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Museums are more than places where objects are exhibited and conserved. Along with the dramatic rise in cultural tourism in recent decades, the number of museums around the world has increased from 22,000 in 1975 to 95,000 today.

Museums can play a leading role in bolstering the creative economy locally and regionally. Museums are also increasingly present in the social sphere, acting as platforms for debate and discussion, tackling complex societal issues and encouraging public participation. 

UNESCO supports developing countries using museums’ potential to foster social cohesion, notably among local communities and disadvantaged groups. During times of conflict in countries such as Egypt, Afghanistan, Iraq and Mali, where museums have been threatened by looters in search of valuable objects or symbols of national identity, UNESCO has intervened to secure and rehabilitate museums. UNESCO also carries out capacity building for museum specialists in the conservation of collections and inventorying and documentation to contribute to the fight against illicit trafficking of cultural objects. 

Key Numbers

Museums can play a leading role in bolstering the creative economy locally and regionally.

• Plurilingual

Museum experience and satisfaction: moderating role of visiting frequency

International Hospitality Review

ISSN : 2516-8142

Article publication date: 25 August 2020

Issue publication date: 24 November 2020

This paper aims at investigating how tourist experience elicits satisfaction and contributes to loyalty and willingness to pay more for a museum destination. The study also investigates the significant moderating role of visiting frequency on the relationship between satisfaction and willingness to pay more.

Design/methodology/approach

The research was conducted with 385 tourists who visited the National Museum in Ghana and answered questions relating to experience, satisfaction, loyalty, and willingness to pay more. Structural equation modelling was used to test the relationships and effects of the adapted constructs.

The results revealed the significant effects of tourist experience on satisfaction, as well as the significant effects of satisfaction on loyalty and willingness to pay more. In addition, a significant moderating effect of visiting frequency was reported on the relationship between satisfaction and tourist willingness to pay more.

Research limitations/implications

The research is destination-specific. The application of the findings to other museums would demand a bigger sample size for generalisation to be made.

Practical implications

Managers should develop strategies that promote museum tourist travelling experience, satisfaction, desire and choice, and thereby attract more tourists to museum sites.

Originality/value

The research contributes to the growing literature on museum tourist experience as an important variable in promoting tourist satisfaction, loyalty, and tourist willingness to pay more.

• Museum tourism
• Museum tourist
• Satisfaction

Preko, A. , Gyepi-Garbrah, T.F. , Arkorful, H. , Akolaa, A.A. and Quansah, F. (2020), "Museum experience and satisfaction: moderating role of visiting frequency", International Hospitality Review , Vol. 34 No. 2, pp. 203-220. https://doi.org/10.1108/IHR-04-2020-0009

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2020, Alexander Preko, Theophilus Francis Gyepi-Garbrah, Helen Arkorful, Andrews Adugudaa Akolaa and Fidelis Quansah

Published in International Hospitality Review . Published by Emerald Publishing Limited. This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode

Introduction

Museum tourism (MT) creates value for society by promoting education, recreation and cross-cultural understanding among people ( Calinao and Lin, 2017 ; International Council of Museums, 2010 ; Pennings, 2015 ). Trinh and Ryan (2016) cited a number of reasons why cultural heritage tourism sites, such as museums, are important components of tourism. First, museums attract a large number of visitors; they are associated with the protection of heritage sites by various international bodies and create human curiosity about the nature of societies and historical pasts. Finally, the popularity of such places requires protection from tourism managers and other stakeholders. These reasons are in line with Confer and Kerstetter’s (2000) findings, which revealed that visitors travelled to museums and historic sites for various reasons, including interests in history, quality of exhibits, and special events or programmes. For example, the African Arts Museum in the Republic of Korea displays artifacts of African wildlife, collectibles and statues from the 18th to 20th century and gives tourists a feel of the African culture ( Jeju Tourism Organisation, 2012 ). In the United Kingdom, visitors encountered war relics at battlefield sites ( Miles, 2014 ), while in Ghana, artifacts in the slave castle in Cape Coast depict collective memories of extreme suffering during the slave trade ( Mowatt and Chancellor, 2011 ; Yankholmes and Mckercher, 2015 ). The purpose of this study is to investigate the significant effects amongst museum experience, satisfaction, loyalty and tourist willingness to pay more (WPM). In addition, the study explores the moderation effect of the number of times (NT), that is, the frequency (first time and frequent tourists) of visits to the National Museum in Ghana, underpinned by the experience economy theory (EET) ( Pine and Gilmore, 1999 ) within museum tourism context.

The motivation for this study is two-fold. First, not much is known about museum tourist experience and how satisfaction may influence tourist loyalty and WPM, and the moderating effect of frequency of visits within context. Second, this research purposefully concentrates on the selected variables in an effort to contribute to the growing body of theoretical and empirical knowledge and situate the findings within on-going discourse on museum tourism by various authors (e.g. Chan, 2009 ; Homburg et al. , 2005 ; Ruiz-Alba et al. , 2019 ; Trinh and Ryan, 2013 ). Therefore, this study examined the significant effects of tourist experience on satisfaction, satisfaction and loyalty, loyalty and WPM, and finally, explored the moderating effect of NT on the relationship between satisfaction and WPM. This direction of study would provide results that have implications for governments, businesses, investors, and allied institutions. Strategically, this study would help in identifying and developing museum destinations that would pull both domestic and international tourist traffic to achieve the needed socio-economic benefits. This paper is organised as follows: the first section presents a literature review on museum tourism, and in the second, the methodologies used are provided, followed by data analysis and discussion of the findings section. The next section presents the conclusion and implications. The study ends with the limitations and direction for future studies.

Literature review

Theory grounding the study.

This study is underpinned by the experience economy theory (EET) ( Pine and Gilmore, 1999 ). Proponents of this theory argue that experience economy is built on four experiential domains or realms: entertainment (desire to enjoy), education (desire to learn), escapist (desire to go and do ‘something’), and aesthetic (desire to be in a certain place). Theoretically, the theory posits that experience is a good starting point and an important factor that aids in understanding customer perception of a product or service attraction. Remarkably, the EET has been validated in several tourism studies ( Hosany and Witham, 2010 ; Hwang and Lyu, 2015 ; Mahdzar et al. , 2017 ; Mehmetoglu and Engen, 2011 ; Oh et al. , 2007 ; Radder and Han, 2015 ). These studies have operationalised the experience types and developed different scales for examining the relationships among visitor perception, cruiser experience, golf tourist entertainment, satisfaction, intention to recommend, WPM, and others. For example, a recent study of Mahdzar et al. (2017) on museum tourist experience, found that the four experiential dimensions determined museum tourist satisfaction, which significantly predicted future behaviours. According to Pine and Gilmore (1999) , it was important for customers to encounter a unique experience in order to maximise their satisfaction. As such, for museum tourists within context to be satisfied, they needed to have experience through encounters with the artifacts and paintings in the museum.

The four suggested experiential realms proposed by Pine and Gilmore (1999) are relevant for this study since the researchers presume that the experience types will give tourists the experience that may influence satisfaction, loyalty and WPM. Thus, the fundamental aim of utilising the EET within context was to ascertain whether experience influenced tourist satisfaction and to examine how satisfaction significantly predicted loyalty ( Kim et al. , 2017 ; Kim and Thapa, 2018 ). In spite of the significant role EET plays in the tourism and hospitality context, there are some disadvantages associated with the theory. Williams (2006) , for example, argued that much attention had been paid to the destination rather than to contemporary consumers. He contends that tourism and hospitality practitioners have failed to project the concept of experiential marketing as a new paradigm or orientation in marketing. In all, Williams (2006) suggested that in the service economy, destination marketers and practitioners should focus on service efficiency rather than on effectiveness. They should also redirect their effort at creating synergies between meaning, perception, consumption and brand loyalty. According to William (2006) , this could be done by shifting the marketing efforts from ‘the functional features and benefits of products, and re-consider’ consumers as emotional beings (p. 493), so as to fulfil the entire needs of customers. Again, Freire (2008) maintained that EET deeply depends on constant innovation of products and services that would aid the experience activities of customers.

Interestingly, this study examines how loyalty significantly explains WPM ( Calinao and Lin, 2017 ; Mgxekwa et al. , 2019 ), and finally, investigates the extent to which NT significantly moderates the relationship between satisfaction and WPM ( Chan, 2009 ; Su et al. , 2016 ). The researchers’ argument is that museum managers purposefully collect historical treasures, exhibit culture, and offer a wide range of services that draw tourists’ attention to unique services in a friendly manner. Such museums also tend to increase visitor experience, which significantly improves tourist satisfaction. Based on these arguments, this research explores the experiences of tourists using the EET, on their visit to the National Museum of Ghana. The focus is on experience, the satisfaction of the museum visitors and interrelated constructs (loyalty, WPM and NT).

Museum tourism and context of the study

The most profound definition of a museum was proposed by the International Council of Museums (ICOM). According to ICOM (2007) , museums are non-profit- making permanent institutions meant to provide unique cultural services, for the development of society, and are open to the public. Museums are for purposes of education, enjoyment, and for people to experience their cultural environment ( ICOM, 2007 ). Pekarik (2003) indicated that the main roles of museums are to protect cultural heritage and to attract tourists. Thus, museums take custody of the history and culture of regions and countries, as they ensure the protection and restoration of cultural artifacts, and elements associated with the historical past ( Cho, 2013 ). This implies that museums exist for purposes of education and sober reflection. Johanson and Olsen (2010) suggested that generally, museum destinations could be considered as part of heritage and cultural tourism. Notably, this form of tourism has socio-economic benefits to all interested parties. Further, museum tourism increases sales revenue, enhances the standard of living, promotes customer advocacy, and enhances sustainable competitive advantage within the hospitality industry ( Shaw and Ivens, 2002 ; Tynan and Mckechnie, 2009 ). Museums also provide customers with memorable experiences that stimulate their emotional, physical, intellectual and spiritual well-being ( Pine and Gilmore, 1998 ).

