May 18th is International Museum Day. 2014 marks the 36th year of this event. Events and activities have been organized in thousands of museums all over the world to celebrate this festive day for the museum community. This year there are more than 35,000 museums in more than 100 countries on the five continents participating. It’s the perfect time to visit a museum that you’ve never been to. There are a lot of interesting museums to choose from throughout the world.
The Smithsonian in Washington D.C
The Smithsonian has a wide variety of exhibits on display. These include a lunar landing module of Apollo and fossils that are estimated to be billions of years old. The museum has over 137 million objects available for examination by visitors. There are 19 different museums that make up The Smithsonian. All of these museums are free and most of them are within walking distance of one another. The hours of each museums vary, but most are open from 10-5.
Le Louvre in Paris, France
The Louvre in Paris, France is the largest museum in the world. It sits on the banks of the Seine River and is surrounded by the beauty of Paris. It has been open since 1793 and is one of the area’s most popular attractions visited by both tourists and locals. Le Louvre consists of a huge art collection that takes up about 15 acres. There are over 35,000 pieces of art work that are divided into 8 different departments. These departments include: Decorative Arts, Egyptian Antiquities, Etruscan and Roman Antiquities, Greek, Islamic Art, the Near Eastern Antiquities, Paintings and Prints and Drawings, and Sculptures. One of the most famous exhibits on display is the Mona Lisa that was painted by Leonardo da Vinci. The Louvre is open Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. On Wednesday and Friday it opens at 9 a.m. and stays open until 9:45 p.m. Admission is 12 euros for adults and those under 18 years old are free.
Acropolis Museum in Athens, Greece
The Acropolis Museum in Athens, Greece was designed by Michael Photiadis and Bernard Tschumi. Its original purpose was for it to be used as a way to display any of the significant finds of the Sacred Rock and foothills. It holds many different pieces that take up three different levels of the museum. The bottom floor has Gallery of the Slopes of the Acropolis and contains many of the items found from the slopes of the Acropolis’ sanctuaries. The Archaic Gallery is located in the south and east sections on the first floor and contains many beautiful sculptures of Acropolis’ first temples. The Parthenon Gallery, located on the third floor, has a variety of items including several different pediments that depict mythological figures. From April 1st through October 31st the museum is open Tuesday through Sunday at 8 a.m. and stays open until 8 p.m. with the exception of Fridays where it closes at 10 p.m. From November 1 through March 31st it is open Tuesday through Thursday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. On Friday it is open from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday it is open from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. Admission is 5 euros.
British Museum in London, England
The British Museum has around 8 million different items on display that enamor either culture or human history. This museum has items from every one of the continents and is considered to be the largest collection of items depicting human culture. It was first found in 1753 and consisted mostly of the collections of scientist and physician Sir Hans Sloane. It was not open to the public until 1759. It is free to get into, but there is a fee to see loan exhibitions. The British Museum is open at 10 a.m. every day and closes 5:30 p.m. every day except for Fridays where it closes at 8:30 p.m
9/11 Memorial Museum
The new National September 11th Memorial Museum will be open to the public starting this Wednesday, May 21st. This is an educational and historical institution honoring the victims, and examining 9/11 and its continued global significance. Tickets are $24 for adults, $18 for seniors, Veterans and college students and $15 for children ages 7 to 17. Admission will be free to all visitors on Tuesdays from 5 to 8 p.m. There are a limited number of tickets available, even for the free admission so it is advisable to book online a few weeks in advance.
