The 60 Best Museums in the World 2024 (#41–60)

This is part 5 (No. 41–60) of our list of the best 60 museums in the world in 2024 established through thorough research.

For each museum, we present very detailed information including the best artworks (with image slideshows), gallery space, number of visitors, etc.

Click on the following links to discover part 1 (#1–10), part 2 (#11–20), part 3 (#21–30), part 4 (#31–40), and part 5 (#41–60).

41. State Tretyakov GalleryMoscow (Russia 🇷🇺)

The World’s Leading Museum of Russian Art

Built in 1902–04 with a façade in Russian fairy-tale style, the State Tretyakov Gallery is regarded as the world’s leading museum of Russian art, including thousands of works from the 11th to the 20th centuries.

In the halls of the gallery, you can see masterpieces by Nikitin, Kramskoi, Kiprensky, Ivanov, Perov, Repin as well as an exceptional collection of medieval icons and paintings.

      • Important Masterpieces: 14
      • Total Masterworks of Painting: 37 (impressive), All Ranks of the Top 5 Paintings Added (low score is better): 1416 (excellent), Mentions of the Top 5 Paintings in Influential Art Books: 24 (impressive)
      • Highlight: Portrait of an Unknown Woman, Ivan Kramskoi (1883), 75.5 cm × 99 cm (29.7 in × 38.9 in)

Show top 6 paintings (click here)

Art Collection and Exhibits: 7/10

Renowned Masterpieces: 5/10

Presentation and Interpretation: 6/10

Architecture: 6/10

Size: 6/10

Overall Impression: 6/10

Best Things to do in Moscow | Best Cities in the World | No. 33: Moscow | State Tretyakov Gallery
by Alejo2083 / CC BY-SA 3.0   

Art Museum

Gallery Space: ca. 8,000 m2 (86,000 ft2)

Galleries: 62

Artworks on Display: ?

Established: 1856

Visitors (2017): 1,344,915

Entrance Fee (for 1 Adult): RUB 500 (ca. EUR 7)

Official Webpage (English): tretyakovgallery.ru


42. Museo Egizio (Egyptian Museum)Turin (Italy 🇮🇹)

Acknowledged to Be the Second Best Egyptian Museum in the World

The Egyptian Museum of Turin houses one of the largest and best collections of Egyptian antiquities in the world, with more than 30,000 artefacts (6,500 are exposed).

The museum reopened in 2015 after a very successful modernization. Highlights include the Statue of Ramses II and the intact tombs of Kha and Merit, the Mensa Isiaca and the rock temple of Thutmose III.

      • Important Masterpieces: 11
      • Highlight: Statue of a young Ramses II, Dynasty XIX (ca. 1539–1076 BCE), 77 cm × 53 cm (30 in × 21 in)

by robylab / CC BY-SA 2.0

 

Art Collection and Exhibits: 6/10

Renowned Masterpieces: 5/10

Presentation and Interpretation: 6/10

Architecture: 6/10

Size: 5/10

Overall Impression: 6/10

by Georgius LXXXIX / Public domain   

Palace and Archaeological Museum

Gallery Space: 10,000 m2 (110,000 ft2) 

Galleries: ?

Artworks on Display: ca. 6,500 

Established: 1824

Visitors (2019): 853 320

Entrance Fee (for 1 Adult): EUR 7.50

Official Webpage (English): www.museoegizio.org


43. National Palace MuseumTaipei (Taiwan 🇹🇼)

The World’s Largest Collection of Chinese Art

The National Palace Museum houses an impressive collection of almost 700,000 ancient Imperial Chinese artifacts including Jade, paintings, bronzes, and porcelain formerly held in the Forbidden City of Peking and seen only by emperors.

The exhibits cover over 10,000 years of Chinese history from the Neolithic to the modern age. Around 3,000 items are displayed in several large palatial buildings spread over three floors. The National Palace Museum's main building was completed in 1965.

      • Important Masterpieces: 16
      • Highlight: The Jadeite Cabbage, Artist Unknown (19th century), 18.7 cm × 9.1 cm (7.4 in × 3.6 in)

by National Palace Museum / Public domain 

 

Art Collection and Exhibits: 6/10

Renowned Masterpieces: 5/10

Presentation and Interpretation: 6/10

Architecture: 6/10

Size: 5/10

Overall Impression: 6/10

by Peellden / CC BY-SA 3.0

Archaeological and Art Museum

Gallery Space: 9,613 m2 (103,470 ft2)

Galleries: ?

