Fun Facts: The World's Best Museums

With summer now ending, you may be looking for ideas for fun and interesting things to do at indoor attractions. Fortunately, museums are a fantastic place to spend the colder months, while also broadening your understanding of different cultures.

Here are our favorite museums from all over the world for you to check out:

Le Louvre, Paris, France

Where better to start then The Louvre? The museum is one of the largest and most well-known in the world, and is host to the world-famous Mona Lisa as well as the Venus de Milo. In the 16th and 17th century, the building was France’s Royal Palace, and the building is every bit as majestic as you would expect.

Fact: The original name of the painting was spelled 'Monna Lisa', but due to a spelling mistake the most recognized name of this painting is now Mona Lisa.

Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.

The Smithsonian Institution is a museum and research complex of 19 museums and galleries, as well as the National Zoological Park.

Fact: The total number of objects, works of art and specimens at the Smithsonian is estimated at nearly 137 million!

The Vatican Museums, Vatican City, Italy

Room upon room of collections separate you from the world-famous Sistine Chapel, but what a series of collections it is! There are 22 in total, with the most famous being the Museo Pio-Clementino, Raphael Rooms and of course, the Sistine Chapel.

Fact: The renowned Sistine Chapel took Michelangelo over four years to paint! I wonder if he made any mistakes…?

The British Museum, London, England

Britain’s largest museum is home to the nation’s archaeological collection, including prehistoric fossils and ancient relics. One of its most famous items is the Rosetta Stone, an ancient Egyptian artefact with the first known translation of hieroglyphics.

Fact: It took 20 years for scholars to decode the Rosetta Stone.

National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City, Mexico

The most visited museum in Mexico contains a lot of Mexico’s ancient artefacts, and is particularly interesting for its collection of Aztec items. One such example, is the huge statue of Tlaloc, the Aztec god of rain, which sits at the museum’s entrance. A popular story in Mexico is that on the day the statue was moved to its current location, torrential rain hit the area; fitting conditions for the god of rain!

Fact: The Tlaloc statue weighs an incredible 168 tons!

The Museum of Qin Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses, Xi'an, China

The Terracotta Army is a collection of sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China, whose purpose was to protect the emperor in his afterlife.

Fact: It is estimated that there are over 8,000 soldiers buried in the mausoleum!

What's your favourite museum? What famous museums are there in your country? Answer in the comments below!

Glossary:

broaden (v.) - to expand

complex (n.) - a group of buildings that belong to one institution

artefact (n.) - a man-made object, usually from a long time ago