Despite the fact that Valentine’s Day was yesterday in Australia, it is still technically the correct day to be posting this in other parts of the world. Every year, I write a little something on museums/heritage and the theme of love. I am taking the opportunity this year to reflect on my post from 2017, Museums I’d Love to Visit. Let’s see how many I have been able to tick off my list.
1. Mütter Museum – Philadelphia
The number one museum on my list in 2017 was the Mütter Museum in Philadelphia. A few months after writing the blog post, in November, I presented at a conference in Boston. I decided to make the journey to Philadelphia specifically to visit this museum and to explore the city. Not only did it live up to my expectations, but, it was also one of the most interesting and intriguing museums I have ever visited.
Everything from the permanent display to the Benjamin Rush Medicinal Plant Garden were just incredible to see firsthand. I thoroughly enjoyed the garden and thought it was a great addition to the museum and a relaxing place to combat visitor fatigue. I also have to give a shout out to the museum gift shop – it sparked my absolute love of soft toys that are shaped like various organs and diseases.
You can read the full blog post by clicking here.
2. Museum of Broken Relationships – Los Angeles & Croatia
Similar to the name, this is a tale of heartbreak. I really wanted to visit the Museum of Broken Relationships while we were in Los Angeles, however, the American branch of the museum has closed and is yet to re-open. Looks like I might have to make the journey to Croatia soon in order to see this one!
3. Te Papa Tongarewa – Wellington
From heartbreak to happiness, I have ticked Te Papa off my list. We visited Wellington a few months ago over Christmas and New Years. Te Papa was quite an experience. Everything from the exhibitions to the guided tours felt so effortlessly inclusive. If you are looking for a museum that combines different national stories together in a way that doesn’t feel forced or tokenistic, Te Papa should be on your list.
I highly recommend joining a guided tour before trying to tackle this one on your own. It is a huge museum with so much to see and do. A tour is a great way to get yourself orientated.
You can read the full blog post by clicking here.
4. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum – Washington D.C.
5. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum – Washington D.C.
I am aiming for an almost perfect score on this list. When I visited Boston and Philadelphia, we also included a short visit to Washington D.C. While there, we made sure to visit number 4 and 5. The National Air and Space Museum was slightly outdated, but, truly allowed my inner child to feel at home. I loved the huge aircraft hanging from the ceilings displaying the evolution of aviation travel.
On a sort of similar note, I am so excited that the Queensland Museum will have a NASA exhibition opening in March.
You can read the full blog post by clicking here.
Visiting the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum was quite a sombre experience. I found the temporary exhibition, Daniel’s Story to be well curated, offering an in-depth look at how children experienced the Holocaust. The permanent exhibition was informative and contained some harrowing objects.
You can read the full blog post by clicking here.
6. The Henry Ford Museum
This is quite an exciting one to write about as I haven’t visited yet, but, will be in April this year! I have already had way too much fun planning our visit on their website. There are so many significant objects from American history in the one place. I think we’ll need at least 3 hours to truly take in the entire museum.
Watch this space for the blog post coming soon.
Other Museums I’d Love to Visit
Although this may seem very convenient, there are a few other museums I’d love to visit that I will actually be visiting in April/May.
These include:
- The Mob Museum – Las Vegas
- International Museum of Surgical Science – Chicago (there is a whole floor display on pathology so I’m basically wanting to astral project myself there right now)
- Field Museum – Chicago
The Field Museum has the largest, best preserved Tyrannosaurus rex specimen named Sue. Needless to say, I am counting down the days until our visit.
I am saving a new list for next year. Until then, there are so many exhibitions and museums planned for 2019 and I cannot wait to start visiting them all!
Curate Your Own Adventure 