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These 15 Famous Museums Offer Virtual Tours You Can Take from Your Couch

Experience the best museums — from London to Mexico City — in the comfort of your own home.

If you're a dedicated art lover, you likely go to great lengths to visit renowned museums and galleries. But even when you’re not traveling, you can still get a taste of the masterpieces, artifacts, and architecture at many famous institutions — and get inspired for future trips while you're at it.

Google Arts & Culture teamed up with more than 1,200 museums and galleries around the world to create a collection of online exhibits and virtual tours . Other museums have their own virtual tours, too, such as the Vatican Museums and the Louvre , which features a selection of exhibitions on their websites.

Top 5 Can’t Miss

• View legendary artifacts like the Rosetta Stone on a virtual stroll through the British Museum.
• Gaze up at the Sistine Chapel’s divine ceiling without the crowds at the Vatican Museums.
• The Met’s immersive 360-degree VR videos are arguably the best virtual museum tours.
• Get a glimpse of the four locations of National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, on a Google Street View tour.
• Peruse some of Van Gogh's most iconic works in the artist's namesake Amsterdam museum.

The British Museum, London

This iconic museum located in the heart of London allows virtual visitors to tour the Great Court, which was given a striking contemporary redesign in 2000. Move through other galleries to discover ancient artifacts like the Rosetta Stone and Egyptian mummies.

Vatican Museums

MihaiDancaescu / Getty Images

The next best thing to an after-hours tour , the Vatican Museums offers virtual access to more than a dozen of its galleries and richly decorated spaces. Explore the sumptuous murals of Raphael's Rooms and the Sistine Chapel, where you can zero in on Michelangelo's famous ceiling.

The Met, New York City

While you can explore highlights of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's encyclopedic collection — including the ancient Egyptian Temple of Dendur — via Google Arts & Culture , the institution offers its own virtual reality tours. The Met 360° Project comprises six videos that can be viewed with a VR headset for an immersive experience, complete with ambient soundtracks.

National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea

Don Eim/Travel + Leisure

One of Korea's popular museums can be accessed from anywhere around the world. Google's virtual tour gives you a taste of the museum's four locations with Street View visits and online exhibits. For a deeper dive, check out the museum's website for video walk-throughs of select exhibitions, including immersive VR versions.

Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

Anyone who's a fan of this tragic, ingenious painter can see his works up close (or, almost up close ) by virtually visiting this museum, home to the largest collection of art by Vincent van Gogh. Check out some of his most iconic paintings, including "Sunflowers" and "The Potato Eaters."

National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

This renowned American art museum offers three online exhibits through Google. An overview of American fashion from 1740 to 1895 features watercolors of garments from the colonial and Revolutionary eras. You can also browse through works from Baroque painter Johannes Vermeer and other Dutch genre painters of the period and take an in-depth look at an early work by Leonardo da Vinci.

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

If you can't get to D.C., take a stroll among the historic planes, rockets, and other craft on display at the country's top air and space museum . Check out the Wright Brothers' first bona fide plane, the Wright Flyer, which took to the skies in 1903, and astronaut Neil Armstrong's spacesuit from the Apollo 11 moon landing.

Guggenheim, New York City

NurPhoto / Getty Images

Google's Street View feature lets visitors tour the Guggenheim's famous spiral staircase without ever leaving home. From there, you can discover incredible works of art from the impressionist, post-impressionist, modern, and contemporary eras.

The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles

European artworks from as far back as the eighth century can be found in this California art museum. Take a Street View tour to discover a huge collection of paintings, drawings, sculptures, manuscripts, and photographs.

Musée d’Orsay, Paris

You can virtually walk through this popular museum that houses dozens of famous French works from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Get a peek at paintings and sculptures by Monet, Cézanne, Gauguin, and Rodin, among others.

Pergamon Museum, Berlin

As one of Germany's largest museums, Pergamon has a lot to offer — even if you can't physically be there. This historical museum is home to plenty of ancient artifacts including the Ishtar Gate of Babylon and, of course, the Pergamon Altar.

Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Explore masterpieces from the Dutch Golden Age, including works by Vermeer and Rembrandt. Google offers a Street View tour of this iconic museum, so you can feel as if you're actually wandering its halls.

Uffizi Gallery, Florence

Housed in a purpose-built 16th-century palace, the Uffizi Gallery showcases the art collection amassed by the wealthy and powerful de' Medici family. Today, anyone can wander its halls from anywhere in the world to view world-famous works like Sandro Botticelli's "The Birth of Venus."

MASP, São Paulo

The nonprofit Museu de Arte de São Paulo was Brazil's first modern museum. Artworks placed on clear, raised frames make it seem like they're hovering in midair. Take a virtual tour to experience the wondrous display for yourself.

Frida Kahlo Museum, Mexico City

Getty Images / Andrew Hasson

Enter the world of 20th-century artist Frida Kahlo with a Street View tour of several spaces in Casa Azul, the modest, vivid blue-painted house where she was born, now the Frida Kahlo Museum . You can tour her studio and peek into other personal spaces like the kitchen and lush courtyard garden as well as view works by Kahlo and her husband Diego Rivera.

Related Articles

National Museum of Natural History Virtual Tours

Access the tours.

The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History virtual tours allow visitors to take self-guided, room-by-room tours of select exhibits and areas within the museum from their desktop or mobile device. Visitors can also access select collections and research areas at our satellite support and research stations as well as past exhibits no longer on display.

Virtual Tour Tips

• To navigate between adjoining rooms in the tours, click on the blue arrow links on the floor or use the navigation map in the upper right of the presentation screen.
• Look for the camera icon which gives you a close-up view of a particular object or exhibit panel.
• Try zooming in as some of the images are stitched together from individual pictures in order to create very high resolution gigapixel images.

Please note: This tour and these presentations have been tested and should work on all common devices, browsers, and operating systems (using a desktop computer with Windows, Mac, Linux or a mobile device such as an iPhone, iPad, or Android). Functionality and appearance may vary as it will adjust automatically to accommodate the most visitors. While the virtual tour has no advertising, ad blocking software or browser settings that block JavaScript and/or XML may interfere with the functionality of the virtual tour. Please let us know what you think of the tour and how the experience can be improved. Send your feedback to the NMNH Web Team .

Site Credit: Imagery and coding by Loren Ybarrondo

Equipment Used: Professional Nikon digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera bodies and lenses. The photography is typically done using rectilinear lenses with minimized distortion and shooting equirectangular panoramas at 22K pixels on the long side.

Software Used: No authoring software is used. The tours are hand-coded in HTML5 and JavaScript using the krpano graphics library.

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18 Free Online Museum Tours To Enjoy Without Leaving Your Couch

Culture up your day without leaving the comfort of your home with these free online museum tours from around the world.

As the history of museums is entering its digital age, more and more art institutions are choosing to expand their online services. Most large museums today offer online access to their collections. Other online resources such as videos, podcasts, games, etc, are also quite common. Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, virtual tours of museums have become a popular substitute for physically visiting museum exhibitions. As a result, free online museum tours are becoming more and more available to the international audience.

From Paris to Seoul, and from Moscow to Mexico City, this is our list of 18 free online museum tours. For additional online art experiences, don’t forget to check our 9 Amazing Online Art Resources To Enjoy At Home .

Free Online Museum Tours

1. the louvre museum, france.

The Louvre’s Petite Gallerie offers virtual tours in the famous museum of Paris. This is the best way to explore the architecture, the exhibits, and the history of France’s leading museum without leaving the comfort of your home.

You can also watch 800 Years of History , a short documentary on the history of the museum, or a series of YouTube videos offering guided tours. In addition, the Louvre offers a VR experience of the Mona Lisa as well as a closer look at its masterpieces through multiple audiovisual supplements.

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Please check your inbox to activate your subscription, 2. musée d’orsay, france.

See works by famous Impressionist and Expressionist artists like Monet , Renoir , Van Gogh , Degas , Claudel and so many more with a virtual visit at Paris’ Musée d’Orsay.

Worth exploring is also the research program The digital worlds of Orsay, where historian Pierre Singaravélou offers a new text three times a week on famous or unknown works from the museum’s collection.

3. Rijksmuseum, Netherlands

The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam is one of the leading museums in Europe offering a rich variety of online resources . At the center of its home services, lies the Rijkstudio , which allows you to dive into the museum’s vast collection of 707,967 works of art.

Take a free online tour of the museum through Google’s Art and Culture project. Worth exploring is also the Discover Masterpieces virtual tour which takes you through the most prized exhibits of the Dutch museum.

Among the museum’s most famous artworks is without a doubt Rembrandt’s Night Watch.  The Rijksmuseum offers a virtual tour explaining all the details you need to know about the famous painting.

You can also play Key Challenges , an interactive game set in the museum’s main exhibition.

Rijksmuseum from Home is a series of videos where museum employees share their favorite objects from the collection.

If you are still not satisfied with these tours and resources, then have a look at “10 ways to visit Rijksmuseum without leaving home.”

4. Van Gogh Museum, Netherlands

One of Europe’s most popular attractions, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam is a true monument to the life and work of Vincent Van Gogh . Take a full virtual tour of the museum’s exhibition and immerse yourself in the post-impressionist art of Van Gogh.

If you are a fan of the Dutch painter, you should also check out Van Gogh Worldwide , the most complete resource of Van Gogh paintings and archival material.

5. Vatican Museums, Vatican

The Vatican Museums consist of 54 galleries or sale. These received 6 million visitors in 2019 making the Vatican Museums the third largest museum in the world.

You can explore the galleries at the Vatican Museums website . The institution also offers 360 virtual tours of some of its most iconic monuments like the Sistine Chapel and Raphael’s Rooms with painted decoration by Michelangelo and Raphael respectively.

6. Uffizi Galleries, Italy

Florence’s leading museum that started as the collection of the Medici family in the Renaissance , is home to some of the most famous artworks in the world.

If you visit the museum’s website you will be able to explore its online collections and take a free virtual tour of its new gallery, as well as other exhibitions like the one on Saint Francis. The Uffizi can also be explored via Google Art and Culture .

7. Reina Sofia, Spain

If you like 20th-century Spanish artists like Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali , then the Reina Sofia in Madrid is the museum for you. However, if Spain is out of your reach, why not check out this virtual tour and the museum’s online resources.

Reina Sofia’s Rethinking Guernica is an online space devoted to material related to Picasso’s masterpiece Guernica. Also, the museum’s Gigapixel is a project offering a selection of hi-resolution artworks by artists like Dali, Miro, Mason, Picasso, Santos, and more.

Other multimedia like podcasts, lectures, and short video documentaries on the Reina Sofia are available here .

8. Acropolis Museum, Greece

The Acropolis Museum is home to the archaeological treasures of the Acropolis of Athens . The museum offers a series of online activities and resources.

You can browse through its collection and discover the history of the Parthenon marbles thanks to the museum’s collaboration with Google Art and Culture .

Also, the museum offers a series of online interactive games that are ideal for young explorers interested in the secrets of classical antiquity.

9. The State Hermitage Museum, Russia

The Hermitage in St Petersburg is one of the richest museums in the world with more than three million items in its collections. The museum’s exhibition includes everything from Egyptian and Greek, to Renaissance and Modern art.

You can visit all of the museum’s rooms with a virtual tour and experience the Hermitage without wearing your wintertime clothes to go to Russia.

10. Pergamon Museum, Germany

Berlin’s world-famous institution offers a comprehensive range of online and virtual material. You can take a virtual tour of the museum or play around with a 3d model of the Pergamon altar , the jewel of the museum and a marvel of Hellenistic art .

Worth seeing is also the colorful Ishtar Gate from Babylon.

11. British Museum, United Kingdom

The British Museum grew out of the cabinet of curiosities of the British collector Hans Sloane and now includes a massive collection of more than eight million items.

There are many ways to experience the museum online. The best are to take a virtual tour  or visit its virtual galleries .

The British Museum also offers other resources like online access to its collections, podcasts, audio tours, videos, and more.

If you are interested in finding more ways to explore the British Museum from the comfort of your home, then you should read this British Museum blog .

12. Tate Britain, United Kingdom

Tate Britain houses one of the largest collections of J.W. Turner’s paintings which you can now explore with this virtual tour.

The museum’s website provides audio tours of the museum and various online tours on various themes.

13. National Museum Of Anthropology, Mexico

The National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City is devoted to the history of Mexico’s prehispanic civilizations.

Explore the past of the American continent and take a virtual walk at the museum’s rooms with this free online virtual tour .

14. The Met, U.S.A.

The Metropolitan Museum is another institution that has partnered with Google Arts and Culture to offer free online museum tours to a worldwide audience.

Also on the museum’s website, you will find multiple online resources like The Met 360° , a series of six short videos inviting viewers to virtually experience the Met’s architecture and art.

Worth exploring is also the Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History offering more than 1,000 essays on art and global culture using the Met’s collection as a point of reference.

15. MoMA, U.S.A

New York’s leading institution on modern and contemporary art is also offering free online museum tours and resources.

There is a comprehensive virtual tour of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) available on Google Arts and Culture.

Furthermore, the museum has a series of online resources and projects available on its website that allow you to explore its collections and exhibitions. An absolute highlight is the 3D model of Van Gogh’s Starry Night .

16. J. Paul Getty Museum, U.S.A.

Los Angeles is only a second away. Just click here and you will immediately teleport to the virtual tour of the J. Paul Getty Museum.

Take a look at the museum’s website for other online resources and access to its collection.

17. National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, South Korea

Dive into the history of Korean modern art with this virtual tour of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art and travel to Seoul without buying a plane ticket.

Don’t forget to check the Online Museum section at the museum’s website which offers interviews with artists and curators, exhibition guides, and more.

18. Museu National, Brazil: A Virtual Tour Against Destruction

Brazil’s National Museum made headlines in 2018 when a good part of its building was destroyed in a fire.

However, thanks to a Google Arts and Culture virtual tour , you can still travel in space and time to take a virtual peek at the museum and its collections before the destruction of 2018.

History of Museums: A Look at The Learning Institutions Through Time

By Antonis Chaliakopoulos MSc Museum Studies, BA History & Archaeology Antonis is an archaeologist with a passion for museums and heritage and a keen interest in aesthetics and the reception of classical art. He holds an MSc in Museum Studies from the University of Glasgow and a BA in History and Archaeology from the University of Athens (NKUA) where he is currently working on his PhD.

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Free Art Online: 9 Amazing Resources To Enjoy At Home

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Expressionism: 10 Iconic Paintings & Their Artists

Museums & Attractions

Lose yourself in the arts and culture

We have plenty of museums and attractions to fill your itinerary in Baltimore. Immerse yourself in the arts at the Baltimore Museum of Art , the Walters Art Museum , the American Visionary Art Museum or the Reginald F. Lewis Museum . Or spend a day of learning at the National Aquarium , Maryland Zoo or Maryland Science Center . We also have museums that cover very specific interests like streetcars, dentistry and and Jewish history.

Explore Baltimore's Museums & Attractions

More Baltimore Museums & Attractions

Find more attractions and museums in baltimore to explore..

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The 75 Best Virtual Museum Tours Around the World [Art, History, Science, and Technology]

Jarrod West

Senior Content Contributor

454 Published Articles 1 Edited Article

Countries Visited: 21 U.S. States Visited: 24

Keri Stooksbury

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Table of Contents

Google arts and culture, 50 art museums with virtual tours, 5 natural history museums with virtual tours, 10 science and technology museums with virtual tours, 10 history museums with virtual tours, final thoughts.

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our  Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

You can now access collections from many of the world’s top museums without ever leaving home! We’ve put together an ultimate list of 75 world-class museums that offer virtual tours you can visit from the comfort of your couch.

Many of the virtual tours include exhibit walk-throughs and the ability to examine some of the world’s best paintings, sculptures, and other pieces up close and personal. These virtual tours are jam-packed with enough details to make you feel like you’re really visiting the museum. The experiences are sure to entertain the whole family, an art or history buff, or even those who want to imagine the joys of travel!

We’ve broken our list into 4 easy-to-review sections, including art, natural history, science and technology, and history museums. So whether you prefer to take in a painting at the Van Gogh Museum, check out an SR-71 Blackbird at the Museum of Flight, or gaze upon the Rosetta Stone, this list has it all!

Many of the virtual exhibits in this article are offered through a collaboration with Google Arts and Culture. If you’re not familiar, Google Arts and Culture is an online platform that showcases high-resolution images and videos of artworks and cultural artifacts from more than 2,000 museums throughout the world. You can zoom in and out of images in great detail and view some of the best pieces of artwork ever created without leaving your couch.

The platform is available in 18 languages and has been praised internationally for increasing access to art to those who may have not had the opportunity otherwise. It’s available for web , iOS , and Android .

1. The Albertina Museum (Vienna, Austria)

Year Opened:  1805

The Albertina Museum features one of the most important European collections of international modern art and houses one of the largest and most important print rooms in the world with approximately 65,000 drawings and 1 million old master prints. Hundreds of the works housed in the museum, like “Study for the Last Supper” by Da Vinci and “The Water Lily Pond” by Monet, can be viewed online thanks to a partnership with Google Arts and Culture.

To view the online exhibits, click here .

2. Art Institute of Chicago (Chicago, Illinois)

Year Opened: 1879

The Art Institute of Chicago is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the U.S., hosting approximately 1.5 million people annually. Its collection features more than 5,000 years of human expression from cultures around the world and contains more than 300,000 works of art in 11 curatorial departments.

The online tour allows you to view major pieces from the museum’s collection, such as “American Gothic,” “A Sunday on La Grande Jatte,” and “Nighthawks.” The site also offers projects to get creative at home, educator resources, and JourneyMaker, a digital tool that allows visitors to create unique, personalized tours of the museum.

To view the online tour, click here .

3. Benaki Museum (Athens, Greece)

Year Opened: 1930

Established in 1930 by Antonis Benakis in memory of his father Emmanuel Benakis, the Benaki Museum houses Greek works of art from prehistoric to modern times and an extensive collection of Asian art. It also hosts periodic exhibitions and maintains a state-of-the-art restoration and conservation workshop.

The entire museum can be viewed virtually in great detail.

To view the online virtual tour, click here .

4. The Broad (Los Angeles, California)

Year Opened: 2015

The Broad is a contemporary art museum named for philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad. The Broad houses a nearly 2,000-piece collection of contemporary art, featuring 200 artists including works by Cindy Sherman, Jeff Koons, Ed Ruscha, Roy Lichtenstein, and Andy Warhol. Notable installations include Yayoi Kusama’s “Infinity Mirrored Room” (pictured above) and Ragnar Kjartansson’s expansive 9-screen video “The Visitors.”

The Broad has put together a series of YouTube videos to give you a first-hand look at the museum.

5. Centre Pompidou (Paris, France)

Year Opened : 1977

The Centre Pompidou, named after the president of France from 1969 to 1974, is the largest museum for modern and contemporary art in Europe and the second-largest in the world. The museum has more than 12,000 pieces of artwork on display, including works by Kandinsky, Dalí, and Valadon.

The Centre has dozens of videos available on its YouTube channel that provide walk-throughs of the museum and explanations of its most important works.

To view the video tours, click here .

6. The Dalí Theatre-Museum (Figueres, Spain)

Year Opened : 1974

Dedicated to the life and work of the surrealist artist Salvador Dalí, the Dalí Theatre-Museum displays the single largest and most diverse collection of works by the artist. In addition to Dalí paintings from all decades of his career, there are Dalí sculptures, 3-dimensional collages, mechanical devices, and other curiosities from Dalí’s imagination. Through the website, guests can take a virtual tour in 360-degree of the entire museum.

To view the virtual tour, click here .

7. Detroit Institute of Arts (Detroit, Michigan)

Year Opened: 1885

With more than 100 galleries covering over 658,000 square feet, the Detroit Institute of Arts has one of the largest and most significant art collections in the U.S. Its collection features works spanning from ancient Egypt and Europe all the way to modern contemporary art.

The museum has put together “ At Home With DIA ” to offer school field trips from home, weekly film screenings, senior resources, and home projects. DIA also has a partnership with Google Arts and Culture to provide online exhibits including:

• Frida Kahlo in Detroit
• Ordinary People by Extraordinary Artists
• Diego Rivera’s Detroit Industry
• Self Portrait on the Borderline between Mexico and the United States

8. Frick Collection (New York City, New York)

Year Opened: 1935

Located in the Henry Clay Frick House, the Frick Collection houses the art collection of industrialist Henry Clay Frick. The collection features some of the best-known paintings by major European artists, including Bellini, Rembrandt, and Vermeer, as well as numerous works of sculpture and porcelain.

The entire museum can be viewed virtually.

9. Galleria dell’Accademia (Florence, Italy)

Year Opened : 1784

The Galleria dell’Accademia, while small compared to other museums featured, is still the second most visited museum in Italy. Its command of visitors is in large part due to its display of perhaps the most famous sculpture in history — Michaelangelo’s statue of David.

You can view a short, video-guided tour of the museum, which includes 360-degree viewing, allowing you to get a close look at the museum’s offerings.

To view the video tour, click here .

10. Georgia O’Keeffe Museum (Sante Fe, New Mexico)

Year Opened: 1997

The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum is dedicated to the artistic legacy of Georgia O’Keeffe and her contributions to American Modernism. The museum’s collection includes many of O’Keeffe’s key works, ranging from her innovative abstractions to her iconic large-format flower, skull, and landscape paintings, to paintings of architectural forms, rocks, shells, and trees. Initially, the collection was made of 140 O’Keeffe paintings, watercolors, pastels, and sculptures, but now includes nearly 1,200 objects.

The museum website offers creative activities, stories, and education about Georgia O’Keeffe’s life, along with several virtual exhibits available through Google Arts and Culture, including:

• Georgia O’Keeffe
• American Modernism
• United States

11. Grand Palais (Paris, France)

Year Opened : 1900

The Grand Palais is a large historic site, exhibition hall, and museum dedicated to the organization of exhibitions, publishing books, art workshops, photographic agency, and hosting major fairs and events. The museum receives 2.5 million visitors each year. The partnership with Google Arts and Culture brings extensive online exhibits to life, from the construction of the building to the masterpieces that lie within it.

12. Hermitage Museum (Saint Petersburg, Russia)

Year Opened : 1764

The Hermitage Museum is the second-largest and eighth-most visited art museum in the world. The Hermitage has more than 60,000 pieces of artwork on display, including the “Peacock Clock” by James Cox, “Madonna Litta” by Leonardo Da Vinci, and works by Rembrandt, Michelangelo, and Antonio Canova.

The online tour is extremely comprehensive and allows you to virtually walk through all 6 buildings in the main complex, treasure gallery, and several exhibition projects.

13. High Museum of Art (Atlanta, Georgia)

Year Opened : 1905

The High Museum of Art offers over 15,000 works of art in its collection and is the leading art museum in the southeastern U.S. The museum focuses on 19th- and 20th-century American art, historic and contemporary decorative arts and design, European paintings, modern and contemporary art, photography, folk and self-taught art, and African art.

The museum’s partnership with Google Arts and Culture also offers online exhibits for viewing including:

• Bill Traylor’s Drawings of People, Animals, and Events
• How Iris van Herpen Transformed Fashion
• Incredible, Innovative, and Unexpected Contemporary Furniture Designs
• Photos From the Civil Rights Movement

14. The J. Paul Getty Museum (Los Angeles, California)

Year Opened: 1953

The J. Paul Getty Museum is made up of 2 campuses — the Getty Center and Getty Villa — that receive more than 2 million visitors per year. The Getty Center features pre-20th-century European paintings, drawings, illuminated manuscripts, sculpture, and decorative arts and photographs from the 1830s through present-day from all over the world. The Getty Villa displays art from Ancient Greece, Rome, and Etruria.

The museum has put together online resources like art books, online exhibitions, podcasts, and videos, all viewable on its website .

It has also partnered with Google Arts and Culture to showcase online exhibits including:

• 18th Century Pastel Portraits
• The Art of Three Faiths: Torah, Bible, Qur’an
• Eat, Drink, and Be Merry
• Getty Museum Acquisitions 2019
• Heaven, Hell, and Dying Well

To view the online galleries, click here .

15. Kunsthaus Zürich (Zürich, Switzerland)

Year Opened : 1910

The Kunsthaus Zürich features one of Switzerland’s most important art collections from the 13th century to the present day. While the museum places an emphasis on Swiss artists, including Alberto Giacometti, you’ll also find work from the likes of Monet, Picasso, and Warhol.

The museum’s partnership with Google Arts and Culture has digitized several of the museum’s best collections for viewing.

16. La Galleria Nazionale (Rome, Italy)

Year Opened: 1883

La Galleria Nazionale displays about 1,100 paintings and sculptures from the 19th and 20th centuries — the largest collection in Italy. It features work from famous Italian artists including Giacomo Balla, Umberto Boccioni, Alberto Burri, and foreign artists including Cézanne, Monet, Pollock, Rodin, and Van Gogh.

It has teamed up with Google to offer 16 virtual exhibits for online viewing.

17. Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) (Los Angeles, California)

Year Opened: 1910

LACMA is the largest art museum in the western U.S., attracts nearly a million visitors annually, and holds more than 150,000 works spanning the history of art from ancient times to the present.

The website (click LACMA @ Home ) includes exhibition walkthroughs, soundtracks and live recordings, online teaching resources, and courses.

To view the LACMA’s online virtual tour from Google Arts & Culture, click here .

18. Mauritshuis (The Hague, Netherlands)

Year Opened : 1822

The Mauritshuis is home to some of the best Dutch paintings from the Golden Age of Art. The museum consists of 854 works by artists like Johannes Vermeer, Rembrandt Van Rijn, and Jan Steen. Famous works include “Girl with a Pearl Earring” (pictured above) and “View of Delft” by Vermeer, and “The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp” by Rembrandt.

The museum has partnered with Google Arts and Culture to bring several of its best works to life for virtual viewing.

To view the Mauritshuis’ online exhibits, click here .

19. The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York City, New York)

Year Opened: 1870

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, also known as “The Met,” is the largest art museum in the U.S. and the fourth most visited museum in the world with more than 6 million visitors each year. The permanent collection contains more than 2 million works from classical antiquity and ancient Egypt, paintings and sculptures from nearly all of the European masters (including Monet’s Water Lillies), and an extensive collection of American and modern art. It also has extensive holdings of African, Asian, Oceanian, Byzantine, and Islamic art.

The museum has extensive different online exhibits available for viewing through Google and its own Art at Home website .

20. Musée du Louvre (Paris, France)

Year Opened:  1793

The Louvre Palace, which houses the museum, began as a fortress under Philip II in the 12th century to protect the city from English soldiers that were in Normandy. It wasn’t repurposed as a museum until 1793. Now, the Louvre is easily one of the most historic art museums in the world. Not only is the Louvre the largest art museum in the world at 782,910 square feet (72,735 square meters), but it also had 9.6 million visitors in 2019, making it the most visited museum in the world as well. Featured masterpieces include “Mona Lisa,” “Winged Victory of Samothrace,” “Venus de Milo,” and “Hammurabi’s Code.”

The Louvre has several virtual galleries on display, including:

• The Advent of the Artist, including works from Delacroix, Rembrandt, and Tintoretto
• Egyptian Antiquities, featuring collections from the Pharaonic period
• Remains of the Louvre’s Moat — visitors can walk around the original perimeter moat and view the piers that supported the drawbridge dating back to 1190
• Galerie d’Apollon, destroyed by fire in 1661 and recently rebuilt for viewing

To view the Louvre’s virtual tour page, click here .

21. Musée d’Orsay (Paris, France)

Year Opened: 1986

The Musée d’Orsay is housed in the former Gare d’Orsay, a Beaux-Arts railway station built between 1898 and 1900. The museum holds mainly French art dating from 1848 to 1914, including paintings, sculptures, furniture, and photography. It is one of the largest art museums in Europe and had more than 3.6 million visitors in 2019. It houses the largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces in the world, including works by Cézanne, Degas, Gauguin, Manet, Monet, Renoir, Seurat, Sisley, and Van Gogh.

The museum allows you to virtually walk through one of its popular galleries, featuring hundreds of paintings from French artists.

To view the Musée d’Orsay online gallery, click here .

22. Museo Nacional del Prado (Madrid, Spain)

Year Opened : 1819

The Museo Nacional del Prado is considered to have one of the greatest collections of European art in the world and offers guests the single largest collection of Spanish art. The collection currently comprises around 8,200 drawings, 7,600 paintings, 4,800 prints, and 1,000 sculptures. Well-known works include “Las Meninas” by Diego Velázquez, “The Third of May 1808” by Francisco De Goya, and “The Garden of Earthly Delights” by Hieronymus Bosch.

