INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM DAY

Popularly known as IMD, International Museum Day is observed every year on 18th May. The holiday is coordinated by the International Council of Museums (ICOM) with the aim of educating the public about museums and the challenges they face. Every year, the council comes up with a specific International Museum Day theme and all activities revolve around the particular topic.

History of International Museum Day

International Museum Day was created in 1977. The International Council of Museums created this day to give museum professionals a chance to meet the public and make them aware of their everyday challenges. The IMD main goal is to raise awareness on the significant part that museums play in the improvement of society internationally.

The council chooses a theme every year, and museums across the globe strive to organize activities around the subject. Some of the past themes include environmental care, globalization, bridging culture gaps and indigenous people.

Over the years, International Museum Day has become very popular with more museums and countries participating. In 2017, about 36000 museums and 157 countries participated in the event.

How to Celebrate International Museum Day

One of the best International Museum Day activities to celebrate International Museum Day is taking a trip to the nearest museum. Museums are one of the most educational places under the planet. It is here that we get to learn about our ancestors, Greek sculptures, prehistoric spears, planes used in the WW1, Egyptian mummies; simply said, museums have it all.

Friends can accompany you, your children or even take the trip alone. Given that there are different types of museums, you will be spoilt for choice. From farming, art, fashion, natural history, astronomy to archeology.

Depending on the Museum you intend to visit, you might be lucky to get free admission. For instance, on the International Museum Day Philadelphia Museum of Art is known for awarding visitors a free Museum Day.

It is, however, important to note that museums can be very crowded on this particular day. If you can’t tolerate long queues, crowds and noisy surroundings, then you should consider visiting the museum a few days after or before the holiday.

On this day, the International Council of Museums holds a special delegation in some of the largest museums in the world where the president of the ICOM gives a persuasive speech on International Museum Day.

If you can’t visit a museum, plan to donate or volunteer to work at the museum nearby.

As the whole world marks the day, be sure to join the conversation on social media by using the hashtag #museumday.

Best Museums in the World

The best museums in the world are popular tourist attractions during the International Museum Day period. This list with some of the best ten museums will also help you determine where to visit during the next Museum Day.

1. The Louvre in Paris, France

2. British Museum in London, UK

3. National Museum of China

4. National Museum of Natural History, Washington DC

5. Vatican Museum, Vatican City

6. National Palace Museum in Taipei Taiwan

7. Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands

8. Museo Nacional Del Prado in Madrid

9. National Gallery, Athens

10. Metropolitan Museum of Art New York, NY

Interesting Facts about Museums

- In classical Latin, a museum means a holy place to the muses or a place where people study arts and philosophy.

- Museology is a term that describes the study of museum collections and their presentation to the public for educational purposes.

- Louvre Museum in Paris, France receives more than nine million visitors every year.

- India and Japan are the only countries that have toilet museums.

- There is an Umbrella Covers Museum in Maine, the USA that has over 1300 umbrella covers.

- The Dog Collar Museum at Leeds Castle in Kent does not allow dogs in the compound.