Types of Museums

A simple map of museum types

Quick overview table

General and multidisciplinary museums

General museums (often called multidisciplinary museums) bring different fields together under one roof: art, archaeology, natural history, decorative arts and more. In one visit you might see a Bronze Age tool, a modern painting and a mineral collection just a few steps apart.

These institutions usually grew from large historical collections, sometimes starting as private cabinets of curiosities and slowly becoming public. For visitors who enjoy sampling many topics instead of focusing on only one, a general museum is a great first choice in any city.

Art museums and galleries

Art museums focus on visual creativity: painting, sculpture, photography, installation, textiles, design and many other media. They may collect works from a specific period, such as Renaissance art, or cover the full journey from ancient pieces to contemporary experiments.

Most art museums are designed as quiet, reflective spaces where visitors can slow down. Labels, audio guides and guided tours help you read images like texts, while temporary exhibitions bring in new themes, from architecture to digital art. If you enjoy colour, form and storytelling through images, this is your natural home.

• Permanent collections: the core holdings of the museum, often arranged by time or style.
• Temporary shows: focused exhibitions built around a theme, artist or movement.
• Education spaces with drawing workshops, talks and film programs.

History museums

History museums tell the story of people over time using objects, documents, models and media. A single gallery might connect a simple household tool, a travel ticket and a personal diary, showing how everyday life changed across decades or centuries.

Some focus on a city or region, others on specific themes such as technology, education or urban development. Expect reconstructions of rooms or streets, multimedia timelines, and sometimes interactive stations where you can listen to first-person memories or explore maps.

• Good for: visitors who enjoy context and stories around objects, not just the objects themselves.
• Plan ahead: check if there are themed tours; they often connect big events to local experiences.

Natural history museums

Natural history museums explore the earth, life and environment. Here you meet dinosaur skeletons, fossils, minerals, taxidermy mounts, botanical samples, insects and interactive displays about ecosystems and evolution. Biodiversity, climate and geology are central themes.

Many natural history museums use dioramas – life-size scenes that recreate habitats – to place specimens in context. For families and students, these galleries make abstract science topics more concrete, turning complex processes into visible stories about animals, plants and landscapes.

Science and technology museums

Science museums and technology centers are built around experimentation and curiosity. Instead of “do not touch” signs, you often see invitations to push, turn, move and test. Visitors explore topics such as physics, biology, space, energy and digital tools through interactive exhibits.

These museums may also display historic machines, vehicles and instruments that show how innovation changed daily life. Workshops, science shows and maker spaces encourage hands-on learning, making them ideal for school groups and curious adults alike.

• Expect noise and movement: these spaces are often lively, with active experiments and demonstrations.
• Look for zones dedicated to specific ages so everyone, from young children to researchers, finds something at the right level.

Children’s museums

Children’s museums are designed primarily for young visitors and their caregivers. Almost every exhibit invites children to touch, build, role-play or experiment. You might find a mini city, a water play area, a simple science lab or a costume-filled theatre stage.

While the atmosphere is playful, the goals are serious: developing motor skills, social skills and early scientific thinking. Exhibits are usually organised into zones such as “Our World”, “How Things Work” or “Art Studio”, making it easy for families to plan a short, focused visit even with small children.

Ethnographic and cultural heritage museums

Ethnographic museums and cultural heritage museums focus on communities, traditions and ways of life. Instead of telling one big global story, they zoom in on specific groups, often highlighting language, rituals, clothing, music and craft.

Displays are usually arranged by themes such as “home”, “work” or “celebration”, mixing objects with photos, videos and recorded voices. Many institutions invite community members to co-curate exhibitions, ensuring that stories are told in respectful, nuanced ways.

• Look for live events: talks, performances and craft demonstrations add extra layers of meaning.
• Be ready to listen as much as you look; personal narratives are central in these museums.

Open-air museums and ecomuseums

Open-air museums and ecomuseums move the experience outside the usual gallery building. They preserve historic houses, farms, workshops or entire streets, often within a carefully managed landscape. Visitors walk from building to building, stepping into recreated interiors and everyday scenes.

Because these museums use real architecture and surroundings, you can sense scale, climate and distance in ways that are hard to reproduce indoors. Many offer seasonal activities such as harvesting, cooking, or traditional games, making the visit feel like entering a living environment rather than looking at static displays.

Specialized and niche museums

Specialized museums devote themselves to a single subject or a narrow theme. You may encounter museums focused on music, fashion, transport, food, crafts, design, toys, sports and many other interests. Their collections go deep rather than broad, giving enthusiasts and curious newcomers a chance to dive into one topic.

Because their missions are so focused, these museums often have a very distinct personality. Exhibition design, graphic style and interpretation follow the identity of the subject, whether it is playful, elegant, technical or experimental. For visitors, every room feels tied to one coherent story.

Digital and virtual museums

In recent years, digital and virtual museums have opened collections to audiences worldwide. These platforms use high-resolution images, 3D scans, panoramic tours and interactive maps so that visitors can explore from home or the classroom.

Some exist only online, while others extend the work of a physical institution. You might compare artworks from different continents on one screen, zoom into tiny details that are hard to see in person, or follow curated “digital trails” on themes such as colour, materials or symbolism.

How to choose which museum to visit

With so many types of museums, how do you pick one for your next free afternoon? Start with a simple question: Do I want to focus on art, history, science, nature, culture or a single passion? Matching this answer to the categories above quickly narrows the options to a few good candidates.

Next, consider your company. For young children, a children’s museum, science center or open-air site often works best because they offer movement and hands-on exploration. For adults who enjoy calm reflection, art museums and history museums may be more satisfying. Mixed-interest groups usually appreciate multidisciplinary museums, where everyone can find one gallery they love.