Artworks on Display: ca. 3,000 (collection: ca. 700,000)

Established: 1925

Visitors (2017): 4,436,118 (southern branch)

Entrance Fee (for 1 Adult): NTD $350 (ca. USD 11.50)

Official Webpage (English): www.npm.gov.tw/en/


44. National Museum of China, Beijing (China 🇨🇳)

This Immense Museum Covers Chinese History from 1.7 Million Years Ago until 1911

Situated on the eastern side of Tiananmen Square, the National Museum of China is the second-most visited museum in the world, just after the Louvre.

The vast museum covers Chinese history from 1.7 million years ago to the end of the Qing Dynasty in 1911. Among the most important exhibits are the "Houmuwu" Rectangle Ding, a rectangular bronze sacrificial vessel made in the late Shang Dynasty (c. 1147–1112 BCE), the heaviest piece of ancient bronze ware in the world, and a Han Dynasty jade burial suit laced with gold thread, created 55 BCE.

      • Important Masterpieces: 16
      • Highlight: "Houmuwu" Rectangle Ding (wine vessel) (Shang Dynasty, c. 1147–1112 BCE), height 133 cm, width 112 cm, depth 79.2 cm, 832.84 kg

by Mlogic / CC BY-SA 3.0

 

Best Cities in the World | No. 30: Beijing | Things to do in Beijing | National Museum of China
by Daniel Case / CC BY-SA 3.0   

Art and Archaeological Museum

Gallery Space: 200,000 m2 (2.2 million ft2)

Exhibition Halls: 48

Collection: ca. 1,050,000 items

Established: 2003

Visitors (2017): 8,062,625

Entrance Fee: Free

Official Webpage (English): en.chnmuseum.cn/

Art Collection and Exhibits: 6/10

Renowned Masterpieces: 5/10

Presentation and Interpretation: 6/10

Architecture: 5/10

Size: 10/10

Overall Impression: 6/10


45. Neues Museum, Berlin (Germany 🇩🇪)

The Museum Houses the Egyptian Museum and Papyrus Collection with Its Famous Bust of Queen Nefertiti

Neues Museum on Museum Island was masterfully reconstructed by the famous English architect David Chipperfield with a cost of approximately €295 million and reopened in October 2009 to highlight its Egyptian and Papyrus collection as well as its prehistory and early history collections.

The museum's star attractions are the renowned bust of Queen Nefertiti, presumably created in 1345 BCE, the mysterious Berlin Gold Hat (c. 1000 to 800 BCE, height: 74.5 cm), and the excellent bronze statue of the Xanten Youth (1st century CE).

      • Important Masterpieces: 5
      • Highlight: Bust of Queen Nefertiti (1345 BCE), 48 centimeters (19 in) high, Weight: 20 kilograms (44 lb)

by Philip Pikart / CC BY-SA 3.0

 
by Janericloebe / Public domain 

Archaeological Museum

Gallery Space: 8,000 m2 (86,111 ft2)

Galleries: 24

Artworks on Display: ca. 500

Established: 1855

Visitors (2017): 777,000

Entrance Fee (for 1 Adult): 12 EUR

Official Webpage: www.smb.museum/en/museums-institutions/neues-museum/

Art Collection and Exhibits: 6/10

Renowned Masterpieces: 7/10

Presentation and Interpretation: 6/10

Architecture: 7/10

Size: 5/10

Overall Impression: 6/10


46. National Gallery of Art, Washington (USA 🇺🇸)

Impressive Collection of Pre-twentieth-Century European Art

Open to the public free of charge, the National Gallery of Art is known for its world-class collection of paintings by the most renowned European and American artists from the 12th century to the present.

Highlights include masterpieces by Rogier van der Weyden, Johannes Vermeer, and Raphael.