Ghana is located in West Africa, on the shores of the Gulf of Guinea. The country occupies a landmass of 238,540 square km north of the equator, with a population of approximately 28 million ( The Worldbank, 2017 ). The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) estimation of tourism’s total contribution to Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was GHC 12, 573.3 million (USD 1, 335.5 m ), 6.2% of Ghana’s GDP in 2017. This was expected to increase by 4.2% to GHC 19, 852.8 m (USD4, 522.3 m ), 5.7% of GDP by 2028 ( WTTC, 2017 ). This research is of interest to Ghana because tourism is one of the main socioeconomic drivers that generate foreign income, creates jobs and also stimulates the growth of other industries within the economy. Tourism is the fourth-highest income earner for Ghana after gold, cocoa, and oil ( my joy online, 2018 ; Mensah-Ansah et al. , 2011 ). Cable News Network’s (CNN) travel reported that Ghana was fourth out of the nineteen most interesting tourism destinations of the world (CNN Travel, 2019). In the year 2017, 1.3 million international tourists visited the country and were expected to increase by 8.4% in 2021 (Oxford Business Group, 2018).

Historically, Ghana has several museums scattered across the country, which include the National Museum and Museum of Science and Technology in Accra; Volta Regional Museum, Cape Coast Castle Museum, Upper East Regional Museum in Bolgatanga; St. George’s Castle (Elmina Castle) Museum; Fort Apollonia Museum of Nzema Culture and History. Ghana museums and monument board (GMMB) is responsible for managing these museums in Ghana and undertakes the function of equipping and managing the material and cultural heritage of the nation ( Ashie, 2012 ).

Museums have three primary collections: archaeology, ethnography, and art, and these are used to tell stories about Ghana’s rich cultural heritage. The National Monuments Instrument (EI 42 of 1972) lists 33 forts and castles scattered all over the country, and are considered as national monuments ( ICMS, 2019 ). These edifices exhibit the types of trade that took place between indigenous African people and the European trading partners from Portugal, the Netherlands, Denmark, England, France, Sweden, and Brandenburg of German Prussia. The nature of Ghana’s governance structure, in terms of administration, judiciary, religion, health care and even building architecture, could largely be traced to the legacies from the ancient trade partners ( Ephson, 2012 ).

Interestingly, this study is relevant to Ghana, because of its position as a leading heritage tourism destination for the African-Americans who traced their roots to Ghana and to reconnect with their kinsmen ( Bernhadt and Eroglu, 2004 ; Schramm, 2004 ; Teye and Timothy, 2004 ). In August 2019, Ghana hosted the ‘Year of Return, Ghana 2019’ event that welcomed Africans in the diaspora to participate in events associated with Ghana’s culturally rich heritage ( Graphiconline, 2019 ). This event marked 400 years of the first enslaved Africans arriving in Jamestown, Virginia, and provided an opportunity for Ghana to reaffirm its prominence as the preferred market destination for heritage tourism.

Museum experience and satisfaction

Tourists experience has a significant effect on satisfaction

Museum satisfaction and loyalty

Tourist satisfaction has a positive effect on loyalty

Tourist satisfaction, loyalty and WPM

Loyalty has a positive effect on WPM

Tourist satisfaction has a positive effect on WPM

Moderating effect of frequency of visitation

Previous studies on the moderating role of frequency of visitation (first time and repeat visitors) within the tourism literature have indicated the significant contribution of frequent visits in explaining tourist behaviour ( Franklin, 2003 ; Li et al. , 2008 ; Liang and Zhang, 2011 ). In this research, the frequency of visitation is the NT a tourist visits the museum. Earlier, researchers have contended that first-time visitors were driven more by novelty ( Anwar and Sohail, 2004 ), while repeat visitors enjoyed the familiarity with the tour sites ( Li et al. , 2008 ; Liang and Zhang, 2011 ). For example, the behaviour of first-timers might be different in terms of their responses, perceptions, perceived values, travel motives and are usually active planners ( Li et al. , 2008 ). However, repeat visitors are seen to be more antagonistic when faced with unsatisfactory service and are more likely to complain ( Namkung and Jang, 2009 ). Evidently, previous literature on tourism indicated that repeat visitors were more likely to revisit the tourism site ( Petrick et al. , 2001 ; Petrick and Backman, 2002b ; Sonmez, 1998 ). Similarly, the study of Dorn and Polegate (2014) indicated that first-time and repeat visitors differed in their segment profiles and the dimensions of their satisfaction with the museum experience. Mckercher and Wong's (2004) study also found that repeat visitors might have lower degrees of satisfaction due to their high expectations in some circumstances. This implies that satisfaction may not directly influence tourists in their revisit intentions. Indeed, Chan (2009) , and Su et al. (2016) revealed that tourists gained both emotional and cognitive stimuli and service experience through NT, which possibly motivate tourists to pay more for the same tour.

NT significantly moderate the relationship between tourist satisfaction and WPM

Methodology

Data collection and sampling.

The National Museum, situated in Accra, the capital city of Ghana, was selected for this study because it hosts the creative art exhibition that attracts a large number of tourists. Besides its location, the National Museum has unique characteristics. The museum consists of artifacts, cultural objects and the majority of Ghanaian artistry paintings. It is also the largest and oldest museum in Ghana, built in 1975 ( GMMB, 2017 ). The selected museum managers were contacted, and the objective of the research was explained to them, in order to facilitate the data collection procedure. The targeted population of this research was adult domestic and foreign tourists, who visited the National Museum in Accra during the months of June to August, 2019. Ghana’s major tourist season occurs from June through August when most European and North American visitors made their way to the country ( Travel Tips, 2018 ). A convenience sampling method was used to administer a total of 560 questionnaires, and 385 valid responses were considered, representing a 68.8% response rate. This method was used due to the easy accessibility of participants, their willingness and readiness to complete the self-administered questionnaire ( Creswell, 2014 ; Etika et al. , 2016 ). Quantitative data were collected from visitors who completed their tour; this was to ensure that the tourists had a very recent experience. The questionnaires were administered with the help of 6 experienced enumerators who were recruited and trained by the researchers. In addition, the participants were assured of anonymity and confidentiality ( Wiles et al. , 2007 ). The questionnaire was designed to be completed within 10–15 min.

The sample size for the study was determined based on the expected data analysis technique employed ( Malhotra, 2007 ). Structural equation modelling (SEM) was considered as the preferred data analysis technique for this study and required a minimum of 100 participants ( Hair et al. , 2010 ; Tabachnik and Fidell, 2007 ). This study, drawing on these suggestions, considered a useable sample size of 385 respondents for this study. Earlier, the questionnaire was piloted utilising a sample of 30 visitors based on the recommendation of Preneger et al. (2014) . These authors suggested that pre-testing of the questionnaire with 30 participants was likely to provide a high power of 80%, coupled with the ability to detect any problem within the population. The results of the 30 participants showed that the respondents for this study understood the questions, as they were written in simple English language.

Instrumentations

The questionnaire had 31 items in all, to measure each construct provided in the conceptual model, structured in five sections. The first section comprises sixteen (16) adapted items on museum experience by Caldwell (2002) , and Rowley (1999) designed to measure service experiences. The second section has two (2) items adapted to determine tourist WPM ( Zeithaml et al. , 1996 ). The third section focuses on tourist satisfaction with five (5) items adapted from Oliver (1997) . The fourth section measures the participants’ loyalty with four (4) items ( Zeithaml et al. , 1996 ). The participants were asked to indicate on a five-point scale, ranging from 1 = ‘strongly disagree’ to 5 = ‘strongly agree’. The final section of the survey captures four questions on the profiles of the tourists. The sample size entails 385 participants, with 44% male and 56% female. Fifty-two (52%) were international tourists, while domestic tourists recorded 48%. The number of first-time tourists is 47% and repeat tourists 53%. Age distribution was as follows: 18–24 years (22%); 25–34 years (11%); 35–44 years (30%); 45–54 years (20%); 55–64 years (11%); 65 years and older (6%). In addition, the descriptive results of the studied variables were presented (see Table 1 ). Museum experience recorded a composite average value of 4.46, and WPM (4.14), Satisfaction (4.28), and Loyalty (3.76). These findings revealed that tourists agreed that they were influenced by these behavioural factors to tour the museum. Besides, in the study model ( Figure 1 ), an addition of a moderator (i.e. NT) was introduced to explain the effect on the relationship between satisfaction and WPM ( Calinao and Lin, 2017 ; Shahrabani and Regev, 2019 ). Prior studies had shown that when a moderating variable was introduced between two other variables, it was much easier to understand the nature of the relationship ( Aguinis et al. , 2016 ). In determining the moderation effect, the study multiplied the explanatory variables of satisfaction with the moderator: NT (1 = repeat and 0 = first time) (NT*Satisfaction), as recommended ( Chin et al. , 2003 ).

Data analysis

The research model was tested using SEM to estimate the model fitness and also test the proposed hypotheses. It is generally accepted that SEM is effective for testing models that are path analytic with moderating or mediating variables ( Bryne, 2009 ). The advantage of using SEM lies in its strength as a multivariate technique. Thus, SEM combines aspects of factor analysis and multiple regressions for analysing multiple hypothesised relationships among observed and unobserved (latent) variables, to determine whether the interrelationships are consistent with the data sample ( Bollen, 1989 ; Jöreskog and Sörbom, 1993 ). Invariably, the focus of this study was to analyse the multiple hypothesised linkages among observed and unobserved (latent) variables and simultaneously test the moderating effect of the research model. This study followed the suggested methods within the literature to verify possible issues of normality of the data distribution, common method bias (CMB) and multicollinearity. First, this research explored whether the distribution of data deviated from normality and found that all items of the constructs were above 0.05, indicating no deviation from normality ( Brown, 2006 ). This study is a cross-sectional study, where data was collected from the same participants at the same time or using the same technique for predictor and outcome variables ( Heppner et al. , 2008 ). Hence to measure for CMB, Harman’s single factor was conducted to determine the extent of CMB in this study. The simultaneous loading of all the items in a principal component factor analysis produced a total variance of 27.2% (<50%), a maximum acceptable threshold of the total variance ( Podsakoff et al. , 2003 ). This implied that there was no possibility of CMB. Finally, the correlation coefficients shown in ( Table I ) are not above 0.80, revealing that multicollinearity was not an issue ( Hair, et al. , 2010 ).

