7 of the best new museums to visit this year

National Geographic

20-05-2025

This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK).
Whether it's getting in touch with different cultures, finding creative inspiration or even sinking your teeth into the history of a specific subject, museums can be intimate and interactive spaces that conjure new trains of thought while transporting visitors into other worlds — even if just for a brief moment. And 2025 is a great year to wander collection-filled halls, get lost in exhibitions and stimulate the senses with new interactive experiences — here's where to do it. 1. Grand Egyptian Museum, Egypt
A massive 11-metre, 3,200-year-old statue of Ramses II greets visitors at the long-awaited Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo, the largest archaeological museum in the world. This highly anticipated space dedicated to Ancient Egyptian civilisation has been in the works for over a decade, with multiple pushbacks due to rising costs and the pandemic, but the first galleries finally opened in late 2024.
The grand staircase that leads to the main galleries is a statue-stacked celebration of Egypt's gods and kings, holding over 60 significant pieces from the museum's collection. Once upstairs, visitors can peer through the floor-to-ceiling windows that face the Pyramids of Giza before admiring the museum's 100,000-strong collection. Tours are offered every hour in Arabic and English and last 90 minutes, but that's not nearly enough to cover the entire museum. This July will finally see the museum's official grand opening, when the King Tutankhamun collection will be unveiled. An old-school jukebox, curated by DJ and activist Honey Dijon, plays inspirational hits that capture the Stonewall community's rebellious spirit and joy. Photograph by Stephen Kent Johnson 2. Stonewall National Monument Visitor Centre, US
Last June — on the anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion on the 28th of the month — marked the opening of New York City's Stonewall National Monument Visitor Centre, a cultural hub dedicated to all things LGBTQ+. It's set in what was one half of the original Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Greenwich Village, which was raided by police in 1969, sparking a series of protests. The visitor centre plays host to a variety of talks, live performances, on-site tours and exhibitions highlighting LGBTQ+ history while a modern revival of the original bar occupies the other half of the building next door. A rainbow-coloured Wall of Solidarity greets guests and unveils Stonewall's global legacy while highlighting the voices of revolutionary hope while an old-school jukebox, curated by DJ and activist Honey Dijon, plays inspirational hits that capture the Stonewall community's rebellious spirit and joy. Entry to the visitor centre is free of charge. 3. Nintendo Museum, Japan
Giant brick blocks and green pipes decorate the courtyard of the Nintendo Museum, which opened last October in Kyoto, Japan, conjuring up the imaginary world of the global entertainment brand. The museum, spread across three buildings, is dedicated to the history of Nintendo, from its humble roots — founded in 1889 as a maker of hanafuda ('flower cards', traditional Japanese playing cards) — to the company's latest games and consoles, including special editions and concepts that were never publicly released.
The main attraction, as expected, is the collection of interactive games, featuring Nintendo's famous characters, from Kirby to Super Mario. End the nostalgia with a visit to the museum gift shop for Nintendo memorabilia, followed by the Hatena Burger restaurant, where visitors can choose from over 270,000 possible ways to build a burger. Tickets are made available by lottery and must be bought at least three months in advance through the museum's website. The striking brutalist building in Kristiansand in southern Norway houses the largest collection of Nordic modern art. Photograph by Alan Williams 4. Kunstsilo, Norway
The sleek, white brutalist building that houses Kunstsilo, Norway's latest museum of contemporary Nordic art, might seem like a recent construction, but it's actually a repurposed flour mill built in 1935. Recognised for its modern, functionalist architecture, the silo is now home to prestigious collections that showcase 8,000 pieces of Nordic art. The Tangen Collection, the largest collection of Nordic modern art, gathers work from Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Iceland from the late 1890s to present-day. Kunstsilo also offers digital contemporary art and temporary exhibitions, along with lectures, concerts and workshops. There's also a brasserie on the ground floor and the Panorama bar on the ninth, for views of the fjord and archipelago outside the southern port city of Kristiansand. 5. Women Artists of the Mougins Museum, France
British collector Christian Levett closed his museum of antiquity in Mougins on the French Riviera and reopened it as a dedicated space to art created entirely by women of the 19th to 21st centuries. Femmes Artistes du Musée de Mougins, or Women Artists of the Mougins Museum, holds Levett's personal collection of over 100 paintings and sculptures created by more than 80 artists such as Frida Kahlo, Blanche Hoschedé-Monet (stepdaughter of Claude Monet), Joan Mitchell, Jenna Gribbon, Leonora Carrington and dozens more. The ground floor is dedicated to painters of the impressionist and surrealist movements, while the first floor showcases abstract work from the 20th century. The second floor embodies figurative art and various depictions and expressions of the human body while the basement level is dedicated to 21st-century women artists and their legacies in the art world. The museum is open daily and tickets can be purchased in advance online. Visitors to the Museum of BBQ can dive into a ball pit resembling a can of BBQ beans at the end of their visit. 6. Museum of BBQ, US
A museum dedicated entirely to flavour, the Museum of BBQ allows guests to get lost in the sauces of America's four main barbecue regions: Kansas City, Memphis, Texas and the Carolinas. Opened by food writer and BBQ judge Jonathan Bender, this Kansas City-based museum dives deep into every step of the sizzling practice, from meat cuts and dry rubs to how smoke, wood and fire affect the final result. Visitors can also soak up the history of the craft while enjoying some 'rib ticklers' (BBQ-themed dad jokes) and photos with the championship mustard belt — an ode to South Carolina's famous mustard-based sauce. After the culinary history, it's time to dive into a can of beans — or at least into the giant ball pit that resembles one. 7. Saka Museum, Indonesia
Shining a light on often-overlooked Balinese culture and history, the Saka Museum in Bali weaves the island's intimate connection to nature into its state-of-the-art architecture and design. Opened in 2024 by Ayana Bali, a destination resort with four award-winning hotels, the Saka Museum is free for hotel guests and open to others for a small fee.
Named after the Hindu solar calendar, the museum showcases preserved ancient texts, gamelan instrument ensembles, stone statues and ogoh-ogoh sculptures from local Balinese communities as well as offers a deep dive behind Nyepi, Bali's annual, island-wide Day of Silence. Saka offers tours, seminars and exhibitions, along with vast indoor and outdoor spaces for weddings and special events. To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here. (Available in select countries only).