April 6, 2026
A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions – Oliver Wendell Holmes
Travelling is like an endless enrolment in the university of life and hands down one of the best educational experiences a person can have. Visiting a museum is an integral feature of city breaks on our travels. It’s an opportunity to explore objects of great artistic, historical and scientific value for a destination. A great way to help delve deeper to understand different cultures and customs.
Museums Across The Continents
Here is a guide on how to add culture, history and knowledge to a future trip. Myself and some other curious travel bloggers reveal some of the best museums in world arranged by continents.
Go get your museum geek on…
Please Note: All museums are currently closed during Covid19. Most of the museums included have virtual tours or activities available via their websites. They’re a great way to explore a museum in these current times and a fantastic educational tool for children.
Museums in Asia
Abu Dhabi, UAE – LOuvre Abu Dhabi
Contributed by the Curious Pixie
Designed by French architect Jean Nouvel the spectacular palace of art sparkles in the desert landscape. Even before you see the art, the architecture itself is a visual wonder. Located in the heart of Saadiyat Island’s cultural district, the Louvre Abu Dhabi is the first universal museum in the Arab World of its kind. It’s also one of the 5 amazing cultural highs in Saudi Arabia.
Wander the 12 galleries, full of world class collections from the Neolithic up to the present day. The permanent collection houses over 600 artworks, with pieces specially chosen to bridge the gap between Eastern and Western art. Collections have been enriched by loans from many notable French museums including Musee du Louvre, Musee d’Orsay, and Centre Pompidou.
There are some great cultural highs in Abu Dhabi, this museum is one not to miss.
Jaipur, India – JAipur City Palace
Contributed by Our Taste For Life
The Jaipur City Palace is a crown jewel amid the lavish state of Rajasthan in India. Initially established in the early 1700s by Maharaja Jai Singh II, it is an original structure within what we know today as the ‘old’ or ‘pink city‘. While the palace is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the country, it continues to be the residential home of the Jaipur royal family.
Featuring a labyrinth of courtyards, gardens, galleries and buildings, the pinnacle of the city palace is the opulent design and jaw-dropping architecture. A seamless blend of Rajasthani and Mughal style, it reflects the essence of Indian culture flawlessly.
Tip: If you want to explore foreign cultures from home, you can travel around the world with cookbooks.
How much of the complex you see depends on the level of ticket you’re willing to buy. Entrance fees for foreigners range between 700-3000 INR. It may be one of the more expensive attractions in India, but essential to your Jaipur itinerary all the same
Singapore – ArtScience Museum
Contributed by Mum on the Move
The ArtScience Museum is a definite ‘must-do’ if you are visiting Singapore. It is one of our favourite museums in the world, as there is always something exciting to see here. The exhibitions held at the ArtScience Museum are always futuristic and intriguing, and combine influences from the worlds of art, science, media, technology, design and architecture.
In addition to its excellent programme of visiting exhibitions, the permanent Future World: where art meets science is always a hit with both kids and adults alike. Put together by the team behind Tokyo’s teamLab Borderless, there is a multitude of interactive installations here to keep everybody entertained.
Beyond the exhibitions, the ArtScience Museum is a must for architect lovers. Its distinctive lotus flower design in the shadow of the Marina Bay Sands towers is an iconic feature in the Singapore skyline.
Museums In Africa
Nairobi, KEnya – The karen Blixen Museum
Contributed by Binny’s Food and Travel Diaries
If you’ve watched the Oscar Award winning film “Out of Africa” about the famous Danish Author Karen Blixen’s life on her coffee farm in Kenya, you will be pleased to know that you can visit her former farm and residence, now a museum in the suburb of Karen, aptly named after her.
As you enter the house it’s like walking into a different era. The lantern which Karen used to hang in the corner of the Veranda to let her lover Denys Finch Hatton know she was home still sways with the wind today. Each room is a treasure trove of her belongings.
Close to the museum is the Karen Blixen Coffee Garden, Giraffe Centre and the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust elephant orphanage, if you want to combine all.
Museums In Australia and Oceania
Canberra, Australia – The Australian War Museum
Contributed by Roaming Required
The Australian War Memorial is Australia’s national memorial. The art-deco memorial is a tribute to the members of its armed forces has a prominent position on Anzac Parade in the nation’s capital, Canberra.
