Famous Art Museums – A Look at Art Museums Around the World

What is the largest museum in the world? Or perhaps you may have wondered, “what is the most visited art museum in the world?” Learning about the millions of incredible artworks and artists across the world is exciting and a great place to start, but what can be even more fulfilling is getting to see some of your favorite pieces in person. There are numerous art institutions and galleries around the world that offer different collections and exhibit different genres of art from specific points in art history. In this article, we will provide you with a complete list of the best art museums in the world and what makes each institution so famous. 

The Role of the Art Museum

Throughout history, humans maintained a tendency to document, gather, store, and preserve certain objects and important memorabilia that holds special meaning for us. Similar to this tendency is the art museum as a site for time travel and reflection on different aspects of art at different points in time.

The role of art museums is built on the foundation that art is worthy of preservation and is a documentation of events, moments in history, and the world around us.

There are numerous art institutions around the world, each with a different purpose. From commercial spaces to collective, community-centric spaces, art has occupied some sort of space for centuries. Art museums in particular revolve around the collections they house and are focused on the conservation, preservation, and education surrounding their collections.

Top 25 Most Famous Art Museums Around the World

Reading about work and viewing artwork in real-time offer two different experiences. Luckily for you, we have narrowed down your search to the top 25 most famous and most visited art museums around the world. Regardless of which institution you decide to visit first, you can be sure to enjoy your experience!

The Vatican Museums (est. 1506)

Vatican City in Italy is home to the Vatican Museums, which showcase the many artworks acquired and commissioned by the Catholic Church. The museum’s collections are made up of over 70,000 artworks, first established by Pope Julius II around the early 16th century. The Vatican Museums comprise 24 galleries, including the main attraction, the Sistine Chapel.

The Vatican Museums are known to be the 5th most visited art institution in the world as well as the fifth largest art museum in the world.

The Vatican Museums; Jesús Moreno, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

According to a study, the Vatican Museums are highly regarded in Asia due to their location in Italy, which ranks as one of the best countries in the world. Some of the works of the most famous artists found at the Vatican Museums include Michelangelo, Raphael, Da Vinci, Titian, and Giotto among the many masters of the Renaissance.

The Uffizi Gallery (est. 1581)

Founded in 1581, the Uffizi Gallery is one of the best art museums in the world and Italy, designed by Giorgio Vasari, Bernardo Buontalenti, and Alfonso Parigi the Elder. The museum is famous for its collection of valuable artworks from the Italian Renaissance and was built upon request by one of the most prominent Italian families in history, the Medicis.

In 1993, the museum also made headlines after being exposed to a car bombing executed by the Sicilian Mafia, which destroyed a few artworks and killed five people.

The Uffizi Gallery; RoseHAN, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Some of the most viewed artworks from the Uffizi Gallery include La Primavera, The Birth of Venus, and the Adoration of the Magi (1475) by Sandro Botticelli and other famous paintings by artists such as Giotto, Cimabue, Rembrandt, Titian, Caravaggio, Raphael, Da Vinci, and Artemisia Gentileschi.

The Uffizi Gallery is a great place to visit, especially if you wish to study the works of the old masters of the Renaissance.

The British Museum (est. 1753)

Around 1753 is when King George established the British Museum, which has since acquired many important historical works of art. The British Museum has been the institution of both praise and controversy in the 21st century due to the nature of the acquisition of some of the works in its collection. Founded in 1753, the British Museum in London contains an impressive collection spanning two million years of global history and includes some of the most important archaeological discoveries known to man.

Boasting over eight million artworks alone, the British Museum is recognized as holding one of the largest collections in the world.

The British Museum; MrsEllacott, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The museum is also acknowledged as the first public museum in the world to cover all topics of history in its collection, making it a treasured national resource. The collection began with an Anglo-Irish Naturalist and physician named Sir Hans Sloane who bequeathed his collection of curiosities and objects to King George II.

The collection had already received a jumpstart with objects and artworks from ancient Greece, Egypt, the Americas, the Far East, and artworks by Albrecht Dürer.

The British Museum ranks fifth in the world as one of the most popular art museums yet it ranked much higher in the United Kingdom alone, indicating that it is an institution that is much appreciated by its nation in comparison to the rest of the world.