Factor analysis

The exploratory factor analysis specifically, the principal axis factorial (PAF) approach with equamax rotation method was employed which parsimoniously simplifies the number of items, as well as examines the underlying factor structure of the studied constructs ( Hair et al. , 2010 ). The 16 museum experience items revealed, Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) (0.653) and Bartlett’s test of sphericity x 2 = 2,093.73 were all adequate in performing factor analysis. The findings showed three factors that accounted for 77.68% of the total variance explained. Factor one was identified as ‘education’, which explained 32.30% of the total variance with a composite reliability value of (0.95). Factor two of the museum experience was labeled ‘entertainment’, which explained 28.14% of the total variance with a composite reliability value of 0.93. Factor three was recognised as ‘escape’, which explained 12.10% of the total variance explained with a composite reliability value of 0.76. Factor four was identified as ‘aesthetic’, which explained 5.14% of the total variance explained with a composite reliability value of 0.76. Added to this, a total of 11 items, of which 2 items was for WPM, 5 items for ‘satisfaction’, and 4 items for ‘loyalty’ were factor analysed. Results of the factor analysis revealed the KMO value of 0.892 and Bartlett’s test of sphericity ( x 2 = 5,236.54 ). In all, three factors were extracted, namely ‘satisfaction’, ‘loyalty’, and ‘WPM’, which recorded 65.30% of the total variation in the scale data. ‘Satisfaction’ accounted for 31.3% with a composite reliability coefficient of 0.94; ‘loyalty’ (21.4%) with a composite reliability coefficient of 0.93; and WPM had 12.6% with a composite reliability coefficient of 0.80. The factor scores were computed for each of the constructs utilising the regression factor score method due to its maximisation of the validity of the items used ( Distefano et al. , 2009 ). Following the exploratory factor analysis, the Anderson-Rubin factor score was computed utilising STATA 14 software package to estimate factor score coefficients, and used in the subsequent SEM analysis. The resulting scores are uncorrelated, have a mean equal to zero and SD equals to one ( Hatcher, 1994 ).

Measurement and structural model

The analysis of a measurement model requires four stages: the individual reliability of items, the composite reliability of the constructs, the convergent and discriminant validity. First, the Cronbach alpha of the individual items obtained exceeded the threshold of 0.70 ( Nunnally and Bernstein, 1994 ), meaning that the questions were reliable for the current study. Second, the findings of the calculated composite reliability values also showed an acceptable level ≥ 0.70 ( Chin, 2010 ; Hair et al. , 2010 ), which revealed the internal consistency of the items and confirmed the reliability of the survey instrument. Third, the existence of convergent validity was confirmed by utilising the average extracted variance values that exceeded 0.5 ( Fornell and Larcker, 1981 ). Finally, to satisfy the requirement of discriminant validity, the square root of the construct’s AVE was greater than the inter-constructs correlation ( Fornell and Larcker, 1981 ). As shown in Table 1 , all the relationships among the variables obtained were less than 0.50 and the square roots of the AVEs were more than inter-correlation values. This shows that the constructs are distinct from one another. Thus, there is evidence of discriminant validity. The statistics for the measurement model without the moderating variable were   ( x 2 = 276.542 ,   df = 187 ,     p = 0.002 ) , root mean squared error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.09; comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.87; Tucker–Lewis index (TLI) = 0.88 and standardised root mean squared residual (SRMR) = 0.09. The results obtained above demonstrated poor fit. The model was refined through the modification indices to achieve a good fit for the structural model. A modification indices analysis suggested that an improvement in the overall goodness of fit of the model could be achieved by allowing museum experience to correlate with loyalty; hence this path was added to the model. The revised model produced a better fit index   ( x 2 = 279.042 , df = 189 ,   p = 0.001 )   RMSEA = 0.04, CFI = 0.96, TLI = 0.96 and SRMR = 0.03, providing evidence of good fit. In the model, experience accounted for 22.3% variance in satisfaction, satisfaction accounted for 13.0% of the variance in loyalty and loyalty recorded 7.02% variance in WPM. This accounted for 32.32% of the variations in WTP without the moderating variable.

Hypothesis testing

Table 2 shows the results of the SEM used in testing the hypotheses for the study. The results of the SEM provided support for H1–H5 . It was revealed that museum experience has a positive effect on tourist satisfaction ( β = 0.293 , p < 0.001 ) and supported H1 ; tourist satisfaction has a positive effect on loyalty ( β = 0.199 , p < 0.01 ) and supported H2 ; loyalty has a positive effect on WPM ( β = 0.329 , p < 0.05 ) and supported H3 ; tourist satisfaction has a positive effect on WPM ( β = 0.493 , p < 0.01 ) and supported H4 .

Test of the moderation effect

For testing the interaction effect, the study applied a two-stage approach recommended by previous studies ( Chin et al. , 2003 ; Sarkar et al. , 2001 ; Walter et al. , 2006 ). In stage 1, the structural model analysis was performed without the moderating variable and the results presented above. In stage 2, the result of the measurement model statistics, including the moderating variable was   ( x 2 = 264.421 , df = 187 ,   p = 0.002 ) , RMSEA = 0.07, CFI = 0.87, TLI = 0.89 and SRMR = 0.06 produced a poor fit. However, an examination of modification indices revealed that the model fit was substantially improved by allowing theoretically plausible correlations between tourist satisfaction, WPM and loyalty. As a result of this model revision ( x 2 = 267.002 , df = 188 ,   p = 0.002 )   RMSEA = 0.04, CFI = 0.95, TLI = 0.96 and SRMR = 0.03, provided evidence of good fit. This study was guided by previous studies ( Chin et al. , 2003 ; Moretti, 2015 ) in reporting the measurement and structural statistics of the interaction model. In this study, the coefficient resulting from the interaction effects on the relationships between satisfaction and WPM ( NT ∗ satisfaction → WTM ) is statistically significant ( β = 0.072 ,   p < 0.05 ) , supporting H5 . However, the result of the explained variance, that is, the R -squared in stage 1 shows 32.32% whiles the result in stage 2 records 44.6%. Comparing the results in stage 2 to stage 1 show that the R-squared was increased to 12.2%, providing evidence of a better-explained variance. The increased R -squared is attributed to the moderating effects. The effect size was also determined by measuring the strength of the theoretical relationship, including the moderating effects ( Chin et al. , 2003 ). The recommended method of testing effect size was applied, respectively (see: Cohen, 1988 ). The effect size threshold values of 0.02, 0.15 and 0.35 are regarded as small, moderate and large effects ( Cohen, 1988 ). The significance of the effect size was also confirmed using a p -value (≤0.05) as recommended ( Tabachnik and Fidell, 2007 ). The calculated effect size of this study is 0.122, with corresponding significant value (0.04) demonstrating that NT is statistically significant to moderate the relationship and has more than the moderate effect (0.18 > 0.15) on tourist satisfaction. In all, the coefficient of determination reported for the tested research model accounted for 44.6% variations in WPM. The analysis model with the moderation effect is presented in Figure 1 .

Findings and discussion

The main research problem addressed in this study was the need to consider museum cultural experience in determining tourist satisfaction and WPM for the service experience. Service experiences are integral drivers of consumer satisfaction and are likely to contribute to the loyalty of museum visitors. Museum experience has moved away from just a service experience to heritage experience, thereby affecting visitors’ emotional and cognitive stimuli ( Chan, 2009 ; Ruiz-Alba et al. , 2019 ). This study investigates the effect of tourist experience on museum visitors’ satisfaction. First, the finding confirms that visitors’ experience has a positive effect on tourist satisfaction. It could be inferred that visitor expectations were likely to have been met because of the cultural values and the associated service quality from the providers. This finding resonates with those of Yang (2012) and Ung and Vong (2010) , both in Chinese contexts, which focused on culture, heritage and tradition. Considering that museum experience creates emotional attachments, these findings underscore the importance of preserving cultural heritage at museum destinations.

This study also investigates the effect of satisfaction on loyalty and finds a positive effect of satisfaction on loyalty. Meeting client satisfaction has been an important antecedent to consumer association with service patronage, with satisfaction being the main antecedent to loyalty. This finding supports the significance of loyalty drivers in heritage tourism destination research ( Lopez et al. , 2019 ). In most instances, satisfaction establishes loyalty ( Carmen et al. , 2017 ), and this occurs because consumers develop a taste for the services and experience less mental discomfort (i.e. low cognitive dissonance) when taking a decision on the museum services. Although the empirical study is emerging within context, majority of the research on museum tourist experience, satisfaction, loyalty and WPM are strongly rooted in Western cultures ( Ruiz-Alba et al. , 2019 ; Shahrabani and Regev, 2019 ). This study makes a significant contribution to museum tourism literature in a non-Western context. Thus, this study addresses the call to investigate tourist experience in different environments ( Ruiz-Alba et al. , 2019 ). Ghana provides a unique cultural context in which to study the effects of experience, as there are creative art exhibitions and cultural artifacts that attract a large number of tourists to the museums. Although this study’s environment differs from those of earlier studies, the findings of the current study are encouraging for Ghana because it suggests that museums in the country are adopting international standards to preserve and protect the cultural heritage that would attract tourists from all over the world and to keep Ghana in the competition.

Furthermore, this study explores the effect of loyalty on visitor WPM. Statistically, the analysis confirmed that visitor loyalty has a positive effect on WPM for the overall service experience. Carmen, Carmen and Laguna-Garcı (2017) study finds that loyalty is driven by satisfaction and repeated visits to tourism destinations, and likely to culminate in a cultural experience at the heritage sites. In a study on Nelson Mandela Heritage site in South Africa, Mgxekwa, Scoltz and Saayman (2019) confirmed that whenever visitors encountered a unique experience, they were willing to pay higher amounts. Therefore, offering a unique cultural experience for tourists could become a strategic tool that ought to be given due attention by museum operators.

Another finding of this study is that tourist satisfaction has a direct positive effect on WPM. This finding is consistent with that of Morrison and Dowell (2015) , which established that the perceived value of cultural resources offered to tourists, would affect their willingness to pay. These findings support the position held by consumer behaviour researchers that the cognitive and emotional aspects of consumer experience and consumption compliment to provide insights into tourist satisfaction and actions at a museum ( Chiappa et al. , 2014 ; De Rajas and Camarero, 2008 ). When tourists are satisfied with the service encounter, they are likely to remain loyal and likely to repeat visits because of the value derived from the experiences.

