The Most Impactful Museums From Around the World
Top Picks From the RISE Travel Institute Staff
Museums can be deeply profound and highly controversial. Unfortunately, many of the “must-see” museums are haunted by a troubling past. They too often harbor items stolen by colonizers and then labeled with a placard “explaining” the cultural artifact from the colonizer’s perspective, prompting the call to “decolonize” many western museums (more on that in this piece from our blog). However, when culturally sensitive and expertly curated, museums can be a repository of profound knowledge. Those that showcase diverse voices, take a deep dive into traditionally ignored histories, and use vivid and unique forms of storytelling to leave a powerful impression on the museum-goer are worth celebrating and worth a visit (or two).
In honor of International Museum Day, we asked our RISE Travel Institute staff to share some of their favorite museums from around the world and why they found these particular sites to be so impactful. The list is as geographically diverse as our staffers and hopefully will shine a light on a few hidden gems for your next travel adventure.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, Hiroshima Japan
“This museum is important because it gives people a glimpse of the atrocities committed by the US against Japan during World War II. It’s also a peace museum to remind everyone that peace will always win. It brings people together to commemorate and honor lives lost and to forge a hope this will never happen again.”
Celestina Hendrickson, Student Engagement Manager
The Museo de la Memoria y Los Derechos Humanos, Santiago, Chile
“The Museo de la Memoria y Los Derechos Humanos is a space that shows the human rights violations against the Chilean people from 1973 to 1990 during the dictatorship led by Pinochet. Some of the most impactful areas in the museum are drawings made by children displayed on the wall. One in particular that touched me had the words, “Yo le tengo miedo a la muerte” (“I am afraid of death”) written on the drawing. Another area was the Sala Ausencia y Memoria. It’s a wall you can see from any floor with pictures of some of the victims who were assassinated or disappeared and were never found during the military dictatorship. As someone who just moved to Chile to live and work but was prepared very little in terms of Chile’s past, visiting the museum helped me gain awareness and sensitivity when speaking with colleagues and students on a daily basis.”
Ashely Gavilanes, Social Media Coordinator
Niterói Contemporary Art Museum (MAC), Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
“The Niterói Contemporary Art Museum (MAC) is situated in the city of Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. One of my city’s landmarks, the MAC was the first museum I visited. Its unique shape, which resembles a flying saucer floating over the sea, was designed by the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer. I enjoyed seeing the beautiful view of the city from there after visiting the exhibits!”
Aline A. Moura, Editor and Content Writer
Jewish Museum Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
“As a woman who is Jewish and grew up in Milwaukee, I’m proud of the museum’s attention to preserving and presenting the history of Jewish people in southeastern Wisconsin. The doors are open, and everyone is welcome. The search for freedom and equality is an important component of Jewish heritage and culture as is true of so many other religions and communities around the world. The stories the museum shares and the common threads that run through them stimulate dialogues, new connections, and deepen understanding of similar challenges and shared humanity. Whether it’s “Stitching History from the Holocaust”; “Blacklist: The Hollywood Red Scare” or the current exhibit (in partnership with the Japanese American Citizens League WI Chapter): “Then They came for Me: Incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II and the Demise of Civil Liberties,” what are the impacts of these stories — — on those who had the experiences and those who follow? What can be learned about prejudice, discrimination, and hate that we see on the rise in policies, politics, and media today? What can I do? What can we do? How and with whom?”
Ann Becker, Principal Strategic Advisor
Fotografiska, Stockholm, Sweden (additional locations worldwide)
“The exhibits were curated really well and presented some really interesting themes. The exhibits rotate. One thing that I find really interesting and engaging is that many of the photographs and exhibits force the viewer to think about a topic or issue. These are not just beautiful images. Some of them make you think, some make you uncomfortable. The exhibits in the museum truly use the medium as a means to tell a story. The space itself is beautiful and I finished off my visit with a glass of cava on the top floor looking out at the water at sunset. There is a branch in NYC too, and it is equally wonderful.”
Jodi Suckle, Experiential Travel Manager
War Museum Cambodia, Siem Reap, Cambodia
“Visiting this museum will stay with me forever. It provides an inside view of the civil war that nearly destroyed the country. The military equipment and weapons there don’t interest me that much, but for me, it was the guides that told the stories of war. The guides are all ex-soldiers, sons of soldiers, and landmine victims. While challenging to learn their stories, it’s also incredibly important to know the atrocities that took place in Cambodia.”
Megan Begley, Fundraising and Donor Engagement Manager and Board Member
The Museum of the Palestinian People, Washington, DC, USA
“There are so many museums in DC, many of them quite well known (The National Museum of African American History and Culture is well known but amazing!). However, The Museum of the Palestinian People is a hidden gem. Though the collection is small, the guided tours, which occur every hour and take you through the history of the Palestinian people, make the visit a significant and very educational experience. You will learn about the dark history of the Nakba and the current occupation, but you will also learn about culture, the amazing diaspora (fun fact: there is a huge Palestinian community in Chile!), and those of Palestinian heritage that have made a profound and inspiring impact on the world at large.”
Kara King, Content Producer
Need more museum tips? Some others we can’t wait to check out include the National Memorial for Peace and Justice and The Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration in Montgomery, Alabama, USA. As their website states, the Memorial for Peace and Justice is “The nation’s first memorial dedicated to the legacy of enslaved Black people, people terrorized by lynching, African Americans humiliated by racial segregation and Jim Crow, and people of color burdened with contemporary presumptions of guilt and police violence.” The Legacy Museum provides further context on these dark periods of our nation’s history and the systemic racism that still haunts our country to this day. Impact Travel Alliance has also put together a list of destinations where you can learn and celebrate Black history, which includes museums like the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in Cape Town, South Africa, the Museum of Black Civilizations in Dakar, Senegal, and more. Our friend Shelley Bragg, GOOD Travel’s South African Co-founder, also recommended the important Hector Pieterson Museum located in the Kliptown suburb of Soweto in Gauteng, South Africa. This museum honors the South African student resistance against apartheid and has an anti-oppression message.
Finally, we can’t end this list without mentioning Hong Kong’s June 4th Museum, which pays tribute to the 1989 Tiananmen Square protest and massacre. After its forced closure in 2021, as a result of the National Security Law, Beijing has imposed on the territory since June 30, 2020, the museum took its archives online. While the virtual museum is only available in the Chinese language, the important archival photos can and should be witnessed by all.
We hope you will celebrate International Museum Day with a trip to your favorite in-person or virtual museum. If you have additional suggestions for impactful museums from around the world, feel free to drop them in the comments. And from all of us at RISE Travel Institute, happy museum hopping.
RISE Travel Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that inspires responsible, impactful, sustainable, and ethical travel through education. Programming includes The RISE Travel Institute Flagship Program, a ten-week course offered twice yearly that guides travelers and travel professionals using a systems approach and anti-oppression principles. Additional courses include Experiential Journeys, a K-12 Teacher Training program, thematic short courses, and destination courses. We envision a world where travel is a force for positive transformation for both travelers and travel destinations.
Kara King (she/her/hers) is a traveler and writer who strives to enhance the voices of others. She has developed travel content for Thrillist, Wanderful, and Unearth Women. She is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, and holds a degree in Comparative Literature.
