The most popular museums. Museums over the world - paintings collections online. e place. Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York

The number of tourists interested only in shopping is decreasing. And the number of travelers dreaming of visiting the most famous museums in the world is steadily growing. And this is not surprising, because today travel lovers can visit any country in the world and see all the most interesting things.

So, the most visited museums in the world:

• Louvre in Paris;
• Vatican Museum;
• British Museum in London;
• Tokyo National Science Museum;
• Metropolitan in New York;
• Prado Museum in Madrid;
• Guggenheim Museum Bilbao;
• Hermitage in St. Petersburg;
• Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow;

Symbols of great capitals

The top 10 most famous museums open with the Parisian Louvre, a recognized symbol of the French capital. Today it is one of the largest museums in the world, located in an ancient royal castle built more than 850 years ago. Here travelers can get acquainted with an extensive exhibition that includes more than 400 thousand exhibits.

Even 7 days is not enough to see all the rarities presented in the unique halls of the Louvre: these include objects folk art, paintings and sculptures. Those who are limited in time are recommended to see the main masterpieces of the collection, namely works by Goya, Rembrandt, Rubens, Titian and others, to which signs lead.

If the Louvre amazes with the variety of its collections, then once in the Vatican Museum, which is rightfully considered one of the symbols of Rome, tourists admire the size of the premises. To go through all 1,400 halls and get acquainted with the collection, which includes more than 50 thousand objects, you need remarkable strength. The most delicious piece of the collection - Sistine Chapel- the organizers have left it only for the most inquisitive and persistent travelers: you can get into it by going through all the halls.

The most famous museums in London and Tokyo were opened more than 200 years ago. But if a science museum is created on the basis of natural science exhibits (stuffed animals, dinosaur skeletons, etc.) and could top the list called “the most unusual museums world", then the British Museum invites its visitors to get acquainted with the world's most famous artifacts exported by the British from various countries and continents. Thanks to this, it also bears a second (unofficial) name - the Museum of Stolen Masterpieces.

Of great interest to visitors to the complex in Tokyo is the botanical garden, where almost all representatives of the planet’s flora are collected. There is also a collection of traditional Japanese household and cultural items.

From New York to Spain

The most popular museum in the United States (the Metropolitan) is visited by thousands of tourists every day. Any person, no matter what his tastes, will find something worthy of his attention here, because the exhibitions of the complex include many exhibits, ranging from ancient artifacts to pop art. Visitors are presented with works of art from Egypt and the Middle East, Oceania and African countries.

To get acquainted with the extensive collection of European paintings, you need to go to Madrid. Here in the Prado Museum there are collections of paintings such as famous painters, like Raphael and Bosch. Most The exhibits were collected by members of the royal family.

When visiting northern Spain, you can check out the Guggenheim Museum. This rather small complex is a branch of the museum contemporary art, located in the USA, and represents paintings by many famous artists who worked in different styles, ranging from surrealism to abstractionism.

The best museums in Russia and Holland

The St. Petersburg Hermitage is rightfully one of the largest art museums peace. The basis for creating the complex was private collection Catherine II. Today, the huge halls house more than 3 million masterpieces and artifacts collected in various countries world and belonging to different eras.

The Tretyakov Gallery, located in Moscow, offers its guests collections of paintings created by Russian painters. The museum owes the presence of exhibits to the merchant Pavel Tretyakov, who was its founder. It should be noted that the collection of works by Russian artists in the Tretyakov Gallery is the largest of all those presented in the world.

The main museum of Holland - this honorary title is held by the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, located in an ancient palace built in late XIX century. The main composition is dedicated to Dutch painters, including de Hooch, Rembrandt and Vermeer. Main role allocated famous work Rembrandt - "The Night Watch". The painting takes pride of place in the Gallery of Fame.

Art museums contain mostly paintings, but more often they contain various works art. In this article we will look at the largest museums in the world. These buildings can be owned by both states and private individuals. At the moment, museum premises are increasingly being used not only for exhibitions, but also for concerts and various performances.

