museum

Table of Contents

Introduction
History
- Etymology
  - From mouseion to museum
  - Museology and museography
- The precursors of museums
  - Evidence from antiquity
  - Classical collecting
  - Asia and Africa
  - Medieval Europe
  - Renaissance Italy
  - Royal collections
  - Specialized personal collections
  - Collections of learned societies
- Toward the modern museum
  - From private collection to public exhibition
    - Public collections
    - The first public museums
      The Ashmolean
      The British Museum
      The Louvre
      Museums in Rome and the Vatican
      Other European collections
    - The spread of the European model
  - Museums and national identity
    - Central Europe
    - Museums of antiquities
    - Influence of industry and science
    - The United States
    - Other national and regional museums
  - The first museum boom
    - Europe
    - South America
    - Asia
    - Africa
- The 20th and 21st centuries
  - Early period of reassessment
  - Post-World War II era
    - Museums and the public
    - Museums and the environment
    - Museums and public finance
    - New museums and collections
Types of museums
- General museums
- Natural history and natural science museums
- Science and technology museums
- History museums
- Art museums
- Virtual museums
Museum structure and operations
- Building design and function
- Museum organization
  - Administration
  - Management
  - Funding
    - Public and private sources
    - Entrance fees
    - Commercial activities
  - Support organizations
  - Museum cooperation
- Museum activities
  - Collection
    - Acquisition policies
    - Legality
    - Protection of cultural property
  - Conservation
  - Documentation
  - Research
  - Exhibition
  - Educational services
  - Information services

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images & Videos

National Gallery of Art

London: British Museum

Uffizi Gallery, Florence

Alte Pinakothek

Discover the history of America's museums: the Charleston Museum, Barnum's American Museum, and the Smithsonian

For Students

London: British Museum

museum: Related Content

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Jul 08, 2025

News •

The Curious Animals of Amsterdam’s Art Zoo • July 7, 2025, 6:22 PM ET (New York Times)

Photos and Videos

National Gallery of Art

London: British Museum

Uffizi Gallery, Florence

Alte Pinakothek

Smithsonian Institution

Discover the history of America's museums: the Charleston Museum, Barnum's American Museum, and the Smithsonian

Explore the Boston Children's Museum, a pioneer in hands-on, object-based exhibit experiences for children

Discussing the artifacts at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History

Experience thousands of years of art at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art

Hear experts discussing Charleston's history and America's oldest museum, the Charleston Museum

See All Videos and Images →

Topics

curator maritime museum national museum natural history museum natural science museum history museum open-air museum general museum science centre ethnography museum theatre library World Heritage site university stadium archives playground lodge education computer

Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

Key People

Pierre de Meuron

Swiss architect

Jacques Herzog

Swiss architect

Ryue Nishizawa

Japanese architect

Kazuyo Sejima

Japanese architect

Petrus Josephus Hubertus Cuypers

Dutch architect

Le Corbusier

Le Corbusier

Swiss architect

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

American architect

Lonnie G. Bunch III

Lonnie G. Bunch III

American museum director

Frida Escobedo

Frida Escobedo

Mexican architect

Franz Boas

Franz Boas

German-American anthropologist

Alfred H. Barr, Jr.

American museum curator

I.M. Pei

I.M. Pei

American architect

Frank Gehry: Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

Frank Gehry

Canadian American architect

Álvaro Siza: Bouça social housing complex

Álvaro Siza

Portuguese architect

Richard Meier: Atheneum

Richard Meier

American architect

Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers: Centre Georges Pompidou

Renzo Piano

Italian architect

Jean Nouvel

Jean Nouvel

French architect

Rossi, Aldo: Quartier Schützenstrasse

Aldo Rossi

Italian architect

Rafael Moneo: Prado Museum addition

Rafael Moneo

Spanish architect

Norman Foster: 30 St Mary Axe

Norman Foster

British architect

Rodin Museum, Paris.

Museums of the Western World