The Metropolitan Museum of Art, better known as the Met, is the biggest museum in the US and one of the best known and most visited in the world. It houses a wide range of collections, from Egyptian art to musical instruments and armour. 

The Musée d'Orsay has a vast collection of French art and was first established in 1986. The museum is housed in the former railway station, Gare d'Orsay, and exhibits masterpieces from Money, Degas and Van Gogh among others. Visit musee-orsay.fr for more information. 

After the Met, the Art Institute of Chicago is the United States' largest museum. It is home to a permanent collection of impressionist and post-impressionist works along with a number of other temporary exhibitions including Old Masters and architecture. 

Right in the centre of the Spanish capital, The Museo del Prado is considered Spain's main art museum. It's widely considered to have the best collection of Spanish art in the world and houses works including Goya, Velázquez and Titian among others.

The Louvre is the most visited museum in the world, recognised for it's stunning home in the Louvre Palace and the more modern addition of the glass pyramid. The Paris museum, which was first established in 1792, is home to the iconic Mona Lisa, painted by Leonardo da Vinci in the 1500s. 

The State Hermitage was founded in 1764 by Catherine the Great and its current collections are made up of more than three million items. The museum is housed in a complex of six buildings on the Palace Embankment, one of which is the Winter Palace, a former home of Russia emperors. 

The National Gallery, in Trafalgar Square, is one of London��s most famous sites and houses a collection of paintings from the 13th to 19th centuries as well as a number of visiting exhibitions. 

Amsterdam's Rijks Museum sits on the famous Museumplein where the Stedelijk and Van Gogh museum can also be found. The art and history museum was shut for a 10 year renovation in 2003 and reopened with updates and new areas in 2013. It is the most visited museum in the Netherlands and has 8,000 objects of art and history on display inside. 

The Vasa Museum in Stockholm is a maritime museum that is home to the only fully intact 17th century ship ever to be salvaged. The Vasa warship is acommanied by four other museum ships that can be found in moored in the harbour outside. The museum first opened in 1990 and sees over a million visitors each year. 

The Museo Nacional de Antropología is the national museum of Mexico and it houses archaelogical and anthropoligcal artefacts from Mexico's history. The Aztec calendar stone, the Stone of the Sun, is just one of the impressive objects that can be found there. 

The Acropolis Museum is home to the archaeological findings from the Acropolis of Athens, the ancient citadel which sits high above Athens. The area is home to a number of ancient buildings of great historical significance including the Parthenon. The museum opened in 2009 and houses nearly 4,000 objects.

The British Museum was founded in 1753 and was the first national public museum in the world. The museum is home to a host of interesting exhibits from countries all over the world, including the iconic Rosetta Stone and the Parthenon Sculptures among many others. 

The Van Gogh Museum is also found on Amsterdam's Museumplein and is home to the largest collection of works from the famous Dutch artist. The museum houses Van Gogh's iconic 'Sunflowers' painting as well as works from a number of the artist's contemporaries. 

The Galleria dell'Accademia was founded in 1784 and houses a collection of Renaissance painting as well as the world famous David sculpture, created by Michelangelo in the 1500s. Some of Michelangelo's other works are also on display, as are pieces from Giambologna and Uccello. Visit accademia.org for more information. 

The National WWII Museum in New Orleans focuses on the United States' contribution during the Second World War. The museum opened on the 56th D-Day anniversary and has a number of aircraft including dive bombers and spitfires on display. Visit nationalww2museum.org for more information.