Art & Design Museums Worldwide
Painting galleries, sculpture collections, design and contemporary art – from the Old Masters to the present day.
Art & Design Museums Worldwide: Overview & Tips
Our guide lists 809 art and design museums worldwide, spread across 3 countries and 419 towns and cities. Of these, 639 are in Germany, 96 in Denmark, and 74 in the Netherlands.
Among regions, North Rhine-Westphalia (120), Bavaria (113), and Baden-Württemberg (79) have the most; among cities, Berlin (47), Munich (23), and Amsterdam (18) lead the way.
88 museums are free to visit. For the others with a published price, a regular adult ticket costs €8 at the median, and the middle half charge between €5 and €11.
384 museums are fully wheelchair accessible, 602 offer dedicated programs for families, and 384 have a café or restaurant. These figures come from our ongoing research – museums whose details we haven’t verified yet aren’t included in the counts.
Top 10 art and design museums worldwide
The best-known art and design museums worldwide
RijksmuseumArt · Amsterdam
PergamonmuseumArchaeology · Berlin
Van Gogh MuseumArt · Amsterdam
Schloss NymphenburgCastles & Palaces · Munich
MauritshuisArt · The Hague
Schloss CharlottenburgCastles & Palaces · Berlin
Alte PinakothekArt · Munich
Neues MuseumArchaeology · Berlin
Würzburger ResidenzCastles & Palaces · Würzburg
Altes MuseumArchaeology · Berlin
Art and design museums worldwide with free admission
East Side GalleryArt · Berlin
Bauhaus-ArchivArt · Berlin
Museum FolkwangArt · Essen
Davids SamlingArt · Copenhagen
Staatliches Museum SchwerinArt · Schwerin
Lindenau-MuseumArt · Altenburg
Museum OstwallArt · Dortmund
Mies van der Rohe HausArt · Berlin
Randers KunstmuseumArt · Randers
Grote Kerk AlkmaarHistory · Alkmaar
Art and design museums worldwide with programs for families
- RijksmuseumArt · Amsterdam
- Van Gogh MuseumArt · Amsterdam
- Schloss NymphenburgCastles & Palaces · Munich
- MauritshuisArt · The Hague
- Schloss CharlottenburgCastles & Palaces · Berlin
- Alte PinakothekArt · Munich
- Neues MuseumArchaeology · Berlin
- Würzburger ResidenzCastles & Palaces · Würzburg
- Altes MuseumArchaeology · Berlin
Bode-MuseumArt · Berlin
Wheelchair-accessible art and design museums worldwide
- RijksmuseumArt · Amsterdam
- Van Gogh MuseumArt · Amsterdam
- MauritshuisArt · The Hague
- Alte PinakothekArt · Munich
- Neues MuseumArchaeology · Berlin
- Würzburger ResidenzCastles & Palaces · Würzburg
- Altes MuseumArchaeology · Berlin
- Ägyptisches Museum und PapyrussammlungArchaeology · Berlin
Gemäldegalerie BerlinArt · Berlin
GlyptothekArt · Munich
Art and design museums worldwide with the highest published visitor numbers
- Erotic Art Museum HamburgArt · Hamburg
Humboldt ForumWorld cultures · Berlin- PergamonmuseumArchaeology · Berlin
Stedelijk Museum AmsterdamArt · Amsterdam
ARoS Aarhus KunstmuseumArt · Aarhus
Eye FilmmuseumSpecial · Amsterdam
Statens Museum for KunstArt · Copenhagen- Neues MuseumArchaeology · Berlin
Ny Carlsberg GlyptotekArt · Copenhagen
Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister DresdenArt · Dresden
Current special exhibitions at art and design museums worldwide
- WORNRijksmuseum · Amsterdam · until March 21, 2027
- Carel Visser in de RijksmuseumtuinenRijksmuseum · Amsterdam · until October 25, 2026
- Nieuw in de 20ste eeuwRijksmuseum · Amsterdam · until November 9, 2026
- Willem de Kooning at workRijksmuseum · Amsterdam · until January 17, 2027
- Document Nederland: Nieuwe EnergieRijksmuseum · Amsterdam · until January 17, 2027
- Tekenen!Rijksmuseum · Amsterdam · until May 23, 2027
- PERGAMON. Meisterwerke der antiken Metropole und 360°-Panorama von Yadegar AsisiPergamonmuseum · Berlin
- Yoshitoshi. Master of the MoonVan Gogh Museum · Amsterdam · until January 4, 2027
- Whistler. Dandy and DisruptorVan Gogh Museum · Amsterdam · until January 10, 2027
- Eva GonzalèsVan Gogh Museum · Amsterdam · until June 20, 2027
By country
Cities with the most museums
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
How many art and design museums are there worldwide?
Our directory currently lists 809 art and design museums worldwide across 419 towns and cities.
What are the best-known art and design museums worldwide?
Some of the best known are Rijksmuseum, Pergamonmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Schloss Nymphenburg, and Mauritshuis.
Which art and design museums worldwide offer free admission?
88 museums are free to visit – for example East Side Gallery, Bauhaus-Archiv, Museum Folkwang, and Davids Samling.
Which art and design museums worldwide are open on Mondays?
Many museums are closed on Mondays, but according to their regular hours 126 are open, such as Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, and Schloss Nymphenburg.
Which art and design museums worldwide are wheelchair accessible?
384 museums are fully wheelchair accessible, including Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, and Mauritshuis. Others are partially accessible – you’ll find the details on each museum’s page.
How much does it cost to visit art and design museums worldwide?
A regular adult ticket costs €8 at the median, with prices ranging from €1 to €27.75. Children, students and families usually pay less.
Other categories: History & Cultural History · Natural History · Science & Technology · Archaeology & Antiquity · Memorials · Castles, Palaces & Monasteries · Open-Air Museums · City & Regional Museums · World Cultures & Ethnology · People & Literature · Special-Interest Museums