A museum is an institution dedicated to displaying and preserving culturally or scientifically significant objects. Many museums have exhibitions of these objects on public display, and some have non-exhibited collections that are used by researchers and specialists. Museums hold a wide range of objects and often focus on a particular theme, such as the arts, science, natural history, or local history. Museums that host exhibitions and interactive demonstrations are often tourist attractions, and many draw large numbers of visitors from outside of their host country, with the most visited museums in the world attracting millions of visitors annually.
Since the establishment of the earliest known museum in ancient times, museums have been associated with academia and the preservation of rare items. Museums originated as private collections of interesting items, and not until much later did the emphasis on educating the public take root.
Etymology The English word museum comes from Latin, and is pluralized as museums (or rarely, musea). It is originally from the Ancient Greek Μουσεῖον (mouseion), which denotes a place or temple dedicated to the muses (the patron divinities in Greek mythology of the arts), and hence was a building set apart for study and the arts, especially the Musaeum (institute) for philosophy and research at Alexandria, built under Ptolemy I Soter about 280 BC.
Purpose
Museums serve to collect, preserve, interpret, and display objects of cultural, historical, or scientific significance. Their primary functions include stewardship of heritage for future generations and facilitating education through exhibitions and programs aligned with academic curricula.
Educational objectives remain central, with museums allocating significant resources to support formal and informal learning. The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) reports that U.S. museums contribute over 18 million instructional hours annually through guided tours, traveling exhibits, and teacher training. Economic impacts also factor into their societal role, as museums generate employment, stimulate tourism, and contribute tax revenue, with the AAM quantifying their annual GDP contribution at $50 billion.American Alliance of Museums, Lott, L. L., & Oxford Economics. (2017). Museums as Economic Engines: a national report. https://www.aam-us.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/American-Alliance-of-Museums-web.pdf
Museum missions vary by institutional focus. Some prioritize education through interactive experiences. Others target specific audiences, like religious or local history organizations, while national museums aim for broad accessibility. Collections are curated according to mission statements, which dictate acquisition policies and conservation practices.American Association of Museums, & Merritt, E. E. (2008). National Standards & Best Practices for U.S. Museums (Lisa Meyerowitz, Ed.). The AAM PRESS. https://artsandmuseums.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/NatlStandards_AAM.pdf
Preservation efforts address material degradation and ethical challenges. UNESCO's 2015 Recommendation underscores the need to combat illicit trafficking and promote sustainable conservation methods, such as climate-controlled storage and digital archiving.Mairesse, F., United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Abungu, G., Afeiche, A.-M., Altayli, A., Babić, D., Galla, A., Rinçon, L., & Urquhart, N. (2019). Report on the implementation of the UNESCO 2015 Recommendation on Museums & Collections (B. A. Zako & T. Kai, Eds.; Trad Online, Trans.). United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. https://www.icom-italia.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/UNESCO.ReportImplementation2015RecommendationMuseum.2019.371549eng.pdf These measures ensure the physical integrity of artifacts while adhering to provenance research standards, particularly for items acquired during colonial eras.
Changing purpose over time In the 19th century, museums focused mainly on scientific research and organizing collections, especially natural history specimens. They aimed to classify and study objects, often gathered through exploration and colonialism. Museums were mostly for scholars but began opening to the public to educate and improve society. Institutions like the Smithsonian Institution maintain research capabilities but integrate them with missions to "increase and diffuse knowledge", as outlined in James Smithson's founding bequest.
In the early 20th century, museums focused on collecting, studying, and preserving artifacts, with an emphasis on scientific research and authenticity. Exhibits were mostly static and aimed at scholars, often prioritizing the objects themselves over the visitor experience. In the latter half of the 20th century, reduced government funding pushed museums to rely more on private support and focus on attracting visitors to generate revenue. This shift led museums to prioritize public engagement, interactive exhibits, and economic contributions over traditional research and collecting.
In the 21st century, museums focus on being accessible and inclusive. They use digital tools to reach wider audiences through virtual tours and online collections. Museums encourage dialogue about current social issues and aim to represent diverse communities. While preserving and displaying objects remains important, museums now also have served as spaces for discussion and social change.Museums Association. (n.d.). Power and Privilege in the 21st Century Museum. https://media.museumsassociation.org/app/uploads/2020/06/11085810/Power-and-privilege-2.pdfInstitute of Museum and Library Services, IMLS, & Semmel, M. (2009). Museums, libraries, and 21st century skills. https://www.imls.gov/sites/default/files/publications/documents/21stcenturyskills.pdf
Definitions Major professional organizations from around the world offer some definitions as to what constitutes a museum, and their purpose. Common themes in all the definitions are public good and the care, preservation, and interpretation of collections.