      • Important Masterpieces: 24
      • Total Masterworks of Painting: 210 (world-class), All Ranks of the Top 5 Paintings Added (low score is better): 893 (excellent), Mentions of the Top 5 Paintings in Influential Art Books: 50 (world-class)
      • Highlight: Watson and the Shark by John Singleton Copley (1778), 182.1 cm × 229.7 cm (71.6 in × 90.4 in)

Show top 8 paintings (click here)

Art Collection and Exhibits: 7/10

Renowned Masterpieces: 6/10

Presentation and Interpretation: 6/10

Architecture: 6/10

Size: 6/10

Overall Impression: 6/10

Best Museums in the World | Tate Britain
by Tony Hisgett / CC BY-SA 2.0   

Art Museum

Gallery Space: ca. 25,200 m2 (271,000 ft2)

Galleries: ca. 250

Artworks on Display: ca. 3,500

Established: 1937  

Visitors (2017): 5,232,277

Entrance Fee (for 1 Adult): Free

Official Webpage: https://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-britain


47. Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow (Russia 🇷🇺)

One of the Most Significant Collections of Impressionist and Post-impressionist Works in the World

The magnificent Pushkin State Museum of Arts, Moscow’s answer to St Petersburg’s Hermitage, is known worldwide for its extensive collection of late 19C French avant-garde artists.

Spread over three buildings, the museum houses one of the most significant collections of Impressionist and post-Impressionist works in the world.

      • Important Masterpieces: 14
      • Total Masterworks of Painting: 36 (impressive), All Ranks of the Top 5 Paintings Added (low score is better): 8529 (mediocre), Mentions of the Top 5 Paintings in Influential Art Books: 6 (mediocre)
      • Highlight: The Blue Dancers by Edgar Degas (1899), 65 cm × 65 cm (25.6 in × 25.6 in)

Show top 6 paintings (click here)

Art Collection and Exhibits: 7/10

Renowned Masterpieces: 6/10

Presentation and Interpretation: 6/10

Architecture: 6/10

Size: 6/10

Overall Impression: 6/10

  by Ghirlandajo / CC BY-SA 3.0   

Art Museum

Gallery Space: 8,000 m2 (86,000 ft2)

Galleries: ca. 80

Artworks on Display: ca. 8,000 (from a collection of 670,000)

Established: 1912

Visitors (2017): 1,301,832

Entrance Fee (for 1 Adult): RUB 300 (ca. EUR 10)

Official Webpage (English): pushkinmuseum.art


48. Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia (USA 🇺🇸)

One of the Most Important Art Museums in the US, with the Famous Rocky Steps on the outside and Remarkable Artworks on the Inside

Known as much for its steps as for the museum behind them, the Philadelphia Museum of Art features over two hundred galleries filled with treasures spanning continents and cultures. 

The museum is famous for its impressionist and modern collection. Highlights include famous paintings by Paul Cézanne, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and Salvador Dali (Soft Construction with Boiled Beans).

      • Important Masterpieces: 17
      • Total Masterworks of Painting: 43 (impressive), All Ranks of the Top 5 Paintings Added (low score is better): 451 (excellent), Mentions of the Top 5 Paintings in Influential Art Books: 44 (excellent)
      • Highlight: At the Moulin Rouge: The Dance by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1890), 115.6 cm × 149.9 cm (45.51 in × 59.02 in)

Show top 6 paintings (click here)

Art Collection and Exhibits: 7/10

Renowned Masterpieces: 5/10

Presentation and Interpretation: 6/10

Architecture: 6/10

Size: 6/10

Overall Impression: 6/10

by su1droot / CC BY-SA 2.0   

Art Museum

Gallery Space: 12,200 m2 (164,000 ft2)

Galleries: ca. 210

Artworks on Display: ca. 4'000 (from a collection of 240,000)

Established: 1876

Visitors (2017): 793,000

Entrance Fee (for 1 Adult): USD 25

Official Webpage (English): www.philamuseum.org


49. J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles (USA 🇺🇸)

A World-Class Museum on an Idyllic Hill, Which Includes Incredible Views of Los Angeles

The J. Paul Getty Museum is equally well known for its great art, such as its striking architecture, large, designed gardens, and stunning views overlooking Los Angeles.

The museum is housed on two campuses on the northwest side of Los Angeles. The Getty Villa on the Pacific Coast Highway focuses on Greek, and Roman art and artifacts.