Finally, this study also investigates the moderating effects of NT on the relationship between satisfaction and WPM, and finds that NT has a positive moderating effect on the said relationship. This finding confirms propositions by Chiappa et al. (2014) and Kozak et al. (2002) that some variables are potential moderators on the relationship between satisfaction and perceived behaviour. Further, the finding resonates with Su et al. (2016) in a Chinese ethnic community setting where ethnic encounters were the motivation to return to museum sites because of their satisfaction. When tourists visit repeatedly, they are likely to encounter different personalities, learn the cultural values of the ethnic groups and build lasting relationships. These interactions give tourists a unique cultural experience, which is likely to motivate the re-patronage of the museum facilities and readiness to pay more for the valued service. Similarly, Brida et al. (2014) establish that repeating a visit to a museum without changing the place, created convenience, and so tourists were ready to pay higher prices so as to benefit from the said convenience. The study, therefore, provides evidence that tourist experience might influence the satisfaction of both domestic and international tourists visiting the National Museum in the future. These positions, as regards possible increased positive tourist satisfaction and its influence on loyalty and WPM, have practical implications for the future development of museum tourism within context.

An investigation into tourist experience shows that satisfaction, WPM, loyalty and the moderating effect of NT are among the neglected fields in tourism literature in Ghana. Notably, this study has added to the theoretical development and advanced the understanding of museum tourism and experience in a non-Western context. In addition, the current findings provide the foundation for future directions and provide empirical evidence that museum experience, satisfaction, WPM are significant factors that have an impact on the loyalty of tourists in the studied area. The study’s results might suggest that both domestic and foreign tourists were satisfied with their choice of the National Museum and this would develop a high level of destination loyalty. Besides, this is likely to result in positive intentions to re-visit, or recommendations of the same to other potential tourists. Finally, this study’s contribution to museum tourism literature lies in using experience economy theory to develop, test and empirically explain the moderating mechanism through which museum experience leads to tourist satisfaction. Thus, this study further validates and highlights the relevance of NT for the improvement of tourist WPM. Again, this study’s findings add to earlier research of Ruiz-Alba et al. (2019) to extend the scope in museum tourism literature. Evidently, the findings of the main result Ruiz-Alba et al. (2019) revealed the importance of co-creation of museum tourism service, while this article established the significant moderation effect of frequency of visit, during which visitors encountered the service offerings. All these findings are equally important to the development of museum tourism on the globe.

Implications

The study has investigated the significant effects and the relationships within museum tourism, focusing on the museum experience, and the implications for theory and tourism policy development within context. The results extend the understanding of applying the EET in museum tourism. In addition, the proposed and verified hypotheses were grounded on the EET, with the introduction of NT as a moderator. The introduction of NT to the theory may be regarded as a contribution of this investigation, which opens opportunities for similar future studies in other geographical contexts. This research has also added to the body of knowledge by discovering museum experience in context, which is important to museum tourism. The findings also substantiate that NT is a significant variable that aids in explaining the moderation effect on the relationship between satisfaction and WPM by museum tourists, and this has not been investigated before within this environment. These relevant findings will benefit businesses, marketers, practitioners, government, non-governmental institutions and other stakeholders to have a better understanding and knowledge about museum tourism in this part of the globe. This provides the basis for predictions and development of museum tourism strategies to enhance museum tourist travelling desires, choices, and attraction to museum destinations. Importantly, tourism practitioners may use the current findings as a tool to deliver improved services to satisfy tourists who are on vacation.

The results in this work have significant practical implications. This study affords business opportunities within the sector to forecast and possibly solve the problems of satisfaction of tourist experience, and thereby increase museum loyalty behaviour among tourists. It is also essential for managers of museums to note that experience might not necessarily translate into high tourist satisfaction, unless attractive cultural artifacts, objects, and artist paintings, among others, are exhibited at museum destinations. These are attainable through policy formulation and implementation, partnerships and capacity building of the stakeholders in the sector. Again, owners of tour businesses should endeavour to enhance satisfaction levels of the museum tourists in accordance with their cultural experience, WPM, and the level of loyalty that would build positive intention to re-visit and to recommend a museum. The implications of the above are that tourism business, as well as the tourism authorities in Ghana, need to invest time and effort in developing appropriate and important ways of promoting and sustaining museum tourism.

Limitations and areas for future study

This research has contributed to the effort to advance the understanding of the importance of NT, as well as the significant effect of satisfaction on WPM and loyalty among tourists, which have been neglected in earlier research within context, although there are some limitations. The study has applied a convenience sampling method, and the data came from a single source-self report, which constrains generalisation of the findings. In addition to this, the study did not test first-time and frequent tourists separately. Hence, no generalisation can be made beyond this context. Further studies need to utilise a bigger sample size, as well as a test for the moderation effect of multi-groups (first-time and frequent tourists) in a similar geographical context, which might aid the comparison of the studied variables with other countries. Again, this study focused on experience and satisfaction as significant predictors of WPM and loyalty. Yet, there are other factors such as tourist perceived values, which are destination attributes needed to advance museum tourism worldwide. Besides, the introduction of moderating effects of NT on other tourism consumption theories is welcomed.

Tested research model

Mean, SD, Reliability Measures and Inter-correlation for constructs

Note(s) : *** p  ≤ 0.001, ** p  ≤ 0.01, * p  ≤ 0.05

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The importance of museums and heritage to tourism

By museums association.

Museums are a great British success story. They play a crucial role in the success of UK tourism, attracting millions of international and domestic visitors. They showcase the best of the nation's history and culture to the widest possible audiences. They captivate visitors with objects that tell the stories of the world and offer a sense of place.

A golden period of sustained investment has seen museums improve their visitor offer and attract ever-greater numbers of tourists through their doors. Through the money they spend these museum visitors deliver economic benefits to local economies. Museums are good for business.

'Cultural and heritage attractions are very definitely a cornerstone of Britain's tourism offer and are experienced by tens of millions of Britons each year from all walks of life and parts of the country. It is therefore essential that not only are these 'products' maintained, cared for and further developed, but also that they continue to offer the visitor value for money and a quality experience'. Visit Britain The tourist industry - general:

• Tourism is the UK's fifth largest industry. The UK is one of the most popular destinations in the world, attracting 32 million overseas visitors each year. Similarly, British residents take well over 1 billion overnight trips and day visits each year.
• In 2007 tourism was worth £114 billion, responsible for 2.65 million jobs, representing 8.2% of GDP
• By 2009 tourism was worth £115.4 billion to the UK economy, equivalent to 8.9% of UK GDP. In 2009 tourism directly and indirectly supported one job in every twelve
• It has been estimated that the tourism economy will grow by 2.6% a year between 2009 and 2018, a growth rate similar to the retail and construction industries

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Museum Management pp 17–44 Cite as

The Modern Museum: Its Role, Function, and Social Mission

• Milan Jan Půček 7 ,
• František Ochrana 8 &
• Michal Plaček 9  
• First Online: 12 November 2021

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Part of the book series: Arts, Research, Innovation and Society ((ARIS))

The museum plays an important social role. It collects and cares for museum collections and performs important functions and tasks. The perspectives that can be used to look at collections are mainly financial – value for the visitor and researcher. The differences between museum and private collections are discussed. The chapter identifies three approaches to understanding the functions of the museum.

All successful museum managers should know which customers they serve and what function they perform in society. They are then able to successfully manage threats and opportunities. Not only is this for gaining visitors and related maintenance or growth of traffic but also the marketing mix, which consists of 4Ps (product, price, place, promotion) and plays an important role here. Possible alternatives to this marketing mix are listed. The museum can be seen as a community center with a participatory approach, or as an ecological center, focusing on science and research. The conclusion of the chapter discusses the integration of museum functions into a whole to ensure effective museum management.

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Retirement elasticity refers to the sensitivity of the demand for a certain expenditure (in our case, a visit to a museum) to the size of the consumer’s pension (i.e., income).

The term “community education” is understood differently in different countries. In this publication, we understand it as a set of activities that allow individuals or groups (sometimes the whole community) of different ages to make positive changes in their own lives, through education, personal development, and, if possible, also through active citizenship.

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Museums and tourism

Tourism is an important part of the UK economy and the 5th largest industry in the UK. Museums and galleries are key drivers of British tourism and play a significant role in attracting visitors and in building the British brand overseas. 

Statistics testify to museums’ success in attracting visitors: eight of the top ten most popular attractions in the UK are national museums and 50% of UK adults visited a museum or gallery in 2018. There are now more than 5 million more visits to national museums and galleries than in 2009, and they remain popular with international visitors (including those from both mature markets and the high-spending new markets). 40% of visitors to the UK cited culture as their reason to visit, and 43% visited a museum or gallery while in the UK.

UK museums' international work further raises the profile of UK culture with museums lending high profile objects or complete exhibitions to venues in all of VisitBritain's top 20 market's for predicted growth.

NMDC's 2013 briefing  Museums and Tourism  highlights how museums are driving economic development and local investment across the UK by attracting record numbers of visitors, encouraging secondary spending, directly and indirectly creating jobs and making areas more desirable for investment. The briefing includes a wealth of facts and figures to give the big statistical picture of how museums represent a substantial economic and reputational asset to the country, plus snapshots of how dozens of specific projects from museums across the UK contribute to achieving this. 

Read the full NMDC briefing on Museums and Tourism.

Rural Tourism

NMDC submitted evidence to the 2016 Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee inquiry into rural tourism. The submission, also made on behalf of the Museums Association and Association of Independent Museums, outlined how museums are a crucial part of rural and coastal tourism and sets out a series of measures which could help museums maximise their contribution to rural tourism.

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Museums, cultural organizations and heritage sites have traditionally been among the most popular visitor attractions for both domestic and international tourists, especially in countries like Greece where tourism has extensive economic, social and political influence. However, only recently cultural stakeholders have started to assess their power in attracting tourist audiences and their impact on the tourism industry, a powerful development tool.