The museum’s online gallery allows you to get a close look at over 10,000 different pieces of art. The Prado also offers a 1-hour live show on Instagram every morning at 4 a.m. EST.

To view the online gallery, click here .

23. Museo Frida Kahlo (Mexico City, Mexico)

Year Opened: 1958

The Frida Kahlo Museum, also known as the Blue House due to its blue walls, is a historic museum dedicated to the life and work of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. The building was Kahlo’s birthplace, the home where she grew up, lived with her husband Diego Rivera for many years, and where she later died in a room on the upper floor. The museum contains a collection of artwork by Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and other artists, along with the couple’s Mexican folk art, pre-Hispanic artifacts, photographs, memorabilia, personal items, and more. Find out more in our guide to the best museums in Mexico City .

24. Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (Madrid, Spain)

Year Opened: 1990

The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, also called the Museo Reina Sofía, is one of the most popular art museums in the world. The museum includes large collections of Spain’s 2 most popular artists, Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí. Famous works on display include “Guernica” and “Woman in Blue” by Picasso and “Cubist Self Portrait” by Dalí.

You can view collections of artwork at the Reina Sofía through its partnership with Google Arts and Culture.

25. Museu de Arte de São Paulo (São Paulo, Brazil)

Year Opened: 1947

The Museu de Arte de São Paulo is Brazil’s first modern art museum. The museum is internationally recognized for its collection of European art, as it’s considered the finest museum in Latin America and all of the Southern Hemisphere. The museum primarily features Brazilian art, prints, and drawings, as well as smaller collections of African and Asian art, antiquities, decorative arts, and others, amounting to more than 8,000 pieces. MASP also has one of the largest art libraries in the country.

You can now take a virtual tour of online galleries the museum has to offer, including:

• Art from Brazil until 1900
• Art from Italy: Rafael to Titian
• Art from France: from Delacroix to Cézanne
• Art in Fashion
• Histories of Madness: The Drawings of Juquery
• Picture Gallery in Transformation

26. Museum of Broken Relationships (Los Angeles, California and Zagreb, Croatia)

Year Opened: 2010

The Museum of Broken Relationships is dedicated to failed love relationships. Its exhibits include personal objects left over from former lovers, accompanied by brief descriptions. The museum was founded by 2 Zagreb-based artists, film producer Olinka Vištica and sculptor Dražen Grubišić, after their 4-year relationship came to an end.

The virtual tour includes a close-up collection of dozens of the museum’s most interesting pieces.

27. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (Boston, Massachusetts)

The 17th largest art museum in the world, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA) hosts one of the most extensive art collections in the U.S. It houses over 8,000 paintings, surpassed only by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and exceeds 1 million visitors each year. Pieces by world-renowned artists like Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Gauguin, and Monet are featured alongside sculptures, mummies, ceramics, and other artifacts from ancient civilizations.

There are currently 16 online exhibits available for viewing.

28. Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (Houston, Texas)

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH) is one of the largest museums in the U.S., and its collection features over 64,000 works from 6 continents. The collection places emphasis on pre-Columbian and African gold, Renaissance and Baroque painting and sculpture, 19th- and 20th-century art, photography, and Latin American art. Read our guide to the best museums in Houston for more information.

The museum has 14 online exhibits available for viewing in collaboration with Google Arts and Culture.

29. The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) (New York City, New York)

Year Opened: 1929

Regarded as one of the largest and most influential museums of modern art in the world, MoMA’s art collection features an overview of modern and contemporary art, including works of architecture and design, drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, prints, illustrated books, and artist’s books, film, and electronic media. MoMA’s holdings include more than 150,000 individual pieces including Andy Warhol’s “Campbell’s Soup Cans” and Van Gogh’s “Starry Night,” in addition to approximately 22,000 films and 4 million film stills.

MoMA’s website offers 86,000 works of art that can be viewed online, along with a partnership with Google Arts and Culture to create a virtual display of its Sophie Taeber-Arp exhibit.

To view the website’s collection, click here . To view the Google exhibit, click here .

30. National Gallery (London, England)

Year Opened : 1824

The National Gallery features more than 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900, including works such as “Sunflowers” by Van Gogh, “The Virgin on the Rocks” by Da Vinci, and “The Arnolfini Portrait” by Jan Van Eyck.

Its website offers a few virtual tours, showcasing many rooms in the museum, the Sainsbury Wing, and a Google Virtual tour.

31. National Gallery of Art (Washington, D.C.)

Year Opened: 1937

The National Gallery of Art and its attached Sculpture Garden are located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. and are open to the public free of charge. The museum was privately established in 1937 for the American people by a joint resolution of the U.S. Congress.

The National Gallery is widely considered to be one of the greatest museums in the U.S. It ranks second in total visitors of all American museums, 10th in the world, and features incredible pieces including Jackson Pollock’s “Number 1,” Leonardo da Vinci’s “Ginevra de’ Benci,” and Degas’ “Little Dancer Aged 14.”

The museum has put together a collection of educational resources on its website for teachers, families, and children. It also features online exhibits through Google Arts and Culture including:

• American Fashion — highlights from 1740 to 1895
• Johannes Vermeer — Dutch Baroque painter

To view the National Gallery of Art online collection page, click here .

32. National Gallery of Victoria (Victoria, Melbourne, Australia)

Year Opened: 1861

The National Gallery of Victoria is Australia’s oldest, largest, and most visited art museum. The museum offers a wide variety of international and Australian art in its collection, including paintings, drawings, photography, and sculptures.

The online tour includes walk-throughs of exhibits, including highlights from the NGV Triennial 2020 and Chinese Collection, as well as exhibits featuring Goya and KAWS.

33. National Museum of China (Beijing, China)

Year Opened : 2003

The National Museum of China covers Chinese history from 1.7 million years ago to the end of the Qing Dynasty in 1911. Notable works include the “Houmuwu” Rectangle Ding, a rectangular bronze sacrificial vessel made in the late Shang Dynasty, the heaviest piece of ancient bronze ware in the world, and a Han Dynasty jade burial suit laced with gold thread. It is one of the largest museums in the world, and the second most visited art museum in the world, just after the Louvre.

The museum has virtual exhibits available for 360-degree viewing including:

• Resplendence of the Tang Dynasty
• Sunken Silver

34. National Museum of Korea (Seoul, South Korea)

Year Opened : 1909

The National Museum of Korea is the top museum of Korean history and art and has been committed to various studies and research activities in the fields of archaeology, history, and art, continuously developing a variety of exhibitions and education programs.

The museum’s virtual tour provides a 3D walk-through of exhibits, including 1,000 years of Korean design and 500 years of the Joseon Dynasty.

35. National Museum, New Delhi (New Delhi, India)

Year Opened: 1949

The National Museum, New Delhi is one of the largest museums in India. The museum has around 200,000 works of art, both of Indian and foreign origin, including paintings, sculptures, jewelry, ancient texts, armor, and decorative arts ranging from the pre-historic era to modern works — covering over 5,000 years.

The museum has partnered with Google to bring its online exhibits to life, including:

• Art of Caligraphy
• Cadence and Counterpoint
• Indian Bronzes
• Nauras: The Many Arts of the Deccan
• Pottery from Ancient Peru
• Treasures of National Museum, India
• Radha and Krishna in the Boat of Love

36. National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (Seoul, South Korea)

Year Opened: 1969

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art was first established in 1969 as the only national art museum in South Korea, accommodating modern and contemporary art of Korea and international art of different time periods. The museum features over 7,000 pieces of artwork, including works of contemporary Korean artists such as Go Hui-dong, Ku Bon-ung, Park Su-geun, and Kim Whan-ki.

Google’s virtual tour takes you through 6 floors of contemporary art from Korea and all over the globe.

37. National Palace Museum (Taipei, Taiwan)

Year Opened : 1965

The National Palace Museum has a collection of nearly 700,000 pieces of ancient Chinese imperial artifacts and artworks. The collection encompasses 8,000 years of history of Chinese art, including jade, paintings, bronzes, and porcelain that were formerly held in the Forbidden City of Peking.

The museum offers 360-degree virtual tours of many different exhibits.

To view the virtual tours, click here .

38. National Portrait Gallery (Washington, D.C.)

Year Opened : 1962

The National Portrait Gallery has a collection of over 21,000 works of art. The collection focuses on images of famous Americans and how they’ve shaped U.S. culture. A major attraction of the National Portrait Gallery’s collection is the Hall of Presidents, which contains portraits of nearly all American presidents. It is the largest and most complete collection in the world, except for the White House collection itself.

The museum has several collections featured on Google Arts and Culture, but also offers digital workshops, and distance learning resources for children and teachers.

To view the online resources, click here .

39. Pergamonmuseum (Berlin, Germany)

The Pergamonmuseum houses monumental buildings, such as the Pergamon Altar, the Ishtar Gate of Babylon, and the Market Gate of Miletus reconstructed from the ruins found in Anatolia, as well as the Mshatta Facade. The museum is subdivided into the antiquity collection, the Middle East museum, and the museum of Islamic art. It is visited by over 1 million people every year.

The museum has dozens of structures and other artifacts that can be viewed online.

40. Picasso Museum (Barcelona, Spain)

Year Opened: 1963

The Picasso Museum, located in the heart of Barcelona’s Latin Quarter, is visited by millions every year. They come to marvel at the best works of Picasso, perhaps the most famous painter of all, but stay to marvel at the best-preserved medieval architecture in Barcelona. With 4,251 works by the painter exhibited, the museum has one of the most complete permanent collections of his works.

The online tour offers a large selection of Picasso’s finest works, as well as virtual tours of the museum’s beautiful courtyards.

41. Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

Year Opened: 1798

The Rijksmuseum was founded in The Hague in 1798 and moved to Amsterdam in 1808, where it was first located in the Royal Palace. The current main building was designed by Pierre Cuypers and first opened in 1885. The museum has on display 8,000 objects of art and history from the years 1200 to 2000, and a total collection of 1 million objects. The museum features masterpieces including Rembrandt’s “The Night Watch” and “The Jewish Bride,” plus works by Frans Hals and Johannes Vermeer, who are known to have been major contributors to the Golden Age of Dutch art.

Google offers a street view tour of some excellent art pieces located in the museum, and the museum has put together an entire virtual tour of all of the museum’s masterpieces viewable on its website.

To view the Google street view tour, click here . You can also view the museum’s From Home microsite and masterpieces tour .

42. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (San Francisco, California)

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is composed of over 33,000 works of art spread throughout 7 gallery floors and 45,000 square feet of space. Following a 3-year closure for expansion, the museum reopened in 2016 and is now one of San Francisco’s must-see destinations.

SFMOMA’s website is updated regularly with videos and articles regarding current exhibits, projects, and artist showcases and provides behind-the-scenes looks of the museum. 

To view the museum’s multimedia features, click here .

Read our guide to the best museums in San Francisco to find out more.

43. Sistine Chapel at the Vatican Museums (Vatican City)

Year Opened: 1483

The Sistine Chapel, located inside of the Apostolic Palace (the official residence of the pope in Vatican City), is easily the most popular chapel in the world. The chapel is famous for its magnificent ceiling, painted by Michelangelo between 1508 and 1512, and is considered to be one of the best artworks to come out of the Italian Renaissance. The primary panels of the ceiling showcase 9 scenes from the Book of Genesis, of which “The Creation of Adam” (pictured above) is the best known and most recognized.

Its website offers a virtual tour of the chapel’s most stunning sites, including the ability to marvel at Michelangelo’s ceiling from the comfort of your couch.

44. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (New York City, New York)

Year Opened: 1939

The Guggenheim Museum was established by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation in 1939. It is the permanent home of a continuously expanding collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, early modern, and contemporary art and also features special exhibitions throughout the year.

Google’s  Street View feature lets you tour the Guggenheim’s famous spiral staircase and some of its art pieces. It also offers a handful of online collections on its website .

45. Tate Modern (London, England)

Year Opened: 2000

Tate Modern is one of the largest museums of modern and contemporary art in the world, consisting of art dating from 1900 until today. The gallery receives over 5 million visitors a year, making it the sixth most visited art museum in the world and the most visited in the U.K.

The Tate Modern has published dozens of videos on its YouTube channel that give you an in-depth look at many of its exhibits, including the Andy Warhol exhibit and the Aubrey Beardsley exhibit.

To view the Tate Modern’s YouTube channel, click here .

46. Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum (Madrid, Spain)

Year Opened: 1992

Located in Madrid, the Thyssen has over 1,600 paintings inside its walls and was once the second-largest private collection in the world after the British Royal Collection. It includes works from the Italian primitives, the English, Dutch, and German schools, Impressionists, Expressionists, and European and American paintings from the 20th century. It also features pieces from the continent’s most celebrated artists including Rembrandt and Dalí.

The virtual tour includes a detailed look at the permanent collection, along with exhibits including the Rembrandt and Impressionist galleries.

47. Tokyo National Museum (Tokyo, Japan)

Year Opened : 1872

The Tokyo National Museum is the oldest and largest art museum in Japan, and one of the largest art museums in the world. At the museum, you’ll find a collection of artwork and cultural objects from Asia, ancient and medieval Japanese art, and Asian art along the Silk Road.

The museum has teamed up with Google’s Arts and Culture to provide an inside look at what the museum has to offer.

48. Uffizi Gallery (Florence, Italy)

Year Opened: 1581

The Uffizi was designed by Giorgio Vasari for Cosimo I de’ Medici, whose family members were by far the largest patrons of art in Renaissance Italy. The museum now spans over 139,000 square feet with 101 different rooms that house its art pieces, including famous pieces such as “The Birth of Venus.” Over 2 million people visit the Uffizi each year, making it the most viewed art museum in Italy.

The museum has teamed up with Google to showcase online galleries including:

• Piero di Cosimo, Perseus Freeing Andromeda
• The Santa Trinita Maestà, Cimabue
• The Creative Process Behind Federico Barocci’s Drawings
• Drawings by Amico Aspertini and other Bolognese artists

49. Van Gogh Museum (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

Year Opened: 1973

The Van Gogh Museum is dedicated to perhaps one of the most famous artists of all time — Vincent Van Gogh. The museum contains the largest collection of Van Gogh’s paintings and drawings in the world, including over 200 paintings, 500 drawings, and over 750 personal letters. The museum has over 2 million visitors each year and is the 23rd most visited art museum in the world. Find out more in our review to the best museums in Amsterdam .

The museum has teamed up with Google to create online exhibits on Vincent Van Gogh’s love life and the books he loved to read. You can also visit the museum’s website for a selection of things to do for young children, including school lessons and coloring pages.

50. Victoria and Albert Museum (London, England)

Year Opened : 1852

The Victoria and Albert Museum collection spans 5,000 years of art from Europe, North America, Asia, and North Africa. The collection of ceramics, glass, textiles, costumes, silver, ironwork, jewelry, furniture, medieval objects, sculpture, prints and printmaking, drawings, and photographs is among the largest and most comprehensive in the world.

The virtual tour, in partnership with Google Arts and Culture, offers several online exhibits ranging from fashion to surrealism.

1. American Museum of Natural History (New York City, New York)

Year Opened : 1869

One of the largest natural history museums in the world, the American Museum of Natural History contains 34 million specimens of plants, animals, fossils, minerals, rocks, meteorites, human remains, and human cultural artifacts.

The museum’s 360-degree virtual tours offer an up-close look at permanent exhibits, current exhibits, past exhibits, and research stations.

2. The British Museum (London, England)

Year Opened: 1759

The British Museum is one of the largest in the world and houses over 8 million works within its walls. Established in 1759, it was the first public national museum in the world. Visitors can tour the great court and view some of the most famous objects in history, like the Elgin Marbles of Greece and the Rosetta Stone of Egypt.

The Museum is the world’s largest indoor space on Google Street View and you can go on a virtual visit to more than 60 galleries.

The British Museum also has virtual galleries on display, including:

• Prints and Drawings

To visit the British Museum’s virtual tour page, click here .

3. National Museum of Anthropology (Mexico City, Mexico)

Year Opened: 1964

The National Museum of Anthropology is the largest and most visited museum in all of Mexico. The museum contains significant archaeological and anthropological artifacts from Mexico’s pre-Columbian heritage, such as the Stone of the Sun (or the Aztec calendar stone) and the Aztec Xochipilli statue.

The museum has made more than 100 items available for Google visitors to explore from home.

To view the museum’s online collection, click here .

4. National Museum of Natural History (Washington, D.C.)

Located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History is the 11th most visited museum in the world and the most visited natural history museum in the world. With over 325,000 square feet of exhibition space, the museum’s collections contain over 145 million specimens of plants, animals, fossils, minerals, rocks, meteorites, human remains, and human cultural artifacts — the largest natural history collection in the world. Highlights of the collection include the Hope Diamond and the Star of Asia Sapphire.

You can view all of these specimens from the comfort of your home as the museum has dozens of different online exhibits that can all be accessed on its website.

To view the museum’s virtual tour, click here .

5. Natural History Museum (London, England)

Year Opened: 1881

Undoubtably one of the best Museums in London , the Natural History Museum in London showcases 80 million life and earth science specimens of great historical and scientific value, even housing pieces collected by Charles Darwin. There are 5 categories within the museum: botany , entomology , mineralogy , paleontology , and zoology . Over 5 million people visit this museum each year, making it the most visited natural history museum in Europe.

One of the museum’s most prominent displays is the skeleton of an 82-foot long blue whale named Hope, which you can learn more about through a self-guided virtual tour, along with several other galleries. 

1. London Science Museum (London, England)

Year Opened : 1857

The London Science Museum holds a collection of over 300,000 items, including famous items such as Stephenson’s Rocket, Puffing Billy (the oldest surviving steam locomotive), the first jet engine, some of the earliest remaining steam engines, and documentation of the first typewriter.

Thanks to Google Street View, guests can take a virtual tour of the entire museum, or watch curator gallery guides on the museum’s YouTube channel.

To view the virtual tour or videos, click here .

2. Museo Galileo (Florence, Italy)

Dedicated to the scientist and astronomer Galileo Galilei, the Museo Galilei is housed in an 11th-century palace known as the Palazzo Castellini. The museum has a collection of over 5,000 ancient scientific instruments dating back to the 13th century, and among its most notable items is the telescope Galileo used to discover the satellites of Jupiter.

Visitors from around the world have the opportunity to explore the inside of the museum and can access more than 1,000 permanent exhibition objects through the online catalog.

3. The Museum of Flight (Seattle, Washington)

Year Opened: 1965

The Museum of Flight is the largest private air and space museum in the world and attracts over 500,000 visitors every year. The museum has more than 150 aircraft in its collection, including the Lockheed Model 10-E Electra (the aircraft Amelia Earhart was piloting when she disappeared over the Pacific Ocean), Boeing 747s, and the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird (pictured above).

The museum offers 360-degree tours that let you step inside dozens of these iconic aircraft.

4. The Museum of Natural Sciences of Belgium (Brussels, Belgium)

Year Opened: 1846

The Museum of Natural Sciences of Belgium is dedicated to natural history and is part of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences. The dinosaur hall of the museum is the world’s largest museum hall completely dedicated to dinosaurs, and its most important pieces are 30 fossilized Iguanodon skeletons, which were discovered in 1878 in Bernissart.

It has partnered with Google to set up virtual exhibits for viewing, including:

• 360-degree guided tour
• The Bernissart Iguanodons
• From Salehanthropus to Homo Sapiens
• Over 250 Years of Natural Sciences
• Past, Present, Future: The Marvels of Evolution

To view the museum’s online exhibits, click here .

5. Museum of Science, Boston (Boston, Massachusetts)

Year Opened: 1830

The Museum of Science, Boston, receiving over 1.5 million visitors annually, is a museum and indoor zoo with more than 700 interactive exhibits and over 100 animals, many of which have been rescued and rehabilitated.

The museum offers a phenomenal virtual tour full of digital exhibits, videos, and audio presentations.

6. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) (Washington, D.C.)

NASA, founded in 1958, was created by the federal government to develop the civilian space program, as well as to conduct aeronautics, space, and astrophysics research. Since its inception, NASA has been responsible for historic space missions including the Apollo moon-landing missions, the Skylab space station, and the space shuttle.

NASA has partnered with Google Arts and Culture to bring many online exhibits to life to showcase the beauty of space exploration.

7. National Air and Space Museum (Washington, D.C.)

Year Opened : 1946

The National Air and Space Museum is a center for the history and science of aviation, spaceflight, planetary science, terrestrial geology, and geophysics. It is the fifth most visited museum in the world (the second most visited in the U.S.), and contains the Apollo 11 Command Module Columbia, the Friendship 7 capsule, the Wright brothers’ Wright Flyer airplane, and Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis.

The virtual tour offers a 360-degree walk-through of the entire museum.

8. National Museum of Computing (Bletchley Park, England)

Year Opened: 2007

The National Museum of Computing is dedicated to collecting and restoring historic computer systems. The museum is home to the world’s largest collection of working historic computers dating back to the 1940s, including a rebuilt Mark 2 Colossus computer, alongside an exhibition of the most complex code-cracking activities performed at the Park.

In the 3D virtual tour, viewers can move around the galleries looking at the machines and their descriptions with the added bonus of hyperlinks to video and text explanations providing further detail and history of the exhibits.

9. National Museum of the United States Air Force (Riverside, Ohio)

Year Opened: 1923

Located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Riverside, Ohio, the National Museum of the United States Air Force is the oldest and largest military aviation museum in the world, with more than 360 aircraft and missiles on display.

The virtual tour allows visitors to take a virtual, 360-degree, self-guided tour of the entire museum by navigating from gallery to gallery.

10. Oxford University’s History of Science Museum (Oxford, England)

Year Opened: 1683

Oxford’s History of Science Museum holds a leading collection of scientific instruments from the Middle Ages to the 19th century.

The museum, ever ahead of the times, has offered virtual tours since 1995. You’ll get to explore the fantastic exhibits and artifacts of some of the most important scientific discoveries in science history.

1. Acropolis Museum (Athens, Greece)

Year Opened : 2009

The Acropolis Museum is centered around the archaeological findings at the site of Athens’ most important structure — the Acropolis. The museum was built to house every artifact found on the rock and surrounding slopes, from the Greek Bronze Age to Roman and Byzantine Greece.

The museum has partnered with Google Arts and Culture to bring the museum to life virtually. Now you can view rock, marble, and sculptures certificates, all of which are thousands of years old, all from the comfort of your couch!

2. American Battlefield Trust Virtual Battlefield Tours

The American Battlefield Trust Virtual Battlefield Tours offers the incredible opportunity to experience 360-degree virtual tours of more than 20 American Revolution and Civil War battlefields. You can explore Gettysburg, with 15 different stops, each of which features icons that discuss in great detail the history and significance of the battle.

3. Anne Frank House (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

Year Opened: 1957

What was once the house where Anne Frank went into hiding during WWII is now a museum dedicated to increasing awareness of Anne’s story and life in the attic. The Anne Frank House was established in cooperation with Anne Frank’s father, Otto Frank, and now welcomes over 1 million visitors from around the world each year.

The museum’s website offers a virtual reality tour of the annex, along with other educational resources about Anne’s life.

4. Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum (Hyde Park, New York)

Year Opened: 1941

The Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum holds the records of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd U.S. president (1933 to 1945). The museum showcases the history behind FDR’s story, his presidency, New Deal policies, assassination attempt, and wartime decisions.

The 360-degree online tour gives you a close look at original documents, artifacts, and videos from FDR’s life.

5. National Museum of African American History and Culture (Washington, D.C.)

Year Opened: 2003

The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture is the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African-American life, history, and culture. It was established by an Act of Congress in 2003, following decades of efforts to promote and highlight the contributions of African-Americans. To date, the Museum has collected more than 36,000 artifacts.

The museum website offers more than 15 different online exhibits covering African American history and culture.

Check out its online virtual tour  and digital resources guide .

6. National Museum of American History (Washington, D.C.)

The Smithsonian National Museum of American History has more than 1.8 million objects that highlight the history of the U.S — including the original Star-Spangled Banner, Julia Child’s kitchen, Abraham Lincoln’s top hat, Indiana Jones’ fedora and whip, and more!

The museum offers about 100 online exhibits from its encyclopedic collections, each with a mix of photos, video, graphics, and text on topics ranging through the nation’s entire history.

7. National Museum of Scotland (Edinburgh, Scotland)

Year Opened : 1866

The National Museum of Scotland is dedicated to Scottish antiquities, culture, and history. The museum contains artifacts from around the world, encompassing geology, archaeology, natural history, science, technology, art, and world cultures. Popular items from the collections include Dolly the Sheep, the Arthur’s Seat coffins, and the Cramond Lioness sculpture.

The Museum’s galleries have been captured digitally in partnership with Google Arts & Culture, along with a virtual walk-through thanks to Google Street View.

8. National Women’s History Museum (Alexandria, Virginia)

Year Opened: 1996

Founded in 1996 by Karen Staser, the National Women’s History Museum researches, collects, and exhibits the contributions of women to the social, cultural, economic, and political life of our nation in the context of world history.

Its website currently features 29 different online exhibits!

9. Terra Cotta Warriors of Xi’an at Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum (Xi’an, China)

Year Opened: 1974 (created third century B.C.)

The Terracotta Army at Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. It is a form of funerary art buried with the emperor in 210 to 209 B.C. to protect the emperor in his afterlife. The sculptures include warriors, chariots, and horses. Estimates from 2007 were that the 3 pits containing the Terracotta Army held more than 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses, and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which remained buried in the pits near Qin Shi Huang’s mausoleum.

The online experience allows you to get up close and personal with the sculptures in a full 360-degree experience!

To view the online virtual experience, click here .

10. U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum (Washington, D.C.)

Year Opened: 1980

The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum is the country’s official memorial to the Holocaust. It is located on the National Mall alongside other monuments dedicated to freedom. Each year, the museum encourages its 1.6 million visitors to promote human dignity, confront hatred, prevent genocide, and strengthen democratic values. The museum’s collection includes millions of archival documents, artifacts, photographs, footage, and a list of over 200,000 registered survivors and their families, among other historical items.

Its website offers a wide selection of educational resources, including a virtual tour, and is available in 16 languages.

There you have it — 75 amazing #MuseumsAtHome options filled with one-of-a-kind artifacts covering art, science, history, and natural history, all of which can be “visited” virtually while you lounge in your pajamas! So whether you’re a massive fan of art, looking for an educational experience for your children, or simply need a way to keep yourself entertained, you can’t go wrong with a virtual tour of any of these world-class museums.

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Ottawa’s seven national museums

When you visit Canada’s capital, you can experience the entire country, all in one welcoming city! Home to seven of Canada’s nine national museums, Ottawa is the mecca for culture vultures, historical enthusiasts and Canadiana buffs. Perfect for a solo adventure and fun for the whole family, add these national museums to your Ottawa itinerary.

National Gallery of Canada

To truly appreciate Canada’s artistic treasures, explore the  National Gallery of Canada . The beautiful modern building houses the most comprehensive collection of Canadian art, including a large number by the Group of Seven and strong collections of Indigenous, Asian, and International works. It also has one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of photographs and related materials. Even kids can get artsy by playing games, making their own artwork and sharing it with people from around the world during the Artissimo activity!

Canadian Museum of History

The  Canadian Museum of History  is Canada’s most visited museum for good reason – it’s home to the world’s largest indoor collection of totem poles, the largest exhibition about Canadian history, and it highlights the achievements of Indigenous Peoples in the First Peoples Hall. The gorgeous undulated building also houses the Canadian Children’s Museum, where kids can travel the world and explore other cultures through interactive elements, including a variety of toys and games. Complete your visit with a 3D movie in the CINÉ+ theatre!

Canada Science and Technology Museum

It’s never been more fun to celebrate Canada’s long history of scientific and technological achievements! The  Canada Science and Technology Museum , which reopened in 2017 after extensive renovations, combines interactive and hands-on elements with cutting-edge technologies like augmented reality. Explore old favourites like the giant locomotives and Crazy Kitchen as well as new state-of-the-art exhibits. It’s paradise for kids and the young at heart!

Canada Aviation and Space Museum

Journey into Canada’s world of air and space at the  Canada Aviation and Space Museum . The expansive, hangar-like building is home to the most extensive aviation collection in the country and covers everything from the humble beginnings of flight to the sophisticated aerospace industry we know today, plus Canada’s role in outer space. Try flight simulators, sit in cockpits, or take a real flight in a helicopter or vintage biplane!