      • Important Masterpieces: 4
      • Total Masterworks of Painting: 40 (impressive), All Ranks of the Top 5 Paintings Added (low score is better): 1877 (excellent), Mentions of the Top 5 Paintings in Influential Art Books: 31 (excellent)
      • Highlight: Irises by Vincent van Gogh (1889), 71 cm × 93 cm (28 in × ​36 in)

Show top 6 paintings (click here)

Art Collection and Exhibits: 6/10

Renowned Masterpieces: 5/10

Presentation and Interpretation: 6/10

Architecture: 7/10

Size: 5/10

Overall Impression: 6/10

Best Museums in the World
by Jelson25 / Public domain   

Art and Archaeological Museum

Gallery Space: ca. 7,000 m2 (75,347 ft2)

Galleries: ca. 100

Artworks on Display: ca. 2,500

Established: 1974

Visitors (2016): 2,023,467

Entrance Fee (for 1 Adult): Free (reservations required) 

Official Webpage (English): www.getty.edu/museum/


50. Österreichische Galerie Belvedere, Vienna (Austria 🇦🇹)

Outstanding Collection of 19th- And 20th-Century Austrian Paintings

This splendid palace complex with beautiful interior décor houses an outstanding collection of 19th- and 20th-century Austrian paintings.

At the Upper Belvedere Palace marvel at the world's largest collection of Gustav Klimt's paintings including his famous masterpieces "The Kiss" and "Judith and the Head of Holofernes" but also several famous works by Egon Schiele and Oskar Kokoschka. 

      • Important Masterpieces: 8
      • Total Masterworks of Painting: 24 (decent), All Ranks of the Top 5 Paintings Added (low score is better): 2331 (impressive), Mentions of the Top 5 Paintings in Influential Art Books: 31 (excellent)
      • Highlight: The Kiss by Gustav Klimt (1907–1908), 180 cm × 180 cm (70.8 in × 70.8 in)

Show top 5 paintings (click here)

Art Collection and Exhibits: 6/10

Renowned Masterpieces: 7/10

Presentation and Interpretation: 6/10

Architecture: 8/10

Size: 5/10

Overall Impression: 6/10

by Belvedere, Wien / CC BY-SA 3.0  

Art Museum (mainly Modern Art)

Gallery Space: 6,360 m2 (68,458 ft2) (all buildings) 

Galleries: ca. 60 (all buildings) 

Artworks on Display: ca. 600

Established: 1903

Visitors [2017]: 1,427,225

Entrance Fee (for 1 Adult): EUR 24

Official Webpage (English): www.belvedere.at

World Heritage Site: Since 2001


51. Kunstmuseum, Basel (Switzerland 🇨🇭)

A Splendid Permanent Collection Ranging from Medieval Art to the Present Day

The Kunstmuseum Basel is home to one of Europe's oldest and most remarkable collections from medieval masters to 20th-century paintings.

In the halls of the gallery, you can admire the world's largest collection of paintings by the Holbein family as well as one of the most excellent Picasso exhibits outside of Paris.

Accessible from the original museum by a tunnel, a striking new (2016) extension across the street, called the Neubau, holds regularly outstanding temporary exhibits and displays selected items from the Kunstmuseum's permanent modernist collection.

      • Important Masterpieces: 14
      • Total Masterworks of Painting: 51 (excellent), All Ranks of the Top 5 Paintings Added (low score is better): 1808 (excellent), Mentions of the Top 5 Paintings in Influential Art Books: 21 (impressive)
      • Highlight: Bride of the Wind by Oskar Kokoschka (1914), 181 cm × 220 cm (71 in × 87 in)

Show top 10 paintings (click here)

Art Collection and Exhibits: 7/10

Renowned Masterpieces: 5/10

Presentation and Interpretation: 7/10

Architecture: 6/10

Size: 5/10

Overall Impression: 6/10

by Wladyslaw Sojka /  Public Domain   

Art Museum

Gallery Space: 10,000 m2 (107,639 ft2)

Galleries: ca. 110 (all buildings)

Artworks on Display: ca. 1'000

Established: 1661/1936 

Visitors (2018): 335’000

Entrance Fee (for 1 Adult): CHF 16 (ca. EUR 13)

Official Webpage (English): kunstmuseumbasel.ch/en/kunstmuseum-basel


52. Wallace Collection, London (United Kingdom 🇬🇧)

A Small but Impressive Collection, Presented in an Elegant Former Estate Home

Comparable to the Frick Collection in New York, this small but impressive collection highlights French and Dutch paintings, furniture, and decorative objects from the 15th-18th centuries in an elegant former estate home.