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Analysis of the Museums Tourism Market by Art Museum, History Museum, National Museum, Science Museum, and Other Museum Types

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Museums Tourism Market Outlook (2023 to 2033)

As per newly released data by Future Market Insights (FMI), the museums’ tourism market is estimated at US$ 25.2 billion in 2023. FMI forecasts the worldwide business of museums tourism to thrive at a CAGR of 11.5% from 2023 to 2033. Furthermore, according to this analysis report, the overall market value is projected to reach US$ 74.8 billion by 2033.

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• Key Drivers and restraints impacting market growth
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2018 to 2022 Global Museums Tourism Market Outlook Compared to 2023 to 2033 Forecast

Museum tourism entails learning about unique cultures and events that took place in history. Museums preserve cultural values, exhibits of evolution, and details about nations and communities decades ago. Museum tourism is mainly motivated by cultural and heritage beliefs. The travelers get an opportunity to learn about historical events, bridge the gap between traditional and modern eras, and connect and experience the art and stories of the past. Museums are the most important part of the tourism industry. Museums serve as an effective way of learning; therefore, many tourists visit museums every year to explore and learn.

Growing Participation of Educational Travelers in Museum Tourism

With a rise in trends of learning about historical events, especially at the educational level, there is a rise in participation from Educational Institutions in Museum Tourism. Educational institutions try to teach good values and morals at a young age by introducing cultural beliefs to their student. As museums are an effective way to learn, the student's participation is more as compared to adult travelers.

In addition, there has been a boom in the new industrial revolution over the past few decades. The possibility of observing industrialization's progression from its origin to the modern day is ideal for research scholars studying industrialization. The museums help students to learn and explore more than books efficiently. Thus, the above factors are expected to increase the participation of educational travelers in museum tourism.

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Exploration of New Artefacts to Drive the Museums Tourism Market

The tourist travels for leisure, to discover, to explore, and to get a break from their busy schedule. There has been an unexpected increase in leisure travel post-pandemic. People are taking an active interest in more leisure activities.

Museums are one of the favorite choices of tourists. With the rising trend of heritage and cultural tourism, travelers are more attracted to museums. Also, certain known museums with their unique artifacts attract tourists worldwide. The growing importance of this trend is driving the market.

Country-wise Insights

How is government initiative going to boost the market in india.

Digital Virtual Museums to Grow the Museums Tourism Market in India

India is known for its vast history and its cultural heritage. Every year millions of travelers visit India to learn about Indian culture and Vedas and to study the history of India. Indian museums narrate the origin story and show how humanity has evolved in the past 100 years.

India exhibits a wealth of resources that shed light on its rich culture and heritage of its past. In 2014 the Ministry of Culture Government of India launched the National Portal Digital Repository for Museums of India. In the year 2022, they found the Museums of India mobile app. This allows users to access information virtually on various themes, histories, and artifacts related to the Indian history of 10 leading museums.

How is the Museums Tourism Market Progressing in the United Kingdom?

The Recovery of Museum Tourism Majorly Contributing to the United Kingdom Tourism Industry

Tourism is one of the leading industries in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom has one of the world's most pre-eminent collections and high-profile museums. This attracts tourists from around the world. According to National Museum Director's Council (NDMC), museums and galleries are one of the most popular tourist attractions.

The museums and galleries of the United Kingdom contribute a massive share to the tourism industry. In 2021, the Natural History Museum had 1.57 million visitors and was the most visited museum, followed by British Museum with 1.32 million, Tate Modern with 1.15 million, and Science Museum with 955k visitors. Region-wise, Scotland had 45% more visitors in 2021 as compared to the year 2020.

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Category-wise Insights

Which museum type is preferred by the tourist.

History Museums Are the Most Preferred Museum for Its Chronological Collections

According to the analysis, in terms of type, history museums are mostly preferred by the tourist. Historical museums offer a wide variety of historical collections, which are presented in chronological order. The objects collected and offered could be artifacts, documents, archeological findings, etc. It helps a tourist to learn about specific historical aspects. Besides this, art museums and science museums are equally preferred as much as history museums.

Which Age Group is More Likely to Increase?

Tourists from All the Age Group May Increase Significantly

In terms of age group, tourists in all age groups are expected to rise since this demographic is more inclined to explore and discover certain learning as per their interest. The museum is a fun and effective way of learning. People from different age groups like different types of museums as per their scope of knowledge or for leisure or to explore something beyond their limitations. Apart from that, the government is making efforts to provide free-of-charge entry for local citizens and developing applications for virtual museums for the convenience of tourists.

For example, The British Museum in London has made free entry for tourists to visit the Museum. The fee is only chargeable for exhibitions and events. A tourist need to book tickets in advance on the online website of The British Museum. Likewise, there are various other museums that don't cost money for museum visits.

Which Booking Channel is used by customers in the Museum Tourism Industry?

Online Booking is Generally More Preferred by The Tourist

In terms of booking channels, the online booking channel is more preferred than in-person booking. As the world is upgrading and digitizing, museums websites are also upgrading. Travelers travel to museums across the globe, and therefore for their convenience and ease, many museums have allowed and offered online booking on their websites. At the same time, many museums like The British Museums and The National History Museums inform travelers to book tickets in advance on their websites. The hazel-free process helps travelers to plan a visit efficiently.

Competitive Landscape

Leading players operating around the globe are focusing on expanding new verticals to expand their business.

For instance:

The Art Institute of Chicago is one of the top museums in the world. It is famous for Edward Hopper's Nighthawks and Grant Wood's American Gothic. In 2009, the Terzo Piano restaurant was launched at the Art Institute of Chicago, where tourists can see the Chicago Skyline and Millennium Park.

Recent Developments by the Museums Tourism Service Providers

• The industry is anticipated to keep expanding, propelled by rising interest in virtual museum experiences. To develop a virtual tour of the museum, the Louvre Museum in Paris collaborated with the Google Arts & Culture platform in February 2023.
• The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., started offering free entry to the museum on a limited basis in November 2022. This initiative is part of its new ‘Art Everywhere’ campaign to enthrall and entertain visitors of all ages.

Scope of Report

Global museums tourism market by category, by museum type:.

• History Museum
• National Museum
• Science Museum
• Other Museum Types

By Booking Channel:

• Online Booking
• International

By Tour Type:

• Independent Traveler
• Family trip
• Student trip

By Consumer Orientation:

By age group:.

• 15 to 25 Years
• 26 to 35 Years
• 36 to 45 Years
• 46 to 55 Years
• 66 to 75 Years
• North America
• Latin America
• The Middle East & Africa (MEA)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the potential growth rate of the market.

The market is expected to flourish at a CAGR of 11.5%.

Which Region is Likely to Grow Remarkably?

25% of market share is expected in North America.

What are the Key Trends in Market?

Increasing interest in culture & heritage, and unique artifacts.

How is the Historical Performance of the Market?

From 2018 to 2022, the market registered a CAGR of 4.1%.

How Big will the Market Value by 2033?

The market is expected to reach US$ 74.8 billion by 2033.

Table of Content

List of tables, list of charts.

Recommendations

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Heritage Tourism Market

Published : February 2023

Art Tourism Market

Published : October 2022

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The Moscow Metro Museum of Art: 10 Must-See Stations

There are few times one can claim having been on the subway all afternoon and loving it, but the Moscow Metro provides just that opportunity.  While many cities boast famous public transport systems—New York’s subway, London’s underground, San Salvador’s chicken buses—few warrant hours of exploration.  Moscow is different: Take one ride on the Metro, and you’ll find out that this network of railways can be so much more than point A to B drudgery.

The Metro began operating in 1935 with just thirteen stations, covering less than seven miles, but it has since grown into the world’s third busiest transit system ( Tokyo is first ), spanning about 200 miles and offering over 180 stops along the way.  The construction of the Metro began under Joseph Stalin’s command, and being one of the USSR’s most ambitious building projects, the iron-fisted leader instructed designers to create a place full of svet (radiance) and svetloe budushchee (a radiant future), a palace for the people and a tribute to the Mother nation.

Consequently, the Metro is among the most memorable attractions in Moscow.  The stations provide a unique collection of public art, comparable to anything the city’s galleries have to offer and providing a sense of the Soviet era, which is absent from the State National History Museum.  Even better, touring the Metro delivers palpable, experiential moments, which many of us don’t get standing in front of painting or a case of coins.

Though tours are available , discovering the Moscow Metro on your own provides a much more comprehensive, truer experience, something much less sterile than following a guide.  What better place is there to see the “real” Moscow than on mass transit: A few hours will expose you to characters and caricatures you’ll be hard-pressed to find dining near the Bolshoi Theater.  You become part of the attraction, hear it in the screech of the train, feel it as hurried commuters brush by: The Metro sucks you beneath the city and churns you into the mix.

With the recommendations of our born-and-bred Muscovite students, my wife Emma and I have just taken a self-guided tour of what some locals consider the top ten stations of the Moscow Metro. What most satisfied me about our Metro tour was the sense of adventure .  I loved following our route on the maps of the wagon walls as we circled the city, plotting out the course to the subsequent stops; having the weird sensation of being underground for nearly four hours; and discovering the next cavern of treasures, playing Indiana Jones for the afternoon, piecing together fragments of Russia’s mysterious history.  It’s the ultimate interactive museum.

Top Ten Stations (In order of appearance)

Kievskaya station.

Kievskaya Station went public in March of 1937, the rails between it and Park Kultury Station being the first to cross the Moscow River.  Kievskaya is full of mosaics depicting aristocratic scenes of Russian life, with great cameo appearances by Lenin, Trotsky, and Stalin.  Each work has a Cyrillic title/explanation etched in the marble beneath it; however, if your Russian is rusty, you can just appreciate seeing familiar revolutionary dates like 1905 ( the Russian Revolution ) and 1917 ( the October Revolution ).

Mayakovskaya Station

Mayakovskaya Station ranks in my top three most notable Metro stations. Mayakovskaya just feels right, done Art Deco but no sense of gaudiness or pretention.  The arches are adorned with rounded chrome piping and create feeling of being in a jukebox, but the roof’s expansive mosaics of the sky are the real showstopper.  Subjects cleverly range from looking up at a high jumper, workers atop a building, spires of Orthodox cathedrals, to nimble aircraft humming by, a fleet of prop planes spelling out CCCP in the bluest of skies.