Canada Agriculture and Food Museum

Did you know Ottawa has a working farm in the city that you can visit to learn about Canada’s unique agricultural heritage? The  Canada Agriculture and Food Museum  is the perfect place for young and old to meet farm animals like horses, alpacas, goats and rabbits. Visit the cows in the dairy barn and learn how milk is collected. Learn how different breeds of sheep are sources of wool, milk and meat. You’ll also encounter daily demonstrations of butter churning, ice cream making and other fun activities.

Canadian Museum of Nature

The castle-esque  Canadian Museum of Nature  is not only a cool-looking historic building, but inside you’ll find dinosaur replicas, whale skeletons, an Arctic gallery, mammals, minerals, birds, insects and flora. Some events and activities even feature live animals! With interactive and informative exhibits, kids and adults alike will be amazed by what they learn.

Canadian War Museum

Tanks, jet fighters, artillery and art are just some of the impressive items that represent Canada’s war history at the  Canadian War Museum . The building’s architecture is based on the theme of regeneration, with energy-efficient features like a green roof, and symbolism like the morse code windows that spell out “Lest We Forget”. In November, the museum hosts special Remembrance events and activities. At exactly 11:00 a.m. on November 11 each year, a beam of sunlight shines through a single window into Memorial Hall to perfectly frame the headstone from the grave of Canada’s Unknown Soldier. A moving experience!

Special exhibits

These world-class cultural institutions are always hosting impressive temporary programming in conjunction with local, Canadian or worldwide partners. Take a look at the current and upcoming  special exhibits  featured at Ottawa-area museums!

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Museums can increase our sense of wellbeing, help us feel proud of where we have come from, can inspire, challenge and stimulate us, and make us feel healthier.

With society facing issues such as poverty, inequality, intolerance and discrimination, museums can help us understand, debate, and challenge these concerns.

They can also enhance everyone’s life chances by breaking down barriers to access and inclusion. Museums are doing this through active public participation, engaging with diverse communities, and sharing collections and knowledge in ways that are transforming lives.

Museums of all sizes, with collections ranging from fine art to social history, are changing lives – often in partnership with community groups, health charities and other third sector organisations.

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Whether it’s Experience Barnsley Museum’s Dementia Cafe or Cardiff Story’s work with refugees and asylum seekers, museums across the UK are making a positive and lasting difference.

Maggie Appleton, the chief executive of the RAF Museum, and the MA’s president, says: “More museums, small and large, with different audiences and governance, are using their fabulous collections and creativity to build socially engaged practice. Such commitment is needed now more than ever and the Museums Change Lives document is both a powerful advocacy tool and a crystal clear statement of our intent.”

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A big guide to museums & attractions in greater philadelphia, where to begin your exploration of the city's vast cultural scene....

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It’s no secret (or surprise) that a city as grand and expansive as Philadelphia offers a wealth of museums and attractions to discover.

The hard part is deciding which ones to explore.

Are you interested in …

• dinosaurs ( The Academy of Natural Sciences ) or daylilies ( Longwood Gardens )?
• Vincent van Gogh ( Barnes Foundation ) or Count von Count ( Sesame Place )?
• revolutionary history ( Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell ) or outdoor reveling ( Wissahickon Valley Park and Fairmount Park )?

So much to see and do, but no worries — we’ve got you covered. Below, we’ve rounded up dozens of attractions and museums in Greater Philadelphia to use as a starting guide to the city’s deep roster of cultural sites.

The best place to start during any Philly visit is at Old City’s Independence Visitor Center , your one-stop shop for all things Philly. And a super convenient way to reach many of these attractions is aboard the Philly PHLASH Downtown Loop , which runs seasonally and offers affordable per-ride tickets, in addition to one- and two-day passes.

Of course, a comprehensive list of every museum and attraction in Philly would list in the hundreds. For more under-the-radar options, check out our guide to hidden gems in Greater Philadelphia and off-the-beaten-path museums and attractions .

Independence Hall

The centerpiece of Independence National Historical Park is world-famous Independence Hall , where America’s Founding Fathers gathered to sign the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Eleven years later, representatives from the new states returned to lay the framework for the U.S. Constitution. Among the site’s rooms open to the public are the Assembly Room (where both documents were adopted), the Supreme Court Chamber, the Long Gallery and the Governor’s Council Chamber. Free guided tours are available year-round, but visitors must reserve timed tickets (with a $1 service charge) online or by phone in advance for entrance.

Where: Independence Hall, 520 Chestnut Street

The Liberty Bell

The iconic Liberty Bell — first cast in England in 1752 and recast in Philadelphia a year later — originally hung atop the Pennsylvania State House (now known as Independence Hall). It was quickly adopted by abolitionists, suffragists and justice-seekers across the globe as an enduring symbol of freedom. The bell was moved to a pavilion across the street in 1976 and then to the current Liberty Bell Center three decades later. Visitors can view the bell (and its famous crack) and tour the center (with a number of related exhibits) for free year-round.

Where: Liberty Bell Center, 526 Market Street

The President's House

America’s original Executive Mansion, Presidents George Washington and John Adams each lived at The President’s House during their time in office. While the original building was demolished in 1832, the foundation was unearthed in 2000 during the construction of the Liberty Bell Center and now serves as a free outdoor exhibit titled Freedom and Slavery in the Making of a New Nation . The open-air site offers viewable structural fragments, as well as looped videos focusing on the lives of the nine enslaved African men and women who lived here during Washington’s tenure.

Where: The President's House, 600 Market Street

Christ Church and Christ Church Burial Ground

Constructed in 1744, vaunted Christ Church operated as a house of worship and gathering place for prominent early Americans including George Washington, Betsy Ross and Benjamin Franklin, and where Absalom Jones was ordained as the nation’s first African American Episcopalian priest. Take the 20-minute guided tour then walk a few blocks to Christ Church Burial Ground , the final resting place of many of the nation’s first history makers, including Franklin himself. Toss a penny onto his grave for good luck.

Where: Christ Church, 20 N. American Street

VIEW OTHER LOCATIONS (1)

Christ Church Burial Ground, 340 N. 5th Street

Independence National Historical Park

While the iconic landmarks above were pivotal venues in the founding of the nation, they’re far from the only historic buildings in the Philadelphia’s Historic District ’s 54-acre Independence National Historical Park . Don’t miss these other important Revolutionary-era sites:

• Carpenters’ Hall : The site where the First Continental Congress gathered in 1774 to impose a trade embargo against England (a precursor to the Declaration of Independence), and a significant work of Georgian architecture.
• Congress Hall : The nation’s first Capitol Building and home of the U.S. Congress from 1790 to 1800, and where Presidents Washington (second term) and Adams (first term) were inaugurated.
• Franklin Court and Benjamin Franklin Museum : A comprehensive look at Franklin’s extraordinary life and impact on American history, which includes an array of interactive displays, the “ghost structure” remains of Franklin’s home and the early B. Free Franklin Post Office .
• Free Quaker Meeting House : Built in 1783 as a place of worship and community gatherings for Quakers who supported the Revolution who chose to separate from the traditional Quaker community.
• Second Bank of the United States : Chartered in 1816, the bank played a crucial role in the early American economy until it was shuttered by President Andrew Jackson in 1836. Today the building houses a Portrait Gallery featuring over 150 portraits — many by Charles Willson Peale — of key 18th- and 19th-century figures.
• Old City Hall : The first permanent home to the U.S. Supreme Court from 1791 to 1800, the building played a key role in the nation’s judicial history then served as Philadelphia’s City Hall until 1854.
• Bicentennial Bell Garden : For America’s 200th birthday in 1976, Queen Elizabeth II gifted America with the Bicentennial Bell — forged in the same foundry as the Liberty Bell — which is on public display for the first time in a decade, at the former Benjamin Rush Garden.
• Washington Square : Located across the street from Independence Hall, the public green space — one of William Penn’s five original squares — features the Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War Soldier and plenty of spots to sit and enjoy the beauty of the historic park.

Where: Carpenters' Hall, 320 Chestnut Street

VIEW OTHER LOCATIONS (8)

Congress Hall, 6th & Chestnut streets

Fragments of Franklin Court, 322 Market Street

Benjamin Franklin Museum, 317 Chestnut Street

Free Quaker Meeting House, 500 Arch Street

Second Bank of the United States, 420 Chestnut Street

Old City Hall, 5th & Chestnut streets

Bicentennial Bell at the Benjamin Rush Garden, 3rd & Walnut streets

Washington Square, 210 W. Washington Square

National Constitution Center

Dedicated to the four most critical pages in America’s history, the National Constitution Center takes a deep dive into what “ We the People ” truly means. Museum-goers can explore exhibits and artifacts, view an original copy of the Bill of Rights, walk among 42 life-size bronze statues of the delegates who attended the Constitutional Convention in 1787, and learn more about the Constitutional amendments that ended slavery (13th Amendment) and granted the right to vote to Black men (15th Amendment) and some women (19th Amendment).

Where: National Constitution Center, 525 Arch Street

Museum of the American Revolution

Telling the story of the Revolutionary War through personal accounts, the Museum of the American Revolution delves into the world-changing conflict through an unmatched collection of relics, including weapons, documents, personal items, works of art and the institution’s signature artifact: George Washington’s war tent which served as his shelter, battlefield home, strategic meeting place and office headquarters throughout the War of Independence. With powerful films, digital touchscreens and historical vignettes, the museum recreates the drama and the details of the country’s climactic birth.

Where: Museum of the American Revolution, 101 S. 3rd Street

The African American Museum in Philadelphia

Founded in 1976, the groundbreaking African American Museum in Philadelphia was the first institution built by a major U.S. city to preserve, interpret and exhibit the heritage and culture of people of African descent in America. The museum takes a bold look at early African Americans and their oft-unheralded impact in the founding of the nation, particularly through the permanent Audacious Freedom: African Americans in Philadelphia 1776-1876 exhibit. Visiting and rotating programs examine contemporary racial, societal, economic and cultural issues surrounding diasporic Africans via art and historic artifacts.

Where: The African American Museum in Philadelphia, 701 Arch Street

Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History

Take a journey through 360 years of Jewish history in the U.S. at the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, which is filled with more than 1,200 artifacts and documents, 2,500 images, 30 original films and 13 interactive media displays — all free to visit (with suggested donation). The experience delivers a rich tale that traces the path of the nation’s Jewish diaspora from struggling immigrants to integral citizens. While you’re there, snap a selfie with Deborah Kass’ cheeky OY/YO sculpture installed outside of the museum entrance.

Where: Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, 101 S. Independence Mall East

Elfreth’s Alley

One of the oldest continuously inhabited residential streets in America, Elfreth’s Alley is a charming 400-foot cobblestone walk lined with 32 quaint private households — once inhabited by figures like Dolly Madison, Betsy Ross and Stephen Girard and still occupied by everyday Philadelphians — built between 1720 and 1830. While closely surrounded by a modern city, the alleyway preserves three centuries of evolution through old-fashioned flower boxes, shutters, Flemish bond brickwork and other architectural details. Don’t miss the pair of adjacent circa-1755 homes now operating as the Elfreth’s Alley Museum .

Where: Elfreth's Alley, 124-126 Elfreth's Alley

Franklin Square

Another of William Penn’s original squares, Franklin Square park offers a bevy of modern outdoor fun. Take a mini-tour of Philadelphia as you putt-putt through scale models of iconic landmarks at Philly Mini Golf or enjoy a nostalgic ride on Parx Liberty Carousel — a tribute to Philadelphia’s carousel-making heritage. There’s also a large fountain (featuring seasonal shows and nighttime light displays), a burger stand and lots of open space. Summer visitors shouldn’t miss the annual Chinese Lantern Festival , while winter wanderers should earmark a visit to explore the Winter in Franklin Square programming.

Where: Franklin Square, 200 N. 6th Street

Betsy Ross House

America’s most famous flag maker greets guests at her 18th-century upholstery shop, part of the diminutive dwelling which today is the Betsy Ross House museum, where visitors can enjoy programs, storytelling and activities to learn about Ross’ life and legend. Visit the seamstress’ bedroom, kitchen, courtyard, fabrication studio and basement (filled with displays about her house and history). Tours are available — self-guided or on-your-own with personal audio — with a paid general admission ticket.

Where: Betsy Ross House, 239 Arch Street

National Liberty Museum

A fixture in Old City since 2000, the National Liberty Museum is dedicated to teaching visitors about the diversity of Americans and respect for all people through stories of heroes from all walks of life across the globe. Highlighting the knowledge that the struggle for liberty is not just an American ideal, the museum’s eight galleries showcase nearly 80 imaginative and interactive exhibits and 200 works of contemporary art (including an expansive collection of glass art), surrounded by stories of 2,000 difference-makers like Jackie Robinson, Nelson Mandela and Malala Yousafzai.

Where: National Liberty Museum, 321 Chestnut Street

Benjamin Franklin Parkway and Fairmount

Philadelphia museum of art.

One of the nation’s largest and most recognizable art institutions, the Philadelphia Museum of Art rises majestically from the head of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway . Inside are vast collections, including Renaissance, American and impressionist galleries featuring works from van Gogh, Manet, Cassatt, Duchamp, Dalí and Picasso, plus rotating exhibitions and tons of special programming. Meanwhile, outside are views of the museum’s stunning Greek Revival architecture, the one-acre Sculpture Garden and, of course, its staircase made famous by Rocky Balboa (see below).

Where: Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway

The Rocky Statue and Rocky Steps

Alongside a visit to the Liberty Bell (see above) and Pat’s King of Steaks (see below), one of the most iconic Philadelphia experiences is taking a run up the legendary Rocky Steps fronting the East Terrace entrance to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Race up the 72 stairs just as Sylvester Stallone famously did in the 1976 film and celebrate by spinning around with your fists in the air to take in the spectacular view down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway . Then snag a selfie with the eight-foot bronze Rocky Statue at the staircase’s base.

Where: Rocky Steps, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway

Rodin Museum

At home in the first American city to exhibit his creations, the Benjamin Franklin Parkway’s Rodin Museum houses the largest public collection of Auguste Rodin’s works outside of Paris, including 20 of the French master’s sculptures, plus exhibits highlighting drawings, paintings and academic studies. In the open air, the gallery’s Outdoor Gardens sculpture collection includes more masterpieces, like a bronze cast of The Thinker , the only original cast of The Gates of Hell in North America and The Age of Bronze (as well as the seasonal Rodin Garden Bar ).

Where: Rodin Museum, 2151 Benjamin Franklin Parkway

Barnes Foundation

The gallery at the Barnes Foundation (dating back to 1961, and on the Parkway since 2012) is home to one of the world’s most important collections of impressionist, post-impressionist and early modernist paintings by renowned artists like Renoir, Cézanne, Picasso, van Gogh, Matisse, Rousseau, Degas, Rubens, Gauguin, Goya, Manet and Monet. The museum also showcases American paintings and decorative arts, metalwork, African sculpture and Indigenous textiles, jewelry and ceramics — all presented in philanthropist and lifelong Philadelphian Albert C. Barnes’ distinctive and specific arrangements.

Where: Barnes Foundation, 2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway

The Franklin Institute

One of the leading science museums in the nation — and one of the oldest, dating back to 1824 — The Franklin Institute specializes in how science affects every aspect of daily life. In addition to beloved hands-on permanent exhibits like Your Brain , Sir Isaac’s Loft , Amazing Machine , Franklin Air Show , Wondrous Space , the Baldwin 60000 steam locomotive, the iconic Giant Heart and mesmerizing four-story Foucault’s Pendulum , regular rotating special exhibitions add to the museum’s appeal. Filling a city block, the institute also houses the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial and the Fels Planetarium .

Where: The Franklin Institute, 222 N. 20th Street

The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University

The oldest natural history museum in the Americas, the Parkway’s Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University was founded way back in 1812. Visitors can wander through a tropical garden filled with live butterflies, meet live animals and see three continents of wildlife in their natural habitats, as well as enjoy a myriad of exciting rotating visiting exhibitions. But the institution’s centerpiece is Dinosaur Hall , complete with 30 dinosaur and prehistoric reptile fossils, a fossil preparation lab, a dig site and a fully reconstructed 42-foot Tyrannosaurus rex.

Where: The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway

Eastern State Penitentiary

Once the most famous and expensive prison in the world, the massive Eastern State Penitentiary operated from 1829 to 1970 and introduced Americans to the concept of prison as a reform (penitentiary for “penance”) tool. Today, the site — which once housed notorious criminals like Al Capone and Willie Sutton — offers self-guided tours that explore the attraction’s history, along with modern social justice issues that surround incarceration. If your visit brings you in the fall, be sure to experience the site’s popular Halloween Nights immersive haunted house experience.

Where: Eastern State Penitentiary, 2027 Fairmount Avenue

• Center City

Philadelphia City Hall & Dilworth Park

Philadelphia’s City Hall — which, at one point, was the tallest building in the world — has served as city headquarters since 1901. The elaborate 14.5-acre site remains the world’s largest municipal building and masonry structure, and features over 250 exterior sculptures — including the statue of William Penn (the tallest atop any building on earth) above the clock tower, which also houses the Tower Tour observation deck . On the western-facing apron, Dilworth Park is the hall’s “front yard” with tree groves, benches, cafes, a spray fountain, and a  skating rink for ice skating in winter and rollerskating in summer.

Where: City Hall, 1400 John F. Kennedy Boulevard

Dilworth Park, 1 S. 15th Street

Diagonal from City Hall, John F. Kennedy Plaza gets its nickname — LOVE Park — from Robert Indiana’s iconic LOVE statue that sits within the space (one of Philly’s most Instagrammable spots, particularly for couples). Serving as the grand entrance to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway , the park features a Visitor Center , a lighted fountain, gardens, a great lawn, and plenty of spots to sit or enjoy an alfresco lunch. Come winter, LOVE Park transforms into the beloved Bavarian-style Christmas Village .

Where: LOVE Park, 15th & Arch streets

Masonic Temple

Across Penn Square from City Hall , the massive Norman cathedral-style Masonic Temple has stood tall since 1873. The imposing structure is no church, but the Grand Lodge headquarters of the Freemasons of Pennsylvania, with 14th-century roots and a membership that included Benjamin Franklin and George Washington — whose statues stand outside its entrance. Hour-long guided tours highlight the ornate interior’s wondrous Renaissance, Egyptian, Moorish and Corinthian-influenced architecture, impressive artwork collection (including painted wood sculptures by William Rush) and a museum displaying Masonic artifacts dating back to the American Revolution.

Where: Masonic Temple, 1 N. Broad Street

Reading Terminal Market

For 130 years, Reading Terminal Market — one of the nation’s oldest and largest public markets — has offered a smorgasbord of dining choices from restaurants, bakeries, ice creameries and delis, for dine-in or take out. The bustling food hall offers over 80 vendors serving up tastes from scores of cuisines including hoagies, cheesesteaks, Cajun fare, Italian dishes, Middle Eastern favorites, Filipino classics, sushi, fresh produce and plenty of traditional Pennsylvania Dutch (Amish) specialties. With all those choices, it can be tough to decide what to order — so let us help with that .

Where: Reading Terminal Market, 51 N. 12th Street

Mütter Museum

One of the city’s most infamous science institutions is the Mütter Museum in Center City (part of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia), established to help the public understand the mysteries of the human body and appreciate the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Among the museum’s 20,000 piece “disturbingly informative” collection (many not for the faint of heart) are a tumor removed from President Grover Cleveland, the death cast of conjoined twins Chang & Eng, tissue samples from John Wilkes Booth, and slices of Albert Einstein’s brain.

Where: Mütter Museum, 19 S. 22nd Street

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

The nation’s first art museum and first art school, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts features elaborate Victorian Gothic architecture as compelling as the American art on display within. A 1796 copy of Gilbert Stuart’s famous “Lansdowne portrait” of George Washington is a highlight, as are well-known paintings by artists like Winslow Homer, Kehinde Wiley, John Singer Sargent, Jacob Lawrence, Thomas Eakins, Mary Cassatt, Edward Hopper and Cecilia Beaux, part of PAFA’s diverse gallery of American art and impressive American sculpture collection from the 18th century through today. Note that the museum’s Historic Landmark Building is closed through fall 2025 for renovations.

Where: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 118-128 N. Broad Street

Rittenhouse Square

To many, no stroll is more Philly than a rove through gorgeous Rittenhouse Square , the centerpiece of the chic same-name neighborhood and another of William Penn’s five original squares. The Beaux-Arts style French garden’s diagonal wheel-and-spoke walkways and central oval are filled with ample benches, manicured lawns, shady trees, historic sculptures and plenty of views under the shadows of upscale high-rises. The one-block commons is popular with more sunbathers, readers, families, artists, craft and produce vendors, people-watchers and even dogs than the city founder could have ever imagined.

Where: Rittenhouse Square, 210 W. Rittenhouse Square

Schuylkill River Trail & Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk

The Schuylkill River Trail — a 30-mile recreational path running along the Schuylkill River from Center City to Chester County , past famous sites like Boathouse Row and the Philadelphia Museum of Art — is a favorite for bicyclists, runners, hikers and amblers, with the two-plus mile portion from Girard Avenue Bridge to Schuylkill Banks its central hub. One of the most beautiful spots along the trail is Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk , a 15-foot-wide, 2,000-foot-long ADA-compliant concrete path that juts out over the river, providing a connection between Locust Street and the South Street Bridge.

Where: Various locations including Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk, S. 25th & Locust streets

Delaware River Waterfront

Spruce street harbor park.

Warm weather outdoor oasis Spruce Street Harbor Park is a popular spring-to-fall destination on the Delaware River. The buzzy park features a boardwalk with concessions, food trucks, giant board games, a beer garden, a cocktail bar, a performance stage, weekend craft markets and more. But the highlight is the numerous spaces to just chill — in Adirondack chairs overlooking the waterfront, in flat-bottomed net lounges above the river or in the woodsy meadow featuring a hundred cozy tree-slung hammocks under thousands of LED lights.

Where: Spruce Street Harbor Park, 301 S. Christopher Columbus Boulevard

Independence Blue Cross RiverRink

Whether summer or wintertime, lace up at Independence Blue Cross RiverRink , a seasonal park along the Delaware River offering beachy vibes during warm months and holiday festivities during winter season — with rollerskating at Summerfest and ice skating at Winterfest . (Note: Skating not available for summer 2024 due to construction.) Along with seasonal activities, the riverside scpace features a double-decker carousel, a 60-foot Ferris wheel (with soaring views of the river and the Ben Franklin Bridge), mini-golf, a bustling midway with boardwalk games, and plenty of fair treats like fried Tastykakes , cheesesteaks and crabfries , plus a cocktail bar.

Where: Independence Blue Cross RiverRink, 101 S. Christopher Columbus Boulevard

Independence Seaport Museum

Anchored along Penn’s Landing are two incongruous vessels guests are encouraged to climb aboard and explore: the 130-year-old Navy Cruiser USS Olympia (the nation’s oldest steel warship) and World War II-era USS Becuna (a 300-foot Balao submarine). But those museum ships are just the start of what the Independence Seaport Museum has to offer. The maritime history museum maintains one of North America’s largest maritime collections, featuring over 25,000 artifacts across a half-dozen hands-on exhibits including a working boat shop and a collection of large-scale model ships.

Where: Independence Seaport Museum, 211 S. Christopher Columbus Boulevard

Race Street Pier & Cherry Street Pier

Serene 600-foot-long parklike Race Street Pier on the Delaware River waterfront features two levels of recreation including a 12 foot-high multi-tiered seating area for picnics, yoga classes or just watching the tide roll in. Next door is Cherry Street Pier , a bustling indoor-outdoor mixed-use public space, home to artist studios, a marketplace and alfresco refreshments at the pier end’s patio café. Both former industrial docks, sitting 150 feet apart, offer absolutely transcendent views of the Philly skyline, the majestic river and the Benjamin Franklin Bridge from under the massive structure.

Where: Race Street Pier, Race Street & N. Columbus Boulevard

Cherry Street Pier, 121 N. Christopher Columbus Boulevard

Adventure Aquarium

Two million gallons of water and 15,000 aquatic animals — including the largest collection of sharks in the Northeast — lie just across the Delaware River at Adventure Aquarium , one of the top aquariums in the U.S. Highlights include hippos, penguins, horseshoe crabs, starfish and those famous sharks you can actually touch (plus the crossable Shark Bridge). The biggest wow: Ocean Realm , a 760,000-gallon tank of sea turtles, stingrays, schooling fish and a seven-foot Great Hammerhead, making the aquarium one of just two in the nation to feature the apex predator.

Where: Adventure Aquarium, 1 Riverside Drive, Camden, NJ

Battleship New Jersey

Docked across the river from Center City Philly in Camden, the renovated Battleship New Jersey is a floating museum ship open to all who wish to explore America’s naval heritage aboard Admiral “Bull” Halsey’s flagship, the country’s most decorated combat vessel. The eight-decade-old 887-foot, 45,000-ton gunboat offers a guided tour and interactive exhibits displaying artifacts of the ship’s active past (from World War II to Korea to Vietnam to the Gulf War) and the impressive 16-inch turret, where 2,700-pound shells were fired at targets up to 23 miles away.

Where: Battleship New Jersey, 100 Clinton Street, Camden, NJ

South Philadelphia

Philadelphia's magic gardens.

One of the most popular urban public art installations in the city, Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens is a large-scale indoor/outdoor found-item mosaic structure made from discarded materials like broken mirrors, reclaimed glass, tiles, bicycle parts and an assortment of urban waste. Spanning half a city block along famous South Street between 10th and 11th streets, the mixed media display is the largest work from local artist Isaiah Zagar, who has created more than 100 mosaics around the city, including many more around South Street.

Where: Philadelphia's Magic Gardens, 1020 South Street

South 9th Street Italian Market

Down (and around) South 9th Street is South Philadelphia’s Italian Market , the internationally renowned curb market made famous when Sylvester Stallone galloped through in Rocky . Decades-old family-owned groceries, butcheries, fishmongers, fromageries and confectionaries line blocks of awning-covered sidewalks between Fitzwater and Wharton streets. Italian immigrants established this open-air spot in the early 1900s, but the historic strip — America’s oldest street market — now reflects the neighborhood’s modern multicultural makeup, offering Mexican, Vietnamese, African and Korean eats alongside Italian restaurants , bakeries and cafés. Don’t miss Casa Mexico from James Beard Award winner Cristina Martínez, among many other can’t-miss eats .

Where: Italian Market, 919 S. 9th Street

Pat’s King of Steaks and Geno’s Steaks

One does not simply visit Philadelphia without eating a cheesesteak . Or how about two? Across the street from each other in East Passyunk , find famous friendly cheesesteak rivals Pat’s King of Steaks and Geno’s Steaks . Pat’s is still owned by the legendary Olivieri family, whose eponymous founder invented the steak sandwich in 1933. Geno’s opened up across the pointed intersection in 1966 — slinging thinly sliced rib-eye under a cacophony of neon lights — and a historic rivalry was born. Try one of each from the open-24/7 shops and choose your cheesesteak champion.

Where: Pat's King of Steaks, 1237 E. Passyunk Avenue

Geno's Steaks, 1219 S. 9th Street

West Philadelphia

Philadelphia zoo.

America’s first zoological garden and a foremost conservation organization, the Philadelphia Zoo is home to nearly 1,900 animals, from African lions and Western gorillas to golden tamarins and the famous red pandas, including many rare and endangered species. Among over a dozen exciting exhibits are Big Cat Falls , Lemur Island , Outback Outpost and Penguin Point , plus several dining areas. Don’t miss Zoo360 , the world’s first and only animal travel and exploration trail system, mesh-enclosed pathways enabling primates and big cats to move above and across visitor concourses throughout the zoo.

Where: Philadelphia Zoo, 3400 W. Girard Avenue

Penn Museum

The nearly 140-year-old Penn Museum at the University of Pennsylvania exhibits over 1 million relics and works of art from around the globe, including art and artifacts from ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, the Greco-Roman World, Asia, Africa and the Americas. Items on display include Sumerian cuneiform clay tablets (some of the world’s oldest writing), 4,500-year-old jewelry from a Mesopotamian queen and the massive 3,000-year-old Sphinx of Ramses II.

Where: Penn Museum, 3260 South Street

Institute of Contemporary Art

Also located on the University of Pennsylvania’s West Philadelphia campus, the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) is a free-admission art museum founded in 1963 that’s been instrumental in showcasing the work of underrepresented, emerging and under-recognized artists. Luminaries on display here over the years include Robert Mapplethorpe and Cy Twombly, museum debuts by Laurie Anderson and Robert Indiana, and Andy Warhol’s first ever solo exhibit (which nearly caused a small riot). Presented in kunsthalle style, ICA houses no permanent collection, which means every visit brings a fresh experience.

