The Louvre, Paris: The Largest Museum in the World
With 72,735 square metres of gallery space and more than 615,000 works of art, the Louvre isn’t just the world’s largest museum it’s a triumph carved in stone. Over 9 million visitors stream in annually, many headed straight for the Mona Lisa.
But insiders know the Louvre’s most powerful moment lies elsewhere: climbing the Daru staircase, where the Winged Victory of Samothrace commands the landing in headless, majestic glory.
- Location: Paris, France
- Annual Visitors: ~9 million
- Must-See: Winged Victory of Samothrace
“The Louvre isn’t about one masterpiece it’s about experiencing centuries of artistic genius in one space,” says Dr. Marianne Dupont, French art historian.
State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg: Palace of the Tsars
The State Hermitage Museum sprawls across six buildings with 67,000 square metres of gallery space and a collection of over 3 million items. What makes it unique? You’re not just seeing art—you’re walking through the opulent halls of Russian royalty.
- Location: St Petersburg, Russia
- Annual Visitors: ~3 million
- Must-See: The gilded Jordan Staircase
From its green malachite columns to gold-drenched halls, the Hermitage itself is the masterpiece.
National Museum of China, Beijing: Ancient Power Preserved
The National Museum of China ranks among the largest, covering nearly 200,000 square metres with 1.4 million artefacts. In 2023, it welcomed 6.75 million visitors.
The highlight? The Houmuwu Ding, a Shang Dynasty bronze vessel weighing a staggering 832.84 kilograms—the heaviest piece of ancient bronzeware on earth.
- Location: Beijing, China
- Annual Visitors: ~6.75 million
- Must-See: Houmuwu Ding
This monumental artefact captures the technological mastery and spiritual life of a civilisation more than 3,000 years old.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York: Egypt in Manhattan
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, with 58,800 square metres of galleries and 2 million works, welcomed 5.5 million visitors in 2024.
Its most surreal treasure? The Temple of Dendur, an Egyptian temple gifted to the US and reassembled in a glass-walled gallery overlooking Central Park.
- Location: New York, USA
- Annual Visitors: ~5.5 million
- Must-See: Temple of Dendur
The juxtaposition is unforgettable: ancient Nubia against the Manhattan skyline.
Vatican Museums, Vatican City: A Divine Masterpiece
The Vatican Museums welcomed 6.8 million visitors in 2024. But for most, the journey culminates in one destination: the Sistine Chapel.
Standing beneath Michelangelo’s ceiling, you witness art history’s most divine moment. From The Creation of Adam to The Last Judgment, the scale and spiritual intensity are unmatched.
- Location: Vatican City
- Annual Visitors: ~6.8 million
- Must-See: Sistine Chapel
“The Sistine Chapel is less a gallery than a spiritual awakening,” notes Dr. Paolo Ricci, Vatican art scholar.
Grand Egyptian Museum, Giza: Tutankhamun’s Complete Legacy
Opening in November 2025, the Grand Egyptian Museum will become the largest museum dedicated to a single civilisation. With 500,000 square metres of space and over 100,000 artefacts, it’s Egypt’s ultimate gift to the world.
For the first time, all 5,398 treasures of Tutankhamun’s tomb—from his solid gold mask to nested golden coffins—will be displayed together. Visitors can even experience a virtual tomb exploration, reliving Howard Carter’s 1922 discovery.
- Location: Giza, Egypt
- Opening: November 2025
- Must-See: Tutankhamun’s treasure collection
Victoria and Albert Museum, London: Where Creativity Collides
The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) spreads across 50,000 square metres with 145 galleries housing more than 2 million objects. Unlike other grand institutions, its charm lies in eclectic wonder.
One moment, you’re admiring a tiger automaton mauling a soldier; the next, you’re surrounded by couture fashion spanning five centuries.
- Location: London, UK
- Annual Visitors: ~3.5 million
- Must-See: Michelangelo’s David (plaster cast) + V&A Fashion Galleries