The State Hermitage Museum (est. 1764)

If you are looking for the largest art museum in the world, look no further than the State Hermitage Museum, which is located in St. Petersburg, Russia. This massive art museum is famous for being the largest art museum in the world, closely following the Louvre Museum. The building was founded by Catherine the Great, an empress of Russia who ruled from 1762 until 1796 and amassed a stunning collection of artworks from an art merchant called Johann Ernst Gotzkowsky.

The museum opened its doors to the public in 1852 and has since topped the list as one of the most visited art museums in the world, garnering over 1.6 million visitors in 2021.

Ranking second in its collection quality, the State Hermitage Museum collection contains more than three million artworks spread across six historical buildings. The institution also owns six additional exhibition centers around the world and offers free entrance to the public on the third Thursday of every month.

Spanning over 700,000 ft², the museum is one of the largest art museums in the world with works from artists such as Pablo Picasso, Leonardo da Vinci, and Rembrandt.

The collection also houses works that represent different important art epochs, including works from antiquity, the Middle East, Russia, and Western Europe. It is definitely a must-see for any art lover and will have you returning for visual inspiration.

The Musée du Louvre (est. 1793)

The Musée du Louvre is by far the largest art museum in the world and also holds the title of the most-visited art museum. The Louvre Museum was voted the best art museum in the world in 2021 as well as the best art museum in France in the same year. Boasting close to three million visitors each year, this famous art institution was built around 1793 by Pierre Lescot, Claude Perrault, and Louis le Vau and is also considered an important historical landmark.

The Musée du Louvre is located in the heart of France, Paris, which for any artist is a must-see destination.

The history of the Louvre dates back to the 12th century under King Philip II who built the fortress as a defense structure against attacks from the West. Aside from the institution’s incredible historical significance, the Louvre is also famous for housing some of the best-known artworks in art history, including Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, which is the reason why most people flock to the museum in the first place.

The Musée du Louvre; Charlotte.vermersch, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

According to a study, the Louvre was rated one of the most famous art museums in the world with 63% of people already aware of its existence and reputation. This also goes to show that the popularity of an art museum goes hand-in-hand with the popularity of the artwork and artists housed in its collection.

The Louvre first opened with 537 paintings in its collection sourced by the royals of the time and confiscated items.

The Louvre contains an astounding 380,000 objects, including more than 35,000 artworks alone. The collection is diverse, spanning multiple mediums such as sculpture, art objects, drawings, and archaeological artifacts from around the world, which also makes this art museum one of the largest art museums in the world.

The Rijksmuseum (est. 1798)

Founded in The Hague in 1798, the Rijksmuseum is the Netherlands’ national museum containing over 1 million artworks from different Dutch artists across Dutch art history. The Rijksmuseum moved to Amsterdam in 1808 and has since remained one of the best art museums in the world.

The main building was designed in 1885 by architect Pierre Cuypers and fast-forward to 2013, the building had undergone a massive 10-year renovation project, which saw Queen Beatrix at the opening.

The Rijksmuseum; See page for author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The collection, as some might not believe, was built up over 200 years through donations and purchases and did not initially house the works of some of its most popular artists such as Johannes Vermeer or Rembrandt. The museum is lauded for its professionalism and social contributions as a site with a remarkable collection and ranking third on the list of the world’s best art museums.

The Museo Nacional del Prado (est. 1819)

Founded in 1819, this famous Spanish art museum is one to check off your box when in Madrid. The Museo Nacional del Prado is considered to be a culturally significant institution in Spain housing a beautiful collection of works from both local and foreign artists from the 11th to the 18th centuries. While the museum is not entirely popular in the Americas, it is highly appreciated across Europe.

The collection contains more than 7,600 paintings in addition to thousands of drawings, prints, sculptures, and other historical documents that provide a comprehensive record of the cultural and artistic development of the region.

The Museo Nacional del Prado; Lluís Marià Vidal i Carreras, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The museum is also recognized as the Prado Museum and was originally built upon the collection of the royal Spanish family. The collection includes works by artists such as Francisco Goya, Titian, Peter Paul Rubens, El Greco, and Diego Velázquez, to name a few.

