10 high-rated museums in the world

Museums are a trustworthy source of inspiration for anyone with a mild interest in art, history, and culture. They store the human stories through centuries and then display them to spark something unique in every visitor. This makes museums a great place to visit in any country or city you are traveling to. Today, museums worldwide have started hosting interactive exhibits and exploratory shows to attract more and more eyes every year.

Even if you do not find it interesting to look at art galleries, you get to see several displays, forcing you to explore more museums. With that being said, let us take a quick look at the top 10 high-rated museums in the world.

10 high-rated museums in the world

1. Louvre Museum, Paris

Louvre Museum, Paris

Anyone who likes museums must have seen the iconic glass pyramid of the Louvre Museum in Paris. It can undoubtedly be categorized as the world’s most famous and high-rated museum. The Louvre is home to countless art pieces which date back to more than several centuries. Housed in an old fortress, this museum is a fun place to visit along with your family and friends. This museum is spread over more than 650,000 square feet of public space. It is pretty huge and demands more than just a couple of hours for a complete visit. Thanks to its popularity, the Louvre Museum is expected to have massive crowds on every single day of the year. You will be able to find families, photographers, guides, school tours, college program classes, and more. The collection of The Louvre draws everyone from everywhere.

You can see famous statues and figures at the museum, which you might have only seen in textbooks and TV programs before that. One interesting thing is that the inside of the museum is just utterly filled with art. You will also find paintings on ceilings and the inner part of domes. Once you are inside, you feel surrounded by art from all sides. This makes the overall experience overwhelmingly tremendous. In a single visit to The Louvre, you can glance over so many years of art history. You will be seeing history’s best artwork right in front of your eyes.

2. The British Museum, London

The British Museum, London

When you visit London, you cannot possibly go back without experiencing a trip to The British Museum. It is one of the famous landmark attractions in the city. Established over 250 years ago, this museum displays human history and culture in all its glory. The architecture of The British Museum is extraordinary as well. With massive columns and granite structures, you have the feel of seeing something momentous and significant. The collection of the museum exceeds a whopping 7 million in number. This speaks of the fact that The British Museum is, well and truly, massive. It is also credited to house a large assortment of ancient Egyptian artifacts. In a single calendar year, The British Museum is regularly anticipated to have a footfall of more than 6 million.

Like The Louvre, The British Museum also has a giant glass structure at the center, which serves as The Great Court. It houses the original reading room and a part of the famous British Library before it was moved to its current location. You can move in all four directions to look at different galleries and exhibition halls from this central point. Even though entry to the museum is entirely free, you will have to buy tickets for attending any event that The British Museum might be hosting when you are there. You can also arrange for a guided tour to look in-depth at the museum’s displays.

3. The Metropolitan Museum Of Art, New York City

The Metropolitan Museum Of Art, New York City

The Metropolitan Museum Of Art is one of the most famous museums in New York City and holds prominence in the city’s known landmarks. This is a must-see for anyone who shares even a moderate interest in art, its history, and artists. What’s great is that the Metropolitan Museum Of Art offers free public tours, in which guides and art curators take you around the galleries for informative excursions. These tours are available in 10 different languages so that you can pick the most comfortable one. To save yourself some quality time, we recommend that you book your tickets in advance. This way, you won’t have to stand in notoriously long queues at the ticketing booths.

Interestingly, The Metropolitan Museum Of Art also has a rooftop bar, which offers spectacular views over the New York City skyline. From here, you can also take a look down at the galleries from overhead viewing panels. The museum offers empty tours for anyone who wants to enjoy an exclusive experience. There are more than 100 events carried out at The Met every month. These include lectures, seminars, art exhibitions, holographic shows, performances, informative sessions, and more. The Metropolitan Museum Of Art is known for its fantastic art collection from the Middle Ages. It is exquisitely restored and well-preserved for visitors to enjoy. There is no denying that it is undoubtedly a renowned and high-rated museum with all of that included.

