Famous Museums of the World

30 famous museums chosen by this site, by visitor numbers and the standing of their collections, from every continent; for more in China see Famous Museums in China. Listed by continent; click a name to see it on the map.

Europe

• Musée du Louvre France
  The world's most visited museum, home to the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo, with collections from ancient Egypt to the 19th century.
• British Museum United Kingdom
  One of the first national public museums (1753), holding the Rosetta Stone and Parthenon sculptures and spanning two million years of human history.
• Vatican Museums Vatican
  The papal collections, including Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling and the Raphael Rooms.
• State Hermitage Museum Russia
  Centred on the Winter Palace, with over three million objects, one of the largest art museums in the world.
• Museo Nacional del Prado Spain
  The former Spanish royal collection, with the finest holdings of Velázquez, Goya and Bosch.
• Gallerie degli Uffizi Italy
  The Medici collection and the foremost collection of Renaissance painting, including Botticelli's Birth of Venus.
• Musée d'Orsay France
  A converted railway station holding the largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces.
• The National Gallery United Kingdom
  On Trafalgar Square, holding European paintings from the 13th to early 20th century.
• Rijksmuseum Netherlands
  The treasury of Dutch Golden Age art, home to Rembrandt's Night Watch and works by Vermeer.
• Kunsthistorisches Museum Austria
  The Habsburg collections, with the world's largest group of paintings by Pieter Bruegel the Elder.
• Museum Island Berlin Germany
  An ensemble of five museums on the Spree, a World Heritage Site, home to the Nefertiti bust and the Pergamon Altar.
• Acropolis Museum Greece
  At the foot of the Acropolis, displaying the sculptures found on the site.
• Natural History Museum United Kingdom
  Around 80 million specimens, known for its dinosaurs and Victorian Romanesque building.
• Deutsches Museum Germany
  One of the world's largest museums of science and technology, from mining to spaceflight.

North America

• The Metropolitan Museum of Art United States
  The largest art museum in the US, with over 1.5 million works spanning 5,000 years of world cultures.
• American Museum of Natural History United States
  One of the largest natural history museums, known for its dinosaur halls and Hayden Planetarium.
• The Museum of Modern Art United States
  A benchmark collection of modern art, including Van Gogh's Starry Night and Picasso's Les Demoiselles d'Avignon.
• Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum United States
  Holds the Wright Flyer, the Apollo 11 command module and other milestones of flight.
• Art Institute of Chicago United States
  One of the oldest and largest US art museums, known for its Impressionists and Seurat's A Sunday on La Grande Jatte.
• Museo Nacional de Antropología Mexico
  The most important collection of pre-Columbian art and archaeology, including the Aztec Sun Stone.

Asia

• The Palace Museum China
  Housed in the Ming and Qing Forbidden City, with about 1.86 million objects, chiefly imperial collections, painting, calligraphy, ceramics and bronzes.
• National Museum of China China
  On the east side of Tiananmen Square; its 'Ancient China' exhibition includes the Houmuwu ding and other key objects.
• Shanghai Museum China
  A museum of ancient Chinese art known for bronzes, ceramics and painting; its East branch opened in 2024.
• Shaanxi History Museum China
  Known for Zhou, Qin, Han and Tang objects, including Tang tomb murals and the Hejiacun gold and silver hoard.
• Tokyo National Museum Japan
  Japan's oldest and largest museum, with many National Treasures of Japanese and Asian art.
• National Museum of Korea South Korea
  Korea's largest museum, presenting the history and art of the Korean peninsula; recently among the world's most visited.
• National Museum, New Delhi India
  India's principal national museum, from the Indus Valley Civilisation to modern times.
• Museum of Islamic Art Qatar
  Designed by I. M. Pei, holding Islamic art from three continents across 1,400 years.

Africa

• Grand Egyptian Museum Egypt
  Beside the Giza pyramids, the largest archaeological museum devoted to one civilisation, with Tutankhamun's complete tomb treasures.

Oceania

• Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa New Zealand
  New Zealand's national museum, bringing together Māori culture, art and natural history.