10. Art Institute of Chicago

Founded in 1879. Initially it was conceived as a school, which would later host an exhibition of paintings and works of art. The design of the building was prepared by the company Shapley, Rutan and Coolidge. Since its construction, the institution has regularly received awards and prizes. Along with an exhibition of paintings, the museum features an exhibition of weapons spanning 400 years. Museum area 26,000 m²

9. National Museum of Korea

Most big museum in Korea was created in 1945. In 2005 it expanded to its current size and its area is 27,009 m². The museum is divided into 6 galleries and houses more than 310,000 pieces of art. In addition to excursions, various activities are held here educational programs and cultural events.

8. Victoria and Albert Museum

The world's largest decorative museum applied arts and design, founded in 1852 under the influence of the World's Fair in 1851. On display is a collection of glass works of art spanning 4,000 years of glass making. Contains over 6,000 items from Africa, Great Britain, Europe, America and Asia. We can say that this museum displays one of the best collections of colored glass.

The objects presented in the museums represent the history of mankind for more than 300 years. IN lately many of the objects have been restored and restored.

7. National Museum of Anthropology

National Museum Anthropology in Mexico City is located on Paseo de la Reforma and Calzada Gandí. It features the largest collections of ancient Mexican art, as well as ethnographic exhibits about Mexico and modern population. There is a hall dedicated to each of the cultural areas of Mesoamerica. The museum has 23 exhibition halls. Archaeological exhibits are located on the ground floor, ethnographic exhibits about modern groups Mexico's population is on the second floor. The museum houses more than 600,000 art objects, with a total museum area of ​​33,000 m².

6. Tokyo National Museum

Consists of three buildings: Honkan, Toyokan, Heiseikan

Honkan, this majestic building is the face of the Tokyo National Museum. Built in 1937, it combines Japanese and European features. Architectural design Watanabe Gina was chosen through an open competition. The marble staircase leading to the museum's halls forms a dramatic centerpiece. On one of the floors there is an exhibition “Features Japanese art” is ideal for those visiting the museum for the first time. It displays works of art from all periods of Japanese history starting from 10,000 BC. ending with early modernity.Toyokan journey into the art of Asia. This building was designed by Tanguchi Yoshiro. On January 2, 2013, it reopened with new galleries, after two and a half years of repair work to strengthen it from earthquakes. With exhibits from Egypt, China, the Korean Peninsula and the East, this gallery takes you on a journey throughout the world of art. Indian paintings, Indonesian textiles, Kuhmer sculptures, and much more. Nowhere else in Japan will you find such a diverse range of cultures. The world-class collection includes Chinese paintings, calligraphy and ceramics.
The Heiseikan was opened in 1999 in honor of the marriage of the heir prince. The entire second floor of the building is occupied by the Special Exhibitions Gallery. In April 2015, all exhibition cases and lighting fixtures were modernized. This allowed visitors to see art in a more comprehensive way. On the ground floor there is the Japanese Archaeological Gallery. The gallery presents the history of Japan, from the Paleolithic era to the Edo era. There is also a room on the ground floor where guests can relax and auditorium, where lectures and concerts are held.