Novoslobodskaya Station

Novoslobodskaya is the Metro’s unique stained glass station.  Each column has its own distinctive panels of colorful glass, most of them with a floral theme, some of them capturing the odd sailor, musician, artist, gardener, or stenographer in action.  The glass is framed in Art Deco metalwork, and there is the lovely aspect of discovering panels in the less frequented haunches of the hall (on the trackside, between the incoming staircases).  Novosblod is, I’ve been told, the favorite amongst out-of-town visitors.

Komsomolskaya Station

Komsomolskaya Station is one of palatial grandeur.  It seems both magnificent and obligatory, like the presidential palace of a colonial city.  The yellow ceiling has leafy, white concrete garland and a series of golden military mosaics accenting the tile mosaics of glorified Russian life.  Switching lines here, the hallway has an Alice-in-Wonderland feel, impossibly long with decorative tile walls, culminating in a very old station left in a remarkable state of disrepair, offering a really tangible glimpse behind the palace walls.

Dostoevskaya Station

Dostoevskaya is a tribute to the late, great hero of Russian literature .  The station at first glance seems bare and unimpressive, a stark marble platform without a whiff of reassembled chips of tile.  However, two columns have eerie stone inlay collages of scenes from Dostoevsky’s work, including The Idiot , The Brothers Karamazov , and Crime and Punishment.   Then, standing at the center of the platform, the marble creates a kaleidoscope of reflections.  At the entrance, there is a large, inlay portrait of the author.

Chkalovskaya Station

Chkalovskaya does space Art Deco style (yet again).  Chrome borders all.  Passageways with curvy overhangs create the illusion of walking through the belly of a chic, new-age spacecraft.  There are two (kos)mosaics, one at each end, with planetary subjects.  Transferring here brings you above ground, where some rather elaborate metalwork is on display.  By name similarity only, I’d expected Komsolskaya Station to deliver some kosmonaut décor; instead, it was Chkalovskaya that took us up to the space station.

Elektrozavodskaya Station

Elektrozavodskaya is full of marble reliefs of workers, men and women, laboring through the different stages of industry.  The superhuman figures are round with muscles, Hollywood fit, and seemingly undeterred by each Herculean task they respectively perform.  The station is chocked with brass, from hammer and sickle light fixtures to beautiful, angular framework up the innards of the columns.  The station’s art pieces are less clever or extravagant than others, but identifying the different stages of industry is entertaining.

Baumanskaya Statio

Baumanskaya Station is the only stop that wasn’t suggested by the students.  Pulling in, the network of statues was just too enticing: Out of half-circle depressions in the platform’s columns, the USSR’s proud and powerful labor force again flaunts its success.  Pilots, blacksmiths, politicians, and artists have all congregated, posing amongst more Art Deco framing.  At the far end, a massive Soviet flag dons the face of Lenin and banners for ’05, ’17, and ‘45.  Standing in front of the flag, you can play with the echoing roof.

Ploshchad Revolutsii Station

Novokuznetskaya Station

Novokuznetskaya Station finishes off this tour, more or less, where it started: beautiful mosaics.  This station recalls the skyward-facing pieces from Mayakovskaya (Station #2), only with a little larger pictures in a more cramped, very trafficked area.  Due to a line of street lamps in the center of the platform, it has the atmosphere of a bustling market.  The more inventive sky scenes include a man on a ladder, women picking fruit, and a tank-dozer being craned in.  The station’s also has a handsome black-and-white stone mural.

Here is a map and a brief description of our route:

Start at (1)Kievskaya on the “ring line” (look for the squares at the bottom of the platform signs to help you navigate—the ring line is #5, brown line) and go north to Belorusskaya, make a quick switch to the Dark Green/#2 line, and go south one stop to (2)Mayakovskaya.  Backtrack to the ring line—Brown/#5—and continue north, getting off at (3)Novosblodskaya and (4)Komsolskaya.  At Komsolskaya Station, transfer to the Red/#1 line, go south for two stops to Chistye Prudy, and get on the Light Green/#10 line going north.  Take a look at (5)Dostoevskaya Station on the northern segment of Light Green/#10 line then change directions and head south to (6)Chkalovskaya, which offers a transfer to the Dark Blue/#3 line, going west, away from the city center.  Have a look (7)Elektroskaya Station before backtracking into the center of Moscow, stopping off at (8)Baumskaya, getting off the Dark Blue/#3 line at (9)Ploschad Revolyutsii.  Change to the Dark Green/#2 line and go south one stop to see (10)Novokuznetskaya Station.

Check out our new Moscow Indie Travel Guide , book a flight to Moscow and read 10 Bars with Views Worth Blowing the Budget For

Jonathon Engels, formerly a patron saint of misadventure, has been stumbling his way across cultural borders since 2005 and is currently volunteering in the mountains outside of Antigua, Guatemala.  For more of his work, visit his website and blog .

Photo credits:   SergeyRod , all others courtesy of the author and may not be used without permission

Museum and Exhibition Center

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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Wealth of Geeks

10 Must-See Museums in New York City

Posted: February 25, 2024 | Last updated: February 25, 2024

The Big Apple boasts a ton of memorable museum experiences, many of which highlight the culture, arts, and historical significance of the City That Never Sleeps.

Given the sheer number of museums in New York, it can be difficult to know which place to visit first, as well as what attractions to see within each. From iconic art galleries to world-famous history exhibits, here are some of the best museums in NYC.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art isn’t merely the best art museum in all of New York —it’s also one of the greatest in the entire world. Boasting celebrated works of art from some of history’s most accomplished creative minds, you can spend an entire day at the Met and still not see everything within the museum’s walls.

A history and art museum rolled into one, the Met’s extensive collection of artifacts dates back to the excavated remains of Ancient Greek, Roman, and Egyptian societies to stunning works of art from more recent decades. Catering to every visitor’s interests, you can bask in the idyllic work of Monet, glimpse ornate armor worn by King Henry VIII, or run your hand against an authentic Egyptian sarcophagus. It simply doesn’t get any better than that.

The Museum of Modern Art

While the Metropolitan boasts a fine collection of classical artistic pieces, the Museum of Modern Art specializes in contemporary art of every shape and size. In particular, visitors can expect to see artwork more conceptual or abstract in nature, including pieces from van Gogh, Picasso, Kahlo, and Dalí.

On paper, MoMa’s focus on surreal and contemporary art might not be as appealing to most visitors as the vast archives of the Met. But it’s a museum worth seeing at least once among prospective visitors to New York.

The American Museum of Natural History

Like many of New York’s most remarkable museums, the sheer size of the American Museum of Natural History should not be underestimated. Spanning over 40 galleries, this 1869 landmark chronicles the wonders of the natural world, detailing anthropological curiosities beyond imagination.

Throughout the museum, visitors will come across such marvelous sights as the skeletal remains of a colossal T-Rex, a 94-foot statue of a blue whale, and several fragments of meteorites that crash-landed on Earth. As with MoMa or The Met, you can spend an entire day here and still not see everything the museum has to offer.

The National September 11 Memorial & Museum

On September 11, 2001, New York City endured a devastating terrorist attack that triggered the collapse of the World Trade Center, taking the lives of nearly 3,000 people. Today, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum proudly stands where the former Twin Towers once stood, forever commemorating the victims associated with the 2001 attack and a 1993 bombing that claimed six people.

At this hallowed site, visitors can take in the man-made waterfalls highlighting the structural ground of each tower, complete with the names of every victim inscribed into the fountain’s walls. Inside is a museum detailing the fateful events leading up to 9/11, as well as the incredible heroism displayed by first responders who aided in rescue efforts immediately after the buildings’ collapse.

The Whitney Museum of American Art

Since debuting at its new location in Lower Manhattan, the Whitney has done a great job forging a new life for itself as a premiere museum destination. In contrast to most other museums in NYC, The Whitney specifically focuses on curating artwork from contemporary American artists of the 20th and 21st centuries.

More modern in its collection than the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney showcases a grand gallery of artists across multiple generations. The resulting archive offers an almost anthropological study of America’s progression, focusing on our national interests from decade to decade.

The Brooklyn Museum

The Met and MoMa might get all of the attention, but that doesn’t mean the Brooklyn Museum isn’t a fantastic place to visit in and of itself. One of NYC’s largest museums, its collection includes over half a million objects, containing such lauded artistic pieces as Monet’s The Doge’s Palace and Gilbert Stuart’s Portrait of George Washington.

Like its counterpart, the Met, the Brooklyn Museum also includes significant space for artifacts of Ancient Egyptian and African origin. It’s an expansive museum you can wander through, stopping by everything from modern artwork to sarcophaguses that are literally thousands of years old.

The Morgan Library and Museum

A museum and research library all in one, the Morgan Library and Museum allows viewers to access the personal collection of books and artwork once owned by Gilded Age banker J.P. Morgan.

While the museum might be geared more intrinsically towards staunch bibliophiles, the Morgan Library features items that will interest anyone who walks through the museum’s front doors. On the property, visitors can spot artwork from Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, three Gutenberg Bibles, the original manuscript of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol , the personal letters of Napoleon Bonaparte, and signed musical compositions from Beethoven, Mozart, and Verdi.

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

Housed within its unique 20th-century exterior facade, the Solomon R. Guggenheim is another treasured art museum in NYC, rivaling other famed locations like the Met or MoMA. Within its galleries, you’ll encounter artwork from a wide range of movements and historical periods, with special emphasis on 19th, 20th, and 21st-century pieces.

With a collection of art that only continues to grow over time, there’s plenty to see inside the Guggenheim, the entire building itself feeling like an intricate artistic work (which, of course, it is). As inspired as Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture is, one shouldn’t forget about the museum’s exhibits on Cézanne, Manet, Klee, and Kandinsky.

The Museum of the City of New York

As one of the oldest cities in the United States, it’s easy to see that New York has one of the most extensive and storied histories in the entire country. A testament to its eventful past, visitors can educate themselves about NYC’s rise from a bustling New World colony into the metropolis of tomorrow at the Museum of the City of New York.