Where: Institute of Contemporary Art, 118 S. 36th Street

Please Touch Museum

Housed inside Fairmount Park’s Memorial Hall (constructed for the 1876 Centennial), the Please Touch Museum (opened for the 1976 Bicentennial) offers kids two floors of interactive zones (like Fairytale Garden and River Adventures ) among two dozen permanent and rotating exhibitions. Also at the site — voted one of the best children’s museums in the U.S. — are a restored 115-year-old carousel and a 20-by-40-foot scale model of the 1876 World’s Fair. Looking for a great place to celebrate holidays? The museum has events for everything from Earth Day to Pride to Halloween.

Where: Please Touch Museum, 4231 Avenue of the Republic

Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center

An unexpected gem deep in Fairmount Park , the Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center — a post-World War II gift from the Emperor of Japan — is a recreation of a traditional early-17th century Japanese temple. Visitors can tour the main house, guesthouse, teahouse and bathhouse while enjoying its symbolic art and architecture and learning about temple life. Outside, the stunning grounds are filled with exquisite gardens, a Zen-finding koi pond (feed the fish!) and spectacular century-old cherry trees which play host to spring’s annual Cherry Blossom Festival .

Where: Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center, Horticultural Drive and Lansdowne Drive

Bartram's Garden

North America’s oldest surviving botanical garden, Bartram’s Garden (dating back to 1728) first belonged to Quaker John Bartram, Sr. (self-taught botanist to King George III), who cultivated and sold plant specimens from North America to European aristocrats. Originally seasonal fishing grounds for the indigenous Lenape, the free-to-access site in Southwest Philly ’s Kingsessing neighborhood includes the 18th-century Bartram family house, a 17-acre meadow, a greenhouse, a dock with a boathouse, and an array of naturalistic, woodland and formal gardens. Runners, cyclists and hikers also love the garden’s scenic mile-long Bartram’s Mile Trail .

Where: Bartram's Garden, 5400 Lindbergh Boulevard

Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum

Neurosurgeon, philanthropist and speed enthusiast Dr. Fred Simeone’s impressive collection of racing cars — from sports cars including Ferraris, Alfa Romeos, Bugattis and Aston Martins to muscle cars like Corvettes, Firebirds and Mustangs — led to the creation of the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Southwest Philadelphia . The automobile assemblage features over 75 historic rides along with rotating exhibits showcasing the history of sports cars and racing machines. Staff regularly take cars from its collection outside for a spin on demonstration days so you can experience their beauty and power in motion.

Where: Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum, 6825-31 Norwitch Drive

North and Northwest Philadelphia

Fairmount park.

One of the nation’s largest urban parks, 2,052-acre Fairmount Park spans the Schuylkill River from Boathouse Row to East Falls, West Philadelphia to Strawberry Mansion. The park features nearly every activity imaginable, including historic sites ( Park Charms and Laurel Hill Cemetery ), museums (Please Touch Museum and Underground Railroad Museum ), educational opportunities ( Horticulture Center and Discovery Center ), entertainment ( Dell and Mann Music centers) and outdoor recreation (athletic fields, Treetop Quest and the Equestrian Center ) plus Belmont Plateau , Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center, the Philadelphia Zoo, Smith Memorial Playground , and miles and miles of trails.

Where: Various locations including Belmont Plateau, 1800 Belmont Mansion Drive

Wissahickon Valley Park

With more than 50 miles of rugged trails, Wissahickon Valley Park ’s thousands of acres are great for hiking, cycling and exploring. Wissahickon schist bedrock, sliced through centuries ago, has created steep hills punctuated by a creek, with paths for both climbers and horseback riders. Of particular note is Forbidden Drive, a five-mile packed gravel trail deep inside the park offering stunning views. Along this route, don’t miss the Thomas Mill Bridge , the last remaining covered bridge in any major American city.

Where: Wissahickon Valley Park, Valley Green Road

Boathouse Row & Kelly Drive

Aligning the Schuylkill River’s east bank are the 15 19th-century private social and rowing clubhouses that make up iconic Boathouse Row . Gorgeous any time of day, the National Historic Landmark comes alive at night covered in 6,400 glittering LED lights that frame the buildings and reflect off the river’s surface. Boathouse Row is located along scenic Kelly Drive, a prime spot for rock climbing, cycling and outdoor recreation — named for sculler (and royal brother-in-law) John B. Kelly Jr. — that runs beside the river from the Philadelphia Museum of Art to Lincoln Drive.

Where: Boathouse Row, 1 Boathouse Row

Johnson House Historic Site

On a then-quiet boulevard in Germantown in the 1850s, five siblings and their spouses from a Quaker abolitionist family risked their lives to offer up their homestead as shelter for escaped enslaved Africans, a crucial stop on the Underground Railroad . The well-preserved 16th-century Johnson House Historic Site , now a National Historic Landmark, offers tours that highlight the injustices of slavery and displays artifacts among the spaces where freedom fighters like William Still once stayed while shuttling fugitive slaves to safety.

Where: Johnson House Historic Site, 6306 Germantown Avenue

Morris Arboretum & Gardens

Designated Pennsylvania’s Official State Arboretum in 1988, Morris Arboretum & Gardens is a stunning 92-acre horticulture haven in beautiful Chestnut Hill . Its endless multicolored flowering meadows feature more than 13,000 labeled plants and trees of over 2,500 types, including some of the oldest and rarest in the region. Highlights include the 135-year-old Rose Garden , the eight-sided Victorian glass fernery and the Dawn Redwoods forest, along with the whimsical quarter-mile miniature Garden Railway and the 450-foot-long and 50-foot-high Tree Adventure canopy walk with its larger-than-life Bird’s Nest and hammock-like Squirrel Scramble play area.

Where: Morris Arboretum & Gardens, 100 E. Northwestern Avenue

Philadelphia's Countryside

Valley forge national historical park.

The difficult 1777-1778 winter the Continental Army spent in Valley Forge went down as one of the Revolutionary War’s most trying periods. Today, Valley Forge National Historical Park honors those who encamped here with monuments and statues dotting the grounds along with landmarks like reconstructed soldiers’ huts, General Washington’s original headquarters , the National Memorial Arch and a Visitor Center which features artifacts from the future first President. The 3,500-acre park also includes scenic overlooks, picnic areas and miles of recreational trails where runners and cyclists can cruise the park.

Where: Valley Forge National Historical Park, 1400 N. Outer Line Drive, King of Prussia

Longwood Gardens

Named the nation’s best botanical garden by Fodor’s , Pierre du Pont’s tranquil horticultural oasis showcases nearly 10,000 varieties among its indoor and outdoor grounds. In addition to its picturesque meadows, charming woodlands, whimsical scale model Garden Railway and special exhibits, the gardens offer spectacular Illuminated Fountain Performances and elaborate seasonal installations like Orchid Extravaganza, the Chrysanthemum Festival and A Longwood Christmas . Coming soon is Longwood Reimagined: A New Garden Experience , a sweeping transformation of 17 acres of the facility’s core conservatory.

Where: Longwood Gardens, 1001 Longwood Road, Kennett Square

Linvilla Orchards

One of Delaware County ’s last working farms, Linvilla Orchards is a 300-acre year-round family farmstead where visitors can roam the fields for pick-your-own seasonal fruits and vegetables; meet the barnyard animals; cast a line into Orchard Lake; play a round of mini-golf; enjoy a hay, pony or train ride; and even buy fresh baked pies. Stop by the daily farmers market, or enjoy seasonal events like fall’s Pumpkinland and Christmas Around the Farm with its holiday gift market. And don’t miss the onsite Ship Bottom Beer Garden .

Where: Linvilla Orchards, 137 W. Knowlton Road, Media

Brandywine Museum of Art and N.C. Wyeth House & Studio

The grounds are as breathtaking as the art at bucolic Brandywine Museum of Art , housed in a renovated 1864 gristmill surrounded by wildflower gardens and the meandering Brandywine River. Inside, works by lifelong Delco resident Andrew Wyeth sit beside other beautifully detailed illustrations, paintings and installations. Cross the road to visit the N.C. Wyeth House & Studio , the 1922 family home and workspace of Andrew’s father, a National Historic Landmark displaying Colonial Revival architecture, country furnishings, illustration tools, and Wyeth relics including a birch-bark canoe and firearm collection.

Where: Brandywine Museum of Art, 1 Hoffmans Mill Road, Chadds Ford

The N.C. Wyeth House & Studio, Murphy Road, Chadds Ford

Peddler's Village

Charming Bucks County play-shop-and-dine destination Peddler’s Village welcomes more than 1.6 million yearly visitors to enjoy the 60-plus independent boutiques, specialty shops and wineries and half-dozen restaurants ringing its 42 turn-of-the-century landscaped acres connected by winding brick pathways. Browse vintage apparel and local art, gaze across flowing fountains and Zen gardens, take the kids to carnival-style indoor playscape Giggleberry Fair (with its century-old working carousel), stay the night at Golden Plough Inn , or enjoy seasonal festivals celebrating everything from scarecrows and gingerbread houses to peaches, strawberries and barbecue.

Where: Peddler's Village, 2400 Street Road, New Hope

Elmwood Park Zoo

Recently celebrating its 100th anniversary, Elmwood Park Zoo is a 16-acre Montgomery County attraction housing over 100 animal species. Guests can check out bison, zebras, jaguars, red pandas and otters, plus zoo stars Liana the two-toed sloth, Penny the American alligator and Noah the bald eagle , who is also the mascot of the Philadelphia Eagles . Families can pet goats, sheep, and donkeys in the barn, feed giant giraffes, ride the zoo-themed carousel or zip line 50 feet above the grounds at Treetop Adventures . Grownups can grab a craft beer at the Zoo Brew Bar & Beer Garden.

Where: Elmwood Park Zoo, 1661 Harding Boulevard, Norristown

Fonthill Castle and The TileWorks

Former home to renowned archeologist and ceramist Henry Chapman Mercer, Fonthill Castle is an elegant 115-year-old residence-turned-museum displaying Mercer’s massive collection of prints, books and hand-crafted ceramic tiles produced at his historic The TileWorks (just across the property). The collection — including a 2,000-year-old whale oil lamp, Mesopotamian cuneiform tablets dating back four millennia and bookcases carrying over 6,000 titles — is spread out among the mansion’s 44 rooms. The building itself is as impressive as the relics, featuring over 200 windows, 32 stairwells, 23 chimneys and 11 bathrooms.

Where: Fonthill Castle, 525 E. Court Street, Doylestown

The TileWorks, 130 E. Swamp Road, Doylestown

Mercer Museum & James A. Michener Art Museum

Doylestown ’s towering Mercer Museum is full of themed rooms dedicated to the pre-industrial tools and manual technologies of American life before mechanization. Archaeologist and anthropologist Henry Chapman Mercer founded the museum in 1916 to display his 40,000-piece collection, which includes a whaling boat, Conestoga wagon and the Lenape Stone relic. Across the street, Pennsylvania impressionist paintings highlight James A. Michener Art Museum — named for the Pulitzer Prize-winning Bucks County native — built from a 19th-century prison and housing historical and contemporary works, photography, furniture from woodcrafter George Nakashima and an outdoor sculpture garden.

Where: Mercer Museum, 84 S. Pine Street, Doylestown

Michener Art Museum, 138 S. Pine Street, Doylestown

Sesame Place

We’ll tell you how to get, how to get to Sesame Place — the only Sesame Street-themed amusement park in the nation east of California. Come meet the popular television show’s stars like Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Elmo and Abby as you enjoy sunny day fun and kid-level thrills at the 14-acre small-child-friendly park. On offer:35 rides and attractions, interactive and educational games, daily (and nightly) parades, fireworks, character shows, a water park, and special celebrations like character birthdays, seasonal events and the popular seven-week-long A Very Furry Christmas .

Where: Sesame Place, 100 Sesame Road, Langhorne

LEGOLAND Discovery Center

Explore your inner LEGOmaniac at the 33,000-square foot LEGOLAND Discovery Center at Montgomery County ’s Plymouth Meeting Mall. Designed for kids 3 to 10, the indoor playground offers a dozen LEGO-themed rides and attractions (including Imagination Express and Great LEGO Race VR Experience), a 4D cinema, build stations, workshops with master builders and the LEGO Ninjago Training Camp — plus toddler-friendly DUPLO Park, a themed café and LEGO store. Don’t miss Miniland , with huge miniature recreations of Philly’s most iconic buildings and landmarks created from over 1 million LEGO bricks.

Where: LEGOLAND Discovery Center, 500 W. Germantown Pike, Plymouth Meeting

King of Prussia, a Simon Property Mall

With over 450 stores and nearly 3 million square feet of retail space, King of Prussia, a Simon Mall is the third-largest mall in America and the East Coast’s premier shopping destination, located just a 30-minute drive from Center City. The retail hotspot welcomes over 22 million visitors each year to a mix of luxury, budget-friendly, national and international brands including anchor stores like Nordstrom and Primark, shops like Tiffany & Co. and Versace, and 50 dining options , plus retailers not found elsewhere in the region.

Where: King of Prussia, a Simon Property Mall, 160 N. Gulph Road, King of Prussia

More Museums & Attractions

Off-the-beaten-path museums & attractions in greater philadelphia.

Looking for more museums and attractions? Of course you are. Across the five-county region, there are dozens more fascinating sites to explore. How about the Antique Ice Tool Museum? The Herr’s Snack Factory Tour? Or the Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site? Check out our article on the best off-the-beaten-path museums and attractions in Greater Philadelphia for more than 40 additions spots to explore.

Where: Various locations including the Science History Institute, 315 Chestnut Street

Philadelphia's Countryside

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Come for Philadelphia. Stay (Over) for Philly.

The only way to fully experience Philly? Stay over.

Book the Visit Philly Overnight Package and get free hotel parking and choose-your-own-adventure perks, including tickets to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Franklin Institute, or the National Constitution Center and the Museum of the American Revolution.

Or maybe you’d prefer to buy two Philly hotel nights and get a third night for free? Then book the new Visit Philly 3-Day Stay package.

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Museums in the United States - statistics & facts

What are the most popular museums in the u.s., museum visitors in the united states, key insights.

Detailed statistics

Museum industry market size in the U.S. 2022-2024

Employees in the museum industry in the U.S. 2023-2024

Wages in the museum industry in the U.S. 2013-2024

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Museums & Galleries

Most visited Smithsonian museums and institutions in the U.S. 2023

Revenue, support, and transfers of the Metropolitan Museum of Art 2018-2023

Further recommended statistics

• Premium Statistic Museum industry market size in the U.S. 2022-2024
• Premium Statistic Businesses in the museum industry in the U.S. 2022-2024
• Premium Statistic Employees in the museum industry in the U.S. 2023-2024
• Premium Statistic Wages in the museum industry in the U.S. 2013-2024
• Premium Statistic Leading charity-based cultural institutions in the U.S. 2020-2022, by revenue

Market size of the museum industry in the United States in 2022 and 2023, with a forecast for 2024 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Businesses in the museum industry in the U.S. 2022-2024

Number of businesses in the museum industry in the United States in 2022 and 2023, with a forecast for 2024

Number of employees in the museum industry in the United States in 2023, with a forecast for 2024

Total wages in the museum industry in the United States from 2014 to 2023, with a forecast for 2024 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Leading charity-based cultural institutions in the U.S. 2020-2022, by revenue

Leading museums and cultural institutions that are charities in the United States from 2020 to 2022, by total revenue (in million U.S. dollars)

• Premium Statistic Budget for the Office of Museum Services in the U.S. 2018-2024
• Premium Statistic Budget for the Office of Museum Services in the U.S. 2021-2024, by program
• Premium Statistic Funding overview of the Office for Museum Services programs in the U.S. 2023

Budget for the Office of Museum Services in the U.S. 2018-2024

Total budget for the Office of Museum Services in the United States from 2018 to 2024 (in 1,000 U.S. dollars)

Budget for the Office of Museum Services in the U.S. 2021-2024, by program

Total budget for the Office of Museum Services in the United States from 2021 to 2024, by program (in 1,000 U.S. dollars)

Funding overview of the Office for Museum Services programs in the U.S. 2023

Key figures on the Office for Museum Services funding programs in the United States in fiscal year 2023

Smithsonian museums

• Premium Statistic Federal appropriations to Smithsonian museums and institutions 2003-2023
• Basic Statistic Number of visits to Smithsonian museums and institutions in the U.S. 1970-2023
• Basic Statistic Most visited Smithsonian museums and institutions in the U.S. 2023
• Basic Statistic Visits to the National Museum of Natural History in the U.S. 2001-2023
• Basic Statistic Visits to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in the U.S. 2001-2023
• Basic Statistic Visits to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in the U.S. 2001-2023
• Basic Statistic Visits to the Smithsonian American Art Museum (with the Renwick Gallery) 2007-2023
• Basic Statistic Unique visitor count of Smithsonian Institution's websites in the U.S. 2017-2023

Federal appropriations to Smithsonian museums and institutions 2003-2023

Federal appropriations to Smithsonian museums and institutions from 2003 to 2023 (in million U.S. dollars)

Number of visits to Smithsonian museums and institutions in the U.S. 1970-2023

Number of visits to Smithsonian museums and institutions in the United States from 1970 to 2023 (in millions)

Most visited Smithsonian museums and institutions in the United States in 2023 (in 1,000s)

Visits to the National Museum of Natural History in the U.S. 2001-2023

Number of visits to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in the United States from 2001 to 2023 (in millions)

Visits to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in the U.S. 2001-2023

Number of visits to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in the United States from 2001 to 2023 (in millions)

Visits to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in the U.S. 2001-2023

Number of visits to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in the United States from 2001 to 2023 (in millions)

Visits to the Smithsonian American Art Museum (with the Renwick Gallery) 2007-2023

Number of visits to the Smithsonian American Art Museum (with the Renwick Gallery) in the United States from 2007 to 2023 (in millions)

Unique visitor count of Smithsonian Institution's websites in the U.S. 2017-2023

Number of unique visitors to Smithsonian Institution's websites in the United States from 2017 to 2023 (in millions)

Art museums and galleries

• Premium Statistic Most visited art museums worldwide 2019-2023
• Basic Statistic Revenue, support, and transfers of the Metropolitan Museum of Art 2018-2023
• Basic Statistic Operating expenses of the Metropolitan Museum of Art 2018-2023, by type
• Premium Statistic Number of visitors to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York 2007-2023
• Premium Statistic Revenue and support of the MoMA in New York 2021-2023, by source
• Basic Statistic Revenue and support of the Art Institute of Chicago 2020-2022, by source
• Premium Statistic Number of visitors to the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. 2007-2023

Most visited art museums worldwide 2019-2023

Most visited art museums worldwide from 2019 to 2023 (in millions)

Revenue, support, and transfers of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, United States from 2018 to 2023 (in million U.S. dollars)

Operating expenses of the Metropolitan Museum of Art 2018-2023, by type

Operating expenses of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, United States from 2018 to 2023, by type (in million U.S. dollars)

Number of visitors to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York 2007-2023

Number of visitors to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, United States from 2007 to 2023 (in millions)

Revenue and support of the MoMA in New York 2021-2023, by source

Operating revenue and support of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York from 2021 to 2023, by source (in 1,000 U.S. dollars)

Revenue and support of the Art Institute of Chicago 2020-2022, by source

Operating revenue and support of the Art Institute of Chicago from 2020 to 2022, by source (in 1,000 U.S. dollars)

Number of visitors to the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. 2007-2023

Number of visitors to the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. from 2007 to 2023 (in millions)

Museum visitors

• Premium Statistic Event ticket bookings by event in the U.S. 2024
• Premium Statistic Share of Americans who booked tickets for museums / art exhibitions 2024, by age
• Premium Statistic Share of museum visitors in the U.S. 2023, by ethnicity
• Premium Statistic Share of museum-goers visiting a museum in the U.S. 2020-2023, by frequency

Event ticket bookings by event in the U.S. 2024

Event ticket bookings by event in the U.S. as of June 2024

Share of Americans who booked tickets for museums / art exhibitions 2024, by age

Share of Americans who booked tickets for museums / art exhibitions as of March 2024, by age

Share of museum visitors in the U.S. 2023, by ethnicity

Share of individuals visiting a museum in the previous year in the United States in 2023, by ethnicity

Share of museum-goers visiting a museum in the U.S. 2020-2023, by frequency

Share of museum-goers visiting a museum in the previous year in the United States from 2020 to 2023, by frequency

• Basic Statistic Share of museums reporting lower visits vs. 2019 in the U.S. 2023, by type of visit
• Basic Statistic Change in museum staff size vs. 2019 in the U.S. 2023
• Basic Statistic Museums that struggled to fill open positions in the U.S. 2023, by type
• Basic Statistic Factors negatively impacting leisure activities for museum-goers in the U.S. 2023

Share of museums reporting lower visits vs. 2019 in the U.S. 2023, by type of visit

Share of museums that reported lower visitation compared to 2019 in the United States as of April 2023, by type of visit

Change in museum staff size vs. 2019 in the U.S. 2023

Change in staff size compared to 2019 of museums in the United States as of April 2023

Museums that struggled to fill open positions in the U.S. 2023, by type

Share of museums that struggled to fill open positions in the United States as of April 2023, by type

Factors negatively impacting leisure activities for museum-goers in the U.S. 2023

Main factors that negatively affected leisure time activities among museum-goers in the United States in 2023

Further reports

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The importance of museums and heritage to tourism

By museums association.

Museums are a great British success story. They play a crucial role in the success of UK tourism, attracting millions of international and domestic visitors. They showcase the best of the nation's history and culture to the widest possible audiences. They captivate visitors with objects that tell the stories of the world and offer a sense of place.

A golden period of sustained investment has seen museums improve their visitor offer and attract ever-greater numbers of tourists through their doors. Through the money they spend these museum visitors deliver economic benefits to local economies. Museums are good for business.

'Cultural and heritage attractions are very definitely a cornerstone of Britain's tourism offer and are experienced by tens of millions of Britons each year from all walks of life and parts of the country. It is therefore essential that not only are these 'products' maintained, cared for and further developed, but also that they continue to offer the visitor value for money and a quality experience'. Visit Britain The tourist industry - general:

• Tourism is the UK's fifth largest industry. The UK is one of the most popular destinations in the world, attracting 32 million overseas visitors each year. Similarly, British residents take well over 1 billion overnight trips and day visits each year.
• In 2007 tourism was worth £114 billion, responsible for 2.65 million jobs, representing 8.2% of GDP
• By 2009 tourism was worth £115.4 billion to the UK economy, equivalent to 8.9% of UK GDP. In 2009 tourism directly and indirectly supported one job in every twelve
• It has been estimated that the tourism economy will grow by 2.6% a year between 2009 and 2018, a growth rate similar to the retail and construction industries

Download the resource to read more: The importance of museums and heritage to tourism (PDF)

AIM Hallmarks of Prospering Museums

Future Proof Museums Notebook

In praise of projects: funding an independent museum

Museums, libraries, archives: how they contribute to the community

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Museums & Historical Sites

Explore Detroit's unique character through its museums and institutions that are cultural cornerstones through art, music, history, and more!

Detroit museums and Detroit attractions are for more than just elementary school kids on field trips, and we have a place for every interest. Car lover? We’ve got you covered at a few museums. Motown fanatic? We have the original Motown house. Detroit art museums, science museums, nature centers, and African American culture museums – has it all.

1. Detroit Art Museums and Classic Detroit Museums

Detroit has more than a world-class art museum. We have an entire museum dedicated to American Innovation. We can take you back in time to Thomas Edison and the Wright Brothers’ homes, or to walk through the studio that produced musical legends like Stevie Wonder. And we have the only museum in the world dedicated to Arab American history and culture. Buckle up (and not just for the auto-related museums) – you have a lot to learn in Detroit museums!

The Henry Ford

The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation in Dearborn is one-of-a-kind. In addition to housing iconic American items such as the chair Lincoln was assassinated in and the Rosa Parks bus, this museum focuses on American Innovation at its finest. From assembly lines and the Dymaxion House to planes, trains and automobiles, The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation will have you learning about the past and getting inspired for the future.

Greenfield Village

Greenfield Village is a part of The Henry Ford complex, but it is a world of its own. Nearly a century ago Henry Ford brought dozens of historic structures to this 80-acre site, and the nation’s first outdoor museum was born. Step foot in the lab where Thomas Edison had his light bulb moment or the workshop where the Wright brothers taught us to reach for the sky. The authentic sights and sounds of American living will have you tapped into your can-do spirit!

Ford Piquette Avenue Plant Museum

The Ford Piquette Plant Museum is where the Model T was born. If you’re a car fanatic, this is a must-see in Detroit. Walk the floors of the factory and see where Detroit’s inventive and innovative mindset began. Plus, you can see over 65 rare antique vehicles, Henry Ford’s office and Secret Experimental Room, and take a guided tour.

Detroit Institute of Arts

Not to brag, but the Detroit Institute of Arts houses great artwork from Van Gogh, Degas, Rembrandt, and Renoir. And we have the world-famous Diego Rivera mural. Talk about a Detroit art museum. Located in Midtown, this Detroit staple has concerts, workshops, special exhibits and a movie theater on top of all the great artwork.

Detroit Historical Museum

The Detroit Historical Museum is exactly what it sounds like – a detailed, comprehensive history of Detroit. You can walk through the streets of old Detroit, learn about the history behind the Detroit riots, and see all the businesses that sprouted from Detroit. You’ll learn things you never knew about The D.

Motown Museum

Diana Ross. The Temptations. Michael Jackson. They all started here in Detroit. And we’re lucky enough to be able to walk through the house and recording studio where they sang their hearts out at the Motown Museum . This is a unique museum (by tour only), and you better believe you’ll have to sing and dance.

Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History

Located in Midtown near the Detroit Institute of Arts, The Wright is dedicated to exploring and celebrating African American history and culture. This museum also offers concerts, plays, film screenings, lectures and children’s programs throughout the year.

Michigan Science Center

The Michigan Science Center is an interactive museum in Midtown. A perfect museum for kids in Detroit, the center also hosts after hours events for you to explore the museum solo (and with drinks).

Arab American National Museum

The Arab American National Museum is the only museum in the world dedicated to the history and culture of Arab Americans. How lucky are we to have it in Detroit? Check out this museum to learn about Arab Americans coming to and living in America, and making an impact.

Holocaust Memorial Center Zekelman Family Campus

Michigan’s Holocaust Museum will give you the opportunity to learn about the Holocaust in the context of world history. Learn about Jewish Heritage, the rise of Nazism, the concentration camp system and the postwar period. You may even get to hear a lecture from a living Holocaust survivor.

Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit

If modern, funky and unique art is more of your scene, be sure to check out the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) . Located near the Detroit Institute of Arts, you could make a whole day for yourself checking out drastically different types of art in this Detroit art museum.

Red Bull House of Art

The Red Bull House of Art in Detroit is a unique art gallery where live-in resident artists are provided all the space they need to create their masterpieces. There are open exhibitions throughout the year – definitely more unique from the traditional art museum experience.

Automotive Hall of Fame

The Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn lets you celebrate all of the people whose automotive innovations changed our lives forever. This is a perfect complement to a trip to The Henry Ford or the Ford Piquette Plant.

N’Namdi Center for Contemporary Art

The N’Namdi Center offers space for local artists to share their work. If you’re in Detroit looking for local art and Detroit flavor, this is your spot.

Dossin Great Lakes Museum

Located on Belle Isle, Dossin Great Lakes Museum teaches all about Great Lakes maritime history, including how the Great Lakes have played a role in Detroit’s industrial and social history.

2. Detroit Attractions

Detroit is loaded with art, architecture, science and cultural attractions. So where do you start? If you’re with your kids, Detroit attractions for the family include the Detroit Zoo, Sea Life Michigan Aquarium and Legoland Discovery Center Michigan in Oakland, plus the Outdoor Adventure Center and the Belle Isle Aquarium if you’re staying downtown. If art and architecture are more your style, then you can’t miss the off-the-wall Heidelberg Project (it’s an entire neighborhood that has been converted into an art installation, and it’s wild). You’ll also need to take some tours at the auto baron homes. And don’t miss some Detroit originals such as the Parade Company and Eastern Market.

