THE most beautiful museums in the world have been named but you will have to hop on a plane to visit any of them.
The 2026 list has been revealed Prix Versailles, with the architecture competition including everything from airports to train stations.
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The world’s most beautiful museums have been revealed and NONE are in the UK Credit: Alamy
Lithuania’s Lost Shtetl Museum was the only European entry Credit: Alamy
Yet the 2026 The World’s Most Beautiful Museums list only has one entry in Europe – and it wasn’t in the UK.
“Beyond welcoming their visitors, we hope these places will be sources of inspiration for all those who serve the common good of humanity.”
The only European winner was Lost Shtetl Museum in Šeduva, Lithuania.
Designed to look like a small town (being the Yiddish translation of Shtetl), the museum is based on the typical Lithuanian Jewish family.
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Tourists have raved about it, with one saying: “This museum is one of the best at least in Baltics, if not in Europe.”
Zayed National Museum in Abu Dhabi, which opened in December last year and cost £502million to build, also made the list.
The museum goes back 300,000 years of the Emirates, and is a tribute to the UAE’s first president Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
It was even designed by the UK architectural company Foster + Partners (behind London’s Gherkin) and has a collaboration with the British Museum to offer more than 500 artifacts.
The new Zayed National Museum in Abu Dhabi made the list Credit: Alamy
Xuelei Fragrance Museum was also named, and it the largest fragrance museum in the world) Credit: prix versailles / © Xuelei Fragrance Museum
America’s National Medal of Honor Museum in Texas was also named, which features recipients of the highest military awards.
In Uzbekistan, the Islamic Civilization Center made the list, which is home to a museum as well as libraries and science labs.
Having opened back in March 2026, it has also been awarded a Guinness World Record for being the world’s largest museum of Islamic civilization.
China had two entries on the most beautiful museum list – the Xuelei Fragrance Museum (the largest fragrance museum in the world) and Shenzhen’s Science and Technology Museum which opened last year.
America’s Medal of Honor Museum was named too Credit: 2025 © Corey Gaffer LLC.
The Islamic Civilization Center in Uzbekistan is even a world record holder Credit: Alamy
And finally, Japan‘s MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives, which opened in March 2026, was also praised.
Jérôme Gouadain, Secretary General of the Prix Versailles explained: “The World’s Most Beautiful Museums List for 2026 stands out for the quality of its architectural interpretations and staging, elevating the sites with extraordinary narrative power.
“Together, these museums provide a real illustration of how strength and talent can be revealed through harmony, sensitivity and sharing.”
Previous winners on the list include Grand Palais in Paris (2025) and Grand Egyptian Museum (2024).
The New Building of Shenzhen Science and Technology Museum in China’s Shenzhen is a geometric marvel Credit: Alamy
Here is one of the UK’s newest museums that opened last year.
As well as the UK’s newest most popular museum.
Here’s some of the most beautiful museums in the UK that SHOULD have made the cut
The British Museum, London – a Greek Revival style building with the biggest covered public square in Europe.
The Ashmolean, Oxford – founded in 1683, it is the UK’s first public museum
Royal Pavilion & Garden, Brighton – created as a seaside palace for King George IV and inspired by India
The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge – the Grade I listed building is built in a Neoclassical style
Natural History Museum, London – described as a ‘cathedral to nature’ and made to be big enough for huge creatures