5. Vatican Museums

The most interesting place is the museum called Pio Clementino, the building of which was rebuilt and expanded over the course of 15 years. And the restoration work was led by famous masters Camporesi and Simonette. Today, this majestic institution includes many interesting halls, including the Rotunda, the Hall of the Muses, the Garden of Masks and the Hall of Animals. Here you are exhibited wonderful exhibits that are masterpieces ancient art. It is worth visiting the Hall of Animals, where you will have the opportunity to see beautiful sculptures of animals. All statues are made of high quality marble. And in the hall of the Greek cross you can see wonderful tiles of ancient mosaics, which were created in the 2-3 centuries. Ancient sarcophagi are also located here, in one of which the ashes of the mother of the famous emperor of the Christian world, Constantine, are kept to this day.
Today there is a huge catalog of this museum, which was created Giovanni Batista Visconti. By the way, the description of all the exhibits takes up seven full volumes.
But, unfortunately, in 1797 huge amount The most valuable exhibits were exported to France. That is why Pope Pius the Seventh began actively collecting masterpieces of ancient art. During this period, a new building was created under the name “Braccio Nuovo”, where all these exhibits are kept to this day.
Already in 1816, all the previous exhibits were transported from France back to the Vatican territory. Most of them were wonderful paintings, which were subsequently located on the territory of the Borgia apartments. Works by Raphael were also collected here, including famous painting"Madonna of Foligno" and a work called "Transfiguration". There is also a wonderful collection of tapestries by this author, which at one time was made to decorate the Sistine Chapel.
And already in 1837, the Etruscan Museum was opened on the territory of the Vatican, where all the archaeological finds found during excavations near Cerveteri were collected. The fact is that the Etruscans are the most mysterious people, whose culture and history still remains a mystery to scientists from all over the world. Unfortunately, monumental monuments to the history of this people have not survived to this day, since temples and buildings were built in most cases from wood. But, nevertheless, in the nine large halls of the museum, a huge number of exhibits are exhibited, including sarcophagi, as well as metal objects - candelabra, glasses, figurines, and mirrors, which were made of gold and silver.
And on the lower floor of the same museum, the Museum of Egyptian Culture was opened, where wonderful exhibits are collected, including a huge collection of scarab beetles

4. Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is located in New York and occupies an area of ​​58,820 m². It opened in February 1872 and is located on Fifth Avenue. The collection numbers more than 2 million pieces, which are located in 16 departments, covering everything from ancient Egypt to Islamic art and European painting. In addition, it is famous for its large collection of musical instruments.

3. National Museum of China

The third largest museum in the world is located at the National Museum of China. Located along Tiananmen Square in Beijing, it covers an area of ​​65,000 m². This museum was created after on the basis of the Museum of the Chinese Revolution and the Museum of Chinese History, which were merged in 1959. Its main goal is to educate the public and popularize Chinese history. The National Museum of China has more than 1.05 million works in its collection.

2. State Hermitage

Located in the city of St. Petersburg, it is the second largest art museum in the world. It has a total area of ​​66,842 m². This museum, one of the oldest in the world, was created in 1754 and opened to the public in 1852. It consists of 6 historical buildings, which are located along the Palace Embankment on the Neva. Buildings that are open to the public include the Hermitage Theatre, Small Hermitage, Old Hermitage, New Hermitage and Winter Palace. The State Hermitage has a collection of works of more than 3 million pieces, including the most large collection painting in the world.

1. Louvre

The Louvre, located in Paris, France, is the largest art museum in the world, with an area of ​​72,735 m². This building is a historical monument in Paris and is part of the Palais des Congrès, which was built in the 12th century. The structure originally served as a fortress before becoming a royal residence in 1546. Under King Louis 14 in 1692, this palace was used to house two art academies and 100 years later, an exhibition with 837 paintings was opened at the Louvre. Today it contains 38,000 works of art. Attendance at the Louvre is 7.4 million per year, making it the most visited museum in the world.

Would you like to see a 12-meter-long skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex? What about the beautiful paintings by such great masters as Van Gogh, Salvador Dali and Leonardo da Vinci? All these collections of artifacts and art help tell the story of life on this planet. This story is truly exciting, full of drama, miracles, beauty and mysteries. Therefore, it is not at all surprising that so many people visit museums! Below are the twenty-five most visited museums in the world.

25. " State Museum, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands (2.5 million visitors annually)

The Rijksmuseum, located on Museum Square in Amsterdam, is a museum dedicated to the art and history of the Netherlands. The entire museum collection numbers a million items, spanning the time period from 1200 to the present. However, visitors can only view 8,000 items at a time.

24. National Folk Museum of Korea, Seoul, South Korea (2.7 million visitors annually)


The National Folk Museum of Korea, founded by the US government in 1945, boasts an impressive collection of items illustrating the history and traditions of the Korean people. The museum, located in Seoul, is divided into three main exhibition halls.

23. "State Hermitage", St. Petersburg, Russia (2.9 million visitors annually)


The State Hermitage, founded in 1764 by Catherine the Great, is one of the largest and oldest museums in the world. Its collections, of which only a small part is on public display, number more than three million items, including works by such masters as Renoir, Monet, Van Gogh, Velázquez, Michelangelo and Goya.