Outdoor Adventure Center

The Outdoor Adventure Center lets you explore the great outdoors from the comfort of indoors, perfect for those of you who aren’t interested in trekking it in the wild. Learn to fish, hunt, hike and more. The OAC bring Up North to downtown and is a great Detroit attraction for kids.

Heidelberg Project

The Heidelberg Project is a street full of houses that have been converted into art installations, each with their own theme. It’s a unique twist on the classic Detroit art museum. Although the exhibit is constantly changing, the project can always guarantee to satisfy you if you love the weird, the wacky and the totally off-the-wall things in life.

Detroit Zoo

The Detroit Zoo is better than your neighborhood zoo. We have the largest penguinarium in the world (fun fact: if you’re bored at work you can watch a live feed of the Detroit Zoo penguins ). There’s also a ton of after hours events that involve biking, movies, and drinking — what more could you want.

Glass Academy

If you’re a hands-on type of learner, be bold and try glass blowing! At The Glass Academy in Dearborn, you can attend workshops, classes and themed events during the holidays.

Pewabic Pottery

Pewabic Pottery is a National Historic Landmark in Detroit. Interested in art history? Then this is your place. Tiles made at Pewabic Pottery can be found on notable buildings in Detroit and around the country, including the Guardian Building, Shedd Aquarium, Detroit People Mover stations, Comerica Park and Herald Square in New York City.

Edsel & Eleanor Ford House

Entering Edsel & Eleanor Ford House is like stepping back in time. You can explore the real home of a prominent American auto baron family, who lived here through a thriving America, depression, and a world war. See all of the furniture, rooms and gardens completely intact on the shores of Lake St. Clair.

Meadow Brook Hall

Meadow Brook is another auto baron home for you history buffs out there. Home to the wife of auto pioneer John Dodge, Meadow Brook is especially spectacular during the holidays, when you can take holiday walks through the home and garden.

Historic Fort Wayne

Historic Fort Wayne is a Civil War-era fort along the Detroit River, which was built to be a critical component of defense in case war broke out against Canada. The Fort is only open to the public on special occasions and on Detroit’s birthday, so if you’re in Detroit on the right day, learn about war history in Detroit.

The Parade Company

You watch it every year on TV, and now you can see the floats and characters that grace us with their presence during America’s Thanksgiving Parade in real life. The Parade Company tour is one of a kind – explore 3,000 costumes and the world’s largest collection of papier-mache heads of local icons and celebrities.

Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory

Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory is located on Belle Isle, and is a jungle paradise right on the banks of the Detroit River. Take some gorgeous Instagram photos here.

Eastern Market

Although Eastern Market is a super popular farmers market today, it has been around for over 100 years. Explore this area for iconic Detroit restaurants and quirky old buildings and shops.

Belle Isle Aquarium

The Belle Isle Aquarium is the perfect complement to your day spent on the island. Learn about the animals that swim the Great Lakes and the Detroit River.

Polish Art Center

The Polish Art Center is the only place in Detroit to learn about Polish history, culture and art. This is also a great place to grab souvenirs for your friends and family – they have the largest selection of Polish gifts outside of Poland!

Sea Life Michigan Aquarium

Sea Life Michigan Aquarium is located at Great Lakes Crossing Outlets, so after you drag your kids around shopping with you, treat them to an underwater wonderland of sea creatures. This aquarium is always a crowd pleaser.

Legoland Discovery Center

Another attraction located at Great Lakes Crossing Outlets, let your kids explore and create with Legos. At Legoland Discovery Center , you might even start building yourself.

3. Museums in Detroit: Detroit History

We are a city filled with ethnicities from around the world, including Middle Eastern, African, Polish and Italian heritages. And we sure have a lot of cultural attractions to show for it! Explore Detroit history and diversity with a few of our cultural attractions.

Underground Railroad

Detroit was the last stop for many escaped slaves on the Underground Railroad before they went to Canada, and you can still visit some of these stops today, including Second Baptist Church and First Congregational Church of Detroit . While you’re walking along the riverfront, be sure to stop and admire the “Gateway to Freedom” Memorial. And if you’re in Midtown, the Detroit Historical Museum and The Wright Museum both have exhibits dedicated to this moment in history.

Black History

Detroit is full of black history. Aside from learning about the Underground Railroad, we have an entire museum dedicated to the subject at The Wright . The Henry Ford has programming every week in February focusing on a different aspect of black history, and you can also step onto the Rosa Parks bus where she famously stood her ground against segregation. The Detroit Institute of Arts has a renowned African art collection, and the African Bead Museum has works of art created from beads that originated in Africa. The Bead Museum has a very Instagrammable wall on the outside of the building made entirely with beads. And don’t forget to make a stop at the Motown Museum , where so many black musicians got their start in the music industry at Motown Records.

Historic Churches

Detroit has become a hot wedding destination. No wonder – we are filled with beautiful, historic churches! We have churches that functioned as Underground Railroad stops (how many cities can say that?). Art history fanatics can explore Gothic Revival, Baroque, Romanesque and Byzantine architecture styles, and visit a large concentration of Polish churches. Many still say Mass in Polish!

Arab American History

If you want a taste of Arab American culture, visit Dearborn for some of the most authentic Middle Eastern dining options in the county. Dearborn is also home to the Arab American National Museum , the only museum of its kind in the world. The Islamic Center of America was established here in the 60s, and serves as a place of worship and education about Arab American culture.

Movies Made in Detroit

Detroit has been a hot spot for filmmaking. Aside from the recent film with the same name as the city, Detroit has also been home to the production of the Transformers movies, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Deadpool, and Why Him? Walk around the streets of downtown where famous celebrities such as Ben Affleck (!) and Mark Wahlberg (!!!) created some of our favorite movies.

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Please note you do not have access to teaching notes, the importance of museums in the tourist development and the motivations of their visitors: an analysis of the costume museum in viana do castelo.

Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development

ISSN : 2044-1266

Article publication date: 15 June 2020

Issue publication date: 18 January 2021

This study reflects on heritage, culture and museums as vectors of the tourist development of a destination. Considering the challenges inherent in the efficient correlation of these three areas, this study intends to demonstrate the clear benefits resulting from knowledge sharing and effective cooperation.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the objectives outlined, the authors conducted a survey of the visitors of the Costume Museum, which was chosen for being one of the unmistakable icons identifying the cultural heritage of Viana do Castelo (Portugal).

In an increasingly competitive tourist market, with demand resulting from growing specialization, the integration of museological spaces as patrimonial and cultural elements in the supply of tourist destinations is an important factor in differentiation and development.

Research limitations/implications

To enhance the importance of the Costume Museum in the process of the tourist development of the city, it is fundamental to define a clear strategy for attracting and responding to the greatest demand from cultural tourists who are increasingly interested in actively participating in learning experiences. It is believed that a larger sample could strengthen the conclusions, eventually more relevant and closer to the reality.

Practical implications

The results show that visitors to the Costume Museum very positively evaluated the museum with regard to several factors covered in this study. However, there is a great dependence on school visits. On the other hand, lower qualitative evaluations were made by older age groups and those with higher academic degrees, although the evaluations remain positive.

Social implications

The paper presents museums as a possible factor in tourism development and social inclusion, advancing practical measures aimed at social justice through a fairer distribution of tourism revenues and the defence of historic centre residents' way, and quality, of life.

Originality/value

This paper examines the importance of the Costume Museum in the tourist development of Viana do Castelo (Portugal). This study reflects on heritage, culture and museums as vectors of the tourist development of a destination. Particular attention is given to visitors' motivations for visiting and their opinions about the quality of service, satisfaction and loyalty regarding this museum.

• Cultural tourism
• Differentiation
• Satisfaction
• Tourist attractions

Acknowledgements

This work has the financial support of the UNIAG – Applied Management Research Unit, R&D unit funded by the FCT – Portuguese Foundation for the Development of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education, through national funds under the project UID/GES/04752/2016.

Vareiro, L. , Sousa, B.B. and Silva, S.S. (2021), "The importance of museums in the tourist development and the motivations of their visitors: an analysis of the Costume Museum in Viana do Castelo", Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development , Vol. 11 No. 1, pp. 39-57. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCHMSD-05-2020-0065

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Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited

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Open Access

Peer-reviewed

Research Article

Cultural communication in museums: A perspective of the visitors experience

Roles Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Funding acquisition, Investigation, Methodology, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing

* E-mail: [email protected]

Affiliation Department of Shiliangcai Journalism and Communication School, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China

• Pengpeng Li

• Published: May 9, 2024
• https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0303026
• Reader Comments

As museums shift their responsibilities and functions towards audience-centered approaches, research on exploring museum cultural communication strategies through visitor experiences has gained increasing attention from both academia and industry. This study focuses on the newly opened Nan Song Deshou Palace Relics Site Museum in Hangzhou, China, completed at the end of 2022, and its visitors. Data were collected through on-site surveys and in-depth interviews. The research findings indicate that the current motivations of museum visitors manifest primarily in three forms: knowledge exploration, social interaction, and psychological restoration. After evaluating the existing museum service quality based on the field of experiential value in marketing management, two main issues and features were identified. The issues include sub-optimal visitor pathways and layout, dissatisfaction with staff services, and shortcomings in promotion and communication. The overall cultural learning and interactive experience for the entire visitor base also require improvement. The features are characterized by differentiated cultural and creative consumption in the museum and the emergence of interrelated consumer demands. Based on these findings, the study provides targeted recommendations for future museum construction and communication strategies.

Citation: Li P (2024) Cultural communication in museums: A perspective of the visitors experience. PLoS ONE 19(5): e0303026. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0303026

Editor: Vanessa Carels, PLoS ONE, UNITED STATES

Received: July 6, 2023; Accepted: April 17, 2024; Published: May 9, 2024

Copyright: © 2024 Pengpeng Li. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Data Availability: All relevant data are within the manuscript and its Supporting Information files.

Funding: We gratefully acknowledge the Scientific Research Staring Foundation of Zhejiang Sci-Tech University (22252283-Y) and the project of the Publicity Department of Hangzhou Municipal Party Committee and Zhejiang Sci-Tech University to build the School of Journalism. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Introduction

Museums initially took the form of libraries, primarily serving the functions of collecting, researching, and preserving knowledge. In the mid-nineteenth century, the International Council of Museums was established in Paris, defining museums as "non-profit permanent institutions serving society and its development, open to the public, and dedicated to the collection, preservation, research, communication, and display of tangible and intangible assets related to humanity and its environment." [ 1 ] Following the impact of social movements such as the civil rights movement, women’s movement, and counterculture movement on democratic and multicultural values in the 1970s, the United States began considering audience diversity and the social and multicultural landscape in museums, actively enhancing museums’ accessibility to visitors [ 2 ]. Since then, museums have shifted from being perceived as "temples" inaccessible to the common people to becoming "public forums" [ 3 ]. Their management philosophy has gradually transitioned from focusing primarily on "things" (collection, exhibition, research, etc.) to centering on "people" (experience, learning, leisure, entertainment, etc.) [ 4 ]. In 2022, the International Council of Museums updated its definition of museums, placing significant emphasis on museums’ crucial responsibilities and missions in satisfying diverse public experiences and promoting cultural exchange [ 5 ]. Against this background and development trend, the focus of museum research has shifted from the attention on collections, environmental arrangements, and the intrinsic value of objects to how museum facilities and setups can meet the diverse needs of visitors and enhance their service experiences.

This study posits that the shifts in the concept, functions, and research focus of museums indicate an increasing awareness that visitors’ motivations, experiential encounters, autonomous dissemination intentions, and behavioral practices can influence the operational management of museums and the effectiveness of cultural dissemination at the regional level to varying degrees. Therefore, a more detailed exploration of museum functions, service development, and the external communication pathways of culture from the perspective of audience experience is crucial for enhancing museum management efficiency and fostering broader cultural communication and understanding among the general public. In contemporary society, where the contest for international discourse increasingly relies on each country’s cultural soft power, the preservation and exhibition of cultural heritage hold significant value for socio-economic, political, and international communication [ 6 , 7 ]. Museums, as domains of cultural heritage preservation, have garnered widespread attention for their role in cultural construction and communicative value. They are considered influential in shaping public will, cultural identity formation, fostering national cultural confidence, and serving as important mediums for intercultural communication [ 8 – 10 ]. In the era of globalization, modern museums simultaneously bear multiple social functions, including the inheritance of national and urban culture, cultural brand construction, image presentation, improvement of people’s livelihood, and international exchange [ 11 , 12 ]. They play a crucial role in educating people to shape national identity, showcasing and protecting cultural heritage, promoting cultural research, and facilitating international exchange and cooperation [ 13 ]. With the support of government policies and funding in China, the number of museums has seen significant growth since 2007, reflecting the recognition by national and municipal administrators of the vital value of local cultural heritage preservation, inheritance, dissemination, and the role of museums in national cultural soft power construction. Goode (1891) emphasized that museums should serve as sources for public cultural exchange, intellectual stimulation, and the genesis of new social ideas, thereby achieving their cultural exchange and dissemination objectives [ 14 ]. However, discussions regarding Chinese museums, both domestically and internationally, are still in their infancy [ 13 ]. Moreover, in the limited research available, there is a notable lack of discussion on aspects such as cultural perceptions, acceptance, service experiences, and dissemination behaviors of museum visitors [ 15 ].

Scholars have provided comprehensive discussions on various aspects of museums, including their public communication functions [ 16 ], educational functions [ 17 ], the maintenance and dissemination of national memory [ 18 ], technological usage [ 19 ], media image presentation [ 20 , 21 ], and cultural narrative forms [ 15 , 22 ]. These discussions primarily rely on qualitative discourse analysis as the main research method. In contrast, this study differs in its approach and methodology from discussions that primarily focus on the cultural functionalities of museums. Instead, it explores how museum construction, functional zoning, service support, and cultural narratives create, satisfy, and present spaces and needs within the context of the audience experience. The research focuses on investigating the motivations and types of museum visitors. It aims to explore the ways in which museum construction, in actuality, creates space and conditions for public communication, cultural inheritance or dissemination, and economic development. Additionally, the study delves into how visitors perceive and accept the cultural information conveyed by museums and examines the factors influencing their autonomous dissemination intentions regarding the museum and the culture displayed within it.

To better address the aforementioned questions, this study has chosen a local museum that prominently showcases specific historical and urban cultural aspects—the Nan Song Deshou Palace Relics Site Museum in Hangzhou, China. The primary rationale for this selection lies in the recent strong advocacy by the Chinese government to promote traditional culture, establish distinctive cultural brands for cities, and narrate Chinese stories from a Chinese perspective and voice. Under such policy directives, cities are committed to exploring and developing local cultures, actively creating innovative forms of communication to enhance urban cultural visibility and dissemination effectiveness. Museums, as crucial mediums for concentrating the exhibition and preservation of culture and promoting cultural dissemination [ 23 ], have garnered attention from urban administrators and relevant cultural and tourism authorities. Over the past twenty years, China has constructed thousands of museums [ 24 ]. Zhang & Courty (2022) posit that museums are typically invested in and constructed as part of significant urban or regional infrastructure. These infrastructures often include other cultural facilities such as libraries, theaters, cultural centers, and tourism-related infrastructure, and may belong to more extensive urban revitalization and historical archaeological site restoration projects [ 25 ]. Hangzhou, being a traditional cultural tourism city, has been actively seeking to stimulate local economic development by expanding the tourism industry, promoting museums, and their cultural heritage as crucial tourist attractions [ 26 ].

Among the rapidly growing various types of local museums, a notable cultural project, the Nan Song Deshou Palace Relics Site Museum, has garnered widespread attention from media and the public in Hangzhou over the past two years. Officially opened to the public at the end of 2022, the museum serves as a representative of local culture, focusing on showcasing the architecture and aesthetic lifestyle of the Nan Song period in China. It has not only gained attention from local residents and sparked lively discussions within social groups in Hangzhou, but has also been recognized by the Chinese government and media as a significant project showcasing China’s "harmony" culture, the cultural temperament of Hangzhou, and its cultural traditions. However, since the museum is still in the early stages of operation, there is a lack of research on its operational and cultural dissemination effectiveness. This study contends that, as the first concentrated display of Nan Song culture in China, discussions on its operational philosophy, cultural communication strategies, and effects can provide immediate practical insights for the museum’s sustained development. Additionally, it can extend discussions on the operational management and cultural dissemination pathways of other local museums. Simultaneously, the study aims to provide insights for cross-cultural exchange and cooperation.

Subsequently, this study conducted a detailed literature review on museum visitor research and museum experiences. The aim was to explore and establish the theoretical foundation and analytical framework for this research. Following that, a more in-depth analysis of museum visitors and their experiences was undertaken. Firstly, the study examined the types of visitors currently attracted to the museum, their primary motivations for visiting, and whether there are differences compared to previous literature or other types of museum visitors. This is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of the diverse profiles of museum visitors. Secondly, the study evaluated whether the current construction and services of the museum meet the expectations and needs of its visitors. It delved into how the museum achieves or encounters obstacles in its roles of public communication, cultural inheritance or dissemination, and economic promotion. This analysis is of significant importance for gaining insights into the current operational management status of the museum, making targeted improvements to museum operations and communication strategies, and enhancing its effectiveness in cultural dissemination.

Literature review

Visitors’ studies.

Museum visitor studies can be traced back to as early as 1884 when the Liverpool Museum in the United Kingdom first observed the exhibition behavior of museum visitors. In the early 20th century, museum visitor research took a significant turn with Benjamin Gilman’s exploration of the visitor experience at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts in 1916 [ 27 ]. Following this, Melton’s research on museum visitors in the United States brought attention to the phenomenon and issues of "museum fatigue" among visitors [ 28 ]. Since then, the psychological and behavioral study of museum visitors has gained widespread attention from scholars across various fields.

As the study of museum visitors gradually gained attention in academia, its definition has been continuously updated and refined. In 1974, the American Association of Museums (AAM) formally established the "Committee of Audience Research and Evaluation" (CARE), interpreting "visitor studies" as the "systematic collection of information from actual and potential visitors to museums, and the use of this information in the planning and execution of activities related to the public to enhance the public’s experiences [ 29 ]."

In 2006, Ellen Giusti, an expert in museum evaluation, emphasized at the annual meeting of the American Association of Museums that museum visitor studies had not received the attention it deserved from academia and museum management. She called for placing visitor studies at the core of exhibition and activity planning, stating that such studies could directly impact the museum’s operations, services, education, and exhibitions. Giusti urged a more focused and systematic analysis of visitor descriptive, contextual, and psychological characteristics, aiming to facilitate effective management and external promotion [ 30 ]. In terms of the importance of visitor studies for museum development and marketing, it is considered a crucial type of social research. It can assist museum decision-makers, public service providers, exhibition planners, and event organizers in breaking away from the constraints of tradition, common knowledge, media opinion, and personal experience, thereby enabling a more logical and systematic approach to comprehensively understanding visitor psychological and behavioral characteristics, leading to precise positioning, planning, and communication. Looking into the future of museum visitor studies, considerations should include the uniqueness of each museum, exploring the diversity of museum learning paths, investigating the similarities and differences in short-term and long-term learning effects of museum visits, analyzing the role of museum learning in social life, discerning the differences in the learning processes and effects among different groups (such as students, families, and seniors), examining the variations in research methods and tools at different levels of museum execution, and enhancing interdisciplinary dialogue and research exchange [ 31 ].

In recent years, as management and researchers have increasingly focused on museum visitors, museums have shifted their operational strategies from being primarily focused on "objects" (collection, exhibition, research, etc.) to emphasizing strategies centered around "people" (experience, learning, leisure, and entertainment) and their effects [ 4 ]. Annis proposed that visitors in the museum environment typically exhibit three levels of engagement: the "dream space" of communication at the sensory and semi-rational level, the "reality space" of physical activities, and the "cognitive space" where they respond to their own rational thinking within the museum’s established programs [ 32 ]. Building on this, Graburn suggested that visitors in the museum environment can experience reverence, association, and educational experiences [ 33 ]. Kaplan and other scholars emphasized visitors’ needs for "relieving psychological stress" and "gaining energy" during their visits [ 34 ]. Falk & Dierking introduced a multidisciplinary approach, presenting the Museum Visitor Interactive Experience Model. This model explores visitors’ motivations, exhibition behaviors, post-visit responses, and social impact effects from three dimensions: personal context (interests, perceptions, knowledge, motivation, values, etc.), environmental context (architecture, exhibits, atmosphere, interpretive materials, etc.), and social context (peers, other visitors, museum staff, etc.) [ 35 ]. Subsequently, Falk published "The Museum Experience Revisited," using visitors’ "motivation to visit" as a starting point and focusing on the role of "identity" in the museum visitor experience. Falk criticized two prevailing perspectives in existing research on the museum visitor experience. The first perspective is institution-centered, suggesting that visitors’ reasons for visiting, the visiting process, and the construction of meaning all depend on the content and exhibits of the museum. The second perspective, although starting from the visitor, attempts to describe museum visitors solely through quantitative research methods based on demographic categories, visit frequencies, and social arrangements [ 36 ]. Falk argued that both of these research perspectives are limited, either based on simplistic stereotypes or relying on easily measurable indicators, and cannot comprehensively explain the deeper issues of the museum visitor experience. He chose to approach the study from the visitors’ perspective, conducting a type analysis based on the identity motive and delving into the roles of identity in pre-visit motivations, preset trajectories during visits, and post-visit satisfaction and memory [ 36 ]. In his exploration of the connection between identity and visitor learning, memory, and satisfaction, Falk’s research identified seven types of visitors and motivations based on identity: Explorers, Facilitators, Experience Seekers, Professional/Hobbyists, Rechargers, Respectful Pilgrims, and Affinity Seekers.

Falk’s relevant research was conducted against the backdrop of a decline in the number of museum visitors in the early 21st century in the United States, and was influenced by the theories and social context of North American leisure studies. As the definition of museums varies across countries, Falk particularly concentrated his investigation in the context of museum research in the United States. The study included not only art, history, children’s, and natural history museums, but also institutions like zoos, botanical gardens, and science centers. In contrast, China’s definition of museum domains does not necessarily include zoos, aquariums, or botanical gardens, but includes other types, such as red memorial museums and ethnic museums. This divergence makes the audience motivation types he proposed not universally applicable. Moreover, the widespread use of the internet, smartphones, social media, and changes in interpersonal communication may influence visitor motivations and types, prompting a continuous exploration of potential new scenarios. Simultaneously, it is essential to observe whether there are noteworthy differences in visitor types in Chinese museums compared to those abroad.

The research on museum visitor motivation in China commenced relatively late, and although it has gradually garnered attention in recent years, substantial research outcomes remain limited. According to Song Xiangguang, visitor motivations are primarily rooted in individual leisure values, lifestyle habits, and the specific needs associated with visiting particular museums and exhibitions [ 37 ]. Liu Yang’s study indicates that observing, peeping, and emotional needs are the primary motivations for visitors engaging in photography in museums [ 38 ]. Through questionnaire analysis, He Qijun and Gu Jing found that visitors’ motivations, such as pleasure, performance expectations, and effort expectations, exhibit strong explanatory power for their willingness to visit and behavior [ 39 ]. However, the aforementioned studies typically employed online questionnaires to investigate visitor motivations and behaviors, without distinguishing or delving into motivations based on different levels of museums and their audiences. This limitation provides the foundation and discussion space for the current study.

Museum experience

The above-mentioned literature extensively reviewed the progress of museum visitor studies, exploring key conclusions and limitations in literature related to museum visitor types and motivations. While foreign researchers, exemplified by Falk, have conducted detailed and comprehensive studies on visitor motivations and behaviors, Chinese scholars have gradually recognized the significance of adopting a visitor-centric perspective in museum research. However, a critical issue remains. Theories and conclusions from foreign studies may not entirely represent or explain the specific circumstances in China. Moreover, due to significant differences between Chinese government policies on museum management, definitions, and classifications compared to foreign counterparts, and the influence of local culture and interpersonal communication patterns on visitors, there may be variations in audience behavior. Nevertheless, existing Chinese research has not thoroughly addressed these distinctions, nor has it adequately recognized their importance in cultural dissemination.

This study posits that museums, on the one hand, actively create diverse learning programs and environments for visitors. On the other hand, there is an increased emphasis on fostering interactivity, participation, emotional engagement, learning, and the development of experiential facilities. However, the effectiveness of these measures in meeting the diverse needs of visitors, further stimulating their active perception, imagination, understanding, and identification with the significance and cultural content of museum exhibits, as well as fostering national cultural confidence and cultural dissemination, has become a focal point in museum management and research. This issue involves the roles of museum visitor identities, exhibition perspectives, and experiential processes, accompanied by complex psychological and behavioral engagement in activities related to emotions, perceptions, and social interactions. In recent years, influenced by the societal background of the "experience economy" and related concepts and research, the assessment of "experiential value" has provided an essential research and measurement perspective for evaluating the perception and behavior of museum visitors.

The experience economy refers to the essence of customer consumption behavior, wherein customers spend money to engage in a series of non-material activities implemented according to their own preferences, or invest time in enjoying a sequence of memorable events provided by businesses [ 40 ]. In other words, "experience" emphasizes the incorporation of experiential details in the customer consumption process, rendering products or services more interactive, personalized, and considerate. This facilitates the comprehensive diffusion of the concept of the product, infecting the target audience in terms of both communication intensity and depth, establishing a more intuitive communicative interaction with the target audience [ 41 ]. In the measurement of experience, the fields of tourism and management often utilize the metric of experience value. Mathwick, Malhotra, & Rigdon (2001) posit that experience value is the customer’s perception and preference for the attributes or performance of a product, and the consumption of the product or the experience of the service itself also carries intrinsic value. This implies that individuals can derive experiential value from the actual use or distant appreciation of products and services [ 42 ]. Gallarza & Saura (2006) further confirm that experience value can directly influence customer experience satisfaction and subsequent behavior. Creating experiences that satisfy customers and evoke emotional perceptions is a key factor in gaining their acceptance and stimulating expected behaviors [ 43 ]. Specifically, customer endorsement of a particular product or service stems from the ability of that product or service to create value for them, and this value is a result of the interactive dynamics between the customer and the product or service. On the one hand, value involves the evaluation and comparison of two items or services, encompassing the benefits gained and the costs incurred during consumption with each individual’s assessment being subjective. On the other hand, value originates from the experiential aspects of the consumption process, rather than solely from the purchased product. Thus, value emerges in tandem with the overall experience [ 44 ]. In essence, the value customers derive from a product or service represents an elevation of the perceived service value or service quality. It manifests as a sense of spiritual satisfaction and gives rise to emotional, memory, and behavioral dimensions of identification. Additionally, the diverse experiential values that individuals derive from a product or service can influence their attitudes and actual behaviors toward that product or service. Furthermore, individual feedback on a product or service can impact the subsequent management of the product or service.

There is currently a considerable body of research on "museum experiences" that tends to focus on deconstructing visitors’ pre-visit expectations and on-site experiential dimensions. As illustrated by Sheng & Chen (2012), five types of visitor expectations were identified through a survey: relaxation and enjoyment, cultural entertainment, personal identity, historical reminiscence, and escapism from reality [ 45 ]. In other words, visitors’ motivations may stem from their relevant knowledge and professional background, interests, and the pursuit of specific information [ 46 ]. Participation in activities is equally crucial for enhancing the visitor experience [ 47 ]. Factors encountered by visitors before and after entering a museum, such as ticketing methods, reservation/queue times, transportation routes/convenience, indoor temperature/air quality, lighting, exhibition layout, exhibition area guidance, restroom location/quantity/quality, and the attitude/expertise of service personnel, can directly or indirectly impact visitors’ museum experiences. Jin et al. concluded that the museum experience is a process created collaboratively by multiple factors, including visitors, guides, and the environment [ 48 ]. Perceptions of museum content quality and emotional reactions are positively correlated with visitors’ satisfaction with their experience [ 49 ].

Based on these factors, this study posits that museum experiences encompass not only sensory aspects such as seeing, hearing, touching, and smelling, but also involve multiple psychological sensations such as communication and exploration. In other words, the visitor’s experience is influenced by the context, and their perspective is not confined to individual exhibits. Starting from the decision to visit, factors such as transportation, dining, companions, museum staff, and various situational aspects all contribute to shaping the overall experience [ 50 ]. Therefore, this study considers the museum as a comprehensive field for the generation of visitor experiences and utilizes experience value obtained by visitors before and after entering the museum as a metric to assess their sense of experience.