4. State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg

State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg

This is believed to be one of the most excellent art museums worldwide. It is located in St. Petersburg, Russia, and its façade is a representation of typical Russian architecture. This museum is home to more than 3 million artworks from different parts of the world. The State Hermitage Museum is located in central St. Petersburg and also served as a home to Russian emperors in the past. The museum is also adjoined with a Hermitage theater, where multiple world-class shows and performances occur. This former imperial residence is not small by any definition. Everything within its bounds speaks of grandeur and magnificence. You can even see the actual throne of Russian emperors placed in a great public hall.

The war gallery of the State Hermitage Museum is believed to be the most epic of its nature. A great architectural addition to the museum is the Pavilion Hall. The interior decorations inside this hall will render you speechless. The museum’s collection started humbly with just 225 Western European paintings in the 1760s. After that, this collection grew to include some of the most famous artworks in the history of art and culture. This gave rise to a new wave of crafts that has not stopped to this day. At the State Hermitage Museums, you can see the works of famous Italian artists, including Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Titian, and others. If that is not enough, the museum is also home to magnificent Roman art. On the whole, it truly is heaven for people who appreciate art and style.

5. Vatican Museums, Vatican City

Vatican Museums, Vatican City

The Vatican Museums are located inside the city boundaries of the Vatican City. They exhibit artworks collected from the popes throughout history. Renaissance art is nowhere else displayed with elegance, sophistication, and grace. The Vatican Museums were founded in the early 16th century by Pope Julius II. They are now home to famous paintings and sculptures that mark their significance through reputation. There are 24 art galleries where this vast collection is permanently displayed. All galleries have been entirely open to the public since they were established.

The collection started with a single sculpture purchased by the pope more than 500 years ago. After that, the Vatican Museums grew their collection to include paintings from Leonardo da Vinci, Giotto di Bondone, Giovanni Bellini, Raphael, Caravaggio, and Veronese. The latest addition to these historical museums in the Sistine Chapel. This room was masterly painted by Raphael and Michelangelo for the pope. Notable sculpture galleries include Octagonal Court, Sala Rotonda, Greek Cross Gallery, Gallery Of The Statues, Gallery Of The Busts, and Cabinet Of The Masks. Also, there is a Gallery Of Maps established for the pope to visualize the expanse of the Papacy. Nowhere else can you see a more magnificent collection of geographical artworks. You must note that the museum is open for free on the last Sunday of each month. On every other day, you will not have any alternative but to wait in long lines for the tickets.

6. Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid

Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid

Also known as the Prado Museum, Museo Nacional del Prado has more than 7,000 paintings. It holds the single most significant collection of historical paintings in the world. These paintings are displayed so that they speak of Spain’s splendid past. The art and culture preserved in this museum through these great paintings cannot be described in words. The collection of Museo Nacional del Prado is genuinely priceless. It represents the glory of the Hispanic Monarchy and its Golden Age. As with every other museum on this list, the Prado Museum is immensely famous among tourists, locals, and art critics alike. Therefore, you might want to take advantage of the online ticketing system and book your passes in advance. From the same site, you can call for a guided tour, which would enable you to enjoy each artwork with context. This will save you much time, which you can then spend viewing the unique artworks displayed inside the museum.

This museum was founded in 1819, and since then, it has been a landmark attraction for anyone coming to the city of Madrid. More than 4 million visitors step foot within its boundaries every year. It was initially planned to serve as a natural history museum. However, that plan did not work out, and then this gorgeous structure was put to use as an art gallery. That laid down the path to its rich history. Over the years, the collection of the Prado Museum has been revised many times; however, all great masterpieces are still on display.

7. Musée d’Orsay, Paris

Musée d’Orsay, Paris

The current building of Musée d’Orsay was used as a train station for assisting visitors of the Paris World Fair in 1900. This structure was constructed as a palace for the royal family before it was burnt down. It also served as a film set, a mail center in World War II, and an auction house. The present form of the museum only took shape in 1986 when Musée d’Orsay was officially established. Today, it is one of the famous contemporary museums globally, displaying late 19th and 20th-century art. As we have just described, the museum’s building itself is a piece in its remarkable collection. The artworks present in this museum have been revisited by the authorities only once since it first opened its doors to the public. Therefore, a significant part of the original collection is still on show.

