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While museums may not appeal to everyone, they play a crucial role in preserving history for future generations. Over the years, museums have evolved, and many have embraced technology to enhance interactivity. Due to the global coronavirus lockdowns, most museums are closed, but many now offer virtual tours through their websites. This list features some of the most renowned museums worldwide and the fascinating exhibits they showcase.
10. Deep Time
At the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, the 'Deep Time' exhibit spans 31,000 square feet on the first floor and stands as one of the largest displays in Washington, D.C. Visitors embark on a journey through 4.6 billion years of Earth’s history, encountering life-sized fossils of an American mastodon, a woolly mammoth, a giant sloth, and many other prehistoric creatures.
The Fossil Hall also features eight interactive touchscreens that provide videos on topics such as ancient climate change and the evolution of the human body.
The Fossil Basecamp offers hands-on experiences with touchable objects and demonstrations, while the Fossil Lab allows visitors to witness the intricate process of preparing fossils for museum exhibits.
The Fossil Hall also features the Changing Climates section and the Age of Humans Gallery. The former examines the rapid global warming that occurred approximately 56 million years ago, while the latter addresses the impact of humans on the current climate.
9. Calligraphy Gallery
The Shanghai Museum in China, renowned for its impressive collection of over 120,000 ancient Chinese artifacts, also boasts remarkable galleries dedicated to Chinese Numismatics, Bronze, Sculpture, Jades, Paintings, and more. One standout feature is the Calligraphy Gallery, which showcases the art form that has been revered for centuries as one of China’s Four Arts. The gallery includes a signature couplet by the artist Jin Nong, illustrating the diverse styles of the art and its capacity to express an artist’s identity through both art and language.
In 2020, a temporary exhibition focused on the calligraphy of Zhao Puchu, the president of the Buddhist Association of China from the 1950s until his death in 2000. This display offered a deep dive into Zhao's life, including personal documents and handwriting samples. Zhao Puchu was also an internationally acclaimed author and poet, known for his humanitarian efforts in assisting refugees and providing disaster relief.
8. Prehistoric Collection
The National Archaeological Museum of Athens provides an immersive experience into ancient Greek civilization, with over 11,000 exhibits showcasing the rich cultural heritage of ancient Greece. Established in 1829, it stands as the largest archaeological museum in Greece and one of the world's foremost institutions dedicated to preserving Greek antiquities.
The museum features a remarkable Prehistoric Antiquities collection, spanning Neolithic, Cycladic, and Thera artifacts. These exceptional works of art date back from the 7th millennium to 1050 BC and represent the artistic achievements of some of the earliest civilizations. Highlights include the Linear B tablets and the stunning treasures from the royal tombs of Mycenae.
7. Museum of Ancient Near East
During air raids over Berlin towards the end of World War II, the Pergamon Museum sustained heavy damage. However, many of the museum's objects were carefully stored in secure locations, while larger exhibits were walled in to protect them. In 1945, the Red Army confiscated several loose items, and it took 13 years for most of these items to be returned to Berlin, though some are still held in Russia.
The Pergamon Museum is a vast space showcasing reconstructed wonders like the Pergamon Altar and the Mshatta Façade. It also houses The Museum of the Ancient Near East, which spans 14 rooms and brings 6,000 years of Middle Eastern history to life. Among its treasures are the Ishtar Gate, ancient Babylonian city walls, clay tablets from Mesopotamia, and a striking alabaster statue.
6. Guggenheim Exhibits
The exterior of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum features a small red tile bearing Frank Lloyd Wright's initials. Wright, the building’s architect, designed the iconic spiral ramp gallery that rises from the ground floor. The museum is home to global sister sites and displays works such as Georges Braque's 'Violin and Palette,' Juan Gris' 'Houses in Paris,' and Paul Klee's 'Red Balloon.'
The Guggenheim also showcases 'Before the Mirror' by Édouard Manet, whose work sought to challenge traditional artistic norms. Another highlight is 'Morning in the Village after Snowstorm,' painted by Kazimir Malevich in 1912, which stands as one of his most breathtaking pieces.
'Woman with Yellow Hair,' painted by Pablo Picasso in 1931, remains one of the Guggenheim's iconic works. The painting depicts Marie-Thérèse Walter, Picasso's mistress and muse, who was just 17 years old at the time.
