It’s one of the world’s oldest preserved boats and it’s worth the trip.

Berardo Museum, Lisbon Portugal 

It’s one of my favorite modern museums in Europe. The Berardo not only has beautiful art installments on the inside, but the building itself is on the water AND near one of my favorite bakeries. A win on all sides.

National Gallery, London, England

So here’s the thing, London has enough museums in the city where you could make your vacation just about going to visit each one and do nothing else.  The best part is a majority of them are free, so you can save your pounds for pints at the bar. It’s hard to choose just one museum in London that I enjoy most, but if I’d have to pick, I’d choose the National Gallery. It’s one of the largest collections in the world as well as one of the most visited.

Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, Glasgow, Scotland

There are several museums that I’ve visited in the UK but I loved Kelvingrove for the organ concerts at 1pm held daily each week. It’s a tradition that’s been going on for over a century.

Vasa Museum, Stockholm, Sweden

This museum has a massive Swedish warship from the 1600’s that you can explore. The preservation is seriously impressive and learning about travel by boat in the 17th century is an interesting experience.

Best Museums in Central America 

Museo de Art Fundacion Ortiz-Gurdian, Leon, Nicaragua

A contemporary art museum with perfectly manicured courtyards and a lovely open air concept. It feels like you’re walking around admiring art in a friends home. I love that this space includes local creators as well as famed Latin American artists.

Choco Museo, Granada, Nicaragua

I will always be behind a museum that promotes eating sweets. There are chocolate museums in several countries, but this one in particular I enjoyed most. Being a semi-professional chocolate museum taste tester is a tough job people , but someone’s gotta do it.

Museum of the Revolution, Havana, Cuba

Another example of why as a foreigner, visiting a museum with a different perspective is important. The US was involved in the embargo with Cuba and the Revolution Museum depicts the story we Americans didn’t learn in our history class.

Finca Vigia, Havana, Cuba

In Cuba not only can you drink like Hemingway and you can also see where he lived. The house is open for viewing and is still arranged exactly how Hemingway decorated it. It feels like a glimpse into a person who was larger than life. You can also head down to the pool on the property to see the famed boat he sailed around the Florida Keys.

Favorite Museums of North America 

MOMA, New York, New York

The first museum devoted to modern art. One of the most visited and arguably one of the most influential spaces for the arts in the world. It’s fitting that a city with such size would have a museum of such stature. Friday nights are free!

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston, Massachusetts

I was first drawn to visit this museum after reading a book and learning about one of the major art heists in the world. The Gardner Museum is one of the largest private collections turned public. The building is gorgeous and the story of the stolen paintings adds a little intrigue to art.

Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois

This is one of the first museums I visited where I had a painting stand out in a way that made me want to learn more about art. Seurat’s pointillism piece was here and I stood in front of it mesmerized for what felt like hours. This was a high school trip that shaped my love of art and so it will always be a special place for me personally.

Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota

I would come here for the large sculpture garden alone. On a sunny midwest afternoon this is the perfect place to walk around and explore. The museum itself has a wonderful collection of contemporary art.

Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I lived in Philadelphia for several years after college and it became a tradition of sorts to go here each spring around my birthday. I studied French in school & this is the largest private collection of Impressionist artwork open to the public. Barnes had a unique sense of style, he believed that art, especially fine art should be available for all to enjoy. He was also friendly with Matisse and there is a one of a kind mural you can see when you visit.

Anne of Green Gables Museum, PEI, Canada

Not many museums will have you driving 1,000 miles to visit. What started out as attending a wedding in New England snowballed into a road trip up to Prince Edward Island. LM Montgomery was an author that inspired me as a story teller. Her books, about a precocious red headed girl named Anne fostered imagination in girls across the world.

Memorial ACTe, Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe

Another difficult but necessary space is the Slave Museum in Guadeloupe. So many times you hear people visiting the Caribbean on a cruise, bouncing from beach to beach and not fully realizing the history that shaped these islands. Since going last year, I’ve made it a point to recommend this to anyone spending time in and around the Caribbean Sea.

Best Museums in South America 

National Mint of Bolivia, La Paz, Bolivia

It may not have very good translation into English from Spanish, but it’s an important part of Bolivian history. The Mint Museum shows you the role that the United States played in the currency crisis of Bolivia. Did you know that the country uses US Dollars?

Gold Museum, Bogota, Colombia

This is one of the most visited places in Colombia and on a Sunday morning, it was the first place we went. There is free entrance that day and if you go early enough, you can beat the cost saving crowds.

Museo Botero, Bogota, Colombia 

I love this artist. His take on classics is humorous and thought provoking. Located in La Candelaria neighborhood, the building is as beautiful as his pieces are interesting. I feel like he accurately depicts me after I’ve been eating my way through Latin America.

Museo de la Cuidad, Quito Ecuador

A museum of the city, this is a great introduction not only to the capital, but to the country in general. The building itself is a UNESCO world heritage site and was once a hospital.

Mitad del Mundo, Ecuador

So this may not be the best but it certainly one of the most interesting.  You’re standing in between the Northern & Southern Hemispheres and can find out a little more about geography, astrology and the history of the region.

The Ethical Dilemma of Preserving Culture & Artifacts

So if a space is trying to bring world culture to the masses and preserve art history it can’t be bad right? As with so many things, there isn’t a straight answer to that questions. It’s important to remember that these items we are viewing have a home outside of their glass boxes. Are there ways to be a more responsible museum goer? Support small museums that have a local lens. Be sure to visit a museum that is showcasing their own culture in their own spaces. Visiting a museum on vacation that is outside of the “western world” is a great way to shape your view on continued colonization.

Western museums have the history of looting colonized places and taking these artifacts profiting from items that aren’t theirs. While I think the original intention was to share experiences from places and peoples you can’t visit on your own, it in the long run created a system where repatriations may be necessary to fess up to the uncomfortable stories that come from the makings of these massive museums.

The debate on returning items seems to continue and morphs into a more philosophical one. Who owns culture? The goal should be for museums to honor and respect the wishes of others while still upholding a commitment to cross-cultural learning. I think there is a way to work towards a common goal of accessible education and appreciation of history and traditions.