International Museum Day

The 18th of May 2024 is International Museum Day. We love a good excuse to celebrate, so we’re certainly honouring this iconic day! From the oldest to the newest, the unusual to the more conventional, we’re marking International Museum Day by sharing some of our favourite museums from all around the world with you. So, why not join us on this trip around the world and its incredible museums?

Our Top Picks for International Museum Day

• The Louvre: Paris
• The Oldest Museum in the World: Rome
• A Modern Museum: Oslo
• Huge Art Galleries: New York
• National Museum of Anthropology: Mexico City
• Tiny Shell Museum: Abaco
• Edgar’s Closet: Tuscaloosa
• A Very Remote Museum: Colomé
• Museum of Tap Water: Beijing
• British Lawnmower Museum: Southport

The Louvre: Paris, France

Firstly, to kick start our trip around the world’s museums, we’re heading to Paris. The French capital is among the cities with the most museums in the world, with over 130! Of these, the iconic Louvre is well worth mentioning on International Museum Day. Here, you can marvel at the Mona Lisa and the Winged Victory statue. Get your ticket to the Louvre Museum with a Guide here.

However, if you’re a fan of modern art, you should visit the Centre Pompidou to explore its huge collection of contemporary art. Paris is also home to several museums that focus on specific artists, such as L’Orangerie Museum which celebrates Claude Monet and Pablo Picasso. You can purchase a ticket for this museum here. Paris is the perfect destination to visit this International Museum Day!

The Oldest Museum in the World: Rome, Italy

Another fantastic way to celebrate International Museum Day is to travel back in time by visiting the Capitoline Museums in Rome. Receiving its first donations in 1471, this is the oldest museum in the world!

This museum opened to the public in 1734 under Clement XII and was the first place in the world where great works of art could be admired by everyone, rather than just the owners. Why not visit Italy and take a guided tour of the Capitoline Museums to study ancient Roman statues, inscriptions and art from the Medieval and Renaissance periods?

A Modern Museum: Oslo, Norway

Conversely, we move from the oldest museum in the world to a fairly new one. The Nasjonalmuseet (National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design) in Oslo, Norway was first established in 2003. In 2022, it opened in a brand new building, housing a collection of 5,000 works spread across 2 floors and nearly 90 rooms. It’s the largest art museum in the Nordic region!

Additionally, this museum is super easy to access as it’s located on the city’s charming harbour. If you’re in Norway, check out what tours and activities we have on offer.

Huge Art Galleries: New York, U.S.

Another of our favourite museums worth highlighting on International Museum Day is the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Also known as The Met, this incredible building on Fifth Avenue is the largest art museum in the USA.

It was founded in 1870 by a group of Americans after visiting Paris. They wanted to bring some of the art and culture-sharing they’d witnessed back to the US. By the 20th century, the museum had acquired works by renowned artists, including Auguste Renoir, Henri Matisse and Johannes Vermeer. Due to the high calibre of art on display, you won’t be surprised to learn that the Met is also one of the most-visited art museums in the world.

However, if you’re more into modern art, the New York Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is full of famous contemporary works. Get your tickets here!

National Museum of Anthropology: Mexico City, Mexico

When discussing huge museums, the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City is certainly worth mentioning. This museum is one of the most visited in the country, making it another of our top places to highlight on International Museum Day.

Opening in 1964, this museum has 23 different rooms and covers an area of 8 hectares. It celebrates the country’s rich heritage and the culture of Mexico’s numerous Indigenous communities, as well as exhibiting objects from other cultures, such as ancient Iran and Greece.

Inside, you’ll find an amazing collection, displaying Mexico’s Pre-Columbian heritage. Some items on exhibition include world-famous pieces, like the Aztec Sun Stone and the Aztec Xochipilli statue. Visit the National Museum of Anthropology with us today!

A Tiny Shell Museum: Abaco, The Bahamas

On International Museum Day, the world’s smallest museums also deserve an honourable mention. One would be the Gifts from the Sea: The Cherokee Shell Museum in Abaco, in The Bahamas.

This tiny museum opened in 2017 in a telegraph office from the 1950s that stopped being used in 1987. After restoring the building, it became a charming museum. Today, over 200 shells are on display here that have been found in Abaco and the waters surrounding it.

Edgar’s Closet: Tuscaloosa, U.S.

Another minuscule museum is Edgar’s Closet in Tuscaloosa, in the US State of Alabama. Surprisingly, this museum is located in a 22-foot closet in a school. It was created by a maths teacher in 2008 who wanted to inspire students to be more excited about reading. Consequently, he created this collection dedicated to Edgar Allen Poe and his melancholy works.

Edgar’s Closet once had over 2,000 pieces of memorabilia and was even the smallest museum in the world for a while. Unfortunately, a tornado destroyed a large part of the school and the closet museum. Nonetheless, the collection was rebuilt and the museum re-opened with 1,000 objects paying homage to Edgar Allan Poe.

A Very Remote Museum: Colomé, Argentina

If you desire, you can celebrate International Museum Day by journeying to one of the world’s most remote museums: the James Turrel Museum at the Bodega Colomé in the province of Salta, Argentina.

Once in Buenos Aires, you’ll need to take a 2-hour flight before driving for 4 hours along mountainous, unpaved roads. Upon arrival at your destination, you’ll be treated with fantastic views of the Andes Mountains. You’ll also be able to admire the work of James Turell, which mainly features light installations that are most striking at dawn and sunset. Despite its remote location, the museum receives a surprising 8,000 visitors a year.

Museum of Tap Water: Beijing, China

After exploring the world’s largest, smallest, oldest, newest and most remote museums, it’s now time to discuss some of the world’s weirdest museums. In particular, we’d like to mention the Beijing Museum of Tap Water, which was built upon the site of the city’s first water plant.

With 130 objects, 110 pictures and 40 models, visitors can uncover 90 years of tap water in China’s capital. You can see water pipes, penstocks, and even stone bridges that illustrate this chapter of the city’s history and show the various stages involved in guaranteeing water reaches the city’s taps.

British Lawnmower Museum: Southport, United Kingdom

Finally, our last stop on International Museum Day is the British Lawnmower Museum in Southport, the UK. This museum houses items that date back to 1799. Some items even belonged to world-famous figures such as Prince Charles, Princess Diana and Brian May.

As well as curating exhibitions for the public to enjoy, this museum also works to restore lawnmowers and a range of garden machinery. During your visit, you can appreciate this unique collection of lawnmowers in addition to patents and blueprints that give an insight into a side of history that you perhaps hadn’t considered before.

We hope you enjoyed celebrating International Museum Day with us and learning about the wonderful and unique museums that exist all over the world!