Catering to every historian and art buff’s interests, the Museum of the City of New York totes a slew of items tied to NYC in particular. Standout attractions within the museum include a chair once owned by Sarah Rapelje (the first European child born in the New World) and two furnished rooms from the home of NY millionaire John D. Rockefeller.

Spyscape might not have the same historical significance as almost every other museum on this list, but it’s nevertheless a popular attraction for visitors to stop by on any given day. An “edutainment” attraction that makes its main subjects approachable and entertaining for all, it’s a museum dedicated to the history of international espionage.

Spyscape specifically fuses traditional gallery walkthroughs with a more interactive format, giving visitors an immediate opportunity to judge their own spying abilities. Not only does the museum have permanent galleries focusing on everything from WWII spies to modern cyber warfare, but they also have regularly updated installations built around historical and pop culture-based subject matter.

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Moscow metro to be more tourist-friendly

A new floor sign system at the Moscow metro's Pushkinskaya station. Source: Vladimir Pesnya / RIA Novosti

For many years now, Moscow has lagged behind St. Petersburg when it comes to making life easy for tourists, especially where getting around the city is concerned. Whereas the northern capital installed English-language maps, signs and information points throughout its subway system in the late 2000s, the Russian capital’s metro remained a serious challenge for foreign visitors to navigate.

Recent visitors to Moscow may have noticed some signs that change is afoot, however. In many stations of the Moscow subway, signs have appeared on the floor – with large lettering in Russian and English – indicating the direction to follow in order to change lines. Previously, foreign visitors using the Moscow metro had to rely solely upon deciphering the Russian-language signs hanging from the ceilings.

Student volunteers help tourists find their way in Moscow

However, this new solution has a significant drawback. “The floor navigation is visible only to a small stream of people – fewer than three people per meter. During peak hours, this navigation will simply not be noticed,” said Konstantin Trofimenko, Director of the Center for Urban Transportation Studies.

One of the biggest problems for tourists in the Russian capital remains the absence of English translations of the names of subway stations in the station vestibules and on platforms. The Department of Transportation in Moscow has not commented yet as to when this problem will be solved. However, Latin transliterations of station names can already be found in the subway cars themselves.

Finding the right exit

At four of the central stations – Okhotny Ryad, Teatralnaya, Ploshchad Revolyutsii, Lubyanka and Kuznetsky Most – the city authorities have now installed colorful stands at the exits with schematic diagrams of the station’s concourse and surrounding area, which provide information about the main attractions and infrastructural facilities.

The schematic diagrams are the work of British specialists from the City ID and Billings Jackson Design firms, who have already implemented successful projects in New York and London.

According to Alexei Novichkov, expert at the Design Laboratory at the Higher School of Economics, the design of these information booths raises no objections: The color solutions, font, layout and icons are consistent with international standards.

However, the stands do have some shortcomings. “Many questions are raised about the fact that the developers of these maps did not apply orientation to the north, and have provided layouts of the surrounding areas with respect to the exits,” says Novichkov. “A system like that is used for road navigators, but most of the ‘paper’ guides and maps are oriented strictly to north. The subway map is also oriented to north, so people may become confused.”

Muscovites and foreign visitors are generally positive about these navigation elements, with most of them citing the numbered exits from the subway as the most useful feature.

The fact is that many Moscow subway stations have several exits. One of the busiest central stations of the Moscow subway in particular, Kitay-Gorod, has more than a dozen exits. Previously, these exits were differentiated from each other only with signs in Russian referring to the names of streets and places of interest to which they led – making it easy for tourists and those with poor navigation skills to get confused.

Now, when making an appointment to meet a friend, instead of struggling to find the right spot when they tell you: “I'll meet you at the exit to Solyanka Street,” you can just propose to meet under a specific exit number.

“I’ve lived in Moscow for seven years,” says Angelika, a designer from Voronezh, “but I still don’t always know where to go to find the place I need, so the new schematic diagrams will be very useful. Previously, some subway stations had maps, but not with so much detail.”

Teething problems

Foreigners, meanwhile, focus their attention on other elements. “It is good that the new information boards have QR-codes, which can be ‘read’ by smartphones,” says Florentina, a writer from Vienna. But there are also shortcomings. “The English font of the information on posters and in the captions to theaters and museums is too small – you have to come very close to see it well,” she says.

Pleasant encounters on the streets of Moscow

Florentina was also dissatisfied with the fact that such posters are not provided at all subway stations: “When I was trying to find Tsaritsyno Park (a museum and reserve in the south of Moscow) at a subway station with the same name, it turned out to be quite difficult,” she says.

“There are no maps with landmarks for other areas, such as those already in the city center. There were no clear pointers in the English language, and the passers-by I met did not speak in English, so they could not help me,” she adds.

Officials say that the navigation system is gradually being redeveloped and improved. According to Darya Chuvasheva, a press representative for the Department of Transport of Moscow, the introduction of a unified navigation system will take place in stages.

“By the end of 2014, the system will first appear on the first subway stations on the Circle Line. By the end of 2015, we plan to install the system at all major stopping points, subway stations and transport interchange hubs,” says Chuvasheva.

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Georgia May Be Getting Its First National Park Soon — and It Has More Than Just Scenic Trails

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Taking its name from the word for “boiling waters,” Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park in Georgia dates back more than 12,000 years and features Indigenous earthen mounds used for burials and ceremonies. Today, it's in talks to be designated a national park with expanded acreage.

“This was a capital city for the Creek Confederacy,” says Tracie Revis, a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and director of advocacy for the Ocmulgee National Park and Preserve Initiative (ONPPI). “The Federal Road, the trade road, below the Fall Line — everything cut through here, so this was the absolute capital of everything.”

The park holds special significance to the Muscogee (Creek) people like Revis, who lived here before being displaced to Oklahoma on the Trail of Tears. The capital of the tribal land is Okmulgee, a nod to the Georgia site. 

The Ocmulgee Mounds have been protected since 1936, when, under president Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 678 acres were designated under the Antiquities Act. It was also the site of the largest archaeological dig in American history, which unearthed artifacts from the early days of settlement, many of which are now on display inside the park’s museum. 

Should Congress approve the new designation, Ocmulgee Mounds will be the first national park in the United States to be co-managed by a removed tribe. Come see for yourself what makes this landscape, named one of the best places to visit in 2024 , so unique. 

Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park currently covers 600-plus acres, but the ONPPI has acquired more land from the city of Macon and other groups. It’s estimated that in the future, it could reach more than 2,000 acres, including hunting land along the Ocmulgee River. Unlike many other national park installations, no fee is required to enter the park. 

Macon, Georgia, is about a two-hour drive south of Atlanta, off Highway I-75. Driving is the easiest way to get there, but if that’s not an option, there are alternatives. Greyhound, for example, has a bus route between the two cities. From the Macon bus station on 5th Street, you can take a taxi or ride-share service to Ocmulgee Mounds, which should take less than 10 minutes. 

The city of Macon has a humid subtropical climate, so temperatures vary based on the time of year. During the winter, averages hover around the 40s, and Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park sometimes gets snow. Summer can see highs that feel like 100 degrees with humidity, so it’s important to check the forecast before venturing out on a hike. 

Spring is the best time to go as the temperatures are comfortable, but you might encounter sudden storms and flooding. Be sure to check the conditions before you visit. Another great time to visit is during the annual Ocmulgee Indigenous Celebration , held every September with dances, crafts, and educational discussions. The Lantern Light Tours , held in March, add to the magic of visiting the site at night. 

Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park has several trails, but what makes it so unique is the glimpse it offers into the Indigenous people who lived here thousands of years ago.

Go inside the Earth Lodge.

The Earth Lodge is a reconstruction of the council chamber that would have been a significant part of Mississippian culture, dating back to around 1015 A.D.

“[This] is where different tribal towns all along the river would come. They would meet here and decide if they were going to war or what they were going to do,” says Revis. “The ground floor here is the original.” 

Note that this space is not accessible, and the entrance is narrow, so taller visitors might need to crouch to enter. 

Tour the museum to see artifacts from the archaeological dig.

From 1933 to 1936, several agencies, including the Civilian Conservation Corps and Works Progress Administration, worked to unearth historic items from the site under the leadership of Dr. Arthur R. Kelly from the Smithsonian Institute. More than 2.5 million items were found, including bones, pottery, arrowheads, and jewelry. 

Many are now on display at the on-site museum, along with photos of the Muscogee (Creek) people. Revis even found her family’s photos inside. “[There’s] a massive photo of my aunt because [she] has always worked down in Georgia, telling our stories and culture and preserving all of that.” 

Climb to the top of the Great Temple Mound.

While climbing on these mounds is discouraged, there's an exception is this area, which has stairs that go above the land so you can take in views from above. The area includes the two tallest mounds within the park, created by Mississippian people around the 10th century C.E. using river clay. 

Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park sits along the river wetlands, and much of the plant and animal life reflects that. You might expect to spot a wide variety of creatures, including alligators, river otters, deer, and egrets. 

It's also home to the Ocmulgee shiner, a species of fish found only within the state. Fishing is allowed within the park, but just on the banks of the river, along with Walnut Creek and Clay Pond. 

Courtesy of Marriott

Hotel Forty Five, A Tribute Portfolio Hotel

There’s currently no lodging within the park, but downtown Macon is a short drive away. Hotel Forty Five is named for the angle at which the art deco building sits at its cross streets. Inside, the decor is like a love letter to Macon’s music history, with photos and artwork inspired by artists like Otis Redding. There’s also a coffee shop to start your day, as well as a restaurant and rooftop bar. 

The Woodward Hotel

The Woodward Hotel is inspired by writers and was named for the owner’s grandfather, a noted author and professor. There are Southern books in every room and suite, each designed in a different style, and the cocktail bar, Quill, is the perfect spot for a nightcap. We recommend The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, a bourbon and black tea concoction named for Carson McCullers’ notable work. 

Macon Marriott City Center

The Macon Marriott City Center is closest to the Ocmulgee Mounds entrance, located on the opposite side of the river from downtown. It has all the amenities you’d expect from a convention center-type hotel, including an indoor pool, a fitness center, and a restaurant. Rooms are also pet-friendly, with a fee. 

