The Imperial Museum (Museu Imperial) is located in the Imperial Palace, the former summer residence of Emperor Dom Pedro II of Brazil. The palace was built between 1845 and 1862 in the neoclassical style with elements of Renaissance architecture. After the overthrow of the monarchy in 1889, the palace became state property. In 1940, the palace was transformed into a museum. The official opening of the Imperial Museum took place in 1943.
The palace measures approximately 60 meters by 40 meters. The palace and its surrounding extensive gardens designed in a style inspired by European palatial residences cover an area of approximately 18.4 hectares.
The main rooms of the palace are:
- State rooms, such as the imperial salon and dining room,
- The imperial office where Dom Pedro II worked,
- Private rooms, including the bedrooms of the imperial family,
- Library and archives where historical documents are kept,
- The Coronation Hall, where the imperial insignia are displayed.
The Imperial Museum's most important collections include:
1. Imperial Insignia and Regalia
- One of the most famous and valuable exhibits is the imperial crown of Dom Pedro II, decorated with precious stones and made of the highest quality gold.
- The museum also has other insignia of power, such as the imperial scepter and coronation robes, which symbolize imperial power in Brazil.
2. Collection of Imperial Furniture and Interiors
- The museum contains original period furniture and furnishings, including elegant sofas, chairs, tables, beds and chests of drawers that were used by the imperial family.
3. Paintings and Portraits of the Imperial Family
- The collection of paintings includes numerous portraits of Dom Pedro II, his wife, Empress Teresa Christina, and their children, including Princess Isabella.
- There are also paintings by Brazilian painters depicting court life and landscapes from the era.
4. Outfits and Jewelry
- The museum houses numerous costumes belonging to members of the imperial family, including ceremonial and everyday clothing, which reflect the fashion of the Brazilian aristocracy of the 19th century.
- The collection also includes jewelry items such as brooches, necklaces and rings decorated with precious stones.
5. Historical Documents and Letters
- One of the most important sections of the museum is the archive, which preserves manuscripts, letters, government documents and other writings related to Dom Pedro II, including his diaries and correspondence.
6. Book and Scientific Collections of Dom Pedro II
- Dom Pedro II was passionate about science, and his book collection includes works from various fields such as astronomy, geology and literature.
- There are also scientific instruments that the emperor used for scientific research and observations.
7. Souvenirs and Everyday Use Items
- The museum's collection includes personal memorabilia of the imperial family, such as toiletries, watches, tableware, and everyday items that allow you to better understand their lifestyle.
8. Exhibits related to the Abolition of Slavery
- The museum also contains items related to the Golden Law Decree of 1888, which was signed by Princess Isabella and ended slavery in Brazil. It is a key moment in the country's history and an important aspect of the museum's heritage.
The Imperial Museum has approximately 300,000 exhibits.

Imperial War Museum (IWM) opened to the public in 1920.
Museums included in the IWM:
- IWM London,
- Churchill War Rooms London,
- HMS Belfast (London),
- IWM Duxford,
- IWM North.
The IWM collections mainly include:
- military vehicles (e.g. one of the first "Devil" a Mark V tanks that were used at the end of World War I),
- airplanes (e.g. the Supermarine Spitfire that flew in the Battle of Britain and the Heinkel He 162 jet fighter),
- missiles (e.g. a V-1 flying bomb, a V-2 rocket and Polaris missiles),
- documents, photos, films, videos, oral history recordings,
- a large collection of works of art.
IWM has gathered 10,700,000 individual exhibits or entire collections of exhibits from the times of the World War I until today.

The Indian Museum founded in 1814.
Its collections include geology, botany, zoology, anthropology, archeology (including ancient Egypt) and Indian art (such as Mughal paintings).
There are over 1,000,000 exhibits in total.

Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya (IGRMS) or National Museum of Mankind, an autonomous organisation of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, began functioning in March 1977 to present the living vulture of the diverse culture of communities across India. It has a regional Centre in Southern India at Mysore that started functioning in October 2001 from a heritage building 'Wellington House' allotted by the Government of Karnataka.
The mandate of the Museum includes the presentation of an integrated story of the bio-cultural evolution of humankind through outdoor and indoor exhibitions by highlighting the richness and diversity of cultural patterns of India and its underlying unity; to act as a Centre of research and training in museology and generate a new museum movement in India and to present and preserve a variety of cultural life.
IGRMS is also working for national integration, and promoting research & training and inter-organizational networking for salvage and revitalisation of vanishing, but valuable cultural traditions. The innovative aspects of the organization are its open-air and indoor exhibitions, built with the active involvement of traditional artisans and experts drawn from different community groups, and the education, outreach & salvage activities in different parts of the country.
Through its exhibitions, education programmes and salvage activities, IGRMS demonstrates the aesthetic qualities of India's traditional lifestyles, and the continued relevance of local traditional knowledge and mores of people to the modern society and cautions the people against unprecedented destruction of ecology and environment, local values and customs.
The programmes and activities of the organisation are carried out under three sub-schemes namely:
1. Infrastructure Development : (Development of Museum Complex),
2. Education and Outreach Programme,
3. Operation Salvage.

The Inner Mongolia Museum opened in 1957.
The museum has an extensive collection of fossils, dinosaur remains, feathered dinosaurs and a complete woolly rhinoceros skeleton. One of the exhibitions dedicated to the history and traditions of the nomadic Mongols is devoted to the life of Genghis Khan, who in the 13th century united different Mongol tribes and founded one of the largest land empires. In the museum, you can also see the golden crown in the form of an eagle from the Warring States Period (475-221 BC).
The collection includes over 150,000 exhibits.
The museum covers an area of more than 50,000 square meters.

Institut Valenciá D'Art Modern (IVAM; Valencian Institute of Modern Art) opened in 1989.
The IVAM collection includes over 11,300 works (5,000 of which are photographs) by modern and contemporary artists, mainly from Valencia, Spain, Europe, Latin America and North America.
The collections are divided thematically:
- Ignacio Pinazo (1849-1916) and Julio González (1876-1942) - the beginnings of modernity,
- analytical abstraction,
- phenomenal and dada poetics,
- gestures informalism,
- reality and its chronicles,
- city cartography,
- individual mythologies and the present 1980-2010.

Instituto Tomie Ohtake was opened in 2001.
Instituto Tomie Ohtake organizes national and international exhibitions of fine arts, architecture and design. His interests include the art of the 20th and 21st centuries.
It does not have its own collection.
Its area is 7,500 square meters, most of this area is occupied by 7 exhibition rooms.


Credits by Ricardo Miyada

The Israel Museum founded in 1965.
It collects encyclopedic collections from prehistory to contemporary art.
Its collections include: Dead Sea Scrolls, works by Rembrandt, Peter Paul Rubens, Camille Pissarro, Auguste Rodin, Marc Chagall, Pablo Picasso, Henry Moore.
The entire collection has over 500,000 items.
The Israel Museum occupies an 8-hectare campus and the Rockefeller Archaeological Museum and the Ticho House.


Photo © Israel Museum, Jerusalem by Elie Posner

Opened in 2004, Istanbul Modern is managed by a private venture under the patronage of a non-profit foundation called İstanbul Modern Sanat Vakfı İstanbul Modern Sanat Müzesi İktisadi İşletmesi. In 2023, Istanbul Modern moved into the new building (https://www.museumworldranking.net/news/istanbul-modern-hosts-renzo-piano-the-architect-of-its-new-museum-building,168).
Istanbul Modern focuses on Turkish art from 1945 to the present day. Turkish artists whose works can be seen in the museum include: Fahrelnissa Zeid, Bedri Rami Eyüböglu, Semiha Berksoy, Adnan Çoker, Bedri Baykam, Selma Gurbüz, Yıldız Moran. Istanbul Modern also has in its collection works by international artists (some with Turkish roots) such as: Fahrelnissa Zeid, Yüksel Arslan, Tony Cragg, Nil Yalter, Anselm Kiefer, Olafur Eliasson, Gülsün Karamustafa, Sarkis, Laure Prouvost, and Refik Anadol.
Istanbul Modern has an area of 10,500 square meters.

Istanbul Modern, Photo by Enrico Cano, 2023

Iziko Museums of South Africa established in 1825.
Iziko Museums of South Africa is a combination of the following museums:
- Bertram House,
- Bo-Kaap museum,
- Groot Constantia,
- Koopmans-de Wet House,
- Maritime Centre,
- Old Town House,
- Planetarium,
- Rust en Vreugd,
- Slave Lodge,
- South African Museum (has over one and a half million specimens in its collection),
- South African National Gallery,
- South African National Gallery Annexe,
- Social History Centre,
- The Castle of Good Hope.