The Prado Museum, which was recently added to the UNESCO World Heritage list, is also a part of the Golden Triangle of Art in Madrid, accompanied by its neighbors, Museo Reina Sofía and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum.

The National Gallery (est. 1824)

The National Gallery in London is one of the most visited art museums in the world that saw more than 6.2 million visitors each year in its prime and is currently ranked as the fourth most famous art museum in global rankings. The collection begins in the 13th century and comprises more than 2,300 paintings. The National Gallery is also home to incredible works by artists such as Van Gogh, Claude Monet, and Michelangelo, which are among the most visited artworks at the museum.

The museum is well-known across the Americas and Europe yet its popularity seems to decline in Asia. 

The National Gallery; https://www.flickr.com/photos/bryansjs, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Victoria and Albert Museum (est. 1852)

The Victoria and Albert Museum in London is one of Europe’s most famous art museums with the world’s largest collection of applied and decorative arts. The permanent collection consists of more than 2.27 million objects alone and was named after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1852.

Recognized by the abbreviation V&A, the museum is open to the public with free entrance and is certainly a trip that would take days to view.

The Victoria and Albert Museum; Peter Cooper, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

With over 5,000 years of art history behind its walls, the V&A museum is not to be missed. The collection is further divided into art from various parts of the world, including North America, Europe, North Africa, Asia, and works from antiquity.

The museum falls on the list of some of the largest art museums in the world, ranking ninth.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art (est. 1872)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the most popular art museums in New York and the rest of the world, housing millions of precious artifacts and artworks from multiple regions across the globe. Featuring 17 curatorial departments, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is also the most visited art museum with more than 6.5 million people flocking to the museum in 2019.

In addition to this, the museum is also considered the largest art museum in the Americas.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art; Carmelo Bayarcal, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The institution is predominantly focused on arts education catered to the American public and ranks 4th on the list of largest art museums in the world. Despite thriving in familiarity in Asia and the Americas, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is not as popular in Europe and reflects the bias that Europe has when it comes to national pride in major institutional bodies.

Some of the most treasured artworks at the Metropolitan Museum of Art include The Musicians (1595) by Caravaggio, The Dancing Class (1872) by Edgar Degas, and The Card Players (1890 – 1892) by Paul Cézanne.

The Art Institute of Chicago (est. 1879)

Established in 1879, the Art Institute of Chicago is at the top of the list of the most famous art museums around the world. The museum is recognized as one of the oldest art museums in the world with a collection that is among the most well-curated in America.

The collection consists of more than 300,000 artworks and is a powerhouse of research, conservation, and scientific research.

The Art Institute of Chicago; jcdcv, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The museum is also affiliated with one of the United States’ best art schools, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. The majority of art museums were affected during the 2020 pandemic, but the Art Institute of Chicago remains among the many strong institutions as a famous art museum.

The National Museum of Korea (est. 1909/1945)

With more than 1.2 million visitors flocking to the National Museum of Korea, the institution is one of the most famous art museums in the world, ranking 14th on the list of the world’s most visited art museums. The National Museum of Korea is made up of 13 regional national museums and is considered to be one of the most extensive collections of Korean art in the world.

The museum houses over 310,000 historical art objects, spanning centuries as far back as one can list, from the Paleolithic era to the 20th century.

The museum’s permanent collection comprises over 12,000 masterpieces and six galleries containing important records of art from prehistory to early modernity. The National Museum of Korea was built upon the collection of Korea’s first art museum, founded by Emperor Sunjong and later re-established in 1945 under the independence of South Korea.

The National Museum of Korea; Jinah78, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The museum has one of the most comprehensive cultural collections that showcase unique art objects and artifacts from the Silk Road and the Silla Kingdom (57 CE – 676 CE), which has served as a valuable site for study for many researchers interested in the ancient trade relations between Japan, Korea, and China.

The artwork and objects from this period are regarded as incredibly important since the Silla Kingdom also marked a point in the history of global exchange and evidence of Western culture in ancient Korea.

The Royal Ontario Museum (est. 1912)

Established in 1912, the Royal Ontario Museum is the largest art museum in North America with a collection of work that attracted over 1.2 million visitors between 2019 and 2020. Aside from being one of the most famous art museums in Canada, the Royal Ontario Museum is ranked as the 12th most visited museum in the world.

