Museums

This is the view inside the Symphonic Sculpture by Gabriel Loire at the Hakone Open Air Museum (彫刻の森 in Japanese) in Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. The museum opened in 1969 as the first open-air art museum in Japan. The spectacular grounds,...

On its own, the architecture of the Natural History Museum is enough of a reason to walk through its doors one afternoon. The stunning archways and staircases create a grand backdrop to equally impressive exhibits, and you could spend countless...

Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake created this experimental design museum, and star Japanese architect Tadao Ando constructed the building. The museum always has great installations by artists such as the industrial designer Naoto Fukasawa. —...

It has been a decade since the major museums on the Museumplein—a grassy square connecting Amsterdam’s main art centers—have all been open at the same time. Here’s what to check out at the Van Gogh Museum. Sunflowers, The...

With its tumultuous history, the Irish often had nothing but stories, tales, and conversations to carry their legacies forward. The tradition of magic, wonder, and imagination has been a gift passed from one generation to the next. As evident in...

The Morgan Library is an endowment from Pierpont Morgan and his son J.P. and hosts one of the finest collections of European manuscripts and rare documents in the country. The library hosts revolving exhibitions on literary classics, like recent...

Just down the street from the Anne Frank House is the Amsterdam Cheese Museum. It feels more like a shop, shelves filled to the ceiling with a huge variety of Dutch cheeses, including the world-famous gouda and edam varieties. If you are strolling...

The interior architecture of Chicago’s MCA building is worth the price of admission. Four floors of exhibit halls branch off the central staircase pictured above, and the East and West facing glass walls have unparalleled views over Lake Michigan...

This spiraling white concrete structure, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, is one of the most iconic buildings in NYC, if not in all of the USA. This is one museum where the building itself is as interesting as the exhibition inside. First check out...

The once seedy Tjuvholmen, or “Thief Island,” is the city’s newest arts district. Its showpiece is the Astrup Fearnley Museum, which reopened last September in an elegant, sail-shaped complex designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano. The open...

During my three years of living in Washington, D.C., I made it my mission to visit as many museums as I could. The National Museum of the American Indian quickly won me over. Its curves can be seen from countless rooftops and decks in the city....

This small museum houses 3 unearthed Viking Ships and I found the history fascinating. I didn’t realize that the Viking burial ceremony was similar to the Egyptians. Their belief was that the dead needed food and drink (2 oxen were killed and...

The National Museum of Korea is the largest museum in Korea and houses a comprehensive collection of Korean cultural artifacts that tell the story of Korea’s fascinating history, from ancient days to the modern era. There’s also the Children’s...

The drive along the Northern coast from San Sebastian to Bilbao was amazing, filled with windy roads through the mountainous passes overlooking the gorgeous cliffs leading to the ocean. The main reason for going to Bilbao was to see the Guggenheim...

I'll be the first to admit, a museum of printing didn't sound terribly exciting to me, at first. Antwerp Belgium's Plantin-Moretus Museum certainly changed my mind. This is the only museum on the UNESCO World Heritage list and the recognition is...

Staircase inside of the second floor of the Erawan Museum in Bangkok, Thailand. The Erawan Museum is located in Samut Prakan Province (on the outskirts of Bangkok) and was built by Lek Viriyaphant, an eccentric Thai millionaire who was also...

The Dalí Museum has a wonderful collection of Salvador Dalí's work. From postcard-sized paintings he did as a child to mural masterpieces, the many sides of Dalí's work fills rooms worth wandering. The museum offers a knowledgeable tour, has a...

The Frank Gehry Museum of Biodiversity is finally finished. The guide on the Panama Canal called it a building from someone who has done too much partying in Panama. I guess he hadn’t been to the Walt Disney Concert Hall.(view from the Panama...

My favourite building in Brussels is the Old England on Mont des Arts, just around the corner from Place Royal. It’s a striking concoction of steel and glass in the Art Nouveau style Brussels is so famous for. But what’s on the inside is just as...

One powerful and emotional experience in Amsterdam that shouldn’t be missed is a visit to the Anne Frank House. This home, where Anne Frank wrote in her diary while she, her family, and four others hid from the Nazis during World War II, has...

A great way to spend an afternoon in Seoul: a good book and the genius of sculptor Louise Bourgeois at the Leeum Museum. A gentleman relaxes on ‘Eye Benches,’ while 'Maman' stands guard. It’s in Itaewon that Samsung planted the Leeum Contemporary...

Under the waters of Cancun's coast, hundreds of statues are on display. Part unique art display and part artificial reef habitat, it's an environmentally friendly addition to the beach city. The Cancun Underwater Museum is best enjoyed on a...

This was a gorgeous day and a beautiful site to visit. No other tourists there so we had the entire place to ourselves. They knew how to build a well insulated house back then, well protected from the wind and feeling also soundproof. The Glaumbær...

One of the biggest stars of the five museums on Museum Island, the Pergamon was the last to open, in 1930. Built to resemble a Babylonian temple, it houses a trove of ancient treasures from the Middle East, with highlights that include the...

The largest collection of Islamic art in South East Asia can be found in the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia. There are four floors, spread over 30,000 square meters. Two floors are designated for permanent collections, while galleries in the other...

You'd be excused for thinking that this is a picture of Germany because it does have the traditional German style houses. It actually belonged to Germany for a brief time in history. It was taken from France in 1871 and was eventually given back...

It's said that Elvis recorded the first rock 'n' roll song nearby at Sun Studio. But to understand why Memphis was the perfect spot for Sam Phillips and Elvis to make that first rock record, a visit to the Rock 'n' Soul Museum is a must. The...