The Importance Of Museums

This is a response to 15 American Museums To Visit After The Pandemic.

As an avid museum visitor, I loved the variety of great institutions that this Odyssey creator has included in their list of American sites. Wherever I travel, I try my best to visit a museum in the area, especially an art museum! Although I have visited some of the locations included on the list, I feel like there’s always an endless amount of significant places to visit when exploring the history and culture of someplace new. From museums that focus on significant cultural and historical events and topics, we can all learn more about what we’re passionate about and what we want to learn more about.

For example, on my school trip to Washington D.C., we visited historical sites and museums related to what we had learned in our American history classes, from the Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania to the Smithsonian in Washington. Even though I visited a while ago, I agree with the author that they offer diverse collections that offer incredible opportunities to learn more about millions of artifacts and specimens.

My personal American museum favorites not included on this list are the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, the World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in my hometown, Cleveland. Being able to visit the most significant museums in an area that encompass the history and culture of an event or series of events in that area gives insight into why these historical and cultural moments are important.

Whether they show the beauty of humankind or a tragedy that we should aim to avoid recreating, I believe that exploring our national and international history is a beneficial opportunity throughout our lives that we should take advantage of! Most recently, during my semester studying abroad in Europe, I was able to visit amazing art and history museums, my favorites being the Louvre Museum in Paris, the Titanic Museum in Belfast, the Claude Monet House and Garden Museum in Giverny, and the Chocolate Museum in Cologne. Being able to learn about an event’s various important locations, for example, the Titanic Museums in Missouri as well as Belfast, Northern Ireland, allow us to learn more about its history.

Furthermore, I would agree with the author that being able to reflect and learn in a calm environment is great for our mental health, as when I go to art museums, I spend most of my time appreciating the pieces' great cultural and artistic impact. I would love to travel to the museums on the list as well and appreciate the diverse themes that the creator provided, as everyone has different preferences of what they’d like to learn more about! I can attest that winter break is a great time for college students to explore the museums around them and perhaps during their travels.

This weekend, I’m going to New York City for the second time and look forward to exploring museums that I haven’t before, including the 9/11 Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art!