The World’s Best Cities for Art and Museums
The world’s top cultural capitals
If you really want to understand a city, step inside its museums.
That’s where its past and present meet, where ancient sculptures share space with Renaissance icons and bold contemporary installations. Art is able to tell a city's story. It shapes identities, sparks curiosity, and connects people from every corner of the world.
In our latest research, we explored 50 cities that have built their reputations on culture. Some dazzle with world-famous galleries and timeless masterpieces while others stand out for their affordability, making art free and accessible to everybody. Together, they show how creativity and history continue to define the world’s most inspiring urban centers.
1. Mexico City, Mexico
44 art museums | 110 galleries | 19 history museums | 14 science museums
Most popular: Museo Nacional de Antropología (National Museum of Anthropology), 1.5M annual visitors
In 2026, Mexico City is unmissable for museum-goers. The city balances remarkable institutions, household names, and a restless contemporary scene quite like no other city. At the Palacio de Bellas Artes, Diego Rivera’s monumental murals tell the story of modern Mexico while at Casa Azul, the former home of Frida Kahlo, the artist’s life and work come into close focus. The modern Museo Soumaya gathers European masters from Rodin to Dalí, while MUAC and Museo Tamayo push tourists firmly into the present – spotlighting experimental voices and new media that feel unmistakably of today’s Mexico.
Anchoring it all together is the city’s most visited institution, the Museo Nacional de Antropología. Their extraordinary collections open a window onto pre-Columbian cultures – from the Maya to the Aztec – and make the past feel close and alive.
Free museum access: Last Wednesday of each month, 6–10 p.m.
Special interest pick: El Modo – Museum of Everyday Objects
2. London, United Kingdom
72 art museums | 591 galleries | 73 history museums | 22 science museums
Most popular: British Museum, 4.1M annual visitors
Few cities bring art history to life quite like London. The density of iconic originals is remarkable: in the National Gallery alone, Van Gogh’s Sunflowers and Monet’s Water Lily Pond capture the imagination of millions. The British Museum, visited by over four million people each year, houses Hokusai’s The Great Wave off Kanagawa – one of the most recognizable images in global art.
Across the river, the Tate Modern bridges centuries with its collection of 20th- and 21st-century icons, from Warhol’s Marilyn Diptych to pieces by Roy Lichtenstein and Henri Matisse. Meanwhile, Ophelia by John Everett Millais continues to draw crowds at Tate Britain – proof of London’s enduring power to make old stories feel new.
In short, the city offers a rare chance to see masterpieces spanning centuries in their original form – all within walking distance, and often, free of charge.
Free museum access: Most major public museums are free year-round
Special interest pick: Museum of Brands – Museum of Consumer Culture
3. Basel, Switzerland
6 art museums | 11 galleries | 6 history museums | 2 science museums
Most popular: Fondation Beyeler, 300K annual visitors
Small in size but rich in culture, Basel brings together what other cities spread across miles. Many of its leading museums sit only a short walk apart – from the renowned Kunstmuseum Basel, the world’s oldest public art collection, to the Fondation Beyeler, home to masterpieces by Monet, Rothko, and Giacometti. Adding to the mix are avant-garde institutions like the Tinguely Museum, where kinetic art literally comes to life.
Long established as a cornerstone of the global art scene thanks to the Art Basel fair, this Swiss city still feels like a well-kept secret. Its mix of international prestige and compact scale makes Basel perfect for a short, culture-filled getaway. It is a place where art really does wait around every corner.
Special events: Museumsnacht Basel – January 26, 2026 | Art Basel – June 18–21, 2026
Special interest pick: Tram museum Basel
Home of Art Originals
“Around eight million people visit the Louvre each year, many for the thrill of seeing legendary art pieces up close like Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa or the Venus de Milo. Next door, the Musée d’Orsay gathers Monet, Manet, Renoir, and Degas under one roof, while the Musée de l’Orangerie offers a fascinating encounter with Monet’s monumental Water Lilies. The Centre Pompidou connects the city to modernism with originals by Picasso and Matisse — although the museum is currently closed for renovation.”
Musée d'Orsay
Paris
“Few places have shaped modern and contemporary art quite like New York. At MoMA, the collection reads like a greatest-hits album: Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Cans, Dalí’s The Persistence of Memory. The Whitney turns the spotlight on American art—from Edward Hopper to Georgia O’Keeffe—while the galleries of Chelsea, Tribeca, and Brooklyn buzz with new work and new names. These are the neighborhoods where tomorrow’s careers are made.”