Bolton & Drew argue that using a single dimension to measure experience value is overly simplistic and suggest employing multiple dimensions for measurement [ 51 ]. Mathwick et al., summarizing past literature, identified four dimensions for measuring the experience value of products or services: service excellence, return on investment, aesthetics, and hedonics [ 42 ]. Additionally, referencing Rowley’s ten indicators for examining the quality of product or service experiences from a management perspective [ 52 ], this study categorizes six dimensions for measuring the value of museum experiences: (1) service quality (including ticketing/reservation channels, information inquiry channels, real-time exhibition activity information retrieval, and in-house service efficiency); (2) convenience (covering transportation, opening hours, and in-house public facility arrangements); (3) demographic positioning (considering inclusivity across age groups, social strata, and various demographics); (4) added value (beyond traditional exhibition and educational functions, encompassing leisure, mental and physical well-being, and social aspects); (5) interactivity (incorporating the use of digital technology); and (6) discount programs (including ticket prices, in-house creative products, and related goods or services). These dimensions are identified as focal points for research.

This study adopts the perspectives of museum visitor patterns, motivations, and experience value, focusing on the Nan Song Deshou Palace Relics Site Museum in Hangzhou. Through case studies, participant observation, and in-depth interviews, the primary objective is to construct a profile of visitors to the museum in its current state. The aim is to provide empirical references for the museum’s subsequent service, marketing directions, and cultural communication. Additionally, the study intends to offer forward-looking and innovative strategic suggestions for Chinese museums to enhance service experience value and external communication.

Deshou Palace is located to the southwest of Lin’an Fu, the capital of the Nan Song Dynasty (present-day Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province). It stands out as one of the highest-ranking architectural structures in terms of ceremonial specifications during the Nan Song period. Traditional palace architecture and elements of garden aesthetics are widespread within, making it a masterpiece of Jiangnan gardens. It served as the residence for historical figures such as Emperor Gaozong, Empress Wu, Emperor Xiaozong, and Empress Xie. Over the past two decades, archaeological research has revealed that the Deshou Palace site covers an area of nearly 7000 square meters, including the foundations of large palaces, brick-paved roads, artificial hill foundations, drainage facilities, and various other relics. The protection and effective utilization of this site not only contribute to further exploration of contemporary values such as traditional architecture, Nan Song rituals, spiritual concepts, aesthetic life, and societal aspects, but also help enhance modern understanding and recognition of our country’s outstanding traditional culture. It plays a role in boosting internal cultural identity and external influence in the dissemination of Chinese culture.

The construction project of the Nan Song Deshou Palace Relics Site Museum in Hangzhou officially commenced in December 2020 and was formally opened to the public on November 19, 2022. Currently, the museum primarily operates on a reservation system, offering free admission to the public. Citizens and tourists can make advance reservations for visits through the official public account, with a booking window of one to three days. Additionally, individuals aged 70 and above may make on-site reservations by presenting their identification cards or senior citizen cards. The museum’s opening hours are from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM every Tuesday through Sunday, with regular closure on Mondays.

This museum, leveraging archaeological remains, employs indoor exhibitions, digital artifacts, and simulated displays of archaeological sites to comprehensively present the historical and cultural panorama of the Nan Song Dynasty. After undergoing trial operations, observing the Spring Festival, and navigating through phases affected by pandemic-related policy adjustments, the daily visitor capacity of the museum increased from 500 to 1500 individuals. By the end of February 2023, the museum accommodated over 100,000 visitors, demonstrating the enthusiasm and engagement of residents in exploring the museum. Therefore, this study aims to use this museum as its focal point, seeking to uncover the current profile of visitors and their experiential perceptions. The findings will serve as a reference for the enhancement of service experience value and external communication for this museum and potentially other museums across the country.

This study employs an exploratory case study approach due to its status as a research method that involves "in-depth investigation of contemporary social phenomena based on real-life situations." This method not only facilitates the exploration of research questions, but also enhances the reliability and validity of research outcomes [ 53 ]. Data collection for the section on visitor experiences primarily adopts a "semi-structured, in-depth interview" approach. The initial interview outline is formulated based on the aforementioned literature and is further elaborated upon through in-depth questioning guided by the interviewee’s narratives. Formal interviews took place from February 10 to February 28 and from April 9 to April 21, 2023. Museum visitors were invited to participate in interviews through a "random sampling" method, and interviewee information was coded.

Prior to the formal interviews, the researcher conducted pre-tests with seven participants to assess the appropriateness of the interview outline. Following the pre-tests and subsequent revisions, the final interview content included: (1) personal basic information; (2) motivations for visiting the museum; (3) experiences during museum visits; (4) evaluation of museum facilities and services; (5) overall satisfaction with the museum; (6) willingness to communicate the museum experience; and (7) willingness to revisit the museum. The interviews lasted approximately one hour. As ethical review requirements and independent review units for studies using the in-depth interview method are not yet mandated in mainland China, the researcher, to ensure ethical legitimacy, informed participants of their identity, the purpose of the interview, and privacy protection measures before the pre-tests and the commencement of formal interviews. Consent for the use of participant information, interview data, and recordings was obtained orally or in writing. Ultimately, the study included thirty-four participants (14 males, 41%; 20 females, 59%), with ages primarily ranging from 19 to 45. Occupational distribution was diverse, and the majority of participants had been residing in Hangzhou or other cities and counties in Zhejiang Province for over two years.

In addition to the interview method, this study employed participatory observation and direct observation methods for data collection. This diversified approach is advantageous in overcoming the primary limitation of the case study method, which may lack generalizability in its conclusions [ 54 ]. Participatory observation was conducted concurrently with interview sessions, while direct observation was primarily concentrated in December 2022, January to April 2023, and other instances when the researcher visited the museum incidentally to obtain observational data. The purpose of direct observation was to collect information on the interactions of museum stakeholders, marketing activities, and their outcomes by recording observational insights, capturing on-site photographs, and documenting social interactions. These data serve as a supplement to the analysis and discussion sections of the interview results.

Results and analysis

The data analysis in this study was conducted in two stages. In the first stage, which encompasses interview records, observation notes, on-site photographs, and descriptions, the raw data was coded based on visitor motivations and patterns. To enhance the objectivity of data processing and reduce errors, a "researcher triangulation verification" approach was employed. Two researchers were simultaneously involved in the data coding process to classify the current visitor patterns and motivational characteristics of the case museum.

In the second stage, building on the foundation of museum visitor experiences, perceptions, and behaviors, and referencing the concept of experience value and its measurement indicators, the interview data was aggregated and deeply analyzed. This aimed to synthesize and summarize the overall situations and issues related to museum visitor experiences, as well as the impact of these experiences on their perceptions and behaviors within the museum. By systematically analyzing museum construction, services, and existing cultural communication dynamics through these two perspectives, this study aimed to propose innovative paths and effective methods for continuous research and practical value in museum cultural communication.

The motivations and profiles of the audience

The first stage comprised three steps. In the open coding phase, researchers (including investigators and two assisting coders) initially conducted a comprehensive analysis of all raw data. Subsequently, they integrated concepts that were identical or closely related, eliminated invalid concepts occurring less than twice, and focused on category formation based on the inherent relationships among concepts, ultimately resulting in the identification of thirty subcategories. In the axial coding phase, researchers analyzed and synthesized the thirty subcategories derived from open coding, consolidating relatively independent categories and distilling primary categories. This process revealed the interrelationships among different sections of interview data. Finally, selective coding was employed to refine core themes that were most pertinent to the research question and objectives, encompassing other related concepts. These core themes constituted the concepts and issues to be elaborated upon in subsequent research analysis, as outlined in Table 1 .

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Knowledge exploration.

The desire for knowledge expresses itself in an interest in abstract thinking, complex thought processes, and philosophical discussions, as well as curiosity about various things [ 55 ]. Therefore, the desire for knowledge is often associated with museum visits [ 56 ]. As shown in Table 1 , the "knowledge exploration" motivation/need was mentioned most frequently among the surveyed audience (62 occurrences). Furthermore, this study found that this motivation can be further subdivided into memory carriers, professional needs, and exploration needs. Firstly, visitors engaged in museum visits and photographing for the purpose of personal cultural knowledge and memory, interest, past experiences and perceived memories of museum visits [ 45 , 46 ], life records, and establishing memory cues [ 57 ], as well as self-reflection to re-understand society and oneself [ 45 , 57 ]. This is considered a space field for personal memory extraction, storage, and construction. In contrast to previous research, this study categorizes such needs as the memory-oriented, knowledge exploration type, mainly due to the audience’s invocation and construction of personal memory. Such needs were mostly mentioned by interviewees aged 35–50 and housewives.

Secondly, visitors may engage in museum visits due to their personal professional background or work requirements, aiming to collect relevant data, compare and contrast existing knowledge with real-world observations, identify problems, and contemplate solutions. Previous research has found that museums, as crucial institutions for informal learning, bear the responsibility of lifelong learning for the public. Museum visitors are generally considered individuals who prioritize learning, regardless of their identity, age, or profession, and learning is their primary motivation for visiting museums [ 58 ]. The results of this study further indicate that visitors going to museums for learning imply both active knowledge collection and argumentation and passive acquisition of work-related resources. For example, "I have been studying and appreciating artistic works from the Nan Song Dynasty, and I want to come to the museum to experience or test related knowledge. Perhaps it can provide inspiration for my research and creation" (Interviewee 21, female, 22 years old, college student, Hangzhou). Another example is, "To be honest, although I am not very accustomed to museums, which are relatively serious places, I work in this field and have to come here to take some materials" (Interviewee 13, female, 27 years old, self-media—travel blogger, Anhui).

Finally, visitors may engage in museum visits out of curiosity about attractions, from guidance from related sites, and to seek opportunities for resources and business. Research consistently confirms that curiosity is a vital intrinsic factor that triggers individuals to seek information and engage in behaviors [ 59 – 64 ], and similar results are found in studies related to museum visitor behavior [ 56 , 65 , 66 ]. Berlyne conceptualized curiosity as a response to novel stimuli, involving feelings of attractiveness and uncertainty [ 67 ]. Once individuals become curious about something, they experience anxiety, influencing their desire to acquire new knowledge and exploration strategies, with the goal of reducing their curiosity [ 62 ]. For instance, "I am curious about how Deshou Palace reproduces the architecture and palace furnishings of the Nan Song Dynasty…" (Interviewee 6, male, 30 years old, interior designer, Hangzhou).

This study also found that approximately 24% of the interviewees mentioned that they were attracted to visit Deshou Palace after visiting the "Hu Xueyan’s Former Residence" (located just across the street, less than a hundred meters away) due to the striking red exterior walls of Deshou Palace. Additionally, seeking "business opportunities" is an audience type identified in this study that distinguishes itself from previous research findings. Interviewees mentioning such needs include teachers, cultural and tourism workers, entrepreneurs, and business professionals. They believe that museums, especially newly established ones, may have untapped and potential spaces for development. Seizing these resources serves as a significant motivator for their visitation. This suggests that the motivation for museum visits is significantly influenced by personal professions or values. For example, "Looking for venues for organizing extracurricular activities and learning for students…" (Interviewee 3, male, 35 years old, middle school Chinese teacher, Hangzhou), and "Deshou Palace is part of a new cultural project, and there must be many resources that can be further developed and utilized, such as cultural and technological experiences…" (Interviewee 19, female, 31 years old, jewelry and cultural innovation entrepreneur, Beijing). In other words, driven by specific values and professional attitudes, visitors perceive museums as spaces necessary for exploring and obtaining personal work resources or capital. This also reflects the increasingly complex and diverse expectations and visitation demands of visitors to museums.

Social interaction.

From the interview data, it can be inferred that this type of audience exhibits two types of motivational and behavioral states: passive social conformity and active contextual consumption. On the one hand, visitors engage in passive visitation behavior due to recommendations or persuasion from friends, fear of social relationship breakdown, and perception of peer capital. Moreover, these social factors to some extent create pressure for the audience to engage in "sharing and communication" and "capital comparison." The "social interaction" type of audience, as previously identified in domestic and international literature, tends to lean towards active willingness and behavior, lacking the capture and analysis of the motivation for visitors to museums based on "social pressure."

For example, "My mentor asked me to visit" (Interviewee 23, female, 31 years old, master’s student, Suzhou); "I’m not particularly interested in places like museums. This time in Hangzhou, a friend insisted on bringing me here to take a look" (Interviewee 17, female, 26 years old, film and television planner, Suzhou); "I saw Deshou Palace dominating my friends’ social media recently, and I heard it’s hard to make reservations. It seems to have become a hot topic. I feel like if I don’t come and experience it, I won’t be able to join in their conversations" (Interviewee 11, female, 19 years old, Hangzhou),; "I’ve never been here, so I can’t discuss it with my friends" (Interviewee 4, male, 39 years old, photographer, Hangzhou); "The comments on Deshou Palace made by my classmates were praised by the teachers" (Interviewee 11), "My classmate found a research direction here" (Interviewee 23); At the same time, visitors’ passive visitation behavior and perceived evaluations based on pressure will further influence their psychological and behavioral aspects of dissemination, for instance, "Avoiding self-exposure" (Interviewee 9, female, 60 years old, retired, Hangzhou; Interviewee 23); "Pressure on photography skills and retouching" (Interviewee 22, male, 23 years old, college student, Hangzhou); "No special feelings" (Interviewee 7, male, 24 years old, college student, Shanghai), all of which can affect the subsequent sharing and dissemination behavior of museum information by the audience.

On the other hand, visitors may also have an active willingness and behavior to visit museums for the purpose of establishing social topics, sharing experiences, breaking through existing circles, and enhancing relationships. Some interviewees indicated that visiting museums provides them with valuable social topics, such as "I usually don’t have much to post on my social media, but I feel like visiting Deshou Palace is worth sharing" (Interviewee 29, female, 32 years old, elementary school teacher, Ningbo). Knowledge and experiences gained from the museum can be shared with people around them, as mentioned by an interviewee: "Share the Nan Song culture and my visiting experiences with my students" (Interviewee 28, male, 38 years old, university teacher, Ningbo). Additionally, visiting museums can provide a space for establishing new social relationships, as stated by an interviewee: "Museums often organize various social activities such as lectures, workshops, exhibitions, etc., which gives me more opportunities to meet new friends and expand my social circle" (Interviewee 14, female, 34 years old, homemaker, Jinhua). It is worth noting that the establishment of such social relationships can indirectly bring positive impacts on their work efficiency and development, transforming the audience’s social interaction needs into knowledge exploration needs, such as seeking business opportunities." For example, "I think visiting museums is helpful for expanding interpersonal relationships. In the museum, I can interact and communicate with other visitors, make new friends, and the friends I meet here are likely to share similar interests with me. Like this Deshou Palace, I think people who come here should have some interest in Song culture like me. Perhaps there will be future collaboration in work" (Interviewee 19, female, 31 years old, jewelry and cultural innovation entrepreneur, Beijing).

In addition, previous research has confirmed that museums are places for "relaxation and fun" [ 45 ], "parent-child interaction" [ 68 – 70 ], and "relationship enhancement" [ 71 ], and this study also reached consistent conclusions. Approximately 32% of the interviewees visited with children, and they considered museums as places with cultural infectiousness (Interviewee 34, female, homemaker, Hangzhou), and educational significance (Interviewee 29; Interviewee 31, female, 60 years old, retired, Hangzhou; Interviewee 32, female, 58 years old, retired, Beijing). Museums provide space and opportunities for parent-child interaction (Interviewee 14, 34; Interviewee 25, female, 47 years old, freelancer, Suzhou), and contribute to enhancing mutual emotional communication (Interviewee 24, male, 37 years old, graphic designer, Hangzhou; Interviewee 29).

Another noteworthy phenomenon is that museum visitors driven by "friend recommendations," in addition to showing passive social conformity psychology, also exhibit some active adherence to social norms or behaviors. For example, "Seeing the photos recommended and shared by friends, it feels great, and I also want to come and take a look" (Interviewee 16, female, 34 years old, elementary school art teacher, Hangzhou); "I wanted to come here to take some photos to share on my social media, and I also want to buy some cultural and creative products to give to friends" (Interviewee 11). Along with their visiting behavior, environmental perception, and psychological changes, passive visitors may also transform into active contextual consumers, as stated by an interviewee: "Since I’m already here, buying some cultural and creative products as a souvenir or to give to friends is also a good idea" (Interviewee 23). This reflects that descriptions or photos about museums on social media, the acquisition and gifting of museum souvenirs, as well as discussions about museums in real life, are increasingly becoming media that influence the strength of social connections among audiences. Audiences are paying more attention to maintaining their personal social networks.

Additionally, this study found that social interaction is also influenced by the educational background and profession of museum visitors. This means that visitors with higher cultural knowledge reserves are more willing to share their visiting experiences with depth or personal unique insights with surrounding visitors or on social media. They may also exhibit motivations such as documenting personal experiences, using them for life experience reminiscence, and seeking recognition and interaction. For example, "I think visiting museums is a meaningful thing. I often share my experiences of visiting museums on Weibo. It not only helps me record my life trajectory and insights but also allows me to exchange ideas with friends and strangers through this sharing" (Interviewee 15, male, 58 years old, retired, Hangzhou). If engaged in education-related professions, they may visit and share experiences based on the factor of "interacting with students and promoting their knowledge improvement" (Interviewee 16, 28).

It is also important to note that, while satisfying their social interaction needs, audiences also engage in the exchange and enhancement of knowledge and culture during their social interactions. For example, "They have a really in-depth and comprehensive understanding of Nan Song culture. It feels like they came from that era. I really enjoy listening to them chat" (Interviewee 14). Another example is, "It’s amazing. I met my current business partner in the museum because we both have an interest in cultural relics, especially jewelry. Later, we discussed and learned related knowledge together and started our current jewelry and cultural innovation company. Because the jewelry we design incorporates some ancient totems, patterns, and other cultural elements, it is very popular in the foreign market. Especially in recent years, it can be seen that the love and interest in Chinese culture abroad have significantly increased. The cultural dissemination value and role of cultural and creative products are still significant" (Interviewee 19).

Psychological restoration.

The concept of "psychological restoration" emphasizes the role of the museum as a space that separates from reality and provides an energizing environment. Firstly, audiences achieve the purpose of escaping reality and relieving stress through immersive experiences, imagining and reshaping self-image and identity. For example, "It feels like this is a place that can be isolated from the world, allowing me to forget all the bad things in reality…" (Interviewee 1, female, 21 years old, college student, Hangzhou). Escaping reality is one of the important expectations of visitors’ museum experiences [ 45 ]. Escaping reality can also stimulate visitors’ willingness to visit the museum [ 46 ]. Lee & Smith argue that the maintenance and utilization of the escaping reality function are essential for the marketing of historical sites and museums, because it allows visitors to escape the norms and problems of their daily lives, is more active, and emphasizes immersion more than passive experiential participation [ 72 , 73 ]. As expressed by interviewee 29, "Museums can temporarily make me forget about the pressures of reality, immersing myself in places that depict different eras and imagining the living scenes of ancient people." The attention, sensory changes, and emotional shifts that visitors experience in museums, even reaching a state transcending reality, are referred to by Hirschman as "aesthetic experiences" [ 74 ]. From the perspective of the experience economy, aesthetic experiences are a combination of passive participation and immersion [ 73 ]. In other words, even if the original motivation for museum visits is not explicitly seeking psychological restoration, visitors, when engaging in the visitation behavior, also obtain varying degrees of aesthetic experiences closely related to their sense of immersion.

Furthermore, visitors may absorb positive energy by perceiving the personalities, abilities of historical figures, and the cultural forces. According to Petkus, visitors can create a "new reality or role" for themselves in museums [ 75 ]. For example, "Museums can give me a kind of time-traveling experience, allowing me to imagine ancient times, reflect on the modern era, and set my preferred life script…" (Interviewee 5, female, 34 years old, master’s student, Shanghai). Additionally, sentiments like "I think ancient emperors and officials, if they lived in modern society, would also be successful individuals…" (Interviewee 1), and "Museums have a strong cultural infectivity and comforting power, as if inspiring me to move forward with various historical anecdotes" (Interviewee 10, female, 38 years old, university teacher, Hangzhou; Interviewee 19), underscore the audience’s focus on self and inner world. They aim to achieve self-healing and elevate their life values by perceiving successful figures and cultures from the past. It is important to note that, while museums have the potential to restore the psychology or negative emotions of visitors, this potential is effective only for those who have already had a positive experience in the museum.

In this interview, it was emphasized that the motivation for "psychological restoration" was more prominent among female participants, accounting for 35% of all interviewees, and on average, they mentioned this motivation one to three times. In contrast, male participants who mentioned this motivation constituted only 8% of all interviewees. This phenomenon largely indicates that, in addition to being influenced by their motivations for knowledge exploration and social interaction, women are more concerned about the psychological perception and restoration aspects of museum visits compared to men. The reason may be that, compared to women, men typically exhibit a more rational approach to problem-solving and stress/emotion management. Regarding museums, especially in institutions like the Nan Song Deshou Palace Relics Site Museum, men may not perceive them as places or means to relieve stress, let alone visit them for the purpose of psychological restoration.

Finally, about 85% of the interviewees, when describing their museum visiting experiences, motivations and expectations, evaluations, overall satisfaction, and subsequent behaviors, expressed higher expectations and requirements for the overall environment and space creation of the museum. Among these aspects, "atmosphere" and "immersion" were the most frequently mentioned keywords during the interview process. These two keywords encompass various elements within the museum, such as the number of visitors, background music, use of technology, lighting, leisure settings, and more. They significantly influence the overall attitude (satisfaction) and behavioral intentions of museum visitors (such as revisiting and recommending), making them crucial aspects for further discussion in this study.

The assessment of the experiential value of museums

Drawing on the concept of "experiential value" from the field of marketing management and examining the indicators of product or service experiential quality proposed by Rowley (1999) [ 52 ], Table 2 , in conjunction with the practical insights from interviews in this study, assesses the experiential value of the current case museum from six aspects: service quality, convenience, demographic positioning, added value, interactivity, and promotional schemes. It is important to note that, as this section primarily focuses on the assessment of museum experiential value, some overlap may exist in the oral data from the interviewees. Therefore, individual participant identifiers are omitted, and the researcher has moderately summarized and consolidated the information while preserving the original intent expressed by the participants.

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From Table 2 , it can be observed that, when examined from the perspective of museum visitors, the experiential value of the current case museum exhibits the following issues and characteristics:

Museum circulation and layout, staff services, and communication satisfaction.

Contemporary museum visitors’ evaluations of museum satisfaction have transcended the historical dimension primarily focused on "objects" (collection, exhibition, research, etc.). Instead, there is now an emphasis on achieving self-service experiences and spatial experiential sensations.

The "layout and circulation" of the museum, including guidance and smoothness, are crucial factors influencing visitor experience and their evaluation, revisit intention, and willingness to disseminate. Some visitors expressed challenges related to their museum experience: "I cannot determine my visiting route in the museum" (Participants 6, 23, 27); "I prefer to grab a flat map upon entering the museum, allowing me to efficiently tour the entire museum and serve as a souvenir" (Participants 12, 15, 29); "Upon entering the exhibition area, I hesitate about whether to go left or right" (Participants 14, 17, 33); "I think the visiting route and distribution of exhibition areas inside are not reasonable. Without accidentally encountering a guide, I thought my visit was over" (Participants 3, 30, 31); "I still need to personally explore it before bringing friends" (Participants 10, 28); "I think I will share on my social media how I got lost in this museum" (Participants 11, 25).

Museum visitors have higher expectations for curator services, including entrance guidance and traffic control, as well as collection explanations. Their impressions of the museum and willingness to disseminate information are closely related to these services. Some expressed concerns: "I feel the entrance control is too strict; you must enter exactly at the scheduled time, not even a minute early. However, there are clearly some places outside the museum where you can take photos, and there aren’t many people. It wouldn’t affect the museum environment or others" (Participants 13, 22); "It was raining outside today, and I wanted to enter a few minutes early because there was basically no place to shelter from the rain nearby. The security guard at the entrance kept refusing, and the attitude was particularly bad. I haven’t encountered this situation when visiting other museums" (Participants 9, 26). Some participants suggested that the museum should expand reservation channels and daily visitor quotas, because "it’s challenging to make a reservation" (Participants 4, 12, 15, 24), allowing more people to visit the museum more conveniently and pleasantly. In addition, some participants mentioned issues with the rented audio guide devices (Participant 3) and found that manual explanations lacked interest or storytelling elements (Participants 8, 9, 17, 32), suggesting that they were not as engaging as external tour guides (Participants 11, 12, 17, 19).

The museum’s external promotion efforts and the forms and effects of cultural dissemination also serve as important indicators for assessing the museum’s service quality. Some participants expressed their opinions on the museum’s promotion: "I usually only see Deshou Palace’s promotion on my friends’ timeline. I think its promotional efforts are not enough" (Participants 10, 22); "Deshou Palace should do more promotion on the learning aspects of history, culture, or architectural aesthetics in the media, or add some related settings, which should be more attractive" (Participants 5, 33). Some participants also mentioned challenges like "the museum entrance is hard to find" (Participants 4, 11), "lack of guidance on transportation routes" (Participants 1, 2, 4, 8–15, 18, 20–22), and "seemingly no specific cultural discussions or lectures during certain periods like Today Art Museum." At the same time, the participants’ dissemination behaviors and purposes are closely related to the museum’s external promotion strategies and forms of cultural dissemination. Sixty-five percent of the participants stated that the short videos or promotional images related to the museum on the internet mostly focus on the red walls, architecture, and limited cultural and creative products. The cultural uniqueness and the unique value of Nan Song culture are not fully and effectively communicated. Therefore, visitors’ external dissemination forms, such as taking photos and checking in, tend to focus more on recording and social interaction, rather than cultural explanations and dissemination. For example, one participant said, "I often see everyone taking pictures with the red walls on the internet, feeling retro and beautiful. Why should I spread it? It’s just to let others see that I also have a set of beautiful photos, spreading Song culture… I don’t have any thoughts. I feel like I haven’t seen anything special, or maybe I don’t understand" (Participant 18). Another participant mentioned, "If you want to understand the unique value and cultural aspects of the museum, you still need to search for relevant textual introductions online" (Participants 3, 4, 15, 21, 31).

Cultural and creative consumption

Utilizing traditional culture and cultural heritage resources to develop cultural and creative products represents a significant collaboration between museums and businesses. This collaboration serves as a crucial avenue for cultural dissemination and constitutes a vital operational strategy for enhancing museum revenue and ensuring sustainable development. Moreover, the growing demands of contemporary society for spiritual, cultural, and aesthetic consumption play a pivotal role in promoting the development of cultural values within museums. However, the research conducted revealed substantial disparities in the consumption intentions and attitudes towards museum cultural and creative products among museum visitors.

Firstly, the everyday consumption habits of the general public significantly influence their behavior. Some interviewees reported a lack of prior consumption habits related to cultural and creative products, stating sentiments such as "Cultural learning in museums and the immersive experience are more appealing to me" (Interviewee 3), and "The importance lies in the experience and memories" (Interviewee 9). On the other hand, some participants expressed a different perspective with statements like, "Every time I visit a museum, I buy some cultural and creative products as souvenirs."

Secondly, the value, price, and practicality of cultural and creative products emerge as crucial considerations influencing the purchasing behavior of museum visitors. For instance, sentiments such as "Authentic artifacts are more valuable than replicas or designed ones" (Interviewee 16); "It looks great, but it’s not very useful to buy" (Interviewee 7); and "Not practical and too expensive" (Interviewee 12, 23) were expressed. Additionally, the social communication and interactive functions of museum cultural and creative products can contribute to the potential allure and promotional value of museums. Statements like "Cultural and creative products make artifacts more warm and evoke a sense of historical familiarity" (Interviewee 19); "My friend loves collecting museum cultural and creative products, so I always pick one for her each time I visit" (Interviewee 18); and "A friend has one, and I found it very attractive, so I came to buy one" (Interviewee 21), highlight the social and interactive dimensions of museum cultural and creative offerings.

Thirdly, the "originality" of cultural and creative products emerges as a primary factor stimulating consumer willingness to purchase. Statements such as "Cultural and creative products from each museum are unique" (Interviewee 21); "I mainly buy it to give to friends; it feels unique and shows that I have carefully selected the gift" (Interviewee 2); and "I won’t buy the same thing as others, or basically won’t present the same thing when giving gifts" (Interviewee 17), highlight the appeal of uniqueness. However, some interviewees also noted that similar or identical products are available on online platforms like Taobao (Interviewee 11, 25).

