Top 10 Best Museum Cities

Whether your thing is art, history or mummies, there’s somewhere in the world with a museum just for that. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the top 10 museum cities.

For this list, we’ve narrowed it down to cities that not only have a lot of museums, but also have the biggest reputation that reach beyond just the cities or countries they’re based in. This will also be one video in a larger series of the top 10 lifestyle cities, so there will be lists for the best cities for sports, architecture, nightlife, and more.

Its pyramids and fascinating history speak for themselves, but this city also has museums that document Egyptian history just like you’d expect them to. There’s the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, which has 120,000 items and features a golden King Tut statue, items from the tombs of pharaohs, and mummy exhibits. There’s also the Egyptian National Military Museum and the Museum of Islamic Art that are also great peeks into the history of the Egyptian Army and art respectively.

The city itself is a bastion for history and knowledge, and its museums do that reputation justice. The National Archaeological Museumis one of the best examples of it, with many of its artifacts dating back more than 5,000 years, and also focus on ancient Greek history, life and traditions – some of which still ring true today. Although archaeology is found in many of Athens’ museums, such as the Acropolis Museum, the Benaki museum may also be of interest as it features works of art from Greek and foreign artists.

When you consider the fact that this city is home to the Colosseum, it’s not surprising that its museums are heavily dedicated to ancient Roman history. Rome’s museums are also dedicated to art, with the National Gallery of Modern Art featuring works from many famous artists within and outside of Italy. Also worth checking out is the National Museum of Rome and the National Museum of Pasta Foods. Within Rome’s boundaries, you’ll also find Vatican City, which is home to fine museums on art from Roman Catholic history.

Though Barcelona’s no slouch when it comes to high-quality art museums, it’s the Spanish capital that takes the cake for the bestmuseum city in the country. It’s got the Reina Sofia Museum, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, and the Prado Museum – the latter being one of the most influential art museums in the world. All three make up what is called the Golden Triangle of Art. Madrid also has the National Archaeological Museum of Spain, which contains artifacts from Spanish history as well as other countries.

It’s hardly a surprise that this city is on this list, since it’s got more than 150 museums. Among them are museums about anthropology, Frida Kahlo’s paintings, and even shoes. Its National Museum of Anthropology is full of artifacts from centuries’ worth of Mexican history, such as the Aztec stone of the sun. Other than that, some of the city’s most famous museums include the Museo de Arte Moderno, the Franz Mayer Museum, and the Colección Júmex.

You might think the U.S. capital might have museums full of stuff related to American history – and the National Museum of American History is a big one –but really, D.C.’s museums have something for everyone. There are museums related to natural history, space, and science. One of the city's best is the Smithsonian Institution, which has 19 buildings full of artifacts relating to art, astrophysics, and space – among other things. If you think that’s awesome, it’s also got – wait for it – a zoo.

Sure, it’s a city with a universally known history in terms of politics and war, but there are plenty of other things you can find in the form of museums in the German capital. Some of the city’s biggest and best museums are focused on nature, art and even Egyptian history – in addition to its museums on World War II and the Holocaust. Berlin also has the third-highest number of national museumsin the world, with 18 of them.

Where do we start? There’s the Louvre, the Grand Palais, the Centre Georges Pompidou, the Musée d’Orsay – so many world-famous art museums containing some of the most iconic paintings by many of the world’s most well-known artists. In this city, you’ll find works by Van Gogh, Monet, and Michelangelo. At the Louvre, you’ll find none other than the Mona Lisa. Paris is also home to one of Europe’s largest science museums, the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie.

The city might be best known for its famous art museums, like the world-famous Metropolitan Museum of Art and the GuggenheimMuseum. But make no mistake, there are plenty of other fantastic museums to be found throughout the Big Apple, many of which can be found on Fifth Avenue alone – otherwise known as the Museum Mile. There’s also the American Museum of Natural History: exhibits on dinosaurs, science and amphibians are just some of what they offer.

Tokyo, Japan


Shanghai, China


Amsterdam, Netherlands

Beijing, China

Some of the most groundbreaking discoveries about mankind have been made within the United Kingdom, and its biggest city has the high quality museums to match. One of its best is the Natural History Museum, which is not only free to enter, but also has exhibitions on dinosaurs, wildlife and even volcanoes. Beyond that, there are also cricket museums, gardening museums and a Sherlock Holmesmuseum, showing that London’s museums cover just about every base imaginable.
Do you agree with our list? What’s your favorite city for museums? With entertaining top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.