MoMa
New York
“For the world’s most famous frescoes, the Vatican Museums are non-negotiable. The route winds through courtyards and galleries to the Sistine Chapel, where Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam and Last Judgment span ceilings and walls in breathtaking scale. In the Raphael Rooms, The School of Athens anchors the Renaissance narrative. Beyond the Vatican, Rome’s churches and museums reveal Caravaggio’s drama and Bernini’s sculptures. And when in Italy, it’s worth adding Florence to the itinerary: the Galleria degli Uffizi offers another extraordinary encounter with Italian masters, from Botticelli to Michelangelo.”
Sistine Chapel
Rome
“Home to the Golden Triangle of Art, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Madrid stands among Europe’s leading cultural capitals. At its heart lies the Museo del Prado, showcasing iconic originals such as Diego Velázquez’s Las Meninas and Hieronymus Bosch’s The Garden of Earthly Delights. Just steps away, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum offers a sweeping collection from medieval masters to Impressionists, including Dürer, Cézanne, and Hopper. The Museo Reina Sofía then carries visitors into the 20th century with Picasso’s monumental Guernica.”
Museo Reina Sofia
Madrid
1/4
World History Up Close: Three Museums That Thrill Millions
National Museum of China | Beijing | 6.8M annual visitors
Set directly on Tiananmen Square, the National Museum of China ranks among the largest and most visited museums in the world. Its vast collections trace more than five millennia of Chinese history — from early jade carvings and bronze vessels such as the legendary Houmuwu Ding to artworks of the modern era.
Among the most memorable exhibits are the ancient oracle bones once used for rituals and divination, and the refined calligraphies of the Qing dynasty, which ruled China from the 17th to the 20th century. For anyone seeking to grasp the depth and diversity of Chinese civilization, this is the museum that offers it all.
Egyptian Museum | Cairo | 5M annual visitors
In the heart of Cairo, the Egyptian Museum houses one of the most important collections of ancient art and artifacts in the world. More than 120,000 objects transport visitors back to the age of the pharaohs, offering a glimpse into everyday life along the Nile.
The museum’s undisputed highlight was the legendary tomb and golden funerary mask of Tutankhamun, a sight that continues to astonish millions each year. The exhibition just moved to the new Grand Egyptian Museum. Anyway, mummies, reliefs, and statues from every era of ancient Egypt still fill the galleries of the Egyptian museum. A visit is overwhelming and a journey to the cradle of civilization.
National Museum of Korea | Seoul | 3.4M annual visitors
The National Museum of Korea gives the best comprehensive introduction to Korea’s cultural history. The permanent galleries are thoughtfully laid out, showcasing must-see treasures like delicate Silla gold jewelry of the 5th century, luminous Goryeo celadon, Buddhist art and elegant Joseon calligraphy. Smart multimedia tools help to easily navigate, even without Korean language skills. With more than three million visitors each year, it’s the country’s flagship institution and one of East Asia’s most important museums.
Art and History on a Budget
Here, world-class culture doesn’t have to come with a price tag – many museums open their exhibitions for free.
“Most major public museums are free year-round”
Edinburgh
8 free museums
“Most major public museums are free year-round”
Dublin
17 free museums
“Many renowned institutions, including the Smithsonian museums, are free throughout the year”
Washington, D.C.
27 free museums
“Many renowned institutions, including the Museum of Contemporary Photography, are free throughout the year”
Chicago
8 free museums
“Free access year-round at select institutions such as the Fort York National Historic Site”
Toronto
5 free museums
1/5
Methodology
This research considered 50 international cities known for their active art scenes and established cultural institutions. To ensure reliable and comparable results, we also factored in global diversity, relevance to visitors, and the availability of verifiable data.
Institutional diversity We began by measuring the diversity of each city’s cultural offerings. The focus was on museums dedicated to art, history, and science, as well as art galleries. This factor reflects how varied the local landscape is and how likely travelers are to find spaces that match their interests. To enable fair comparisons across cities of different sizes, results were standardized per one million annual visitors/tourists.
Collection quality
To assess the quality of the museum experience, we looked at two indicators. The first was the opportunity to see original works by renowned artists — from Old Masters to modern icons such as Leonardo da Vinci, Monet, Picasso, Van Gogh, Klimt, Beuys, Raphael, Gauguin, Dalí, and Kahlo. The second was the annual visitor count of each city’s most popular museum, serving as a measure of visibility, influence, and public appeal.
Accessibility Culture should be accessible to everyone. We examined how many institutions offer free admission year-round and whether cities or museums provide regular free-entry days or hours. Both serve as key indicators of accessibility, revealing how open a city makes its collections — and how low the barriers are for experiencing art and culture.
Ranking Each city’s overall score was calculated on a 10–100 scale, with all factors weighted equally. The city with the highest combined score ranked first in the list of the world’s best cities for art and museums. All data was collected and verified in November 2025 to ensure accuracy and consistency.