Built in 1941 to commemorate ‘the war to end all wars’, the entrance is flanked by two stone Limestone lions that were donated to the Australian War Memorial by the mayor of the Belgian city of Ypres. The lions hold significance as they originally stood on plinths on either side of the Menin Gate in Ypres, only one of the two entries into the medieval fortified city, and the gate through which the Allied soldiers, including Australians, marched to the battlefields of the Western Front in World War I.
Any visit to the AWM should include a visit to The Galleries. The comprehensive museum contains sections covering Australia’s involvement in global conflicts with exceptionally well-designed layout devoted to the nation’s military history.
For a poignant reminder of where you are, time your visit to ensure you’re there just before closing time to listen to the moving Last Post Ceremony in the Commemorative Courtyard along with the story behind one of the names on the Roll of Honour.
WeLLINGTON – Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Contributed by Adventures of a London Kiwi
The Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa Tongarewa, is New Zealand’s national museum, located in Wellington. Known as Te Papa, or ‘Our Place’, it’s somewhere to lose hours in.
You can explore the great treasures and stories of my home country – the unique natural environment, Maori culture, art heritage, and the fascinating history of a large Pacific island/nation.
There are always innovative and interactive exhibitions, and the earthquake room is a pretty cool way for kids of all ages to experience the rumble of tectonic plates below New Zealand’s countryside.
Museums In Europe
Kramsach, Austria – Tyrolean Farmhouse museum
Contributed by The Travelbunny
In Austria’s Tyrol region you’ll notice many traditional timber chalets and farmhouses dotted around the hillsides. To learn more about the history of the farmhouses and about Tyrolean life, work and traditions head to the Tyrolean Farmhouse Museum in Kramsach, near Alpbach in Austria. Probably one of the most unusual museums you’ll visit. The buildings come from all over the Tyrol and were dismantled, moved and reconstructed at the museum piece by piece.
The open-air museum is like walking through a small Alpine village but you can step into any of the 37 farmhouses to learn more about the people who lived and worked there. Inside you’ll get a fascinating insight into mountain life in the Tyrol and the challenges faced. Multimedia installations show characters talking about their lives and work. Children can get involved with interactive stations and activities.
Take the 2-hour guided tour or make your own way around the 3.2km walking path. Be sure to finish your visit with a traditional Austrian lunch at nearby restaurant Roherof Kramsach, the food’s fabulous.
Paris, France – Musée Gustave Moreau
Contributed by Diary of a Londoness
A home cum-atelier-cum-museum, the Musée Gustave Moreau surely holds the title for having the world’s prettiest house museum staircase. Located in the 9th arrondissement, this charming museum is filled with personal effects belonging to the Symbolist painter who once taught Henri Matisse how to paint. Wander in and out of Moreau’s bedrooms, dining room and boudoir, and see his study exactly as he left it. His pretty studios upstairs are stuffed with over 4500 works by the artist. Make sure you see the mind-bending Jupiter and Semele and The Unicorns.
Entry to the museum costs 7 euros (free for under 18s and for the general public on the first Sunday of every month).
Peel, Isle of Man – The House of Mananna
Contributed by The Silver Nomad
The House of Manannan in Peel in the west of the Isle of Man leads you through the interesting history of the island and the Manx people’s affinity with the sea.
Wandering through a replica Celtic roundhouse you hear about the hardship of their lives; sitting in a Viking longhouse listen to tales of farming or try on a cape and crown while you sit at the royal table. Parts of Peel from the 19th Century are recreated so you can experience the Manx kipper yard complete with sounds and smells, explore a sailmakers loft; hear the sounds of the crew as you walk round the two-thirds scale replica of Odin’s Viking longship Raven.
The Manx history is brought to life for you with interactive screens with stories, superstitions and information. Manannan, the mythological sea god, narrates your journey. It is a fascinating insight into the Isle of Man and keeps both adults and children entertained.
Oslo, Norway – Norwegian museum of cultural history (NORSK FOLKEMUSEUM)
Contributed by The Intrepid Guide
One of the best things to do in Oslo is to visit its most impressive and interactive museum, The Norwegian Museum of Cultural History (Norsk Folkemuseum). Located in Bygdøy, just 16 minutes from Oslo centre, the Norsk Folkemuseum features an extensive collection of artifacts, folk costumes, folk art, from each of Norway’s social groups, including the native Sami people.
