International Museum Day 2025: Best Museums Around The World You Must Visit, Know Difference Between Art Gallery and Museum

International Museum Day 2025: The International Council of Museums (ICOM) established International Museum Day on May 18th, 1977. This day serves as a powerful reminder of museums’ importance in our culture. Museums are active institutions that promote cultural exchange, education, and the development of mutual understanding, collaboration, and peace among peoples.

International Museum Day History

The history of International Museum Day illustrates a rising global recognition of the significance of these cultural institutions. Recognising the need to unify and amplify the influence of museums around the world, ICOM launched this annual event to enhance public awareness about their role in society. Each year, a new theme is chosen to highlight a certain aspect of museum work and its connection to current issues. 

International Museum Day has grown in popularity over the years, with thousands of museums around the world taking part in a variety of interesting events such as free entry, special exhibitions, workshops, and educational programs.

International Museum Day 2025 Theme

This year’s theme is “The Future of Museums in Rapidly Changing Communities,” which reimagines museums as vital connectors, innovators, and custodians of cultural identity.

Difference Between Art Gallery and Museum

The phrases “art gallery” and “museum” refer to separate, though occasionally overlapping, institutions. An art gallery is primarily concerned with the exhibition and sale of artwork, usually contemporary or modern pieces. Their primary goal is usually business, connecting artists with possible buyers. While some galleries may feature historical items, the emphasis is still on the aesthetics and market value of the art. Art galleries typically host temporary exhibitions that showcase the work of individual artists or movements for a limited time.

A museum, on the other hand, is a non-profit organisation that preserves, studies, interprets, and exhibits a wide range of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific materials. A museum’s principal objective is to promote education and cultural enrichment. Museums have permanent collections that cover a wide range of human history, art, science, and natural history. While museums may occasionally organise temporary exhibitions, their essential identity is based on their long-term dedication to their collections and their position as centres for research and public education.

Famous Museums of The World

To understand the richness and diversity of human heritage, let us know about the world’s most extraordinary museums:

Le Louvre, France

The Louvre Museum, located in the heart of Paris, is widely regarded as the world's most famous museum. It is housed in a former royal palace and features an extraordinary collection that spans millennia and countries. The Louvre provides a spectacular vision of human creativity and history, with iconic treasures such as Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” and the ancient Greek sculpture “Venus de Milo,” with large collections of Egyptian antiquities, Near Eastern art, and European paintings. The architectural grandeur, particularly the modern glass pyramid entryway, adds to the visiting experience.

The Acropolis Museum, Greece

This museum, located at the foot of the spectacular Acropolis in Athens, is dedicated to the archaeological artefacts from the Acropolis hill. Its modern architecture, which makes great use of glass, allows visitors to study historic artefacts while also providing breathtaking views of the Parthenon and other Acropolis sites. The museum meticulously displays sculptures, architectural fragments, and daily things discovered at the sacred site, offering important insights into ancient Greek civilisation and its creative and architectural triumphs.

State Hermitage Museum, Russia

The State Hermitage Museum, located in St. Petersburg, is a vast cultural treasure housed in a number of spectacular structures, including the Winter Palace, the former abode of Russian Tsars. Its extensive holdings include prehistoric artefacts, classics of Western European art by masters like as Rembrandt, Rubens, and Leonardo da Vinci, as well as a remarkable collection of Russian art and artefacts. The Hermitage’s sheer size and diversity make it a very impressive institution.

The British Museum, England

The British Museum, located in London, is well-known for its large collection of world art and artefacts, which trace the history of human culture from its inception to the present. Highlights include the Rosetta Stone, the Elgin Marbles (Parthenon sculptures), Egyptian mummies, and the Sutton Hoo ship burial. Its encyclopaedic methodology provides an unparalleled chance to investigate the interconnectedness of global cultures and historical trends.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, US

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, also known as “The Met,” is one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive art museums. Its treasures include nearly 5,000 years of art from every corner of the world. The Met provides an unmatched journey through human artistic expression, featuring ancient Egyptian temples, classical Greek and Roman sculptures, European paintings, Asian art, and a magnificent collection of American decorative arts. The rooftop garden offers amazing views of Central Park and the metropolitan skyline.

Indian Museum, India

The Indian Museum in Kolkata is India’s oldest and largest multifunctional museum, founded in 1814. It houses an outstanding collection of artefacts from numerous disciplines, such as archaeology, art, anthropology, geology, zoology, and botany. Its treasures include ancient Indian sculptures, Mughal paintings, fossil remains, and anthropological exhibits that showcase India’s varied cultures. The Indian Museum is an important institution for preserving and celebrating the Indian subcontinent’s rich cultural legacy.