22. Museum of Modern Art, New York, USA (3.1 million visitors annually)


The New York Museum of Modern Art, located in Manhattan, New York is considered the most influential museum of modern art in the world. The museum has extensive collections of paintings, books, sculptures, photographs, architectural masterpieces and so on. More than 3 million people visit it annually.

21. Reina Sofia National Museum, Madrid, Spain (3.2 million visitors annually)


The National Museum of the Reina Sofía, officially known as the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, is the largest and most visited museum in Spain. It is located in Madrid and is dedicated for the most part Spanish art. In particular, the museum boasts an amazing collection of works by Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali.

20. Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK (3.2 million visitors annually)


The Victoria and Albert Museum in London, named after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design. The museum covers more than 5,000 years of art history. It houses a permanent collection of 4.5 million items.

19. Science Museum, London, UK (3.4 million visitors annually)


Founded in 1857, the Science Museum is another famous museum located in London. The Science Museum has a collection of over 300,000 objects and is the fifth most visited museum in the UK. More than 3.4 million people visit it annually.

18. Orsay Museum (Musée d´Orsay), Paris, France (3.5 million visitors annually)


The Musée d'Orsay, originally built as a railway station, houses the largest collection of Impressionist and post-Impressionist masterpieces in the world. Among them are works by such artists as Monet, Manet, Degas, Renoir, Cézanne, Gauguin and Van Gogh. It is the third most visited in France, attracting over 3.5 million visitors a year.

17. National Museum of Korea, Seoul, South Korea (3.5 million visitors annually)


The National Museum of Korea, established in 1945, is the most important museum in Korea and the main attraction of Seoul, as well as the whole country. This museum is dedicated to Korean history and art, has a collection of more than 310,000 unique items.

16. “French State Museum of Modern Art” (Musée National d´Art Moderne), Paris, France (3.7 million visitors annually)


French State Museum of Modern Art, part of cultural center Georges Pompidou (Centre Pompidou), is a museum of contemporary French art. This museum has a collection of more than 100,000 works by 6,400 artists, and the second largest collection of modern art in the world, after the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

15. National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, USA (3.9 million visitors annually)


The National Gallery of Art, located in Washington DC, houses a vast collection of paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, sculptures, medals, and decorative arts. The museum is open to the public and admission is free. Here is the only painting by Leonardo da Vinci in the Americas.

14. National Museum American history» (National Museum of American History), Washington DC, USA (4 million visitors annually)


The National Museum of American History, part of the Smithsonian Institution, collects, preserves and displays the United States' wealth of heritage. It receives 4 million visitors annually. It is the fourth most visited museum in the country.

13. Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, Shanghai, China (4.2 million visitors annually)


The Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, located in Shanghai, is a major museum offering 13 major exhibitions and 4 science theaters. It covers an area of ​​almost 100 thousand square meters and is the second largest museum in China.

12. American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA (5 million visitors annually)


The American Museum of Natural History, located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, New York, has enormous collections containing more than 32 million specimens of plants, human remains, animals, fossils, rocks and more. It consists of 27 interconnected buildings and is one of the largest museums in the world.

11. Natural History Museum, London, UK (5.4 million visitors annually)


With 80 million specimens from the scientific fields of botany, entomology, mineralogy, palaeontology and zoology, the Natural History Museum London is the fourth most visited museum in the UK. Founded in 1881, this museum is particularly famous for its display of dinosaur skeletons.

10. National Palace Museum, Taipei, Taiwan (5.4 million visitors annually)


The Imperial Palace Museum in Taipei City, originally founded as the Imperial Palace Museum in Beijing's Forbidden City in 1925, on at the moment is the most important national museum in Taiwan. This museum spans over 10,000 years Chinese history, has a permanent collection of 700,000 ancient Chinese artifacts and art objects.

