Places to Go

The British Museum

England · The British Museum · Great Russell St, London WC1B 3DG, UK

Huge showcase for global antiquities, including Egyptian mummies and ancient Greek sculptures.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Manhattan, New York · The Metropolitan Museum of Art · 1000 5th Ave, New York, NY 10028, USA

A grand setting for one of the world's greatest collections of art, from ancient to contemporary.

Musei Vaticani

Vatican City · Musei Vaticani · 00120, Vatican City

Multiple galleries of classical & Renaissance art masterpieces, plus the Sistine Chapel frescoes.

Uffizi Galleries

Toscana, Firenze · Uffizi Galleries · Piazzale degli Uffizi, 6, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy

16th-century building housing vast collection of Primitive & Renaissance paintings & masterpieces.

Acropolis Museum

Kentrikos Tomeas Athinon, Athina · Acropolis Museum · Dionysiou Areopagitou 15, Athina 117 42, Greece

Ultramodern glass & steel museum housing ancient artifacts from the Acropolis archaeological site.

Louvre Museum

Île-de-France, Paris · Louvre Museum · 75001 Paris, France

Former historic palace housing huge art collection, from Roman sculptures to da Vinci's "Mona Lisa."

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Northwest Washington, Washington · Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History · 10th St. & Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20560, USA

From dinosaur exhibits to displays of rare gems, this acclaimed museum celebrates the natural world.

Falaknuma Palace

Fatima Nagar, Hyderabad · Falaknuma Palace · Falaknuma Palace, Fatima Nagar, Falaknuma, Hyderabad, Telangana 500053

Quirinal Palace

Lazio, Roma · Quirinal Palace · P.za del Quirinale, 00187 Roma RM, Italy

Former royal & papal residence, now the presidential palace & museum, on piazza offering city views.

Qasr Al Watan

Al Ras Al Akhdar, Abu Dhabi · Qasr Al Watan · Abu Dhabi - Al Ras Al Akhdar - Abu Dhabi - United Arab Emirates

Domed marble & limestone presidential palace with a mosaic-clad great hall & extensive library.

Royal Palace of Madrid

Centro, Madrid · Royal Palace of Madrid · Centro, 28071 Madrid, Spain

18th-century, ridge-top palace for state occasions, plus tours with rooms full of art and antiques.

Palace of Versailles

Île-de-France, Versailles · Palace of Versailles · Place d'Armes, 78000 Versailles, France

Immense, 18th-century palace with gilded apartments, chandeliered Hall of Mirrors & fountain show.

Royal Palace of Caserta

Campania, Caserta · Royal Palace of Caserta · Piazza Carlo di Borbone, 81100 Caserta CE, Italy

Huge Baroque royal palace in sprawling fountain-filled park, with a court theater plus guided tours.

Malbork Castle

Województwo pomorskie, Malbork · Malbork Castle · Starościńska 1, 82-200 Malbork, Poland

14th-century Teutonic castle housing museum of medieval artifacts, paintings & an amber collection.

Forbidden City

Dong Cheng Qu · Forbidden City · 4 Jing Shan Qian Jie, Dong Cheng Qu, Bei Jing Shi, China, 100009

Completed in 1420, this palace complex with 980 buildings features a museum with art & artifacts.

Apostolic Palace

Città del Vaticano · Apostolic Palace · Piazza San Pietro, 00120 Città del Vaticano, Vatican City

Grand pillared Vatican City residence for the Pope with papal apartments & the Vatican Museums.

Istana Nurul Iman

Tumasek, Bandar Seri Begawan · Istana Nurul Iman · VWFC+46F, Jln Menteri Besar, Bandar Seri Begawan BB3910, Brunei

Home to Brunei's sultan, this massive royal palace features a mosque, gold domes & minarets.

Winter Palace

Tsentralnyy rayon, Sankt-Peterburg · Winter Palace · Dvortsovaya Naberezhnaya, 32, Sankt-Peterburg, Russia, 190000

Colonnaded, waterfront, former residence of Russian emperors, with extravagant state rooms.

Hofburg

Innere Stadt, Vienna · Hofburg · 1010 Vienna, Austria

Habsburg palace complex with ornate, baroque interiors, imperial apartments & a silver museum.

Louvre Museum

Île-de-France, Paris · Louvre Museum · 75001 Paris, France

Former historic palace housing huge art collection, from Roman sculptures to da Vinci's "Mona Lisa."

The Santa Fe Opera

New Mexico, Santa Fe · The Santa Fe Opera · 301 Opera Dr, Santa Fe, NM 87506, USA

Famed opera house features classic pieces & contemporary works in a woodsy, hilltop setting.

Academy of Music

Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia · Academy of Music · 240 S Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19102, USA

Victorian venue hosting performances by the Pennsylvania Ballet & Opera Company of Philadelphia.

San Francisco Opera

Fillmore District, San Francisco · San Francisco Opera · 301 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94102, USA

Classic 1932 opera house hosting classics, new works & a beloved holiday-season Nutcracker ballet.

Metropolitan Opera House

Manhattan, New York · Metropolitan Opera House · 30 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023, USA

Lincoln Center opera house featuring star-studded casts, lavish staging & crystal-clear acoustics.

Teatro di San Carlo

Campania, Napoli · Teatro di San Carlo · Via San Carlo, 98, 80132 Napoli NA, Italy

Opulent, horse-shoe-shaped auditorium, opened in 1737, with a ceiling fresco & guided tours.

Bolshoi Theatre

Tsentralnyy administrativnyy okrug, Moskva · Bolshoi Theatre · Theatre Square, 1, Moskva, Russia, 125009

Lavish neoclassical repertory theater housing Russia's world-famous Bolshoi Ballet & Bolshoi Opera.

Teatro Real

Centro, Madrid · Teatro Real · Pl. de Isabel II, s/n, Centro, 28013 Madrid, Spain

Renowned opera house established in 1850 with frequent performances, guided tours & a grand design.

Hungarian State Opera

VI. kerület, Budapest · Hungarian State Opera · Budapest, Andrássy út 22, 1061 Hungary

Neoclassical venue with ceiling frescoes & statues of composers, for opera & ballet plus tours.

Berlin State Opera

Mitte, Berlin · Berlin State Opera · Unter den Linden 7, 10117 Berlin, Germany

Classical state opera house, reconstructed after WWII, staging ballet & a repertoire of operas.

La Scala

Lombardia, Milano · La Scala · V. Filodrammatici, 2, 20121 Milano MI, Italy

Lavish 18th-century theater famous for Italian opera & ballets, plus a museum & music library.

English National Opera

England · English National Opera · St Martin's Ln, London WC2N 4ES, UK

Opéra Bastille

Île-de-France, Paris · Opéra Bastille · Pl. de la Bastille, 75012 Paris, France

Ballet as well as classical & modern operas in a famous 1989 building with a transparent facade.

Opéra Garnier

Île-de-France, Paris · Opéra Garnier · Pl. de l'Opéra, 75009 Paris, France

Italian-style opera house with ceiling painted by Chagall & library museum in 19th-century building.

Vienna State Opera

Innere Stadt, Wien · Vienna State Opera · Opernring 2, 1010 Wien, Austria

World-famous opera house offering major productions, original decor & multilingual guided tours.