Holistic cultural learning and interactive experience

Goode (1891) argued that museums should not merely serve as repositories for artifacts, but rather become sources of intellectual stimulation and new ideas [ 14 ]. As a medium for cultural exchange with the public, museums should possess characteristics and values beyond their traditional functions of collecting and displaying artifacts. They should also serve as platforms for expressing identity, expanding intellectual dimensions, facilitating public education, and promoting cultural communication both domestically and internationally. For visitors to museums, the aesthetic layout, level of interest, and the cultural or learning atmosphere and experience created by the movement of different strata within the museum space are crucial factors influencing their perception, evaluation, and behavior. This includes aspects such as revisiting museums, external communication, and changes in daily behavioral habits.

From the interview data, it is evident that the current audience profile of the museum is primarily composed of individuals in the 20 to 40 age group. The occupational distribution is quite diverse, with the predominant types of visits being for sightseeing, tourism, and group educational tours. Museum visitors, drawing on their individual characteristics such as motivations, interests, habits, experiences, and values, engage in a range of cultural practices involving interactions between individuals and between individuals and objects within the museum. During these experiences, the spatial layout and supporting facilities within the museum are observed, experienced, and evaluated in the context of tourism landscapes, cultural elements, and leisure and entertainment domains.

Most visitors take photographs for various purposes, including commemoration, learning, and social interaction. Quotes from interviewees such as "This will become a part of my life memories" (Interviewee 12); "It can be used as educational material" (Interviewee 6); and "It will be an artistic addition to my social media" (Interviewee 16), reflect the diverse motivations behind capturing images. However, the current service facilities in museums have not adequately addressed the needs of the entire audience, posing obstacles to the immersive experience of artifact displays, visitor engagement, and cultural absorption within the museum space.

Many interviewees expressed concerns about the presence of noisy children (Interviewees 2, 3, 5, 11, 17, 20) and the lack of rest areas (Interviewees 7, 9, 12, 13, 15). In response, museums should consider the learning characteristics and behaviors of children. They could introduce a "Children’s Leisure Area" (Interviewee 10), or an "Interactive Learning Zone" (Interviewees 20, 33), to mitigate disturbances to other visitors’ experiences. Additionally, attention should be given to the needs of parents with young children, the elderly, and individuals with mobility challenges. This may involve the provision of leisure seating, baby stroller amenities, nursing rooms, wheelchairs, and the establishment of volunteer service stations within the museum to enhance visitor satisfaction with the exhibition and service experience.

For visitors with a certain level of expertise, the main requirements during their museum visit include learning, clarification, discussion, and the opportunity to refresh their knowledge. Quotes from interviewees such as "I would be more attracted if there were lectures or discussions specifically focusing on the history and artifacts of the Nan Song Deshou Palace Relics Site Museum" (Interviewee 9); "The explanations of cultural relics are too textbook-like" (Interviewees 10, 24); "There is a lack of interactive learning elements" (Interviewee 5); and "It would be better if there were virtual exhibitions or immersive explanations online" (Interviewee 13), emphasize the desire for more in-depth engagement. These visitors exhibit a strong curiosity and eagerness to acquire knowledge, especially in areas where their understanding is limited or unclear. They actively seek explanatory services, as reflected in statements such as "I usually join guided tours booked by groups and sometimes ask questions" (Interviewees 9; 31); "Some information is not available online" (Interviewee 13); and "There are many unclear points that I want to get answers to promptly" (Interviewee 11). Additionally, interviewees mention seeking clarification from others and engaging in discussions, such as "I will try to ask people around me for advice or discuss" (Interviewee 8).

In addition, unconstrained exploration, immersive imagination, interaction, and self-healing are often the experiences and cultural learning expectations of female interviewees and older individuals. For these visitors, elements such as museum space design, artifacts, lighting, and even scents contribute to and stimulate their imaginative experiences. Quotes like "I like to walk quietly in the museum, looking at the dormant yet vivid artifacts; it’s like entering another world" (Interviewee 18); "Travelling through history, I transport myself back to ancient times, as if engaging in a dialogue across time and space with them; it feels great" (Interviewee 15); and "The combination of architecture, plants, lighting, display cases, and even scents is very comforting and therapeutic," highlight the importance of these elements in creating a profound museum experience. However, the concern of being disturbed by others (Interviewee 10) emerges as a significant obstacle to the immersive experience of such visitors. Simultaneously, some interviewees express a desire for technology-assisted immersive experiences and learning: "I would hope that this museum could have some VR or AR experience projects that allow me to better understand the social and cultural landscape of that time" (Interviewee 19).

Consumption demands with interrelated needs

The contemporary public’s perception of museums has transcended the role of a purely cultural and educational institution. It is now evaluated as a comprehensive public service entity that encompasses leisure and entertainment, social interaction, cultural dissemination, cultural innovation, technology transfer, and educational tourism services [ 76 ]. Among these aspects, 70% of visitors mentioned "experiential satisfaction" and "convenience." According to research data, the current museum audience primarily consists of the younger generation from the later stages of China’s reform and opening-up period. Their emotional and lifestyle demands not only surpass those of their predecessors, but also place a greater emphasis on enjoyment, experience, and innovation. This shift in artistic and cultural consumption has become a prominent characteristic of the contemporary museum audience.

Currently, the museum operates on a reservation system and offers free admission, aiming to showcase the Chinese Nan Song rituals and aesthetic values to the general public. This approach creates a more open environment for cultural education and dissemination. While this strategy is beneficial for attracting visitors, it poses challenges in controlling the museum’s service quality and overall experiential atmosphere. Some interviewees expressed a willingness to pay an entrance fee, stating, "I don’t mind paying for admission" (Interviewees 7, 27–29) and "I would rather spend money if it means more investment in service facilities." The museum’s service facilities include "creative dining" (Interviewees 13, 15), "cultural books" (Interviewees 1, 5), "cultural and creative products" (Interviewees 2, 17, 18, 19, 21, 29), "lectures" (Interviewees 9, 33), and "special exhibitions" (Interviewees 11, 31–33).

Additionally, convenience is a crucial factor influencing visitors’ willingness to explore and their overall satisfaction, impacting the practical experience of museum-goers. Interviewees express concerns about the convenience of visiting with statements like "I pay attention to the convenience of transportation to the museum" (Interviewees 7, 11), and "I didn’t see clear signs directing to the museum when I exited the subway station today" (Interviewees 9, 23). Furthermore, convenience extends to cultural consumption and the interaction of leisure, sightseeing, and entertainment within the museum’s surroundings. Comments such as "I noticed this museum after leaving Hu Xueyan’s former residence" (Interviewees 19, 31); "It would be great if there were combo tickets" (Interviewees 21, 28); and "It’s inconvenient to find food nearby, and there are no distinctive restaurants or cafes; it gets boring when queuing" (Interviewee 11), highlight the multifaceted nature of convenience in the museum experience.

Conclusion and discussion

This study focuses on the typology, motivations, and experiential values of museum visitors, using the Nan Song Deshou Palace Relics Site Museum in Hangzhou as the research subject. Data were gathered through case studies, participant observations, and in-depth interviews. Building upon the classifications of museum visitors identified by scholars domestically and internationally, the study referenced the concept of experiential value from the business domain and employed related scales as evaluation criteria for assessing the quality of museum services and communication. The primary objective was to unveil the diverse profiles of visitors to the Nan Song Deshou Palace Relics Site Museum in Hangzhou at its current stage. The study aimed to explore the experiences of visitors and cultural communication strategies employed by the museum. Ultimately, the research seeks to provide practical insights for Chinese museums in examining and refining their service and communication systems.

The characteristics of museum visitor profiles

At the current stage, the visiting patterns of the audience primarily manifest as "knowledge exploration," "social interaction," and "psychological restoration." While similar classifications or conclusions have been drawn in previous domestic and international research, this study, focusing on the Chinese context and unique research samples, still yields some distinctive results that differ from previous findings.

Firstly, the current visitors to the museum are primarily motivated by "knowledge exploration," encompassing: (1) "memory-oriented" exploration involving experiences of recalling and constructing memories, emphasizing the extraction, construction, and storage of personal memories; (2) "professional-oriented" knowledge gathering involving knowledge collection, argumentation, and resource acquisition, demonstrating both proactive and passive behavioral tendencies; (3) "curiosity-oriented" exploration encompassing actions related to location, knowledge, and resources/capital exploration with a highlighted influence of "location association." This also reflects a compensation for personal psychological uncertainty to some extent. In comparison to more traditional forms of cultural learning, the museum, as an informal learning environment with diversity and flexibility in terms of objects, content, and time, serves as a voluntary and actively guided lifelong learning mechanism [ 77 , 78 ]. It leverages factors such as audience interests, curiosity, exploration, application, imagination, task achievement, and community interaction to positively impact knowledge and skill enhancement, stimulate creativity, and facilitate attitude and behavioral changes. The museum can be seen as an important avenue for voluntary and actively guided lifelong learning and a crucial pathway for cultural dissemination.

Secondly, visitors’ exploration behavior is stimulated by the need for "social interaction," resulting in two behavioral states, more passive social conformity and active domain consumption. This study reveals that visitors demonstrate both active and passive social conformity tendencies when influenced by "friend recommendations." Simultaneously, they may experience pressure to "share and communicate" and engage in "capital comparison" due to fear of social relationship disruption or perceived peer or learning capital acquisition. This pressure further stimulates their willingness and behavior to passively visit the museum. Active visitors exhibit more positive and enjoyable experiences, while passive visitors tend to be more negative and complete the museum visit task in a more "checklist" style. Furthermore, visitors may actively engage in museum visits to fulfill their needs for establishing social topics, sharing experiences, breaking through existing circles, and enhancing relationships. This study suggests that visitors who establish new social relationships within the museum domain may indirectly contribute to the improvement and development of their work efficacy, transforming their "social interaction" needs into "knowledge exploration" needs, such as "seeking business opportunities." This highlights the museum’s contemporary role as a "public forum," as described by Cameron [ 79 ]. The attributes and value of its social media are evident, and its ability to gain group belonging and identity on public spaces and online platforms becomes a crucial factor influencing visitor behavior [ 12 ]. Museums create possibilities for local cultural heritage and communication as well as cross-cultural exchange [ 10 – 12 ]. Consequently, relevant research should move beyond the discussion of museum functions and place more emphasis on understanding the impact of audience psychology and behavior on museum construction and cultural communication outcomes. It is worth noting that visitors strongly influenced by social factors may have potential value in disseminating the museum’s image and culture. However, understanding the factors that (dis)satisfy their social needs and exploring the emotional and behavioral consequences after (dis)satisfaction remain directions for further investigation.

Thirdly, visitors are increasingly demonstrating a motivation for "psychological restoration" and expectations for the corresponding experiences. This motivation includes not only the recognition and expectation of the museum as a space for escaping reality and relieving stress, but also the perception and imagination of the museum providing energy. In this study, female visitors emphasized this motivational aspect and the acquisition of psychological and spatial resources more than male visitors. This type of visitor typically has higher expectations and demands for the atmosphere, space, and environmental settings of the museum. Although their motivations for exploration, learning, and social interaction may be relatively weaker, they often engage in a more sensitive and detailed exploration and observation of museum space planning, exhibitions, and other visitor behaviors. This makes them valuable for improving and enhancing the quality of museum services and the effectiveness of cultural communication.

These research results indicate that the motivations of "knowledge exploration," "social interaction," and "psychological restoration" are not isolated within individual visitors’ intentions and behaviors. Instead, they dynamically change along with visitors’ museum experiences and environmental perceptions. Drawing on Falk and Dierking’s (2016) developed interactive experience model, visitors’ museum experiences can be decomposed into three dimensions: personal context, social context, and physical context [ 36 ]. In line with the results of this study, this division can be described as follows: (1) personal context, encompassing the collection of visitors’ individual characteristics (including genetics), incorporating their prior knowledge, experiences, interests, and tendencies in selecting and utilizing museum resources; (2) social context reflecting visitors’ preferences for social interaction behavior, such as perceptions, attitudes, and communication willingness towards companions, venue guides, interpreters, etc.; and (3) physical context associated with museum space, lighting, temperature, information boards, exhibits, service facilities, etc., potentially impacting visitors’ immersive experiences and satisfaction. These three dimensions work in conjunction to help visitors understand and experience museum spaces and exhibits [ 80 ]. They collectively influence visitors’ subsequent behaviors.

Overall, the factors influencing the cultural perception and behaviors of modern museum visitors are complex and diverse [ 2 ]. Analyzing museum visitor types can provide insights into grasping the diverse profiles of modern museum visitors, guiding the adjustment and formulation of more precise museum management and communication strategies. Jin & Zhang propose that museums should be places for free learning, immersive spaces that inspire creativity and free imagination, havens for safe, quiet, independent thinking, and healing spaces that help visitors relieve stress and regulate emotions [ 81 ]. The results of this study also indicate that the historical and cultural value, architectural aesthetics, spatial functionality, and social attributes of museums are key motivators for public visiting experiences. Therefore, museums need to carefully consider and improve the following aspects of their spatial functionalities and continuous maintenance systems: free learning, free imagination, deep immersion, independent thinking, social interaction, psychological healing, and emotion regulation. This will meet the expectations and diverse needs of different types of visitors, ultimately enhancing their satisfaction with the museum and fostering cultural understanding, identity, and widespread dissemination.

The value of museum experience

From the perspective of the current quality of museum experiences, there are several main issues and characteristics. Four issues lie in suboptimal circulation and layout, inadequate curator services, and dissatisfaction with promotion and communication. Additionally, there is a need for improvement in cultural learning and interactive experience programs for the entire audience. The characteristics manifest as a differentiation in museum cultural and creative consumption, and the emergence of associated consumption demands. In terms of the issues, museums, as spaces for disseminating knowledge and culture and providing visitors with experiential opportunities [ 4 ], are intricately linked to visitors’ perceptions and behaviors related to learning, imagination, self-realization, and interaction. This includes the smoothness of circulation, the rationality and connectivity of structural layout, the complementarity of functional project offerings, the creation of a conducive atmosphere, and the quality of both internal and external personnel services. If museum visitors have a subpar experience, it is likely to result in physical or mental fatigue during the exhibition process [ 82 ], subsequently reducing their willingness to linger, revisit, and disseminate. Simultaneously, different types of museum visitors demonstrate the practical significance of knowledge construction, self-construction, and the establishment and maintenance of social networks during their exhibition experience.

According to previous research findings, the public’s purposes for museum visits include fulfilling dimensions, such as leisure and entertainment, relaxation, self-identity construction, memory exploration and creation, and escaping real-life pressures [ 45 ]. Individuals with high curiosity and professionals/enthusiasts generally expect diverse cultural learning experiences, those with social needs anticipate better interaction spaces and conditions, and individuals with a need for psychological healing require better immersion and freedom to complete self-identity construction and meaning-making. Research data indicate that if visitors can harvest positive emotions and physical experiences during their exhibition process, their museum satisfaction, practical happiness, and dissemination willingness will significantly increase. This viewpoint aligns with the results of Jin & Zhang’s study, suggesting a positive relationship between the process of meaning construction by museum visitors and their sense of happiness [ 81 ]. In other words, the "meaning-imbuing" capacity created by museum spaces and artifacts can interact and jointly influence visitors’ experiences, further impacting museum development and its cultural communication effectiveness.

This study also discovered that, in addition to the museum’s original functions of exhibition, collection, education, cultural communication, as well as the leisure, entertainment, and social interaction functions bestowed by the modern era, different types of visitors, influenced by their identity and social networks during the exhibition process, increasingly demonstrate characteristics of self-identity acquisition and reconstruction. This is an aspect that has been rarely explored and demonstrated in previous research. For instance, individuals with a teacher identity may focus on the perspective and methods of knowledge dialogue and dissemination, and those with parental roles may lean towards an educational perspective, paying attention to the accessibility and fun of cultural explanations. On the other hand, professionals (in cultural studies, architecture, photography) may emphasize innovation and knowledge recombination, often reflecting a "social" need. As per Wilson & Harris’s perspective [ 83 ], visitors intend to establish and maintain social networks and gain social recognition during their museum visits, thereby defining and empowering their self-identity.

Looking at the characteristics, museum visitors show a demand for cultural and related consumption. In the early days, museums were centered around objects, emphasizing the collection and display of artifacts as well as the educational function of culture [ 4 ]. However, with changes in society, the consumer market, and public perceptions, more attention has been given to the cultural communication value and forms of museums. Obtaining perception and experience in the "visual" space and triggering action are important aspects to consider when realizing the regional and national cultural identity and external communication needs. The combination of objects within the museum collectively forms the cultural narrative in the museum space [ 15 , 22 ]. Therefore, in exploring the cultural communication path of museums, it is necessary to simultaneously consider and study the spiritual and symbolic value of objects in shaping and disseminating culture. Using various means such as visuality, quality, innovation, technology, and interactivity to invite visitors to experience and learn about culture [ 84 ]. However, current domestic museums face issues in the conceptual lag, low enthusiasm for funding input, lack of creativity and innovation, insufficient distinctiveness, simple labeling, and excessive commercialization in the development of the spiritual and symbolic values of objects [ 85 ], leading to a differentiated landscape in visitor consumption of museum cultural and creative products. Based on the empirical research results of Song & Feng (2020) on consumers of cultural and creative products nationwide, the current characteristics of public consumption of museum cultural and creative products are as follows: consumers prefer light cultural and creative products such as food, accessories, and stationery; consumers pay more attention to the "beauty, fun, and quality" of cultural and creative products, and "low price" does not necessarily drive purchasing power; 300 yuan is the price threshold, and high creative added value is expected to promote consumption upgrading; the overall experience in physical stores is good, but there are shortcomings in product display and service; and online and offline channels each have their own strengths, fully tapping into urban spatial possibilities, and expanding cultural and creative sales channels. These survey results are partially confirmed in this study. This clearly indicates that museums and related practitioners can only meet the objectives of supply and precise communication by developing and designing cultural and creative products from the perspective of consumer demand, while also improving service and experience quality.

Finally, museum construction and communication constitute a multidimensional systematic project involving the design of the public, culture, marketing, and more. Viewed from the perspective of "people’s" perceptual experience and behavior, this involves collaboration between the government and various sectors of society. Taking this study as an example, museum visitors expressed a strong demand for convenience and associative consumption, such as the combination, sale, and promotion of transportation, dining, and entertainment options. Ticket revenue is no longer the focus of attention for operators and consumers. Instead, the distribution of cultural and creative products, books, dining options within the museum, and shopping, leisure, and entertainment formats outside the museum are key elements for comprehensively enhancing museum revenue and cultural communication effectiveness.

Museum construction and communication strategies

Based on the research results, this study proposes the following recommendations for museum construction and communication:

• Emphasize the improvement of the internal layout fluency and the comprehensive nature of service facilities. Continuously enhance and upgrade service quality while prioritizing the development of an online and offline cultural communication system and knowledge platform. Establish a digital exhibition and cultural heritage preservation center [ 86 ], utilizing modern technological means for digital preservation, display, and dissemination of Nan Song culture. Provide the public with a more comprehensive and diverse visiting experience, thereby extending the time and space for exhibition and learning. This approach aims to stimulate the public’s willingness and actual behavior in dissemination, ultimately expanding the museum’s communicative influence.
• Beyond showcasing artifacts, museums should incorporate highly interactive and participatory display methods, such as virtual reality and augmented reality experiential interactive projects. This immersive approach facilitates the output of cultural content and allows for the organization of lectures, explanations, and research activities to attract scholars, experts, and enthusiasts, enhancing the educational and research value of the museum. Collaboration with schools and communities can further amplify the benefits, comprehensively improving the effectiveness of public cultural learning and communication.
• After thoroughly understanding the diverse identities and multi-stage practices of visitors in the museum, accurately position the profile of museum visitors. Enhance the museum’s ability to "create meaning and cultural output" by leveraging the cultural and symbolic aspects of the museum space and artifacts. Strengthen visitors’ cultural consumption satisfaction and enjoyment by emphasizing the practicality, innovation, quality, and diversity of cultural and creative designs. This strategy aims to increase visitors’ willingness to consume and expand cultural communication pathways and effects.
• Prioritize the convenience and relevance of public visiting and consumption demands. In addition to utilizing various channels and media (social media, online marketing, cultural events) for museum promotion and marketing, establish museum introductions and location cues at major transportation hubs. Develop collaborative visiting experience projects to enhance the public’s willingness for museum visits, cultural learning, and broaden the scope of communication.

Limitations and future research directions

The sampled institution in this study, the Nan Song Deshou Palace Relics Site Museum in Hangzhou, China, is a local museum established less than a year ago, designed to exhibit and convey the "specific historical stage and culture." Unlike comprehensive large-scale or national museums, such as the Palace Museum, its uniqueness lies in the concentrated exhibition of the Nan Song Dynasty site, artifacts, and culture. Consequently, this research aims to provide reference suggestions for similar museums in terms of functional construction, services, and cultural dissemination by conducting research and analysis on this museum and its current visitors. While this study reveals conclusions with certain representativeness and exploratory value, offering valuable insights for the improvement of functional settings, services, and communication strategies for the sampled museum and potentially for other museums of a similar nature, its applicability to other types of museums (e.g., art, science) and provincial or local comprehensive museums remains a topic for discussion and validation.

Furthermore, the sample size of this study consists of thirty-four interviewees. Despite efforts to ensure the representativeness and diversity of demographic characteristics in the sample, there is room for further expansion to examine the accuracy and effectiveness of the study’s conclusions, engaging in a dialogue with the results obtained in this research. Additionally, the cultural background, values, daily behavioral habits of museum visitors, and their experiences in visiting other cultural venues warrant further investigation regarding their impact on museum visits, cultural reception, revisit intentions, secondary communication intentions and behaviors [ 87 ].

Lastly, this study recognizes the implicit needs of museum visitors for "social presence, interaction, identification, and a sense of belonging." These needs manifest as a dual-sided feature involving both active establishment and passive acquisition. The study acknowledges the potential influence of the strength and weakness of social capital connections on individual well-being and behavior, questioning the pathways through which these effects occur [ 81 ]. Whether this influence has correlations with the social background and cultural education in the context of Chinese society is also an important topic for discussion.

Acknowledgments

We would like to express our gratitude to the editor and the anonymous reviewers for their valuable feedback, which greatly contributed to the improvement of this paper. Additionally, we extend our thanks to all individuals who participated in the research and interviews, acknowledging their substantial support throughout the study.

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Cutting Edge | Bringing cultural tourism back in the game

The growth of cultural tourism

People have long traveled to discover and visit places of historical significance or spiritual meaning, to experience different cultures, as well as to learn about, exchange and consume a range of cultural goods and services. Cultural tourism as a concept gained traction during the 1990s when certain sub-sectors emerged, including heritage tourism, arts tourism, gastronomic tourism, film tourism and creative tourism. This took place amidst the rising tide of globalization and technological advances that spurred greater mobility through cheaper air travel, increased accessibility to diverse locations and cultural assets, media proliferation, and the rise of independent travel. Around this time, tourism policy was also undergoing a shift that was marked by several trends. These included a sharper focus on regional development, environmental issues, public-private partnerships, industry self-regulation and a reduction in direct government involvement in the supply of tourism infrastructure. As more cultural tourists have sought to explore the cultures of the destinations, greater emphasis has been placed on the importance of intercultural dialogue to promote understanding and tolerance. Likewise, in the face of globalization, countries have looked for ways to strengthen local identity, and cultural tourism has also been engaged as a strategy to achieve this purpose. Being essentially place-based, cultural tourism is driven by an interest to experience and engage with culture first-hand. It is backed by a desire to discover, learn about and enjoy the tangible and intangible cultural assets offered in a tourism destination, ranging from heritage, performing arts, handicrafts, rituals and gastronomy, among others.

Cultural tourism is a leading priority for the majority of countries around the world -featuring in the tourism policy of 90% of countries, based on a 2016 UNWTO global survey . Most countries include tangible and intangible heritage in their definition of cultural tourism, and over 80% include contemporary culture - film, performing arts, design, fashion and new media, among others. There is, however, greater need for stronger localisation in policies, which is rooted in promoting and enhancing local cultural assets, such as heritage, food, festivals and crafts. In France, for instance, the Loire Valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes , a UNESCO World Heritage site, has established a multidisciplinary team that defends the cultural values of the site, and advises the authorities responsible for the territorial development of the 300 km of the Valley.

While cultural tourism features prominently in policies for economic growth, it has diverse benefits that cut across the development spectrum – economic, social and environmental. Cultural tourism expands businesses and job opportunities by drawing on cultural resources as a competitive advantage in tourism markets. Cultural tourism is increasingly engaged as a strategy for countries and regions to safeguard traditional cultures, attract talent, develop new cultural resources and products, create creative clusters, and boost the cultural and creative industries. Cultural tourism, particularly through museums, can support education about culture. Tourist interest can also help ensure the transmission of intangible cultural heritage practices to younger generations.

StockSnap, Pixabay

Cultural tourism can help encourage appreciation of and pride in local heritage, thus sparking greater interest and investment in its safeguarding. Tourism can also drive inclusive community development to foster resiliency, inclusivity, and empowerment. It promotes territorial cohesion and socioeconomic inclusion for the most vulnerable populations, for example, generating economic livelihoods for women in rural areas. A strengthened awareness of conservation methods and local and indigenous knowledge contributes to long-term environmental sustainability. Similarly, the funds generated by tourism can be instrumental to ensuring ongoing conservation activities for built and natural heritage.

The growth of cultural tourism has reshaped the global urban landscape over the past decades, strongly impacting spatial planning around the world. In many countries, cultural tourism has been leveraged to drive urban regeneration or city branding strategies, from large-sized metropolises in Asia or the Arab States building on cultural landmarks and contemporary architecture to drive tourism expansion, to small and middle-sized urban settlements enhancing their cultural assets to stimulate local development. At the national level, cultural tourism has also impacted planning decisions, encouraging coastal development in some areas, while reviving inland settlements in others. This global trend has massively driven urban infrastructure development through both public and private investments, impacting notably transportation, the restoration of historic buildings and areas, as well as the rehabilitation of public spaces. The expansion of cultural city networks, including the UNESCO World Heritage Cities programme and the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, also echoes this momentum. Likewise, the expansion of cultural routes, bringing together several cities or human settlements around cultural commonalities to stimulate tourism, has also generated new solidarities, while influencing economic and cultural exchanges between cities across countries and regions.

Despite tourism’s clear potential as a driver for positive change, challenges exist, including navigating the space between economic gain and cultural integrity. Tourism’s crucial role in enhancing inclusive community development can often remain at the margins of policy planning and implementation. Rapid and unplanned tourism growth can trigger a range of negative impacts, including pressure on local communities and infrastructure from overtourism during peak periods, gentrification of urban areas, waste problems and global greenhouse gas emissions. High visitor numbers to heritage sites can override their natural carrying capacity, thus undermining conservation efforts and affecting both the integrity and authenticity of heritage sites. Over-commercialization and folklorization of intangible heritage practices – including taking these practices out of context for tourism purposes - can risk inadvertently changing the practice over time. Large commercial interests can monopolize the benefits of tourism, preventing these benefits from reaching local communities. An excessive dependency on tourism can also create localized monoeconomies at the expense of diversification and alternative economic models. When mismanaged, tourism can, therefore, have negative effects on the quality of life and well-being of local residents, as well as the natural environment.

These fault lines became more apparent when the pandemic hit – revealing the extent of over-dependence on tourism and limited structures for crisis prevention and response. While the current situation facing tourism is unpredictable, making it difficult to plan, further crises are likely in the years to come. Therefore, the pandemic presents the opportunity to experiment with new models to shape more effective and sustainable alternatives for the future.

