museums Archives

3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum, Doha: practical guide for first-time visitors

The 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum is the only Arab member of the Olympic Museum Network, built into the side of Khalifa International Stadium. This guide was updated in June 2026. Admission has dropped sharply since the FIFA World Cup 2022 era, when non-resident…

The Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar.

Museum of Islamic Art, Doha: practical guide for first-time visitors

The Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) is Qatar's flagship Islamic art museum, set on its own island along Doha's Corniche. This guide was updated in June 2026. MIA is closed on Wednesdays now, not Tuesdays as several older guides still state. Admission is no longer…

The National Museum of Qatar in Doha, Qatar.

National Museum of Qatar, Doha: practical guide for first-time visitors

The National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ) is Qatar's national history museum, built around a restored royal palace on Doha's Corniche. This guide was updated in June 2026. Some of NMoQ's galleries are currently closed for enhancement, a detail that won't appear in older guides written…

The Kyoto Railway Museum in Kyoto, Japan.

Visiting Kyoto Railway Museum, Kyoto: practical guide for first-time visitors

The Kyoto Railway Museum is a vast railway museum in Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto, run by JR West on the site of the former Umekoji Steam Locomotive Museum. This guide was updated in June 2026. General admission is now 1,500 yen, up from the 1,200 yen…

National Automobile Museum, Turin (MAUTO): practical guide for first-time visitors

The Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile (MAUTO) in Turin is one of the most important automotive museums in the world. It houses over 200 original vehicles from 80 brands tracing the history of the automobile from the first steam cars of 1769 to current Formula 1 machinery.…

Visiting Choco-Story Torino, Turin: practical guide for first-time visitors

Choco-Story Torino at Via Paolo Sacchi 38 in Turin is a dedicated chocolate and gianduja museum in the basement of the historic Pfatisch pastry shop, part of the 14-location international Choco-Story museum network. It holds over 700 objects tracing the history of cacao from the…

Visiting the Galata Maritime Museum, Genoa: practical guide for first-time visitors

The Galata Museo del Mare in the Porto Antico (old port) of Genoa is the largest maritime museum in the Mediterranean. It covers 12,000 m² across five levels and 31 galleries, with five full-scale ship reconstructions, a live submarine moored outside, and the most compelling…

Visiting the Museo Maradona, Naples: practical guide for first-time visitors

The Museo Maradona – Collezione Vignati in the Quartieri Spagnoli (Spanish Quarter) of Naples is a permanent museum of over 150 authentic objects belonging to Diego Armando Maradona. It was assembled by the Vignati family — whose matriarch Lucia was Maradona's Neapolitan housekeeper and confidante…

Visiting the Murano Glass Museum, Venice: practical guide for first-time visitors

The Museo del Vetro on the island of Murano in the Venetian lagoon is the world's most comprehensive museum of Murano glass history. It's housed in the former Bishop's Palace of Torcello — a building constructed in the 7th century. This guide was updated in…

Natural History Museum of Venice: practical guide for first-time visitors

The Museo di Storia Naturale di Venezia occupies the Fontego dei Turchi — a 13th-century Byzantine palazzo on the Grand Canal. It holds prehistoric fossils, live aquarium specimens, Saharan dinosaur skeletons, and one of the most important natural science research collections in northern Italy. This…