Blast from the past

Take a walk through some of the best museums in the world

AMUSEUM is not just a dusty collection of old fossils, it is a significant cultural institution of a country or a region featuring some of the world’s finest art, scientific discoveries and historical events. Museums provide the unique experience of seeing some of the greatest masterpieces of all time close up. Walking the halls of some of these famed institutions allows the chance to learn about different societies, ideas and values.

Travel website TripAdvisor has been ranking reviews from its users annually to find out which exemplary art institutions are the most raved about. Here’s the top 10 list for this year... The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, US: The Met, the US’ largest art museum, has been crowned the world’s best museum this year. Located on Manhattan’s Museum Mile, the Met is home to European masters, as well as interiors from first-century Rome. One of the world’s largest art museums, this Big Apple attraction includes more than two million magnificent pieces from around the world, including works by Gustave Courbet, Nicolas Poussin and Caravaggio. Guests can view a variety of artwork, including paintings, drawings, musical instruments and photographs. Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, US: In second place is the Art Institute of Chicago, famous for its encyclopaedic collection, which includes Grant Wood’s painting American Gothic. The museum makes a famous cameo in John Hughes 1986 teen classic Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and remains as popular in 2016. Founded in 1879, this spectacular Windy City attraction is home to more than 300,000 pieces of art. State Hermitage Museum and Winter Palace, St Petersburg, Russia: More than three million works of art are housed in the State Hermitage Museum and Winter Palace, one of the world’ s largest and most prestigious museums. Foundedby Catherine the Great in 1764, the museum has been a must for St Petersburg tourists since it was first opened to the public in 1852. Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France: Paris’ Musee d’Orsay houses the largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces in the world—from Van Gogh’s self-portraits to Monet’s gardens at Giverny. The building is as beautiful as the art—it’s the former Gare d’Orsay railway station, an art nouveau masterpiece. National Museum of Anthropology (Museo Nacional de Antropologia), Mexico City, Mexico: Mexico’s largest museum, the Museo Nacional de Antropologia, takes the number five spot on the list. Famous for its archaeological and anthropological artefacts dating from Mexico’s pre-Columbian heritage, the museum’s collection includes the Stone of the Sun and a room dedicated to Mayan culture. The National 9/11 Memorial & Museum, New York City, US: New York’s National 9/11 Memorial & Museum commemorates the victims of the deadly attacks on the city’ s World Trade Center in 2001. Located at the former site of the Twin Towers, the museum hosts three main exhibits—including the historical exhibition—which explores the events leading up to 9/11 and their aftermath. Prado National Museum, Madrid, Spain: The Museo del Prado (Prado National Museum) is the main Spanish national art museum located in central Madrid. It features one of the world’s finest collections of European art, dating from 12th century to early-20th century, based on the former Spanish royal collection, and unquestionably the best single collection of Spanish art. British Museum, London, UK: Established in 1753, the British Museum tells the story of human culture from its beginnings to the present day. The museum has 10 curatorial and research departments—from ‘Ancient Egypt and Sudan’ to ‘Britain, Europe and Prehistory’. Acropolis Museum, Athens, Greece: The Acropolis Museum is an archaeological museum focused on the findings of the archaeological site of the Acropolis of Athens. The museum was built to house every artefact found on the rock and on the surrounding slopes, from the Greek Bronze Age to Roman and Byzantine Greece. It also lies over the ruins of a part of Roman and early Byzantine Athens. Nearly 4,000 objects are exhibited over an area of 14,000 sq m.

THE MET, THE LARGEST ART MUSEUM IN THE US, HAS BEEN CROWNED THE WORLD’S BEST MUSEUM THIS YEAR. LOCATED ON MANHATTAN’S MUSEUM MILE, THE MET IS HOME TO MANY EUROPEAN MASTERS

Vasa Museum, Stockholm, Sweden: In the 10th place is Stockholm’s Vasa Museum. The maritime showcase takes its name from the prize exhibit, an almost completely intact 17th-century ship. The Vasa sank on her maiden voyage in 1628, but 333 years later, the warship was salvaged.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, US