The best part of the museum is its huge open-air museum where you can explore more than 150 original traditional buildings that have been relocated here from all over Norway. Spread across a lush green area, it feels like you’re walking through a historical village. The most striking building here is the Gol Stave Church dating from around 1200.
Adult and children staff dressed in traditional costume wander the grounds as they tend to farm animals and run cooking demonstrations. The museum also has temporary exhibits, live traditional performances, and activities for children all year. The Norsk Folkemuseum is open daily except May 17. To reach the museum, catch bus 30 to Bygdøy from downtown Oslo and alight at Folkemuseet.
Bergen, Norway – EDVARD GRIEG MUSEUM TROLDHAUGEN
Contributed by Pigeon Pair and Me
The former home of a classical musician might not seem like the obvious choice for a child-friendly museum. But Troldhaugen, where Edvard Grieg lived in Bergen, western Norway, is a tall, airy building overlooking the beautiful fjords. It’s a great place for family picnics, followed by a good run-around in the pure Norwegian air. The house itself is full of curios and knick-knacks, like Nordic drinking bowls and specially made small furniture for the diminutive composer and his wife.
Grieg wrote In The Hall of the Mountain King, the melody behind Hair Up, the theme tune of hit film Trolls. Over 7s can learn about his childhood on a special Little Grieg tour, a story reconstruction aimed at over-7s.
Concerts in Troldhaugen’s beautiful performance space run all through the summer months, and some are specially aimed at families. The place has a calm, ethereal beauty, and for slightly older children in particular, I’d highly recommend it.
Stockholm, Sweden – Vasa Museum
Contributed by Wandermum
The Vasa museum in Stockholm is unlike any other attraction I have visited. Inside, lies the world’s only preserved ship from the 17th century. Ships are not normally something I get excited about but the Vasa was different. Seeing the size and detail of this towering battleship up close was awe-inspiring.
The ship is well preserved because it never made it into battle. The Vasa dramatically sank on its maiden vogue in 1628 just a few meters out to sea. The museum was built around the ship after it was dredged from the sea, 333 years after it sank in 1961.
You can view the ship from several different platforms. The towering wooden structure is a wonder to behold even though it’s a shadow of its former grandeur. As it sailed out to sea, it would have been decorated in red and gold with lion sculptures and kitted out with bronze canons.
The museum also has exhibits about how the ship was built and what life would have been like onboard one of these ships. The best part though, is the Vasa itself. A sight for the whole family to enjoy and a must-see.
IStanbul, Turkey – The Museum of Innocence
Contributed by Jenography
The extraordinary Museum of Innocence exists on multiple levels. Created by Orhan Pamuk, the Turkish Nobel Prize-winning author, it is a shrine from his character Kemal to Kemal’s lover Fusan, from Pamuk’s book of the same name. The museum documents their lives. It also details Turkey’s struggle in the 1970s for identity between traditional and European values.
Of course the actual museum had to be created by an actual person and that’s another level. Pamuk didn’t simply publish the book then curate a space. It came into being alongside the book, curated piece by piece, with objects written in if he found them interesting. Over several floors, three-dimensional dioramas, audio installations and Pamuk’s drafts tell their own story — about the lovers, about Turkey, about women and men, and about the writing process. The layers build on one another and together create a unique and enchanting experience not to be missed.
UK, London Museum – Victoria And Albert Museum
Contributed by Little London Whispers
“Inside every museum is a hidden world…” The opening line to the current series on the Secrets of the Museum hooks you in. Volunteering at this iconic museum since 2013, I can honestly say there isn’t a week that goes by where I don’t discover something new.
Over 2 million items that inspire, teach and amaze the visitor with their individual details and beauty. Any excuse to lead people around this museum and help them get lost is a privilege, and one both sides enjoy. A museum you can only want to return to, from the minute you leave.
It won’t only be the big exhibitions that pull you in, it could be the hidden Michelangelo notebook, or Beatrix Potter’s drawings or even the inspiring new Photographer’s Gallery. There is something for everyone at this gem in the heart of South Kensington, you just have to make that first step through the door.