9. Tate Modern, London, UK (5.8 million visitors annually)


Tate Modern, located in the London Borough of Southwark, is Britain's national gallery of international contemporary art. The gallery's exhibition spaces span seven floors, attracting almost 5.8 million visitors a year, making it the third most visited museum in the UK and the ninth most visited in the world.

8. Vatican Museums, Vatican City (5.9 million visitors annually)


Founded by Pope Julius II in the early 16th century, the Vatican Museums boast vast collections of works and artifacts collected over many centuries by the Roman Catholic Church. The collections include some of the most famous classical sculptures, as well as works of fine art from the Renaissance.

7. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA (6.1 million visitors annually)


Founded in 1870, the Metropolitan Museum of Art has a permanent collection of more than 2 million works, divided into seventeen curatorial departments. With an area of ​​approximately 190,000 square meters, it is the largest museum in the United States and one of the largest in the world.

6. London National Gallery, London, UK (6.4 million visitors annually)


The London National Gallery, located in Trafalgar Square in the heart of London, is an art museum with a collection of over 2,300 paintings ranging in age from the mid-13th century to the 1900s. The gallery boasts works of art by some of the world's most famous artists, including Leonardo da Vinci and Van Gogh.

5. National Air and Space Museum, Washington DC, USA (6.7 million visitors annually)


The National Air and Space Museum, part of the Smithsonian Institution, boasts the most extensive collection of historic aircraft in the world. Founded in 1946, this museum receives 6.7 million visitors annually. In 2014, it became the fifth most visited museum in the world.

4. British Museum, London, UK (6.7 million visitors annually)


The British Museum, founded in 1753, is dedicated to human history and culture. Its permanent collection numbers approximately 8 million works and is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. As the most visited museum in the UK, this museum displays and documents history human culture from its inception to the present day.

3. National Museum of Natural History, Washington DC, USA (7.3 million visitors annually)


The National Museum of Natural History is the most visited museum in the United States. It has a stunning collection of 126 million specimens of plants, animals, fossils, rocks, meteorites, human artifacts and other objects. It is open 364 days a year and is free to visit. There are 185 professional natural history scientists working here.

2. National Museum of China, Beijing, China (7.5 million visitors annually)


The National Museum of China, dedicated to its art and history, is only 12 years old, but the museum has already amassed a collection of more than 1 million objects. It is the second most visited museum in the world with 28 new exhibition halls. In 2013, 7.5 million people visited this museum.

It doesn’t matter whether young boys and girls full of energy are traveling or measured, wise people of a more mature age, wherever the tourist goes to aristocratic Europe, majestic Russia, ancient Africa or young America, everywhere along the route there will be famous museums of the world.

Museums of Europe

Formerly a palace, the Louvre has fascinating architecture, but is first and foremost an art museum for the world. Initially, the Louvre had only 2,500 paintings, while now its collection has exceeded 6,000 paintings. Rembrandt, da Vinci, Rubens, Titian, Poussin, David, Enger, Delacroix, Reni, Caravaggio and this is only a small part of the famous artists whose paintings are stored in the famous museum of Europe. In addition to paintings, the Louvre owns a wonderful collection of sculptures, furniture, jewelry and utensils from different times and eras, and also shows tourists the unique interiors of famous historical figures. All this allows the Louvre to bear the title of the most famous museum in Europe.

The British Museum in London is included in any list of famous museums in the world. It is not only included in the list of the oldest museums in the world, but offers to get acquainted with exhibits collected on seven continents and having more than one thousand years of history. It houses relics of ancient Egypt, objects of applied art from 17th-century France, the Rosetta Stone, sculptures of Greece, Anglo-Saxon manuscripts and even the famous stones from Easter Island.

Among the famous museums of the world, the Vatican Museum occupies a worthy place, standing out from the rest not only for its religiosity, but also for its 22 separate collections of masterpieces. Having examined the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Cathedral, Raphael's apartments, the Vatican Pinakothek, it is impossible to remain indifferent. Non-religious people, representatives of scientific views, will be able to admire the collection of geographical maps exhibited here.

