Art Museums, i’m not an art expert, just someone who’s dragged myself through a bunch of these places and came out obsessed. here’s my completely subjective top 10 Art Museums You Must See Before You Die, in no real order because ranking art feels wrong.
The Louvre – Paris, France obvious pick but come on.
mona lisa is smaller than you think, everyone’s taking selfies, but then you turn a corner and bam – winged victory just hits different. also the building itself is stupidly gorgeous. go early or late to dodge the crowds.
The Hermitage – St. Petersburg, Russia insane.
like someone robbed every palace in europe and crammed it into one building. the jordan staircase alone made my jaw drop. plus they’ve got so many rooms you’ll get lost (i did, twice). winter palace vibes are unreal.
MoMA Art Museums – New York City, USA modern art heaven.
starry night, warhol’s campbell soups, picasso, pollock splatters – it’s all here. feels less stuffy than old-school museums. i spent way too long staring at van gogh and ignoring my dying phone battery.
Museo Nacional del Prado – Madrid, Spain goya’s black paintings will haunt you for weeks (in a good way?).
velázquez’s las meninas is one of those paintings that actually lives up to the hype. also hieronymus bosch’s garden of earthly delights – what even is that madness, i love it.
Uffizi Gallery Art Museums – Florence, Italy birth of venus and primavera in the same room?
thank you botticelli. the building’s an old palace so every hallway feels dramatic. book tickets ahead or you’ll wait in line forever, learned that the hard way.
Rijksmuseum – Amsterdam, Netherlands rembrandt’s night watch is massive and incredible.
the whole place got renovated a few years back and it’s stunning now. dutch golden age stuff everywhere, plus they’ve got that creepy dollhouse collection if you’re into weird rich people history.
Vatican Museums Art Museums – Vatican City sistine chapel obviously.
the real flex is the map gallery and raphael rooms. michelangelo’s ceiling will wreck your neck but worth it. pro tip: go on a night tour if you can, way fewer people.
The State Tretyakov Gallery – Moscow, Russia russian art you don’t see much elsewhere.
ivan the terrible painting gave me chills. lots of brooding landscapes and religious icons. not as touristy as the hermitage so you can actually breathe and look.
Museo Frida Kahlo (Casa Azul) – Mexico City, Mexico not huge but so personal.
frida’s house, her clothes, her bed, her pain – all there. the garden’s beautiful too. felt more like visiting someone’s soul than a museum. bring tissues if you’re soft like me.
Tokyo National Museum Art Museums – Tokyo, Japan oldest museum in japan.
samurai swords, ancient buddhas, gorgeous screens. the ueno park location is perfect for cherry blossom season. way calmer than most big museums, you can actually hear yourself think. 10 Art Museums You Must See Before You Die
honorable mentions: tate modern (london), met (nyc), orsay (paris), getty (la), reina sofía (madrid for guernica). couldn’t fit them all.