Museums in North America
ST PETE, FLORIDA – THE DALI MUSEUM
Contributed by Brogan Abroad
When I visited St Pete in Florida, I wasn’t expecting to find a museum dedicated to the life and work of Salvador Dalí. The Dalí Museum has been open since 2011, and it holds the largest collection of the Spanish artist outside of Spain. The displays show over 2,400 works that include oil paintings, drawings, photographs and other pieces of part.
You can admire the works in the galleries in a conventional way, but in this innovative museum you can also immerse yourself within the paintings through augmented reality. Just download the museum app, point your phone at the painting and it will come alive for you! It was a great way to explore the symbolism of Dalí’s works.
It’s also worth visiting for the building itself, a very striking piece of modern architecture with a fluid glass bubble cutting through it, and a helicoidal staircase pointing at the sky. If you only have one day in St Pete, make time for a visit to the Dalí Museum. You won’t regret it.
Museums In Las vegas, USA – Neon Boneyard (Neon Museum)
Contributed by the Curious Pixie
Believe it or not, there are some cultural highlights in Las Vegas! The Neon Boneyard is one of the best. A non-profit organisation is basically saving Las Vegas’ history.
Walk through the visitor centre, a salvaged lobby from the mid-century modern icon La Concha Motel designed by African American architect Paul Revere Williams. Find yourself in an incredible collection of 150 vintage neon sign, the largest in the world dating back to the 1930s. It’s the retirement home for Las Vegas’ original art form, wander past historic signs like Moulin Rouge, Desert Inn, and Stardust.
Guided tours are available throughout the day and incredible at night. They’re also very popular, so book well in advance. This museum is a must-do in Las Vegas, one to definitely add to the itinerary.
Silicon valley, USA – Tech Museum of Innovation
Contributed by A Modern Mother
The Tech in California’s Silicon Valley really shouldn’t be called a museum. The word museum conjures up images of old things to look at and admire. The Tech is more of an experience – a place to try things out, learn from what you have done and then do it better.
It’s very Silicon Valley. Work while having fun and doing cool things. That’s what The Tech is all about. We visit every time we are in San Jose and the girls always learn something new. The Tech is one of the few museums every member of my family enjoys – we all agree we could spend a couple of days there and not get bored.
Museums In South America
Mexico City – La Casa Azul
Contributed by Globetotting
Mexico City is home to more museums than nearly anywhere else in the world but the most popular – and most visited – is the former home of Frida Kahlo. Located in the southern neighbourhood of Coyoacán, La Casa Azul (the Blue House) is where Frida was born, where she lived with her husband Diego Rivera and where she later died.
So-called because of its cobalt blue walls, the house today is filled with memories and personal items belonging to Frida and Diego. It’s a fascinating insight into the lives of some of Mexico’s most famous artists and their bohemian, intellectual lifestyle. The majority of the ground floor rooms are filled with artworks by Frida and other Mexican artists. Upstairs, the rooms remain largely unchanged and you can wander through her light-filled studio and two bedrooms. In a separate building outside, there’s an exhibition of Frida’s clothes, including many of the medical instruments – such as crutches and corsets – that she was reliant upon throughout her life.
For families, it’s a brilliant museum and my kids loved it every time we visited. Each room has a printed guide for children (in Spanish) and family workshops are held every Saturday from 12-2pm.
Hope this post has inspired you to virtually visit a Museum today.
Tell me which one you’d like to discover once we’re allowed to travel again
in the comments box below.
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nadia says:
wow that is quite the list! we’ve also been to the science museum in singapore and loved it!
Sima Sthanakiya says:
Thanks Nadia! Something for everyone in it.
Angie Silver says:
This is a great list of beautiful museums!! I also really recommend the Olympic museum in Lausanne.
Sima Sthanakiya says:
I’ve not been to Lausanne, so on the list for this museum geek.
Shelley (Wander & Luxe) says:
These all look fabulous! I have wanted to visit the Neon Boneyard in Vegas for years. I look forward to the day when we can all visit museums freely again without worry. #CultureKids
Sima Sthanakiya says:
Me too Shelley…until then we’ll enjoy virtually.
Deborah Patterson says:
Wow, what a great selection. Most of those are completely new to me! I would add the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford for its brilliantly random collection and the ability to open drawers and peer at what’s inside. #culturedkids
Sima Sthanakiya says:
Ohh never heard of it Deborah…adding it to my list. Thank you