5. Pharaonic Antiquities
Constructed in 1901, the Egyptian Museum houses around 120,000 artifacts, though many are stored away. It holds the largest collection of Pharaonic relics globally. During the Egyptian Revolution in 2011, the museum was broken into, leading to the theft of two display mummies, along with other objects that were damaged or lost. Only a few of these items have been restored.
The museum's gallery provides fascinating glimpses into ancient Egypt, showcasing artifacts like King Tutankhamun's Gold Mask, the prisoner tiles of Ramesses III, a statue of Hatshepsut, and much more. On April 3, 2021, twenty-two mummies from the museum were transferred to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Fustat, through a grand procession known as The Pharaoh’s Golden Parade.
4. The Beginning of the World
In South Africa's Cradle of Humankind lies the Maropeng Visitor Centre, a heritage museum displaying fossils from some of Earth's earliest life forms. Sites such as Bolt’s Farm, with fossils dating back 5 million years, and Sterkfontein, known for its rich hominid discoveries, are part of the experience. At Wonder Caves, fossils of rodents, birds, and frogs are displayed, while Drimolen is renowned for the discovery of 92 hominid specimens.
The exhibits at the Visitor Centre illustrate the origins of the world and the evolution of life on Earth. Topics covered include DNA, the process of evolution, and the causes of extinction. The centre also features an immersive boat ride that takes visitors through the elements—fire, water/ice, earth, and air—while explaining the Gaia Principle.
3. The Wonders of the British Museum
A treasure trove of human history, art, and culture, the British Museum boasts a collection of approximately 8 million pieces, making it one of the largest and most comprehensive museums in the world. It also holds the distinction of being the first public national museum ever created.
Within the museum, various departments represent distinct regions of the world, including Egypt and Sudan, Greece and Rome, the Middle East, Britain, Europe, Prehistoric Asia, as well as Africa, Oceania, and the Americas.
The museum is also home to the iconic round Reading Room, which has welcomed notable visitors such as Virginia Woolf, Karl Marx, Bram Stoker, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
At the British Museum, visitors can view famous artifacts such as the Elgin Marbles, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, the Rosetta Stone, the Black Obelisk, and the Portland Vase. While the museum is temporarily closed due to lockdown restrictions, art lovers can enjoy a virtual tour of the 'Arctic' exhibit, which highlights the culture of the indigenous Arctic Peoples and the impact of global climate change on their homeland.
When the museum reopens in May 2021, a special exhibition will focus on the life and reign of Nero, one of Rome's most infamous emperors.
2. Piedra del Sol
Opened in 1964, the National Museum of Anthropology is the largest museum in Mexico. It honors the indigenous peoples of the country, showcasing a vast array of objects that celebrate their cultures and ways of life.
The museum's extensive collections cover diverse cultural regions, including the Preclassic Central Highlands culture, the cultures of Oaxaca, the Mayan civilization, and the Western and Northern cultures of Mexico.
One of the most awe-inspiring artifacts at the museum is the renowned Aztec sunstone, Piedra del Sol, which was uncovered during repairs to the Metropolitan Cathedral in 1790. Weighing approximately 24 tonnes, its true significance and function remain a mystery. Carved by the Mexica at the end of the Mesoamerican Postclassic Period, the sunstone has been part of the museum's collection since its inception. The central part of the stone is thought to depict the face of Tonatiuh, the solar deity, while the four surrounding squares symbolize the four previous suns or ages: 'Four Jaguar,' 'Four Wind,' 'Four Rain,' and 'Four Water.'
1. Shrine of the Book
The Israel Museum in Givat Ram, Jerusalem, houses the Shrine of the Book, which is home to the seven Dead Sea Scrolls. Designed to resemble a white dome, the shrine is surrounded by a pool of water. Among the notable displays are the Isaiah scroll, dating back to the 2nd century BC, which is the most well-preserved of the scrolls, and the Aleppo Codex, the oldest known Hebrew Bible.
The Temple Scroll, the longest of the Qumran scrolls, stretches over 8 meters in length. Additionally, the Community Rule scroll is thought to have served as a guidebook for the strict Jewish sect that authored the scrolls.
Due to their fragile nature, the scrolls are not on permanent display and are typically exhibited for about six months at a time.