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Harnessing cultural tourism in policy frameworks

From a policy perspective, countries around the world have employed cultural tourism as a vehicle to achieve a range of strategic aims. In Panama, cultural tourism is a key component of the country’s recently adopted Master Plan for Sustainable Tourism 2020-2025 that seeks to position Panama as a worldwide benchmark for sustainable tourism through the development of unique heritage routes. Cultural tourism can be leveraged for cultural diplomacy as a form of ‘soft power’ to build dialogue between peoples and bolster foreign policy. For instance, enhancing regional cooperation between 16 countries has been at the heart of UNESCO’s transnational Silk Roads Programme, which reflects the importance of culture and heritage as part of foreign policy. UNESCO has also partnered with the EU and National Geographic to develop World Heritage Journeys, a unique travel platform that deepens the tourism experience through four selected cultural routes covering 34 World Heritage sites. Also in Europe, cultural tourism has been stimulated through the development of cultural routes linked to food and wine , as well as actions to protect local food products, such as through labels and certificates of origin. The Emilia-Romagna region in Italy, for example, produces more origin-protected food and drink than any other region in the country. One of the regions' cities Parma - a UNESCO Creative City (Gastronomy) and designated Italian Capital for Culture (2020-2021) - plans to resume its cultural activities to boost tourism once restrictions have eased. Meanwhile, Spain has recently taken steps to revive its tourism industry through its cities inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List . In this regard, the Group of the 15 Spanish World Heritage Cities met recently to discuss the country's Modernization and Competitiveness Plan for the tourism sector. Cultural tourism has progressively featured more prominently in the policies of Central Asian and Eastern European countries, which have sought to revive intangible heritage and boost the creative economy as part of strategies to strengthen national cultural identity and open up to the international community. In Africa, cultural tourism is a growing market that is driven by its cultural heritage, crafts, and national and regional cultural events. Major festivals such as Dak-Art in Senegal, Bamako Encounters Photography Biennial in Mali, Sauti za Busara in United Republic of Tanzania, Pan-African Festival of Cinema and Television of Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso, and Chale Wote Street Art Festival in Ghana are just a handful of vibrant and popular platforms in the continent that share cultural expressions, generate income for local economies and strengthen Pan-African identity.

Countries are increasingly seeking alliances with international bodies to advance tourism. National and local governments are working together with international entities, such as UNESCO, UNWTO and OECD in the area of sustainable tourism. In 2012, UNESCO’s Sustainable Tourism Programme was adopted, thereby breaking new ground to promote tourism a driver for the conservation of cultural and natural heritage and a vehicle for sustainable development. In 2020, UNESCO formed the Task Force on Culture and Resilient Tourism with the Advisory Bodies to the 1972 World Heritage Convention (ICOMOS, IUCN, ICCROM) as a global dialogue platform on key issues relating to tourism and heritage management during and beyond the crisis. UNESCO has also collaborated with the UNWTO on a set of recommendations for inclusive cultural tourism recovery from the COVID-19 crisis. In response to the crisis, the Namibian Government, UNESCO and UNDP are working together on a tourism impact study and development strategy to restore the tourism sector, especially cultural tourism.

UNESCO has scaled up work in cultural tourism in its work at field level, supporting its Member States and strengthening regional initiatives. In the Africa region, enhancing cultural tourism has been reported as a policy priority across the region. For example, UNESCO has supported the Government of Ghana in its initiative Beyond the Return, in particular in relation to its section on cultural tourism. In the Pacific, a Common Country Assessment (CCA) has been carried out for 14 SIDS countries, with joint interagency programmes to be created building on the results. Across the Arab States, trends in tourism after COVID, decent jobs and cultural and creative industries are emerging as entry points for different projects throughout the region. In Europe, UNESCO has continued its interdisciplinary work on visitor centres in UNESCO designated sites, building on a series of workshops to strengthen tourism sustainability, community engagement and education through heritage interpretation. In the Latin America and the Caribbean region, UNESCO is working closely with Member States, regional bodies and the UN system building on the momentum on the International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development, including through Creative Cities, and the sustainable recovery of the orange economy, among others.

BS1920, Pixabay

In the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, tourism has the potential to contribute, directly or indirectly, to all of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Tourism is directly mentioned in SDGs 8, 12 and 14 on inclusive and sustainable economic growth, sustainable consumption and production (SCP) and the sustainable use of oceans and marine resources, respectively. This is mirrored in the VNRs put forward by countries, who report on cultural tourism notably through the revitalization of urban and rural areas through heritage regeneration, festivals and events, infrastructure development, and the promotion of local cultural products. The VNRs also demonstrate a trend towards underlining more sustainable approaches to tourism that factor in the environmental dimensions of tourism development.

Several countries have harnessed cultural tourism as a policy panacea for economic growth and diversification. As part of Qatar's National Vision 2030 strategy, for example, the country has embarked on a development plan that includes cultural tourism through strengthening its culture-based industries, including calligraphy, handicrafts and living heritage practices. In the city of Abu Dhabi in the UAE, cultural tourism is part of the city’s plan for economic diversification and to steer its domestic agenda away from a hydrocarbon-based economy. The Plan Abu Dhabi 2030 includes the creation of a US$27 billion cultural district on Saadiyat Island, comprising a cluster of world-renowned museums, and cultural and educational institutions designed by international star architects to attract tourism and talent to the city. Since 2016, Saudi Arabia has taken decisive action to invest in tourism, culture and entertainment to reduce the country’s oil dependency, while also positioning the country as a global cultural destination. Under the 2020 G20 Saudi Presidency, the UNWTO and the G20 Tourism Working Group launched the AlUla Framework for Inclusive Community Development through Tourism to better support inclusive community development and the SDGs. The crucial role of tourism as a means of sustainable socio-economic development was also underlined in the final communique of the G20 Tourism Ministers in October last.

Siem Reap, Cambodia by nbriam

On the other hand, cultural tourism can catalyse developments in cultural policy. This was the case in the annual Festival of Pacific Arts (FestPac) that triggered a series of positive policy developments following its 2012 edition that sought to strengthen social cohesion and community pride in the context of a prolonged period of social unrest. The following year, Solomon Islands adopted its first national culture policy with a focus on cultural industries and cultural tourism, which resulted in a significant increase in cultural events being organized throughout the country.

When the pandemic hit, the geographic context of some countries meant that many of them were able to rapidly close borders and prioritize domestic tourism. This has been the case for countries such as Australia and New Zealand. However, the restrictions have been coupled by significant economic cost for many Small Island Developing States (SIDS) whose economies rely on tourism and commodity exports. Asia Pacific SIDS, for example, are some of the world’s leading tourist destinations. As reported in the Tracker last June , in 2018, tourism earnings exceeded 50% of GDP in Cook Islands, Maldives and Palau and equaled approximately 30% of GDP in Samoa and Vanuatu. When the pandemic hit in 2020, the drop in British tourists to Spain’s Balearic Islands resulted in a 93% downturn in visitor numbers , forcing many local businesses to close. According to the World Economic Outlook released last October, the economies of tourism-dependent Caribbean nations are estimated to drop by 12%, while Pacific Island nations, such as Fiji, could see their GDP shrink by a staggering 21% in 2020.

Socially-responsible travel and ecotourism have become more of a priority for tourists and the places they visit. Tourists are increasingly aware of their carbon footprint, energy consumption and the use of renewable resources. This trend has been emphasized as a result of the pandemic. According to recent survey by Booking.com, travelers are becoming more conscientious of how and why they travel, with over two-thirds (69%) expecting the travel industry to offer more sustainable travel options . Following the closures of beaches in Thailand, for example, the country is identifying ways to put certain management policies in place that can strike a better balance with environmental sustainability. The  UNESCO Sustainable Tourism Pledge  launched in partnership with Expedia Group focuses on promoting sustainable tourism and heritage conservation. The pledge takes an industry-first approach to environmental and cultural protection, requiring businesses to introduce firm measures to eliminate single-use plastics and promote local culture. The initiative is expanding globally in 2021 as a new, more environmentally and socially conscious global travel market emerges from the COVID-19 context.

Senja, Norway by Jarmo Piironen

Climate change places a heavy toll on heritage sites, which exacerbates their vulnerability to other risks, including uncontrolled tourism. This was underlined in the publication “World Heritage and Tourism in a Changing Climate” , published by UNESCO, UNEP and the Union of Concerned Scientists, which analyses the consequences of climate change on heritage, and its potential to permanently change or destroy a site’s integrity and authenticity. Extreme weather events, safety issues and water shortages, among others, can thwart access to sites and hurt the economic livelihoods of tourism service providers and local communities. Rising sea levels will increasingly impact coastal tourism, the largest component of the sector globally. In particular, coral reefs - contributing US$11.5 billion to the global tourism economy – are at major risk from climate change.

Marine sites are often tourist magnets where hundreds of thousands of annual visitors enjoy these sites on yachts and cruise ships. In the case of UNESCO World Heritage marine sites – which fall under the responsibility of governments - there is often a reliance on alternative financing mechanisms, such as grants and donations, and partnerships with non-governmental organizations and/or the private sector, among others. The West Norwegian Fjords – Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord in Norway derives a substantial portion of its management budget from sources other than government revenues. The site has benefited from a partnership with the private sector company Green Dream 2020, which only allows the “greenest” operators to access the site, and a percentage of the profits from tours is reinjected into the long-term conservation of the site. In iSimangaliso in South Africa, a national law that established the World Heritage site’s management system was accompanied by the obligation to combine the property’s conservation with sustainable economic development activities that created jobs for local people. iSimangaliso Wetland Park supports 12,000 jobs and hosts an environmental education programme with 150 schools. At the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, where 91% of all local jobs are linked to the Reef, the Coral Nurture Programme undertakes conservation through planting coral, and promotes local stewardship and adaptation involving the whole community and local tourist businesses.

Grafner, Getty Images

With borders continuing to be closed and changeable regulations, many countries have placed a focus on domestic tourism and markets to stimulate economic recovery. According to the UNWTO, domestic tourism is expected to pick up faster than international travel, making it a viable springboard for economic and social recovery from the pandemic. In doing so it will serve to better connect populations to their heritage and offer new avenues for cultural access and participation. In China, for example, the demand for domestic travel is already approaching pre-pandemic levels. In Russian Federation, the Government has backed a programme to promote domestic tourism and support small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as a cashback scheme for domestic trips, which entitles tourists to a 20% refund for their trip. While supporting domestic tourism activities, the Government of Palau is injecting funds into local businesses working in reforestation and fishing in the spirit of building new sustainable models. The measures put in place today will shape the tourism to come, therefore the pandemic presents an opportunity to build back a stronger, more agile and sustainable tourism sector.

Local solutions at the helm of cultural tourism

While state-led policy interventions in cultural tourism remain crucial, local authorities are increasingly vital stakeholders in the design and implementation of cultural tourism policies. Being close to the people, local actors are aware of the needs of local populations, and can respond quickly and provide innovative ideas and avenues for policy experimentation. As cultural tourism is strongly rooted to place, cooperating with local decision-makers and stakeholders can bring added value to advancing mutual objectives. Meanwhile, the current health crisis has severely shaken cities that are struggling due to diminished State support, and whose economic basis strongly relies on tourism. Local authorities have been compelled to innovate to support local economies and seek viable alternatives, thus reaffirming their instrumental role in cultural policy-making.

Venice, Oliver Dralam/Getty Images

Cultural tourism can be a powerful catalyst for urban regeneration and renaissance, although tourism pressure can also trigger complex processes of gentrification. Cultural heritage safeguarding enhances the social value of a place by boosting the well-being of individuals and communities, reducing social inequalities and nurturing social inclusion. Over the past decade, the Malaysian city of George Town – a World Heritage site – has implemented several innovative projects to foster tourism and attract the population back to the city centre by engaging the city’s cultural assets in urban revitalization strategies. Part of the income generated from tourism revenues contributes to conserving and revitalizing the built environment, as well as supporting housing for local populations, including lower-income communities. In the city of Bordeaux in France , the city has worked with the public-private company InCité to introduce a system of public subsidies and tax exemption to encourage the restoration of privately-owned historical buildings, which has generated other rehabilitation works in the historic centre. The city of Kyoto in Japan targets a long-term vision of sustainability by enabling local households to play an active role in safeguarding heritage by incrementally updating their own houses, thus making the city more resilient to gentrification. The city also actively supports the promotion of its intangible heritage, such as tea ceremonies, flower arrangement, seasonal festivals, Noh theatre and dance. This year marks the ten-year anniversary of the adoption of the UNESCO Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL). The results of a UNESCO survey carried out among Member States in 2019 on its implementation show that 89% of respondents have innovative services or tourism activities in place for historic areas, which demonstrates a precedence for countries to capitalize on urban cultural heritage for tourism purposes.

Cultural tourism has been harnessed to address rural-urban migration and to strengthen rural and peripheral sub-regions. The city of Suzhou – a World Heritage property and UNESCO Creative City (Crafts and Folk Art) - has leveraged its silk embroidery industry to strengthen the local rural economy through job creation in the villages of Wujiang, located in a district of Suzhou. Tourists can visit the ateliers and local museums to learn about the textile production. In northern Viet Nam, the cultural heritage of the Quan họ Bắc Ninh folk songs, part of the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, is firmly rooted in place and underlined in its safeguarding strategies in 49 ancient villages, which have further inspired the establishment of some hundreds of new Quan họ villages in the Bắc Ninh and Bắc Giang provinces.

Many top destination cities are known for their iconic cultural landmarks. Others create a cultural drawcard to attract visitors to the city. France, the world's number one tourist destination , attracts 89 million visitors every year who travel to experience its cultural assets, including its extensive cultural landmarks. In the context of industrial decline, several national and local governments have looked to diversify infrastructure by harnessing culture as a new economic engine. The Guggenheim museum in Bilbao in Spain is one such example, where economic diversification and unemployment was addressed through building a modern art museum as a magnet for tourism. The museum attracts an average of 900,000 visitors annually, which has strengthened the local economy of the city. A similar approach is the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), established in 2011 by a private entrepreneur in the city of Hobart in Australia, which has catalysed a massive increase of visitors to the city. With events such as MONA FOMA in summer and Dark MOFO in winter, the museum staggers visitor volumes to the small city to avoid placing considerable strain on the local environment and communities. Within the tourism sector, cultural tourism is also well-positioned to offer a tailored approach to tourism products, services and experiences. Such models have also supported the wider ecosystems around the iconic cultural landmarks, as part of “destination tourism” strategies.

Destination tourism encompasses festivals, live performance, film and festive celebrations as drawcards for international tourists and an economic driver of the local economy. Over the past three decades, the number of art biennials has proliferated. Today there are more than 300 biennials around the world , whose genesis can be based both on artistic ambitions and place-making strategies to revive specific destinations. As a result of COVID-19, many major biennials and arts festivals have been cancelled or postponed. Both the Venice Architecture and Art Biennales have been postponed to 2022 due to COVID-19. The Berlin International Film Festival will hold its 2021 edition online and in selected cinemas. Film-induced tourism - motivated by a combination of media expansion, entertainment industry growth and international travel - has also been used for strategic regional development, infrastructure development and job creation, as well to market destinations to tourists. China's highest-grossing film of 2012 “Lost in Thailand”, for example, resulted in a tourist boom to Chiang Mai in Thailand, with daily flights to 17 Chinese cities to accommodate the daily influx of thousands of tourists who came to visit the film’s location. Since March 2020, tourism-related industries in New York City in the United States have gone into freefall, with revenue from the performing arts alone plunging by almost 70%. As the city is reliant on its tourism sector, the collapse of tourism explains why New York’s economy has been harder hit than other major cities in the country. Meanwhile in South Africa, when the first ever digital iteration of the country’s annual National Arts Festival took place last June, it also meant an estimated US$25.7 million (R377 million) and US$6.4 million (R94 million) loss to the Eastern Cape province and city of Makhanda (based on 2018 figures), in addition to the US$1.4 million (R20 million) that reaches the pockets of the artists and supporting industries. The United Kingdom's largest music festival, Glastonbury, held annually in Somerset, recently cancelled for the second year running due to the pandemic, which will have ripple effects on local businesses and the charities that receive funding from ticket sales.

Similarly, cancellations of carnivals from Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the Canary Islands to Binche in Belgium has spurred massive losses for local tourism providers, hotels, restaurants, costume-makers and dance schools. In the case of the Rio de Janeiro Carnival in Brazil, for instance, the city has amassed significant losses for the unstaged event, which in 2019 attracted 1.5 million tourists from Brazil and abroad and generated revenues in the range of US$700 million (BRL 3.78 billion). The knock-on effect on the wider economy due to supply chains often points to an estimated total loss that is far greater than those experienced solely by the cultural tourism sector.

Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Spain by erlucho

Every year, roughly 600 million national and international religious and spiritual trips take place , generating US$18 billion in tourism revenue. Pilgrimages, a fundamental precursor to modern tourism, motivate tourists solely through religious practices. Religious tourism is particularly popular in France, India, Italy and Saudi Arabia. For instance, the Hindu pilgrimage and festival Kumbh Mela in India, inscribed in 2017 on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, attracts over 120 million pilgrims of all castes, creeds and genders. The festival is held in the cities of Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik every four years by rotation. Sacred and ceremonial sites have unique significance for peoples and communities, and are often integral to journeys that promote spiritual well-being. Mongolia, for example, has around 800 sacred sites including 10 mountains protected by Presidential Decree, and lakes and ovoos, many of which have their own sutras. In the case of Mongolia, the environmental stewardship and rituals and practices connected with these sacred places also intersects with longstanding political traditions and State leadership.

Cities with a vibrant cultural scene and assets are not only more likely to attract tourists, but also the skilled talent who can advance the city’s long-term prospects. Several cities are also focusing on developing their night-time economies through the promotion of theatre, concerts, festivals, light shows and use of public spaces that increasingly making use of audio-visual technologies. Situated on Chile’s Pacific coast, the city of Valparaíso, a World Heritage site, is taking steps to transform the city’s night scene into a safe and inclusive tourist destination through revitalizing public spaces. While the economies of many cities have been weakened during the pandemic, the night-time economy of the city of Chengdu in China, a UNESCO Creative City for Gastronomy, has flourished and has made a significant contribution to generating revenue for the city, accounting for 45% of citizen’s daily expenditure.

The pandemic has generated the public’s re-appropriation of the urban space. People have sought open-air sites and experiences in nature. In many countries that are experiencing lockdowns, public spaces, including parks and city squares, have proven essential for socialization and strengthening resilience. People have also reconnected with the heritage assets in their urban environments. Local governments, organizations and civil society have introduced innovative ways to connect people and encourage creative expression. Cork City Council Arts Office and Creative Ireland, for example, jointly supported the art initiative Ardú- Irish for ‘Rise’ – involving seven renowned Irish street artists who produced art in the streets and alleyways of Cork.

Chengdu Town Square, China by Lukas Bischoff

Environment-based solutions support integrated approaches to deliver across the urban-rural continuum, and enhance visitor experiences by drawing on the existing features of a city. In the city of Bamberg, a World Heritage site in Germany, gardens are a key asset of the city and contribute to its livability and the well-being of its local population and visitors. More than 12,000 tourists enjoy this tangible testimony to the local history and environment on an annual basis. Eighteen agricultural businesses produce local vegetables, herbs, flowers and shrubs, and farm the inner-city gardens and surrounding agricultural fields. The museum also organizes gastronomic events and cooking classes to promote local products and recipes.

In rural areas, crafts can support strategies for cultural and community-based tourism. This is particularly the case in Asia, where craft industries are often found in rural environments and can be an engine for generating employment and curbing rural-urban migration. Craft villages have been established in Viet Nam since the 11th century, constituting an integral part of the cultural resources of the country, and whose tourism profits are often re-invested into the sustainability of the villages. The craft tradition is not affected by heavy tourist seasons and tourists can visit all year round.

Indigenous tourism can help promote and maintain indigenous arts, handicrafts, and culture, including indigenous culture and traditions, which are often major attractions for visitors. Through tourism, indigenous values and food systems can also promote a less carbon-intensive industry. During COVID-19, the Government of Canada has given a series of grants to indigenous tourism businesses to help maintain livelihoods. UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions announced that it will grant, through the International Fund for Creative Diversity (IFCD), US$70,000 dollars to Mexican indigenous cultural enterprises, which will support indigenous enterprises through training programmes, seed funding, a pre-incubation process and the creation of an e-commerce website.

Tourism has boosted community pride in living heritage and the active involvement of local communities in its safeguarding. Local authorities, cultural associations, bearers and practitioners have made efforts to safeguard and promote elements as they have understood that not only can these elements strengthen their cultural identity but that they can also contribute to tourism and economic development. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the role of intellectual property and in the regulation of heritage. In the field of gastronomy, a lot of work has been done in protecting local food products, including the development of labels and certification of origin. Member States are exploring the possibilities of geographical indication (GI) for cultural products as a way of reducing the risk of heritage exploitation in connection to, for example, crafts, textiles and food products, and favouring its sustainable development.

The pandemic has brought to the forefront the evolving role of museums and their crucial importance to the life of societies in terms of health and well-being, education and the economy. A 2019 report by the World Health Organization (WHO) examined 3,000 studies on the role of the arts in improving health and well-being, which indicated that the arts play a major role in preventing, managing and treating illness. Over the past decade the number of museums has increased by 60%, demonstrating the important role that museums have in national cultural policy. Museums are not static but are rather dynamic spaces of education and dialogue, with the potential to boost public awareness about the value of cultural and natural heritage, and the responsibility to contribute to its safeguarding.

Data presented in UNESCO's report "Museums Around the World in the Face of COVID-19" in May 2020 show that 90% of institutions were forced to close, whereas the situation in September-October 2020 was much more variable depending on their location in the world. Large museums have consistently been the most heavily impacted by the drop in international tourism – notably in Europe and North America. Larger museums, such as Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum and Vienna’s Kunsthistorisches Museum have reported losses between €100,000 and €600,000 a week. Smaller museums have been relatively stable, as they are not as reliant on international tourism and have maintained a closer connection to local communities. In November, the Network of European Museum Organisations (NEMO) released the results of a survey of 6,000 museums from 48 countries. Of the responding museums, 93% have increased or started online services during the pandemic. Most larger museums (81%) have increased their digital capacities, while only 47% of smaller museums indicated that they did. An overwhelming majority of respondents (92.9%) confirm that the public is safe at their museum. As reported in the Tracker last October, the world’s most visited museum, the Louvre in France (9.3 million visitors annually) witnessed a ten-fold increase in traffic to its website. Yet while digital technologies have provided options for museums to remain operational, not all have the necessary infrastructure, which is the case for many museums in Africa and SIDS.

New technologies have enabled several new innovations that can better support cultural tourism and digital technologies in visitor management, access and site interpretation. Cultural tourists visiting cultural heritage sites, for example, can enjoy educational tools that raise awareness of a site and its history. Determining carrying capacity through algorithms has helped monitor tourist numbers, such as in Hạ Long Bay in Viet Nam. In response to the pandemic, Singapore’s Asian Civilizations Museum is one of many museums that has harnessed digital technologies to provide virtual tours of its collections, thus allowing viewers to learn more about Asian cultures and histories. The pandemic has enhanced the need for technology solutions to better manage tourism flows at destinations and encourage tourism development in alternative areas.

Shaping a post-pandemic vision : regenerative and inclusive cultural tourism

As tourism is inherently dependent on the movement and interaction of people, it has been one of the hardest-hit sectors by the pandemic and may be one of the last to recover. Travel and international border restrictions have led to the massive decline in tourism in 2020, spurring many countries to implement strategies for domestic tourism to keep economies afloat. Many cultural institutions and built and natural heritage sites have established strict systems of physical distancing and hygiene measures, enabling them to open once regulations allow. Once travel restrictions have been lifted, it will enable the recovery of the tourism sector and for the wider economy and community at large.

While the pandemic has dramatically shifted the policy context for cultural tourism, it has also provided the opportunity to experiment with integrated models that can be taken forward in the post-pandemic context. While destinations are adopting a multiplicity of approaches to better position sustainability in their plans for tourism development, there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

A comprehensive, integrated approach to the cultural sector is needed to ensure more sustainable cultural tourism patterns. Efforts aimed at promoting cultural tourism destinations should build on the diversity of cultural sub-sectors, including cultural and heritage sites, museums, but also the creative economy and living heritage, notably local practices, food and crafts production. Beyond cultural landmarks, which act as a hotspot to drive the attractiveness of tourism destinations, and particularly cities, cultural tourism should also encompass other aspects of the cultural value chain as well as more local, community-based cultural expressions. Such an integrated approach is likely to support a more equitable distribution of cultural tourism revenues, also spreading tourism flows over larger areas, thus curbing the negative impacts of over-tourism on renowned cultural sites, including UNESCO World Heritage sites. This comprehensive vision also echoes the growing aspiration of visitors around the world for more inclusive and sustainable tourism practices, engaging with local communities and broadening the understanding of cultural diversity.

As a result of the crisis, the transversal component of cultural tourism has been brought to the fore, demonstrating its cross-cutting nature and alliance with other development areas. Cultural tourism – and tourism more broadly – is highly relevant to the 2030 for Sustainable Development and its 17 SDGs, however, the full potential of cultural tourism for advancing development – economic, social and environmental - remains untapped. This is even though cultural tourism is included in a third of all countries’ VNRs, thus demonstrating its priority for governments. Due the transversal nature of cultural tourism, there is scope to build on these synergies and strengthen cooperation between ministries to advance cooperation for a stronger and more resilient sector. This plays an integral role in ensuring a regenerative and inclusive cultural tourism sector. Similarly, tourism can feature as criteria for certain funding initiatives, or as a decisive component for financing cultural projects, such as in heritage or the cultural and creative industries.

Houses in Amsterdam, adisa, Getty, Images Pro

Several countries have harnessed the crisis to step up actions towards more sustainable models of cultural tourism development by ensuring that recovery planning is aligned with key sustainability principles and the SDGs. Tourism both impacts and is impacted by climate change. There is scant evidence of integration of climate strategies in tourism policies, as well as countries’ efforts to develop solid crisis preparedness and response strategies for the tourism sector. The magnitude and regional variation of climate change in the coming decades will continue to affect cultural tourism, therefore, recovery planning should factor in climate change concerns. Accelerating climate action is of utmost importance for the resilience of the sector.

The key role of local actors in cultural tourism should be supported and developed. States have the opportunity to build on local knowledge, networks and models to forge a stronger and more sustainable cultural tourism sector. This includes streamlining cooperation between different levels of governance in the cultural tourism sector and in concert with civil society and private sector. Particularly during the pandemic, many cities and municipalities have not received adequate State support and have instead introduced measures and initiatives using local resources. In parallel, such actions can spur new opportunities for employment and training that respond to local needs.

Greater diversification in cultural tourism models is needed, backed by a stronger integration of the sector within broader economic and regional planning. An overdependence of the cultural sector on the tourism sector became clear for some countries when the pandemic hit, which saw their economies come to a staggering halt. This has been further weakened by pre-existing gaps in government and industry preparedness and response capacity. The cultural tourism sector is highly fragmented and interdependent, and relies heavily on micro and small enterprises. Developing a more in-depth understanding of tourism value chains can help identify pathways for incremental progress. Similarly, more integrated – and balanced – models can shape a more resilient sector that is less vulnerable to future crises. Several countries are benefiting from such approaches by factoring in a consideration of the environmental and socio-cultural pillars of sustainability, which is supported across all levels of government and in concert with all stakeholders.

abhishek gaurav, Pexels

Inclusion must be at the heart of building back better the cultural tourism sector. Stakeholders at different levels should participate in planning and management, and local communities cannot be excluded from benefitting from the opportunities and economic benefits of cultural tourism. Moreover, they should be supported and empowered to create solutions from the outset, thus forging more sustainable and scalable options in the long-term. Policy-makers need to ensure that cultural tourism development is pursued within a wider context of city and regional strategies in close co-operation with local communities and industry. Businesses are instrumental in adopting eco-responsible practices for transport, accommodation and food. A balance between public/ private investment should also be planned to support an integrated approach post-crisis, which ensures input and support from industry and civil society.

The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the essential role of museums as an integral component of societies in terms of well-being, health, education and the economy. Digitalization has been a game-changer for many cultural institutions to remain operational to the greatest extent possible. Yet there are significant disparities in terms of infrastructure and resources, which was underscored when the world shifted online. Museums in SIDS have faced particular difficulties with lack of access to digitalization. These imbalances should be considered in post-crisis strategies.

The pandemic presents an occasion to deeply rethink tourism for the future, and what constitutes the markers and benchmarks of “success”. High-quality cultural tourism is increasingly gaining traction in new strategies for recovery and revival, in view of contributing to the long-term health and resilience of the sector and local communities. Similarly, many countries are exploring ways to fast track towards greener, more sustainable tourism development. As such, the pandemic presents an opportunity for a paradigm shift - the transformation of the culture and tourism sectors to become more inclusive and sustainable. Moreover, this includes incorporating tourism approaches that not only avoid damage but have a positive impact on the environment of tourism destinations and local communities. This emphasis on regenerative tourism has a holistic approach that measures tourism beyond its financial return, and shifts the pendulum towards focusing on the concerns of local communities, and the wellbeing of people and planet.

Entabeni Game Reserve in South Africa by SL_Photography

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