Night At The Guggenheim
Museums are a popular backdrop for movies and TV, as even the exterior can be used to transport the viewer to a specific city without having to do too much. While there are only a handful of museums that seem to be referenced in popular blockbusters, many, many museums worldwide have played their parts in creating a little on-screen magic. Read on to learn more.
1. Guggenheim
The Guggenheim is located on Manhattan’s Upper East Side and is one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s most famous pieces of architecture. It’s been featured in more than 25 films and television shows, including Cactus Flower, Such Good Friends, Men in Black, Mr. Popper’s Penguins, and many more.
Ajay Suresh from New York, NY, USA on Wikimedia
2. The Louvre
The Louvre is one of the most recognized museums in the world and is synonymous with Paris. The Louvre has been featured in well over 500 films, TV shows, and music videos. Some popular examples include The Da Vinci Code, The Age of Innocence, National Lampoon’s European Vacation, and Red Notice, just to name a few.
3. Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Met is the third-largest museum in the world, and the most-visited museum in the United States. Its iconic stairs are commonly seen in the TV show Gossip Girl, but have also been shown in Ocean’s Eight, I Am Legend, and even in Sesame Street episodes.
4. The British Museum
Located in the Bloomsbury area of London, the British Museum contains the largest permanent collection of works worldwide, and is also considered the world’s first public national museum. It’s been used in media such as The Wakefield Case, Blackmail, Bulldog Jack, Day of the Jackal, and The Mummy Returns.
5. Kunsthistorisches Museum
Located in Vienna, Austria, the Kunsthistorisches Museum was opened by Franz Joseph I back in 1891 as a spot for the Habsburgs’ art collection. This museum has been featured in the films Museum Hours, The Living Daylights, and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.
6. The Royal Ontario Museum
The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is Canada’s largest and most popular museum. Located in Toronto, the ROM first opened in 1912 and features more than 18 million items of world culture and natural history. The ROM has been featured in the films Mimic, My Spy, Deceived, Birdland, and in the well-loved children’s show, Zoboomafoo.
Maksim Sokolov (Maxergon) on Wikimedia
7. American Museum of Natural History
The AMNH is located on Manhattan's Upper West Side and contains over 32 million artifacts across 45 exhibition halls. It first opened in 1869 and is likely most well-known as the backdrop for the Night At The Museum franchise. Other popular films include Spider-Man 2, Men in Black II, and the 2017 film Wonderstruck.
8. The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities
Located in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, the Egyptian Museum boasts the largest collection of Egyptian antiquities worldwide, and is also the largest museum in Africa. This museum was featured in the 2011 documentary Samsara, but is likely more well-known for its prominence in the 1932 and 1999 films The Mummy.
9. Casa Loma
Toronto’s only castle was constructed back in 1911, and is now a popular landmark, museum, and filming location. You’ve probably seen it if you’ve watched X-Men, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Crimson Peak, Ready or Not, or Chicago.
10. Art Institute Of Chicago
This museum is one of the oldest in the United States, first opening in 1879. It contains over 300,000 works of art, including famous works such as American Gothic, A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, and The Old Guitarist. Films that used this museum include Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, The Dark Knight, and The Blues Brothers.
11. High Museum Of Art
Located in Atlanta, Georgia, this museum contains over 18,000 artworks and is a regular hub for festivals, performances, and independent art films year-round. It’s been featured in films like Black Panther, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, The Resident, and What to Expect When You’re Expecting.
Aleksandr Zykov from Russia on Wikimedia
12. Museum Of Liverpool
England’s Museum of Liverpool is a recent building, only opening in 2011, as a replacement for the Museum of Liverpool Life. It’s been used in shows like Doctor Who, Silent Witness, and the Warner Bros. film The Batman.
13. London’s Natural History Museum
This museum contains over 8o million specimens related to life and earth science, and is a long-standing institute for scientific research. Films and TV shows that have featured this museum include Jupiter Ascending, Ghostbusters, Paddington, Ted Lasso, and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.
Julian Herzog (Website) on Wikimedia
14. Rijksmuseum
Located in Amsterdam, this national museum is dedicated to Dutch arts and history. It was founded in 1798 and is considered the largest and most popular museum in the country. The Rijksmuseum has been shown in TV shows like Sense8 and Killing Eve, and was also featured in The Fault in Our Stars.
15. Versailles
Located 11 miles (18 km) outside of Paris’s city centre, the previous home of King Louis XIV is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world, with over 15 million people visiting it annually. It’s been featured in films such as Marie Antoinette, The King’s Daughter, and Midnight in Paris, just to name a few.
16. Musée d’Orsay
Located in Paris, France, the Musée d’Orsay opened its doors back in 1986. It’s considered the spot of the most important collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings worldwide. It’s been featured in the films Hugo, Midnight in Paris, A Very Long Engagement, and the Netflix series LUPIN.
Pierre Blaché from Paris, France on Wikimedia
17. Boston’s Museum Of Fine Arts
This Massachusetts-based museum has obtained over 450,000 works of art since its founding in 1870. It served as a backdrop in several films, such as The Forger, The Holdovers, Gift, and The Boston Strangler.
18. Budapest Museum Of Fine Arts
Located in Heroes’ Square, this museum has been around for 120 years and contains over 100,000 pieces of art across all periods of Europe. It was used in the movies Die Hard V, The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, Red Sparrow, and the TV show Moon Knight.
19. Vatican Museums
These museums have been around since the early 16th century, and contain a massive collection of Roman sculptures, Renaissance art, and other items related to the papacy. While there are some pretty heavy restrictions on filming within Vatican City, movies that reference these museums include Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One, Angels & Demons, The Two Popes, and Spectre.
20. Van Gogh Museum
Located in Amsterdam, this popular museum is dedicated to the life and works of Vincent van Gogh and his contemporaries. It’s considered the most popular museum in the Netherlands. Movies that have been filmed at this museum include copious Van Gogh documentaries, obviously, but also the film At Eternity’s Gate, and a very well-known episode of Doctor Who.
