Today, CNN posted an article with the World's 20 Best Museums (as rated by TripAdvisor users) and I was anxious to see how many I had experienced. I scrolled quickly through the list, but I was almost embarrassed to see that I had only been to six of the museums listed.
Here's the list (with the museums I have visited in bold font):
1. Art Institute of Chicago
2. National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City
3. State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg
4. The Getty Center, Los Angeles
5. Galleria dell'Accademia, Florence (2013)
6. Musee d'Orsay, Paris
7. Metropolitan Muesum of Art, New York
8. The Acropolis Museum, Athens
9. Prado Museum, Madrid (2010)
10. Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial, Jerusalem
11. National WWII Museum, New Orleans
12. The National Gallery, London (2002)
13. Vasa Museum, Stockholm (2001)
14. National Gallery of Art, Washington
15. British Museum, London
16. Hagia Sophia, Istanbul (2012)
17. Instituto Ricardo Brennand, Reclife (Brazil)
18. Galleria Borghese, Rome
19. Musee du Louvre, Paris (2002)
20. The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Why have I not been to more? I have already traveled to 17 of the 19 cities that contain these world-famous museums, so I can't really use the excuse that they are still on my bucket list. Even worse, the top-rated museum is in Chicago - a city I called home for 2 years - yet I never even bothered to step foot inside.
Before I rushed to reserve a spot on the next available tour at the Art Institute of Chicago, I thought a little more about the natural bias in this article. The list is comprised of reviews from people who not only took the time to visit the museums, but also made the effort to review them on Tripadvisor. These are museum people!
Me? I'm an activity person. I much prefer to discover local culture by signing up for a running race, walking around aimlessly without a map, and taking public transportation with the locals. Some museums can be interesting, but I always seem to quickly forget all the details about what I learned. I never look back at the pictures of ancient weapons or period clothing hanging on museum walls, but I always remember the feeling at the finish line of a race, while the local residents cheer me on.
Travel is a personal adventure and it should never be about feeling obligated to see the biggest tourist attractions. Some people will get a thrill out of seeing a museum that was rated among the best in the world and I am sure they will enjoy the experience. After all, these museums were rated highly for a reason. However, I also applaud the travelers who boldly customize their vacations in a way that does not include the most talked-about sites.
Do I regret having missed out on so many popular museums? Not at all. I had incredible trips to Athens, Amsterdam, Rome, and other cities on the list. I do find it humorous that I have toured the Heineken brewery, yet I never found the time to visit the museum dedicated to art and history. As a college student visiting Amsterdam, I was much more interested in the history of this iconic brand of beer than I was about the contributions from artists that lived centuries ago.
I love the role that TripAdvisor plays in social media. Contributors can vent their complaints (or share their praises), businesses can use the candid feedback to improve their service, and travelers can look at the reviews to better informed choices. The overall ratings are no more scientific than any one person's opinion, but it is still fun to read about the experiences of random strangers and the way they perceive certain things.
My guess is that most people clicked on this list with the same intent as me: to discover how many of the top-ranked museums they have visited. How many have you been to?
Here's the list (with the museums I have visited in bold font):
1. Art Institute of Chicago
2. National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City
3. State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg
4. The Getty Center, Los Angeles
5. Galleria dell'Accademia, Florence (2013)
6. Musee d'Orsay, Paris
7. Metropolitan Muesum of Art, New York
8. The Acropolis Museum, Athens
9. Prado Museum, Madrid (2010)
10. Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial, Jerusalem
11. National WWII Museum, New Orleans
12. The National Gallery, London (2002)
13. Vasa Museum, Stockholm (2001)
14. National Gallery of Art, Washington
15. British Museum, London
16. Hagia Sophia, Istanbul (2012)
17. Instituto Ricardo Brennand, Reclife (Brazil)
18. Galleria Borghese, Rome
19. Musee du Louvre, Paris (2002)
20. The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
 |
| My favorite from this list: Hagia Sophia (2012) |
Why have I not been to more? I have already traveled to 17 of the 19 cities that contain these world-famous museums, so I can't really use the excuse that they are still on my bucket list. Even worse, the top-rated museum is in Chicago - a city I called home for 2 years - yet I never even bothered to step foot inside.
Before I rushed to reserve a spot on the next available tour at the Art Institute of Chicago, I thought a little more about the natural bias in this article. The list is comprised of reviews from people who not only took the time to visit the museums, but also made the effort to review them on Tripadvisor. These are museum people!
 |
| "Museum People" admiring the Mona Lisa at the Louvre (2002) |
Me? I'm an activity person. I much prefer to discover local culture by signing up for a running race, walking around aimlessly without a map, and taking public transportation with the locals. Some museums can be interesting, but I always seem to quickly forget all the details about what I learned. I never look back at the pictures of ancient weapons or period clothing hanging on museum walls, but I always remember the feeling at the finish line of a race, while the local residents cheer me on.
Travel is a personal adventure and it should never be about feeling obligated to see the biggest tourist attractions. Some people will get a thrill out of seeing a museum that was rated among the best in the world and I am sure they will enjoy the experience. After all, these museums were rated highly for a reason. However, I also applaud the travelers who boldly customize their vacations in a way that does not include the most talked-about sites.
 |
| "Admiring" artwork at the Tate Modern in London (2001) |
Do I regret having missed out on so many popular museums? Not at all. I had incredible trips to Athens, Amsterdam, Rome, and other cities on the list. I do find it humorous that I have toured the Heineken brewery, yet I never found the time to visit the museum dedicated to art and history. As a college student visiting Amsterdam, I was much more interested in the history of this iconic brand of beer than I was about the contributions from artists that lived centuries ago.
 | |
| Drumming at the Heineken Brewery in Amsterdam (2002) |
I love the role that TripAdvisor plays in social media. Contributors can vent their complaints (or share their praises), businesses can use the candid feedback to improve their service, and travelers can look at the reviews to better informed choices. The overall ratings are no more scientific than any one person's opinion, but it is still fun to read about the experiences of random strangers and the way they perceive certain things.
My guess is that most people clicked on this list with the same intent as me: to discover how many of the top-ranked museums they have visited. How many have you been to?
No comments:
Post a Comment