The 7 Most Beautiful Museums Around The World

Museums serve a whole host of different purposes. They are places of learning, of study, and of research, where brilliant minds delve into the past and make fascinating discoveries about how the world used to be. They are hubs where history and culture combine to create amazing experiences for people today. They are galleries of some of the greatest achievements of humanity, in fields that span the entirety of the human experience. And they are beautiful places to visit in their own right, with eye-catching displays and artifacts housed in picturesque buildings.

Overall, museums are far more than the sum of their parts, and are worth visiting whether you are a history buff, a culture vulture, an architecture aficionado, or just looking for somewhere interesting to visit on a sightseeing tour. There are even museums that are so weird you won't believe they exist. But not all museums are created equally, and there are some that really take your breath away, extraordinary attractions with a special something that makes them unmissable bucket list destinations.

The world is full of beautiful museums, and a definitive ranking is probably impossible. Everyone will have their own favorites, and there are undoubtedly hidden spots in every country that deserve a mention (worth noting are these free museums you can visit across the U.S.). For this list, we focused on museums with unique, stunning features that set them apart from the rest. At the risk of causing controversy, these seven museums are truly spectacular and deserve to be included on any traveler's itinerary.

Housed in a stunning complex of five gothic palaces built between the 13th and 15th centuries, the Museu Picasso is one of the finest collections of the great artist's work. With 4,251 works of art created during his early years as an artist, the displays provide an insight into what made Picasso such an extraordinary cultural figure, as well as exploring his relationship with the city of Barcelona itself. Beyond the artwork, the building is gorgeous, a wonderful example of medieval architecture, with a series of exquisite inner courtyards being a particular highlight.

The National Museum of Qatar has some excellent collections and curates innovative, fascinating exhibitions. But the real draw here is the architecture of the building itself. The sweeping forms of the structure are made from a series of interlocking discs, designed by French architect Jean Nouvel to echo the complex form of the desert rose, a crystal found in the desert. The contemporary design surrounds the original palace of Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani, which has been carefully preserved to create a delightful contrast between history and modernity.

The State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg was founded in the 18th century by Catherine the Great, and is home to the largest collection of paintings in the world, with over 3 million items. The collection includes an array of sculptures and artifacts from classical antiquity, masterpieces by artists including Tintoretto, Velázquez, Titian, Raphael, Van Dyck, Rembrandt, Gainsborough, Cezanne, and Degas, and some fabulous jewelry pieces. The museum complex itself is a dramatic, arresting sight, and includes the magnificent Winter Palace. 

Not all beautiful museums are stunning on the outside. The Vasa Museum in Stockholm is a relatively innocuous building looking out over the Ladugardslandsviken towards the Gamla Stan. But as soon as you step inside, you will be blown away by the majestic sight of a fully intact 17th-century warship, standing six stories high. Kept in low light to preserve the delicate boards and paintwork, the ambiance is extraordinary, and the ship is a magnificent sight, both as a whole and up close. It is one of those museums that truly takes your breath away, and rewards repeat visits to really explore every nook and cranny of the salvaged ship.

The largest museum in Mexico, the National Museum of Anthropology is a must for any visitor to Mexico City. Not much to look at from the outside, the inner courtyards are a fascinating combination of modernism, brutalism, and traditional Mayan architecture. It houses the largest collection of ancient Mexican art in the world, and its most remarkable features are the enormous Stone of the Sun or Aztec calendar, the reproduction of the Temple of the Feathered Serpent in Teotihuacán, a colossal Olmec head, and the Zapotec mask of the Bat God.

A hidden gem in an often overlooked suburb of Bangkok, the Erawan Museum is an astonishing sight that only gets more impressive the closer you get to it. A psychedelic construction from the fabulous mind of eccentric Thai businessman Lek Viriyaphan, the museum itself is a gargantuan statue of a three-headed elephant. Inside, three levels represent the underworld (housing a collection of porcelain), Earth (an ornate temple of interwoven staircases and statues of deities), and heaven (a calming sanctuary with a gorgeous painted ceiling).

Don't take our word for it: even Rick Steves says the John Soane Museum in London is a unique, quirky gem. Entering the house of English neo-classical architect Sir John Soane is like taking a step back in time, and you will be transported into his weird and wonderful world of architecture, Egyptology, and glorious 18th century interior design. The house is packed to the rafters with a vast collection of sculpture, furniture, and paintings. For the most magical experience, try to catch a Twilight Tour of the museum, when the house is lit by the last glow of the day in the summer, and by candlelight in the winter.