The International Council of Museums' current definition of a museum (adopted in 2022): "A museum is a not-for-profit, permanent institution in the service of society that researches, collects, conserves, interprets and exhibits tangible and intangible heritage. Open to the public, accessible and inclusive, museums foster diversity and sustainability. They operate and communicate ethically, professionally and with the participation of communities, offering varied experiences for education, enjoyment, reflection and knowledge sharing."
The Canadian Museums Association's definition: "A museum is a non-profit, permanent establishment, that does not exist primarily for the purpose of conducting temporary exhibitions and that is open to the public during regular hours and administered in the public interest for the purpose of conserving, preserving, studying, interpreting, assembling and exhibiting to the public for the instruction and enjoyment of the public, objects and specimens or educational and cultural value including artistic, scientific, historical and technological material."
The United Kingdom's Museums Association's definition: "Museums enable people to explore collections for inspiration, learning and enjoyment. They are institutions that collect, safeguard and make accessible artifacts and specimens, which they hold in trust for society."
While the American Alliance of Museums does not have such a definition, their list of accreditation criteria to participate in their Accreditation Program states a museum must: "Be a legally organized nonprofit institution or part of a nonprofit organization or government entity; Be essentially educational in nature; Have a formally stated and approved mission; Use and interpret objects or a site for the public presentation of regularly scheduled programs and exhibits; Have a formal and appropriate program of documentation, care, and use of collections or objects; Carry out the above functions primarily at a physical facility or site; Have been open to the public for at least two years; Be open to the public at least 1,000 hours a year; Have accessioned 80 percent of its permanent collection; Have at least one paid professional staff with museum knowledge and experience; Have a full-time director to whom authority is delegated for day-to-day operations; Have the financial resources sufficient to operate effectively; Demonstrate that it meets the Core Standards for Museums; Successfully complete the Core Documents Verification Program".
Additionally, there is a legal definition of museum in United States legislation authorizing the establishment of the Institute of Museum and Library Services: "Museum means a public, tribal, or private nonprofit institution which is organized on a permanent basis for essentially educational, cultural heritage, or aesthetic purposes and which, using a professional staff: Owns or uses tangible objects, either animate or inanimate; Cares for these objects; and Exhibits them to the general public on a regular basis" (Museum Services Act 1976).
History Ancient One of the oldest museums known is Ennigaldi-Nanna's museum, built by Princess Ennigaldi in modern Iraq at the end of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. The site dates from , and contained artifacts from earlier Mesopotamian civilizations. Notably, a clay drum label—written in three languages—was found at the site, referencing the history and discovery of a museum item.
Ancient Greeks and Romans collected and displayed art and objects but perceived museums differently from modern-day views. In the classical period, the museums were the temples and their precincts which housed collections of votive offerings. Paintings and sculptures were displayed in gardens, forums, theaters, and bathhouses. In the ancient past there was little differentiation between libraries and museums with both occupying the building and were frequently connected to a temple or royal palace. The Museum of Alexandria, identical to the Library of Alexandria, was an inspiration during the early Renaissance period and thus originally libraries were called museums. The royal palaces and temples, such as the Roman temple of Peace, also functioned as a kind of museum outfitted with art and objects from conquered territories and gifts from ambassadors from other kingdoms allowing the ruler to display the amassed collections to guests and to visiting dignitaries.
Also in Alexandria from the time of Ptolemy II Philadelphus (r. 285–246 BCE), was the first zoological park. At first used by Philadelphus in an attempt to domesticate African elephants for use in war, the elephants were also used for show along with a menagerie of other animals specimens including hartebeests, ostriches, zebras, leopards, giraffes, rhinoceros, and pythons.
Early
The Capitoline Museums (Musei Capitolini), located on the Capitoline Hill in Rome, Italy, are widely considered to be the world's oldest public museum. Their origins can be traced back to 1471 when Pope Sixtus IV donated a collection of important ancient bronze sculptures to the people of Rome. This initial donation, which included iconic pieces such as the Capitoline Wolf, marked the beginning of what would become a vast repository of Roman art and artifacts. The museums were officially opened to the public in 1734 under Pope Clement XII, establishing them as the first institution where art could be enjoyed by ordinary people rather than just the owners.