15 World's Best Museums To See Before You Die

From Tokyo to Washington D.C. each of these museums contains something different yet essential to broadening your knowledge of human history.

Check them out for yourself below. Which are you going to make the trip to?

The Louvre - Paris

Who doesn't want to visit the Louvre? Arguable the world's most famous museum, it houses Greek and Roman antiquities alongside some of the world's most famous paintings, like the Mona Lisa.

Musee d'Orsay - Paris
This converted railway station is one of the world's most intriguing museums, housing pieces from the likes of Van Gogh, Renoir and Monet. Located on the banks of the Seine, it house the largest collection of impressionist and post-impressionist artwork in the world.

Museum Of Modern Art - New York City
Likely the most influential place for Modern art, MoMA houses art almost unlike any other museum. From Picasso to Matisse it holds an impressive collection of recognized paintings, as well countless pieces of avant-garde artwork and sculpture.

Metropolitan Museum Of Art - New York City
Housing over 2 million pieces, the Met holds an impressive collection of pieces from around the world, including Egypt and extending to African, Asian and Islamic art in addition to the European masters.

Museo Del Prado - Madrid
The Spanish museum is best known for the works of Velázquez who not only contributed to the museum, but helped pick pieces from Italian masters to add to the collection.

The Smithsonian Museums - Washington D.C.
While the Smithsonian Institute Museum of Natural History may be comprehensive, there are few museums in the world like the Air and Space Museum. PAcked with hangars full of airplanes and spacecraft, the National Air and Space Museum is a tribute to aviation unlike any other.

Tokyo National Museum - Tokyo
The oldest and largest museum in Japan, the NAtional Museum houses not just rare Japanese art and antiquities, but Greco-Buddhist art from the Silk Road.

Rijksmuseum - Amsterdam
The largest museum in the Netherlands, Rijksmuseum contains artwork from the likes of masters like Vermeer and Rembrandt. It's under construction until 2013, according to Touropia, but major works should still be on display.

Museo Nacional De Antropologia - Mexico City
The Museo Nacional De Antropologia houses the largest collection of pre-Colombian artifacts in Mexico, giving unique insight into the regions' pre-colonization time period. It famously houses the Stone of the Sun, which is not, in fact, a calendar.

National Palace Museum - Taipei
Despite not being located on mainland China the National Palace Museum in Taipei, Taiwan contains the largest collection of ancient Chinese artifacts and artworks in the world. Originally located in Beijing, many of the museum's most prized possessions were moved there shortly before the communist army took over the original museum in 1925.

Guggenheim Museum - Bilbao, Spain
Designed by Frank Gehry, the Guggenheim in Bilbao has a unique structure that is almost a work of art in and of itself. The unique look also provides for some incredibly spaces for amazing installations.

Vatican Museum - Vatican City
Founded in the 6th century the Vatican Museums are among the most renowned in the world. In particular, The ceiling of the Sistene Chapel, is widely believed to be Michelangelo's crowning achievement.

Egyptian Museum - Cairo
Egyptian antiquities are special in their own right, and there's no better place to see them than in Cairo. From mummies to sarcofagi to gigantic statues, the Egyptian Museum chronicles one of the world's most fascinating civilizations.

Hermitage Museum - St. Petersburg
Built under Catherine the Great, the Hermitage houses classics from artists across the world, including Rembrandt, Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Reuben. The structure itself is a work of art as well, spanning former residences of Russian royalty, including the Winter Palace.

The British Museum - London
The British Museum almost defies category. With over seven million objects it categorizes almost every aspect of human culture from beginning to present.

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