15 Best History Museums to Visit Worldwide
TheCollector has released a detailed guide featuring 15 premier history museums globally. Among the highlights is the British Museum in London, established in 1753, which attracts over six million visitors annually and boasts more than eight million items. Berlin's Pergamon Museum, known for its stunning reconstructions including the Ishtar Gate, is undergoing renovations expected to continue until between 2027 and 2037. Additionally, the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, housing 5,398 artifacts from Tutankhamun's tomb, stands out, alongside other significant venues such as the Vatican Museums, the Acropolis Museum, and the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg.
Key facts
- British Museum founded in 1753 as world's first national public museum
- Pergamon Museum main building closed for renovations until 2027-2037
- Grand Egyptian Museum houses all 5,398 artifacts from Tutankhamun's tomb
- Topkapi Palace Museum opened in 1924
- Vatican Museums originated with Laocoön and His Sons acquired by Pope Julius II
- National Museum of Anthropology opened in 1964
- Acropolis Museum opened in 2009
- Museum of Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses discovered in 1974
- National Museum of Korea since 1945
- Apartheid Museum opened in 2001
- Imperial War Museums founded in 1917
- Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture opened in 2016
- National Museum of India founded in 1949
- Ashmolean Museum is world's first university museum
- Parthenon sculptures and Benin bronzes are controversial collections
Entities
Artists
- Michelangelo
- Carl Humann
- John Tradescant
- Arthur Evans
- Amy Sherald
- Harriet Tubman
- K'inich Janaab Pakal
- Qin Shi Huang
- Ramesses II
- Tutankhamun
- Pope Julius II
Institutions
- British Museum
- Pergamon Museum
- Grand Egyptian Museum
- Topkapi Palace Museum
- Vatican Museums
- National Museum of Anthropology
- Acropolis Museum
- Museum of Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses
- National Museum of Korea
- National Archaeological Museum
- Apartheid Museum
- Imperial War Museums
- Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- National Museum of India
- Ashmolean Museum
- TheCollector
- Museum Island
- Pio-Clementino Museum
- IWM Duxford
- Churchill War Rooms
- MHS Belfast
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Berlin
- Germany
- Giza
- Egypt
- Istanbul
- Turkey
- Vatican City
- Mexico City
- Mexico
- Athens
- Greece
- Xi'an
- China
- Seoul
- South Korea
- Naples
- Italy
- Johannesburg
- South Africa
- Washington, D.C.
- United States
- New Delhi
- India
- Oxford
- England
- Edisto Island
- South Carolina
- River Thames