Also among the museums of Europe worthy of attention:

1. Uffizi Gallery in Florence, which owns the most incredible collection paintings and sculptures of the world;

2. Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, which houses Rembrandt’s masterpiece “The Night Watch”;

3. The Prado Museum in Madrid, which has an amazing collection of Spanish art;

4. Dresden art gallery, which survived the bombing of World War II.

Museums of Russia

All art museums in the world bow down to the collection of paintings presented in the Hermitage, which is rightfully recognized as the largest. The founder of the painting collection was Catherine II, and today it numbers approximately 60 thousand paintings. With more than three million exhibits and seven separate buildings, it is not surprising that the Hermitage has taken its rightful place among the most famous museums in the world. Canvases, precious stones, archaeological finds different eras, pieces of furniture from Tsarist Russia, personal belongings of Russian tsars - the number of exhibits is amazing in variety.

You can't visit Moscow without visiting the State Tretyakov Gallery. famous museum Russia, which will first of all introduce you to art school Russian masters. These are paintings by Vrubel, Shishkin, Perov, Malevich. The museum exhibits paintings spanning the classical schools of icon painting and the bold avant-garde. The Tretyakov Gallery houses the largest collection of fine art of the Russian nation; it numbers 57 thousand works.

Museums of Africa and America

Egyptian culture is not only one of the most ancient, but also mysterious in the world, so it is not surprising that the Egyptian Museum in Cairo is on the list of the most visited, and therefore famous museums peace. The most complete collection of masterpieces and archaeological finds of Egyptian culture is presented here, with approximately 120 thousand exhibits. In this museum you can find objects with a history of five thousand years, admire the wealth Ancient Egypt, see with your own eyes the mummy of Pharaoh Ramses II the Great.

The history of the existence of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York began with the desire of businessmen to introduce ordinary Americans to the treasures of world art, because it was private collections that formed the basis of the museum’s exhibits. Initially, the museum was positioned as an art museum, however, today it occupies a worthy place among the art museums of the world. Exhibits of ancient cultures, as well as works of art by modern masters are exhibited here. It is worth noting that the Metropolitan Museum of Art is the most famous art museum in the United States of America.

But how can you visit these museums without spending all your savings? There is a way out! Additionally, we can collect information about attractions and countries around the world in order to create the optimal travel route.

Today there are about one hundred thousand museums all over the world, and this figure is not exact, since new ones are periodically opened and existing ones are developed. Every corner of the world, even the smallest settlements, has its own local history or other museums dedicated to one topic or another. The largest museums in the world are known to everyone: some contain the maximum number of exhibits, while others amaze with their scope and area.

Largest museums of fine art

If we take European fine art, then one of the largest collections is collected in Uffizi Gallery in Italy. The gallery is located in the Florence Palace from 1560 and consists of paintings by the most famous creators of the world: Raphael, Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, Lippi and Botticelli.

One of the largest fine art museums is no less famous. The foundation of the museum dates back to the end of the 18th century, when it was decided to make the royal collection a property and heritage of culture, to give everyone the opportunity to look at it. Complete collections works by Bosch, Goya, El Greco and Velazquez are kept there.

Among the largest museums, it is definitely worth noting Museum fine arts named after A.S. Pushkin in Moscow. Priceless collections of works are stored there French impressionists, collections of Western European painting.

The largest art museums in the world

The most famous among the largest artistic works is rightfully considered Hermitage. Museum complex of five buildings housing exhibits from the times stone period and until the 20th century. Initially, it was only a private collection of Catherine II, consisting of works by Dutch and Flemish artists.

One of the largest art museums is Subway in New York. Its founders were several businessmen who revered art and knew a lot about it. Initially, the basis was made up of three private collections, then the exhibition began to grow rapidly. Today, the main support for the museum is provided by sponsors; the state practically does not take part in the development. The amazing thing is that you can get into one of the largest museums in the world for a nominal fee, even just asking for a ticket at the ticket office without money.

Among the largest museums in the world, both in terms of the number of exhibits and the space occupied, Gugun in China and Cairo egyptian museums . Gugun is a huge architectural and museum complex, which is approximately three times larger than the Moscow Kremlin. Each of the museums has its own special history and is worthy of the attention of tourists.