In the early 20th century, the museum maintained close ties with the University of Toronto, which was a key resource to the museum in terms of shared knowledge.

The Royal Ontario Museum; Maksim Sokolov (Maxergon), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

By 1968, the museum was transferred to the government of Ontario as a Crown agency and has since become a major institutional resource to Canada and established itself as the largest Canadian field research institution. The collection is made up of over 6 million items with 40 galleries and displays of natural and cultural history.

The collection also contains precious artifacts and artworks from the Near East, Africa, and East Asia.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum (est. 1926)

Previously known, solely, as the Tokyo Prefectural Art Museum in 1926, the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum was founded in 1943 in its place as an expansion of the promotion of the arts and culture scene in Japan. The original museum was first established due to the generous donation by a businessman, Keitaro Sato, whose contributions greatly assisted in the setup and launch of the museum.

The museum prides itself on its mission and goals for the cultural development of Japan and its promotion of the arts as a “doorway to art”, which opens its doors to the global community to experience a compelling art journey.

The museum offers a warm approach to viewing art and experiencing new values that aim to spark self-reflection in the viewer and serve as a “haven for enrichment” to its visitors’ hearts. With over 1 million visitors each year (and growing), the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum ranks 19th on the list of the world’s most visited art museums.

The Museum of Modern Art (est. 1929)

Ranking within the top 20 most visited art museums in the world, the Museum of Modern Art in New York is a stop for every tourist in New York and a frequent pitstop for all art enthusiasts. The museum was founded by Abby Aldrich Rockefeller and her two close friends, Mary Quinn Sullivan and Lillie P. Bliss in 1929, only nine days after the chaotic Wall Street crash.

The museum is considered to be one of the most influential museums in the world with a collection of more than 150,000 artworks, including works by Van Gogh, Andy Warhol, Cindy Sherman, and numerous other famous Modern artists.

The Museum of Modern Art; Andrew Milligan sumo, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Manhattan-based museum also has an impressive program featuring more than 1000 film screenings each year along with interactive, educational workshops and artist talks that will have you at the edge of your seat. The collection spans work from the late 19th century onwards and offer insights into a wide variety of art forms, including performance, artists’ books, film, painting, photography, sculpture, installation, architecture, and design objects. 

The Museum of Modern Art is a powerhouse of art history that presents the works of more than 70,000 artists and counting.

It is also affiliated with one of the largest and oldest nonprofit art centers in the United States, MoMA PS1, which exhibits more than 50 exhibitions annually. According to global rankings, the museum is one of the most reputable and forward-thinking establishments.

The National Gallery of Art (est. 1937)

This famous American art museum is up on the list of one of the most visited art museums in the world and features a magnificent sculpture garden and entrance that is free of charge to the public. Located in Washington D.C., this famous art museum was established in 1937 after Andrew W. Mellon donated a large art collection to build a museum for American citizens to enjoy.

The collection features a wide variety of visual art forms, including prints, photographs, drawings, paintings, medals, and even the only known painting by Leonardo da Vinci in the Americas.

The National Gallery of Art; Slowking4, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The National Gallery is highly praised as one of the best art museums in the United States and houses one of the largest mobile sculptures by American sculptor, Alexander Calder. The sculpture garden alone covers 25,000 m² and the museum receives an estimated 4.3 million visitors each year. The reputation of the museum is not as widely known, which contributes to its lack of popularity in global rankings.

The National Gallery of Art is, however, widely-known in Asia and Europe since it ranks higher than the awareness percentages for the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Asia.

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (est. 1939)

Spanning a design preparation period of more than 15 years, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is one of the most famous art museums in the world. The New York-based museum was founded by the art collector and businessman, Solomon R. Guggenheim in 1939, who dedicated the museum to the appreciation of modern art. The museum, now referred to as the Guggenheim, receives just over 1.2 million visitors a year, with people rushing in to see the works of artists such as Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, and Georges Braque.

Among the other Guggenheim art museums around the world, this New York museum is considered the best. 

