museums | time portals | bridging divides

On 18 May 2026, museums worldwide will mark International Museum Day under the theme “Museums Uniting a Divided World”. The theme highlights the potential of museums to act as bridges across cultural, social, and geopolitical divides, fostering dialogue, understanding, inclusion and peace within and between communities worldwide. 

popular museums around the world

Every year on May 18th, International Museum Day provides an opportunity for museum professionals to alert the general public about the importance of museums and the challenges they face. 

Museums help to preserve the world’s culture and history. Their role of collecting objects and materials of cultural and historical importance helps us to better understand our heritage. Museums are time portals - providing an all-important link to the past. 

The Obama Presidential Center - an all-around community center 

serving as athletic center, museum, library 

Despite their importance, some museums are on their way to becoming a thing of the past. This is due to the declining number of museum visitors. 

This is especially true of art and culture museums. In the United States, many museums have suffered financially since the Great Recession in 2008. Due to financial problems, some museums had to close completely. To prevent this from happening, it’s more important than ever to support them.

The National Museum of Iceland's permanent exhibition,
Making of a Nation - Heritage and History in Iceland

Some museums, especially some of the more famous ones, continue to do well. The most visited museum in the world is the Louvre. In just one year, 10.2 million people visited this museum. Other museums with millions of visitors a year include:

• National Museum of China
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC
• Vatican Museums in Vatican City
• National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
• British Museum in London

Yad Vashem Holocaust museum designed by Moshe Safdie

It may surprise you to know that the country with the highest number of museums per capita in the world is Israel. Other countries with a lot of museums include China, the United States, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Germany. 

Thousands of museums around the world participate in this day. Events through the years have included visits and workshops for schools, special performances of plays, music, and traditional dances, seminars with international speakers, and photo contests. Some museums hold events for the entire week. 

Hawai'ian Hall, Hawaiʻi State Museum of Natural and Cultural History

The International Council of Museums (ICOM) has organized an International Museum Day since 1977. During the most recent event, 37,000 museums in 158 countries and territories participated. Each year ICOM comes up with a theme for this special day.

• 2026 – Museums Uniting a Divided World
• 2025 – The Future of Museums in Rapidly Changing Communities
• 2024 – Museums for Education and Research
• 2023 – Museums, Sustainability and Well-being
• 2022 – The Power of Museums
• 2021 – The Future of Museums: Recover and Reimagine
• 2020 – Museum for Equality: Diversity and Inclusion

Philippine National Museum of Natural History, Manila

Since 2020, International Museum Day has supported a set of @unitednations Sustainable Development Goals. Museums contribute in many ways, from promoting inclusion and accessibility to encouraging collaboration and peacebuilding.

In 2026, we highlight these three key Sustainable Development Goals:

• Goal 10 – Reduce inequalities
• Goal 16 – Peace, justice, and strong institutions
• Goal 17 – Partnerships for the goals

The Negros Museum, Bacolod City

wonder | wander | women join in the celebrations worldwide by encouraging all to create awareness for the day by sharing your favorite museum on social media with #InternationalMuseumDay or #IMD.