The collection opened to permanent public view in 1900 in Hertford House and remains there to this day. A condition of the request was that no object should ever leave the collection, even for loan exhibitions.

      • Important Masterpieces: 4
      • Total Masterworks of Painting: 18 (decent), All Ranks of the Top 5 Paintings Added (low score is better): 5174 (mediocre), Mentions of the Top 5 Paintings in Influential Art Books: 33 (excellent)
      • Highlight: The Swing, Jean-Honore Fragonard (1767), 81 cm × 64.2 cm (​31.9 in × ​25.2 in)

Show top 5 paintings (click here)

Art Collection and Exhibits: 6/10

Renowned Masterpieces: 6/10

Presentation and Interpretation: 6/10

Architecture: 7/10

Size: 5/10

Overall Impression: 6/10

by Anthony O'Neil / CC BY 2.0   

Art Museum

Gallery Space: ca. 5,000 m2 (53,819 ft2)

Galleries: 28

Artworks on Display: ca. 1,200

Established: 1897

Visitors (2016): 419,020

Entrance Fee (for 1 Adult): Free

Official Webpage (English): wallacecollection.org


53. Oldmasters Museum, Brussels (Belgium 🇧🇪)

Home to a Significant Collection of European Paintings from the 14th to the 18th Century

The Oldmasters Museum (Museum of Ancient Art) is part of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts in Brussels and dedicated to European painters from the 15th to the 18th centuries. 

The museum holds an extensive collection of Flemish painting, among them paintings by Bruegel and Rogier van der Weyden, Robert Campin (the Master of Flémalle), Anthony van Dyck, and Jacob Jordaens.

      • Important Masterpieces: 6
      • Total Masterworks of Painting: 14 (decent), All Ranks of the Top 5 Paintings Added (low score is better): 2979 (impressive), Mentions of the Top 5 Paintings in Influential Art Books: 39 (excellent)
      • Highlight: Death of Marat, Jacques-Louis David (1793), 165 cm × 128 cm (65 in × 50 in)

Show top 5 paintings (click here)

Art Collection and Exhibits: 5/10

Renowned Masterpieces: 6/10

Presentation and Interpretation: 6/10

Architecture: 7/10

Size: 5/10

Overall Impression: 6/10

by Micehl wal / CC BY-SA 3.0   

Art Museum

Gallery Space: ca. 6,000 m2 (64,583 ft2)

Galleries: ca. 30

Artworks on Display: ca. 400

Established: 1803

Visitors (2016): 1,046,190

Entrance Fee (for 1 Adult): EUR 15

Official Webpage (English): pinakothek.de/en


54. Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg (Germany 🇩🇪)

Known for Its Outstanding Collection of German Romantic Paintings

The prestigious Hamburger Kunsthalle, one of the largest art museums in Germany, consists of three connected buildings, dating from 1869, 1921 and 1997, and displays works from the Middle Ages to today.

It’s particularly known for its outstanding collection of German Romantic paintings, as well as its large modern art section.

The outstanding permanent collection consists mainly of impressionist and post-impressionist work.

      • Important Masterpieces: 18
      • Total Masterworks of Painting: 50 (excellent), All Ranks of the Top 5 Paintings Added (low score is better): 1642 (impressive), Mentions of the Top 5 Paintings in Influential Art Books: 31 (excellent)
      • Highlight: Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog, Caspar David Friedrich (1818), 94.8 cm × 74.8 cm (37.3 in × 29.4 in)

Show top 10 paintings (click here)

Art Collection and Exhibits: 7/10

Renowned Masterpieces: 6/10

Presentation and Interpretation: 6/10

Architecture: 6/10

Size: 6/10

Overall Impression: 6/10

by Chat W / CC BY-SA 3.0   

Art Museum

Gallery Space: 12,000 m2 (130,000 ft2)

Galleries: ca. 65 (all buildings)

Artworks on Display: ca. 2'000

Established: 1878

Visitors (2014): 382,000

Entrance Fee (for 1 Adult): EUR 14

Official Webpage (English): hamburger-kunsthalle.de/en


55. Städelsches Kunstinstitut und Städtische Galerie, Frankfurt (Germany 🇩🇪)

One of the Leading Art Collections in Germany

Founded in 1815, the Städel Museum houses one of the leading art collections in Germany, dating from 15th-century Dutch, German and Italian masterpieces to works by contemporary German and international artists.