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum; Jean-Christophe BENOIST, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Musée National d’Art Moderne (est. 1947)

Commonly known as the Centre Pompidou, the Musée National d’Art Moderne is the 11^th most visited art museum in the world with the second largest Contemporary collection in the world. The collection is made up of over 100,000 artworks and receives between 1.5 and 3.3 million visitors each year.

The museum was founded in 1947 after succeeding the first Contemporary art museum in Europe, the Musée du Luxembourg, which was first established by King Louis XVIII in 1818.

The museum is most famous for its incredible collection of Contemporary art and closely follows the New York Museum of Modern Art. The Centre Pompidou ranks quite high among the top art institutions for innovation and is mostly appreciated in Asia. 

The Museo Nacional de Antropología (est. 1964)  

The National Museum of Anthropology (Museo Nacional de Antropología) is home to one of the world’s largest collections of ancient Mexican art and is an important cultural institution, which ranks 8th in the list of the largest art museums in the world.

The museum was designed in 1964 by Pedro Ramírez Vázquez, Rafael Mijares Alcérreca, and Jorge Campuzano, and is considered somewhat of a temple for its collection of ancient artifacts of pre-Columbian heritage.

The Museo Nacional de Antropología; Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net)., CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

It is at the Mexican National Museum of Anthropology that you will encounter some of the world’s most fascinating artifacts and archaeological pieces, including the Aztec Calendar Stone, the Aztec Xochipilli statue, and numerous other national treasures.

The Van Gogh Museum (est. 1973)

The Van Gogh Museum continues to attract the attention of public intervention and was most recently pranked by a plant-based brand that hung their own version of Van Gogh’s Sunflowers and dubbed it the Mincent Van Gogh painting. The painting was hung for roughly an hour before being taken down. Just before this, environmental activists hauled soup at a Van Gogh painting in London and even made their way to the Louvre by smearing cake across the Mona Lisa.

Located in Amsterdam and closely following the reputation of the Louvre Museum in Paris is the Van Gogh Museum, which receives more than 2.3 million visitors per year.

The Van Gogh Museum was initially designed and built by Gerrit Rietveld in 1973 and is currently owned by the Van Gogh Foundation. In the name itself, the Van Gogh Museum houses the work of the most cherished post-Impressionist artist of all time, Vincent van Gogh, as well as a few of his contemporaries’ works.

The Van Gogh Museum; rinuseversen1, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Vincent van Gogh Foundation was founded in 1962 by the Dutch government after the artist’s unsold works were transferred to the artist’s nephew and exhibited on loan at the Stedelijk Museum. The collection is known to be the largest Van Gogh collection in the world and in 2019, the art museum launched a tech-immersive touring exhibition of Van Gogh’s life and artwork called Meet Vincent Van Gogh Experience.

The Van Gogh Museum also made headlines quite a few times due to a few art heists that resulted in a few of Van Gogh’s paintings being stolen, many of which have already been recovered.

The institution’s reputation remains the subject of high praise across Europe yet still further down the list of best art museums as voted on in other parts of the world. The art museum was ranked first in terms of its governance, second for its societal contributions, and third place for its quality as a workspace and collection.

The Musée d’Orsay (est. 1986)

Ranking 20th among the most visited art museums in the world is the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, which opened its doors in 1986 and has since exhibited a spectacular collection of works by artists of the Impressionist and post-Impressionist era, including Paul Gauguin, Berthe Morisot, Édouard Manet, and Alfred Sisley.

The museum’s collection contains primarily art from France and works of other mediums covering the decorative arts, photography, and architecture.

The Musée d’Orsay; Sandor Laza, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Musée d’Orsay is an iconic museum that every Parisian has seen at least once. Among the most notable works of art, which drive visitors through the doors are Olympia (1863) by Édouard Manet, Self-Portrait (1889) by Vincent van Gogh, The Circus (1891) by Georges Seurat, and Tahitian Women on the Beach (1891) by Paul Gauguin.

The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (est. 1990)

What two famous art museums are located in Madrid? One of them is The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, which is the eighth most visited art museum in the world as of 2022 and is the national museum of Spain. The museum is considered to be one of the best institutions of Contemporary art with prized collections from the 20th century that feature the works of Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí.

The museum was established in 1990 as an art center and has since been an important institution in the art world.