Courtesy of Macon Bagels

Ocmulgee Mounds doesn’t yet have an on-site restaurant, but downtown Macon has an abundance of dining options.. 

Grab breakfast from Macon Bagels and take it with you to the park. The cafe offers bagels with all the spreads, plus coffee and sandwiches. If you’re not in a rush, H&H Soul Food is a Macon must. Before they were famous, The Allman Brothers Band came here to eat for free. You’ll have to pay, but you won’t mind doing so after trying the fried chicken biscuit. 

Nu-Way Weiners is right by the park entrance and has been a Macon classic for more than a century. It’s known for its chili dogs, burgers, and the classic chocolate malt. They also offer breakfast. Rookery is another essential stop, with its funky burgers inspired by the Peach State. 

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A guide to LGBTQ+ travel in Latin America

With museums, culture, nightlife, family outings and safe spaces to  relax in, Latin America has much to offer LGBTQ+ travellers. 

Latin America is a vast region of over 656 million inhabitants. Stretching across two continents, it’s a storied location where people and cultures from Europe, Africa, the Americas and elsewhere mixed and settled. Spanish and Portuguese, vestiges of two rival superpowers, are the dominant languages. The ancient empires, Aztec, Incan, Mayan and others, still make their presence known — from the archaeological highlights of museums to the living spectacles of carnivals, parades and religious celebrations, like the macabre Day of the Dead and the continued worship of goddesses like Yemanjá brought from the West African coast.

The region’s powerhouse cities are where LGBTQ+ nightlife, culture and political progress are most visible, from the Beaux-Arts streets of Buenos Aires to the sun-kissed Rio de Janeiro, with its spectacular natural setting of mountains and beaches. Indeed, it’s these sandy stretches many tourists come to Latin America for, whether they’re seeking the golden shores of the Caribbean coast or the dramatic, mountainous landscapes that butt against the Pacific, creating conditions that every surfer dreams of.

One of the most thrilling of all Latin American destinations, glamorous Buenos Aires should be the starting point of every Argentine adventure. It’s also one of the world’s leading countries on LGBTQ+ human rights issues — it passed a national same-sex marriage equality law in 2010, five years before the US and three before the UK. Peppered with French Beaux-Arts architecture, Buenos Aires is crisscrossed by grand boulevards and marble-embellished monuments. Visitors will find hundreds of bookshops to explore, the most famous of which, El Ateneo Grand Splendid, is housed in a former theatre. There are cafes, museums and a glittering opera house. To walk along any street, especially the Nueve de Julio, is a dizzying experience.

Where to go at night in Argentina? Buenos Aires is home to some of the best LGBTQ+ nightlife on the continent, and it’s not for the faint hearted. Things don’t get going until past midnight, with locals out long after sunrise. Club Amerika in the Almagro neighbourhood is the city’s largest nightclub and a centre point of LGBTQ+ nightlife. El Lugar Gay is a small, men-only budget hotel located in the historic San Telmo neighbourhood, an area known for its Sunday antiques fair and tango performances.

Where to see Argentinian culture? Though a controversial figure in Argentina, former First Lady Eva Perón, better known as Evita, remains one of the country’s most well-known figures — a Dior-clad gay icon to many LGBTQ+ locals, with stars like Madonna, Patti LuPone and Elaine Paige having portrayed her. Her myth, mystery, legend and wardrobe are explored at Museo Evita in the elegant Palermo neighbourhood.

Where to go with family in Argentina? This nightlife-oriented city has plenty for queer family gaycations, from watching the famous ‘cat ladies’ take care of felines in Recoleta Cemetery to the Abasto neighbourhood’s Museo de los Niños , with educational science activities for children. Argentina’s Patagonian region makes an excellent option for skiing or hiking trips in Bariloche. Those of drinking age will enjoy Mendoza, an important wine region, where the Malbec grape reigns supreme.

Few places in Latin America rival the powerhouse experience that is Brazil. One of the largest countries in the world, this South American nation pulsates with a landscape as diverse as its people, with thousands of miles of beachfront, metropolitan cities, mountains and the Amazon rainforest, to name just a few points of interest. With so much to see and do, it’s hard to choose what to start with first in Brazil, and many LGBTQ+ travellers make repeat visits.

Where to go at night in Brazil? Rio is an effervescent metropolis and former capital where neighbourhoods jostle between mountains and beaches, the giant art deco statue of Christ the Redeemer on Corcovado mountain rising above it all. The highlight of the year is Carnival — the largest such celebration in the world — in February or March, depending on the Easter calendar. It’s all about the beaches here and two are main centres of LGBTQ+ life — Ipanema, especially its Rua Farme de Amoedo gay beach, and the densely urban Copacabana beach, where locals and visitors alike pose for sunset photos with the curvaceous Sugarloaf Mountain in the background. A Brazilian cultural highlight is in Rio’s Flamengo Park, which is home to the Carmen Miranda Museum , celebrating the actress whose oversized fruit-covered headdresses inspired many a drag queen.  

Where to explore in Brazil? Visitors will find urban charm in São Paulo, with its contrasting wealthy and impoverished neighbourhoods operating within walking distance of each other. Every May, it hosts a massive gay pride parade with millions of spectators lining Avenida Paulista. Salvador, in the northeastern state of Bahia, is a hotspot for Afro-Brazilian culture. Statues of Yemanjá, mother of orishas (divine spirits) in the Yoruba religion, are everywhere — a nod to the area’s past. A visit to Pelourinho is a highlight for many, its cobblestone streets lined with colourful buildings stretching to stunning vistas.

Where to go with family in Brazil? For LGBTQ+ family travellers with kids, no trip to Brazil is complete without visiting Iguazú Falls, a series of waterfalls in the country’s south where it edges against Argentina and Paraguay. Several times larger than their North American counterpart, legend says Eleanor Roosevelt exclaimed, “Poor Niagara!” upon seeing them.

Visitors to Mexico should start in its glorious capital, filled wih museums and cultural venues like Palacio de Bellas Artes, with its Beaux Arts facade and art deco interior, or the fascinating National Anthropology Museum. Once the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan, the city is centred around the massive Zócalo, a square where Spanish buildings were constructed over ancient temples and pyramids.

Where to see the best of Mexican nightlife? Only in Zona Rosa — literally the Pink Zone — can travellers find such a dense concentration of LGBTQ+ nightlife. Near the Angel of Independence monument along Avenida de la Reforma, bars, nightclubs, restaurants and other venues popular with LGBTQ+ tourists and locals abound, along with some of the city’s best hotels.

Where to see Mexican culture? The Frida Kahlo Museum is located in the bohemian Colonia del Carmen neighbourhood. Known as the Casa Azul, this tribute to the bisexual artist has been open to the public since the late 1950s.

Where to explore nature in Mexico? Mexico’s coastlines offer a wide array of beaches to explore. Cancun and the Riviera Maya on the Yucatán peninsula are among its jewels and the source of much of the country’s income from tourism. Storied Puerto Vallarta, one of Latin America’s most popular LGBTQ+ beach destinations, overlooks the Pacific.

Peru is geographically diverse, with beaches, mountains and the western stretches of the Amazon jungle, making it a must-visit spot for nature-seeking travellers.

Where to see the best of Peruvian nightlife? Peru’s capital, Lima, is a gastronomic paradise, with native cuisine like ceviche, a raw fish and citrus dish, and drinks such as the pisco sour a popular choice. The country’s large and influential Japanese population has also impacted the culture and the cuisine. The main LGBTQ+ area is garden-like district Miraflores, the name of which means ‘look at the flowers’. Sadly, two prominent gay nightlife spots, Lola Bar and Discoteca Legendaris, have recently closed; luckily, a number of new joints are in the works. However, ValeTodo DownTown , a bar central to the strong gay residential presence here, remains open and thriving.

Where to go on an outdoor adventure in Peru? One of the reasons many visitors come to Peru is to trace the country’s ancient Incan roots. Two of the world’s most coveted bucket-list destinations are in Peru: the ancient Andean temple complex Machu Picchu with its stunning views, and Cusco, which was a capital of the Incan Empire. Visitors will come across colonial buildings representing the Spanish conquest built on top of ancient temples, the periods of architecture instantly recognisable via differing stonework. A rickety train traverses a stunning mountain pass to connect Cusco and Machu Pichu, allowing for day trips. More adventurous travellers can hike the various Inca Trails over several days, finding lesser-known historic ruins along the way.

While certain parts of Latin America might be known for a degree of brashness, travellers will   find a more reserved destination when they visit Chile. Santiago, the capital, stretches along the city’s main thoroughfare, Avenida Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins, and sits either side of the Mapocho River.

What to do at nighttime in Chile? The gay heart of Santiago is in the quaint district Barrio Bellavista, much of which dates to the 1920s. Chile is a former Spanish colony, and these influences can be seen in much of the area’s architecture, from the terracotta shingles to the white stucco walls. At night, the district comes alive with music and partying, as locals and visitors head to clubs, restaurants and bars, many with live music. The neighbourhood is dominated by San Cristóbal Hill and its statue of the Virgin Mary, a symbol of the city, connected by a not-always-functioning funicular.

Where to see Chilean culture? Argentina’s Mendoza on the other side of the Andes might be South America’s better known wine region, but Chile has one of the continent’s largest. What makes it even more ideal for visitors to the capital is that there’s no need to fly to a second destination. The wine region surrounds Santiago, most of it within an hour-and-a half drive by car or organised tour to Casablanca Valley, the Maipo region or the Central Valley, where wineries like Concha y Toro create magical elixirs from Carménère, Cabernet Sauvignon and other grapes.

Related Topics

• LGBT-FRIENDLY TRAVEL
• FAIRS AND CARNIVALS
• CULTURAL TOURISM
• FAMILY TRAVEL

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Russian Aviation

Doug Alberg visited Monino in July 1999 . He has several galleries of his pictures from that visit.

Western tourists are becoming regular visitors to Star City , the Russian Cosmonauts Training Centre.

Andrew Juniper hosts the where you will find a collection of profiles of some of the more modern Russian military aircraft.

Books about Russian aviation available from

Mig : Fifty Years of Secret Aircraft Design by R. A. Beliakov

Send a message to Brian .

Edited July 3, 1998.