In addition, the museum regularly houses outstanding temporary exhibitions like “Titian and the Renaissance in Venice” or “Making van Gogh” in 2019.

      • Important Masterpieces: 8
      • Total Masterworks of Painting: 34 (impressive), All Ranks of the Top 5 Paintings Added (low score is better): 2593 (impressive), Mentions of the Top 5 Paintings in Influential Art Books: 29 (impressive)
      • Highlight: Portrait of a Young Woman (Simonetta Vespucci), Sandro Botticelli (1480-1485), 82 cm × 54 cm (32 in × 21 in)

Show top 10 paintings (click here)

Interesting Artworks: 6/10

Famous Artworks: 6/10

Art Display: 6/10

Building: 6/10

Size: 4/10

Overall: 6/10

by Simsalabimbam / CC BY 4.0   

Art Museum

Gallery Space: 4,000 m2 (43,055 ft2)

Galleries: ca. 30

Artworks on Display: ca. 1,000

Established: 1959

Visitors (2018): 390,532

Entrance Fee (for 1 Adult): EUR 12

Official Webpage: staedelmuseum.de


56. Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden (Germany 🇩🇪)

Exceptional Collection Including the Sistine Madonna by Raphael

After the Alte Meister Painting Gallery has been renovated for around 50 million euros over the past seven years, it reopened in February 2020.

In addition to seven hundred paintings from the 15th through 18th centuries, 420 sculptures are also on display.

The museum's star attraction is undoubtedly the Sistine Madonna by Raphael.

      • Important Masterpieces: 8
      • Total Masterworks of Painting: 30 (impressive), All Ranks of the Top 5 Paintings Added (low score is better): 1555 (excellent), Mentions of the Top 5 Paintings in Influential Art Books: 44 (excellent)
      • Highlight: Sistine Madonna, Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio) (1512), 265 cm × 196 cm (104 in × 77 in)

Show top 10 paintings (click here)

Art Collection and Exhibits: 6/10

Renowned Masterpieces: 7/10

Presentation and Interpretation: 6/10

Architecture: 8/10

Size: 4/10

Overall Impression: 6/10

by Ingersoll / CC BY-SA 3.0   

Art Museum

Gallery Space: ca. 4,000 m2 (43,055 ft2)

Galleries: 55

Artworks on Display: ca. 1,200

Established: 1855

Visitors (2013): 578,499

Entrance Fee (for 1 Adult): EUR 14

Official Webpage: gemaeldegalerie.skd.museum


57. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (USA 🇺🇸)

One of the Most Important Collections of Work from All Eras and Countries

Housed in a grand neo-classical building built in 1909, the Museum of Fine Arts covers all parts of the globe and all eras, from the ancient world to contemporary times. Marvel at ancient Egyptian treasures, Asian and Persian fine arts, and works from ancient Greece and the Middle East.

The museum is home to 8,161 paintings, surpassed among American museums only by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Highlights include European Old Masters, Impressionists, and the Art of the Americas section with renowned works by John Singleton Copley and John Singer Sargent.

      • Important Masterpieces: 6
      • Total Masterworks of Painting: 39 (impressive), All Ranks of the Top 5 Paintings Added (low score is better): 2088 (impressive), Mentions of the Top 5 Paintings in Influential Art Books: 29 (impressive)
      • Highlight: Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?, Paul Gauguin (1897), 139 cm × 375 cm (55 in × 148 in)

Show top 10 artworks (click here)

Art Collection and Exhibits: 6/10

Renowned Masterpieces: 7/10

Presentation and Interpretation: 6/10

Architecture: 8/10

Size: 4/10

Overall Impression: 6/10

by Alexf / CC BY-SA 3.0   

Art and Archaeological Museum

Gallery Space: 20,500 m2 (220,660 ft2)

Galleries: ca. 230

Artworks on Display: ca. 20,000

Established: 1870

Visitors (2019): 1,226,431

Entrance Fee (for 1 Adult): USD 25

Official Webpage: mfa.org


58. Mauritshuis, The Hague (Netherlands 🇳🇱)

One of the Greatest Art Galleries in the Netherlands

Comparable to the Frick in New York and the Wallace Collection in London, the Mauritshuis is one of the finest small art galleries in the world.

Housed in a small but delightful neoclassical mansion from 1637, the museum reopened in 2014 following a major renovation.