The museum is most famous for its involvement in the recovery of Picasso’s Guernica (1937) and its expansive representation of Neo-Avant-Garde and global Avant-Garde artists. The establishment of the museum also coincided with the Spanish move to democracy and the revitalization of modernity from a Spanish context as a new narrative, previously overlooked.

The Reina Sofia Museum is definitely one of the most impactful and famous art museums in the world.

The Multimedia Art Museum (est. 1996)

Originally established as the Moscow House of Photography in 1996, the Multimedia Art Museum in Moscow, Russia, is one of the first Russian institutions established for the art of photography. The museum is also the 4th most-visited art museum in the world, attracting more than 2.2 million visitors per year.

The many educational programs at the museum are aimed at educating the public on crucial development strategies in the field of Contemporary art and encouraging public engagement with the museum’s collection.

The Multimedia Art Museum; JukoFF, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The museum also offers programs for physically-challenged visitors, which makes this museum stand out and enables access to arts education for those who are generally the last to be considered. The popularity of the museum continues to grow and skyrocketed in 2021, increasing by 421% within the space of a year.

Tate Modern (est. 2000)

This former Bankside Power Station was redesigned and reopened to the public as a Modern and Contemporary art museum in 2000. Situated in London, this famous art museum hosts around 5.8 million visitors each year and is one of the best-known institutions, most celebrated for its refreshing Contemporary collection and education programs. Tate Modern is a part of the Tate group, which is made up of Tate Britain, Tate St Ives, and Tate Liverpool.

While the majority of the collection exhibitions are free, visitors do pay an entrance fee for special temporary exhibitions.

Tate Modern; Jordi Prats Ollé, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Tate Modern is easily a must-see for any art lover and is admired not only for its collection of works by artists such as Andy Warhol and Salvador Dalí, but is also praised for its innovation, leadership in the art scene, quality, governance, and performance. The museum is also one of the youngest art museums that were able to achieve such a prominent reputation in the global art world. 

The National Museum of China (est. 2003)

This popular Beijing-based art museum is the second most-visited art museum in the world with more than 2.3 million visitors each year. The National Museum of China was founded in 2003 and was the result of the combination of two different institutions: The Museum of the Chinese Revolution and the National Museum of Chinese History.

This important national building was finalized in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the People’s Republic of China and contains a massive collection of over 1.3 million artworks of Chinese history.

The National Museum of China; Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Some of the most significant pieces in the collection are the Houmuwu Ding dating back to the Shang Dynasty, which is rated as the heaviest bronzeware object in the world and weighs approximately 832.84 kilograms. Other treasured works in the collection include jade burial suits from the Han Dynasty and many ceramics from the Song Dynasty. 

There are millions of artworks to look at and millions of histories to unpack when it comes to immersing oneself in the wonderful collections of these incredible art museums. We hope that you will one day be able to tick off all these famous art museums from your to-do list when traveling!

View our Best Art Museums In The World web story here.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the Largest Art Museum in the World?

The largest art museum in the world is considered to be the Louvre Museum, which is located in Paris, France, and spans approximately 72,735 m². The Louvre Museum is also celebrated as the most visited art museum in the world.

What Is the Most Visited Art Museum in the World?

The most visited art museum in the world is considered to be the Louvre Museum in Paris, which receives more than 2.8 million visitors each year in the post-pandemic season.

What Two Famous Art Museums Are Located in Madrid?

The two most famous art museums that can be found in Madrid, Spain include the Museo Nacional del Prado and the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía.

Justin van Huyssteen( Writer, Academic, Educator )

Justin van Huyssteen is a writer, academic, and educator from Cape Town, South Africa. He holds a master’s degree in Theory of Literature. His primary focus in this field is the analysis of artistic objects through a number of theoretical lenses. His predominant theoretical areas of interest include narratology and critical theory in general, with a particular focus on animal studies. Other than academia, he is a novelist, game reviewer, and freelance writer. Justin’s preferred architectural movements include the more modern and postmodern types of architecture, such as Bauhaus, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Brutalist, and Futurist varieties like sustainable architecture. Justin is working for artfilemagazine as an author and content writer since 2022. He is responsible for all blog posts about architecture.

Learn more about Justin van Huyssteen and about us.