The most important museums in the world

Throughout history, the human being has been outlining what we know today as  historical memory . All this artistic and cultural heritage has remained under the protection of museums, spaces where life and experiences from past, present and even future times are reflected, in just a few metres, or the particularities of an artist who breaks the defined schemes. 

It is not surprising, then, that society has wanted to pay homage in some way to the important role played by these cultural centers. For this reason, since 1977,  the International Museum Day is commemorated  on  May 18 .From America to Oceania, passing through Europe, Asia and Africa, this event has managed to get more than 120 countries to join the cause and nearly 30,000 different museums around the world to participate. This date has thus become an opportunity to promote history, art and culture and strengthen ties between societies.

The prestigious publication ‘ The Art Newspaper’  annually draws up a list of the 100 most visited museums in the world. Among those selected, the country with the largest number of popular museums is the United States, with a total of 18. However, the city with the greatest influx of visits to museums is London, with a total of 10 of these buildings. In this gallery, we present a brief list with the most visited  in descending order, according to the latter ranking. British Museum (UK)

The British Museum was created in 1753 in London, although it did not open its doors to the public until 1759. The center stores more than 7 million objects from all over the world, classified by their geographical origin. You can find all kinds of prehistoric, medieval and ancient cultures such as Greek, Roman or Chinese curiosities.National Gallery (UK)

London repeats its presence within the first 5 classifieds. This time, with the  National Gallery , a museum inaugurated in 1824 that collects some 2,300 works (the majority of European origin) between the years 1250 and 1900. National Palace Museum (Taiwan)

The next most popular museum is in the city and capital of the Republic of China, Taipei (in Taiwan). The center has a permanent collection of around 700,000 antiquities of Chinese culture. Despite its creation in 1925, it was not inaugurated until after forty years, in 1965.  ‘The Art Newspaper’ registered  more than 6.1 million visitors  during 2016.Vatican Museums (Vatican City)

The British National Museum of Modern Art or also known as Tate Modern is next on the list. It is located in the heart of London, specifically, in the old Bankside power station. Despite its recent creation, in the year 2000, the building has already positioned itself as one of the most visited museums in the world. Its permanent exhibition is freely accessible and you only pay for some temporary ones. In 2016 the Tate Modern received  more than 5.8 million tourists .National Gallery of Art 

The National Gallery of Art was founded in the late 1930s in the city of Washington as a result of an act of the US Congress. This is made up of two main buildings, connected by an underground tunnel. The neoclassical design of the western building, the oldest and made up of columns and a large central dome, is reminiscent of Agrippa’s Pantheon in Rome. Both galleries offer a vast collection spanning from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. In addition, the gallery has a 25,000m² garden with sculptures. It is estimated that this building receives  more than 4 million visits  a year.Hermitage Museum (Russia)

With more than 250 years old, the Hermitage Museum in the city of Saint Petersburg is currently the most complete art gallery in the world, according to the Guinness Book of Records. The building has more than 3 million works of art, ranging from the Stone Age to our current century. In the mid-19th century, visiting the museum was restricted to the elite and a special permit was also needed to enter. According to the ranking, the Hermitage Museum opened its doors in 2016 to  more than 4.1 million people.