The interesting collection of the museum includes masterpieces such as Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring and Rembrandt's intriguing The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp.

      • Important Masterpieces: 4
      • Total Masterworks of Painting: 17 (decent), All Ranks of the Top 5 Paintings Added (low score is better): 2374 (impressive), Mentions of the Top 5 Paintings in Influential Art Books: 54 (world-class)
      • Highlight: Girl with a Pearl Earring, Johannes Vermeer van Delft (c. 1665), 44.5 cm × 39 cm (17.5 in × 15 in)

Show top 5 paintings (click here)

Art Collection and Exhibits: 5/10

Renowned Masterpieces: 8/10

Presentation and Interpretation: 6/10

Architecture: 8/10

Size: 3/10

Overall Impression: 6/10

by Ralf Roletschek / CC BY 4.0   

Modern Art Museum

Gallery Space: 2,000 m2 (21,527 ft2)

Galleries: 15

Artworks on Display: ca. 200 (collection: 840)

Established: 1822

Visitors (2018): 390,532

Entrance Fee (for 1 Adult): EUR 15.50

Official Webpage (English): www.mauritshuis.nl/en/


59. Museo di Capodimonte, Naples (Italy 🇮🇹)

One of the Best Art Collections in Italy

This museum houses one of the best art collections in Italy in a wonderful palace.

      • Important Masterpieces: 4
      • Total Masterworks of Painting: 22 (decent), All Ranks of the Top 5 Paintings Added (low score is better): 4216 (decent), Mentions of the Top 5 Paintings in Influential Art Books: 15 (decent)
      • Highlight: Judith Beheading Holofernes, Artemisia Gentileschi (1614–1620), 158.8 cm × 125.5 cm (62.5 in × 49.4 in)

Show top 10 paintings (click here)

Art Collection and Exhibits: 6/10

Renowned Masterpieces: 5/10

Presentation and Interpretation: 6/10

Architecture: 8/10

Size: 6/10

Overall Impression: 6/10

by lSistemone / CC BY-SA 2.0

Archaeological Museum

Gallery Space: 15,000 m2 (160,000 ft2)

Galleries: 105

Artworks on Display: ca. 7,000

Established: 1757

Visitors (2016): 193 055

Entrance Fee (for 1 Adult): EUR 9

Official Webpage (English): museocapodimonte.beniculturali.it


60. Museu Calouste-Gulbenkian, Lisbon (Portugal 🇵🇹)

One of the Best Private Collections in the World Ranging from Antiquity to the Early 20th Century

This remarkable museum hosts one of the best private collections in the world. It displays works ranging from Antiquity to the early 20th century including tapestry, ceramics, jewelry, glassware, sculpture furniture, and paintings – all under one roof. The paintings part is not the main attraction.

      • Important Masterpieces: 2
      • Total Masterworks of Painting: 8 (mediocre), All Ranks of the Top 5 Paintings Added (low score is better): 16,151 (mediocre), Mentions of the Top 5 Paintings in Influential Art Books: 3 (mediocre)
      • Highlight: Madame Monet by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1872)

Show top 10 artworks (click here)

Art Collection and Exhibits: 6/10

Renowned Masterpieces: 5/10

Presentation and Interpretation: 6/10

Architecture: 5/10

Size: 4/10

Overall Impression: 6/10

Best Museums in the World | Calouste Gulbenkian Museum

Art and Archaeological Museum

Gallery Space: 5,000 m2 (53,819 ft2)

Galleries: 17

Artworks on Display: ca. 1,000

Established: 1969

Visitors (2017): 377,137

Entrance Fee (for 1 Adult): EUR 14

Official Webpage (English): gulbenkian.pt/museu/en/


Remarks

Some museums, which would normally be included in this list, are temporarily closed or not yet open. 

      • The Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo (reopens ca. in 2024) is likely to replace the Egyptian Museum
      • Neue Pinakothek in Munich (reopens ca. 2026)


This was part 5 (#41-60) of our list of the best museums in the world in 2024.

Click on the following links to discover part 1 (#1–10), part 2 (#11–20), part 3 (#21–30), part 4 (#31–40), and part 5 (#41–60).

Please check out also the results of our analysis to determine the best cities in the world to visit as a tourist in 2024 and our famous list of the best aquariums in the world in 2024.

Best Aquariums in the World Top 10 List