Originally published on Discover Walks Blog.

As a history student and a world traveler, one of my absolute favorite things to do in any place that I visit is go to a museum. And though this list may seem like a strange set of museums from disparate places around the world, well, that is exactly what it is.

I have by no means been everywhere or seen everything, but in most places I have been I’ve found a museum that has made its mark on me. The museums on this list have also been picked for lots of different reasons — there is no uniform criteria in my mind that I can use to judge such a diverse set of museums like the ones I’ve been to in a handful of places.

But with all of the precursors and disclaimers out of the way, below are six of my favorite museums from around the globe (or at least what I’ve seen of the globe so far).

6. McNay Art Museum

As the most recent museum I’ve visited, and certainly the one on this list that I have visited the most, I think that my (current) home city of San Antonio, Texas, deserves a little props for this art museum.

While some other museums in the city may have larger collections or more “efficient” ways of presenting their artwork, the McNay is an experience. With an elegant building and surrounding area, you are transported into another world all together. The vast open yard space is littered with sculptures and artworks of different sizes and styles, and though many of the pieces have been there for a while, they are in constant rotation.

The art inside the castle-like building also periodically changes — no two visits to the McNay are exactly the same. On my most recent visit, I was lucky enough to go at a time when they had a special Tim Burton exhibit on display. There, I was able to see Burton’s own inspiration, some of his drafts and earlier works, and other interesting and similar artwork, including one of the original Jack Skellington figurines that was actually used in the filming of “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”

5. Memorial de la Denuncia

In the summer of 2022, I went on a life-changing trip to the small island nation of Cuba, where I saw lots of amazing museums that made such an impression on me that two of them made this list.

On one of the very first days after touching down in Havana, the group I was with (on a medical brigade for the HATUEY project) went to the Memorial de la Denuncia. This Cuban museum served as both a museum to educate people and a memorial to the victims of terrorism in Cuba.

Through declassified documents, interactive exhibits, beautiful memorials, video testimonies, and more, the Memorial painted a history of terrorism enacted against the people of Cuba since the triumph of their revolution in 1959. The museum also painted a history of the effects of the brutal U.S. blockade against the island, which prevents vital resources from entering the country and prevents it from doing business with much of the world.

Overall, the mixture of art pieces, historical documents, personal testimonies, and beautifully put together memorials that take you through the disparaging history of terrorist acts against the island gives a perspective not often seen in the United States.

4. National Museum of African American History and Culture

On my most recent trip as of the writing of this article, I was able to visit one of the most well-known museums in the United States. When visiting D.C., I knew that I had to make a stop at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

This is a museum that I had wanted to visit for a long time, but I hadn’t had the chance to go to D.C. since I was younger until this past November. So, with tickets reserved ahead of time, I eagerly awaited my chance to step inside and explore the multistory museum detailing the history and culture of African Americans.

Unfortunately, I was in a time crunch and didn’t get to experience the museum in its totality, but what I saw impressed me greatly. The museum is filled with artifacts and diverse exhibits on every topic imaginable. There were video and audio elements throughout, a creative layout of displays, placards, and artworks, and multiple well-organized floors to unpack.

My only regret is not being able to explore the rest of the floors, and with what little I saw, I know that I won’t be able to go back to D.C. without paying that museum another visit and getting to fully experience each exhibit in all of its glory.

3. El Paso Holocaust Museum and Study Center

The El Paso Holocaust Museum and Study Center is certainly the smallest and least impressive museum to make it onto this list; however, the impact this museum had on me and the importance that I think it holds has earned it its spot on my list of favorite museums.

While traveling for a concert in El Paso, Texas, I learned something quite unique about this Texas city that would have otherwise never caught my eye: They have a ton of completely free museums. Since I was there for only a short time, I only made it to the El Paso Museum of History, the El Paso Museum of Art, and the Holocaust Museum.

The quaint El Paso museum and study center appealed to me for a number of reasons. One obvious point of attraction was that the museum is completely free and open to the public, like all museums should be. The fact that they also offer a study center only adds to the utility of this public facility. It featured beautiful and deeply meaningful artworks like a memorial rock wall, a tree, and a book that put the number of victims into true perspective.

There were also scale models, life-sized showcases of train cars and luggage, and a slew of artifacts that transported you into a memory and a time that you never personally experienced. On the way out, I was disappointed to find that my partner and I were only two of a select few names on the sign-out sheet — meaning that not many visitors had come by the museum recently. The donation box was similarly empty.

This is one of the reasons that this museum made my list. Such an establishment should be frequented by locals and travelers alike as a reminder of that very important history, a history that was deeply connected with many of the local residents as showcased in several of their exhibits paying homage to local descendants of Holocaust survivors.

In a town near the border where Nazi paraphernalia can be found in several antique stores, it is ever-important that institutions like the El Paso Holocaust Museum and Study Center be upheld and supported to present visitors with a deeply emotional and important educational experience.

2. Centro Fidel Castro Ruz

As the second museum from my trip to Cuba to make this list, the Centro Fidel Castro Ruz is another unique museum hybrid. Another thing this museum shares in common with all of the other museums on this list (save the McNay) is that it is completely free.

Also located in Havana, the Centro is a mixture of museum, memorial, archive, library, and publishing house. It is also one of the most impressive and technologically advanced museums I have ever visited. It features modern, interactive exhibits allowing visitors to explore Cuba’s international aid missions all over the world, a podium that allows you to sift through and watch clips of Castro’s most famous speeches, models and relics from Castro’s life and the history of the Cuban Revolution more broadly, and much more.

In addition to all of the added amenities that exist at the location for free, the museum also boasts a beautiful campus, similar to the McNay, in the heart of the city. With courtyards and ornate interior architecture like stained glass and wood-carved staircases, the building itself is sure to make your trip an enjoyable experience, not to mention the expertly made short film screenings and other activities.

1. National Museum of Namibia

At the very top of this list is another free museum, topped with a restaurant, bar, and a balcony overlooking the entire city of Windhoek. The National Museum of Namibia is a towering gold building that stretches up high over the city and stands out from the surrounding architecture with its harsh, modern look.

Front and center is a statue of Namibia’s first president, Sam Nujoma. And as you approach, you’ll find a building on stilts with an open first floor featuring bronze artwork on three pillars, each equipped with an elevator to take you on your journey through the museum.

So, after taking in a stunning view of a city surrounded by building mountains and filled with winding streets and diverse architectural style, it was time to explore what the museum had to offer. If there’s one thing that this museum has no shortage of, it’s art.

Every wall is covered in a realistic, thought-provoking, and intense piece of artwork depicting a moment in history, a figure, or a message to send to the museum attendees. This museum expertly combines bits of historical knowledge with artwork and relics that bring the information to life — from recreations of cells that political prisoners were put in, to a mural depicting the Cassinga Massacre behind a sculpture of a bomb with a family huddled underneath.

As a country that only recently gained its independence, Namibia understands the importance of not only free and accessible but raw and honest history and information. Even if it is difficult to look at, it is important to know. Organized by floor, this journey through the time periods leading to the independence of Namibia is a masterpiece of a museum that deserves its spot at the top of this list and presents African history in a way that it is not often seen in the U.S.