Musée d’Orsay tries to depict the art and the story behind it. It has been staged to narrate everything related to the period’s art it represents. Other than the permanent collection, there are plenty of fascinating temporary exhibits. More often than not, these too are collected from the same period. Moreover, there is always some event going on in or around the museum. Musée d’Orsay hosts several concerts, light shows, seminars, and premiers all around the year. Make sure to check if your visit overlaps with any event that may catch your eye.

8. The National Gallery, London

The National Gallery, London

Next to the famous Trafalgar Square in Central London sits the marvelous National Gallery. Undoubtedly, this gallery houses the most significant and most extensive collection of European paintings from all periods. Here, you can visit the art of this great continent without even leaving the boundaries of London. The National Gallery has everything from medieval art to pieces of the renaissance era. Just as in the State Hermitage of St. Petersburg, the National Gallery is also home to masterpieces of numerous Italian painters. At this great museum, you can find all sorts of classical and modern paintings depicting what Europe went through over the years.

The National Gallery can be categorized as the second most famous institution to visit in London, after The British Museum. This 196-year-old gallery is seen by more than 6 million people each year. It was established right on the onset when art was booming in Great Britain and all over Europe. This allowed it to build up its collection rapidly, which sits in its galleries to this very day. You would also like to know that The National Gallery contains paintings and has dedicated halls and galleries for sculptures. Many of these pieces come from Greece and the Roman Empires, which speaks of their historical importance. The entry to the gallery is completely free of charge for all visitors. This is another one of many reasons to visit it whenever you are in the vicinity of Trafalgar Square.

9. The Museum Of Modern Art, New York

The Museum Of Modern Art, New York

You have to see The Museum Of Modern Art, otherwise known as MoMA, whenever in New York. It is one of those places that is bound to leave an impactful shadow on anyone exploring its contents. The Museum Of Modern Art is dedicated explicitly to contemporary artworks. However, you can still find numerous classical paintings and sculptures as well. The Museum Of Modern Art exhibits are arranged in chronological order, floor by floor. This lets you have an overlook regarding how our art progressed over time. MoMA is also known for its outstanding efforts towards collecting, preserving and protecting modern and contemporary art.

If you plan to visit this museum, you will certainly have to set aside more than just a couple of hours. There is just so much to see here. The museum spans over five floors and continues to add to its magnificent collection every year. This assortment consists of modern architectural art, paintings, photographs, illustrations, written art, movies, and so much more. MoMA was established in 1929, and since then, it has hosted exhibitions, presentations, lectures, performances, and demonstrations related to the modern art of respective times. If you have gone over the “Top 10 Museum In New York City” post, you would know that it would cost you $25 to purchase an entry ticket to the MoMA. However, we would like to point out that it is entirely worth it.

10. Uffizi Gallery, Florence

Uffizi Gallery, Florence

The Uffizi Gallery is an art museum like none other. It is filled with pieces from ancient times and contains contemporary paintings, sculptures, and exhibits. This gallery was opened seven years before the declaration of independence. From the very start, it had been a public gallery, with its doors open for anyone who would like to marvel at these beautiful artworks of history. Every nook and corner of the Uffizi Gallery is filled with pure treasure. There is no wall on which you wouldn’t find a great piece of art. Inside the Uffizi Gallery, giant rooms and halls are dedicated to famous artists, painters, and sculptors. These places are packed with their work and display their lives through their art.

The Uffizi Gallery is the most visited museum in Italy, with more than 2 million tourists walking through its gates every year. It has been described as the greatest concentration of the works of art that exist. The gallery is also known for the most extensive Renaissance art collection anywhere globally. The U-shaped building of the gallery has a courtyard in the center. On all three sides, massive columns lead onto this great patio. The entire gallery is divided into 45 different halls dedicated to either a period or an artist. This allows you to have a better and wholesome view of what you see during your visit to the Uffizi Gallery.

Conclusion

Museums are home to extensive and impressive collections of art and artifacts. For anyone interested in history and culture, they are a must-visit. A well-curated museum not only lets you take a look at the exhibit but also presents it in a manner that sparks curiosity and even more interest. This list of top 10 high-rated museums in the world will surely tell you where to start on this glorious journey.