Is the British Museum the oldest museum in the world?

No, the British Museum is not the oldest museum in the world, but it is one of the oldest public national museums.

Is the British Museum the Oldest?

• The British Museum was founded in 1753 and opened to the public in 1759.
• It was the first national museum to be open to the public and allowed free entry to all “studious and curious persons”.
• While it is one of the most famous and influential museums, it is not the oldest in the world.

Which Museum is the Oldest in the World?

The oldest known museum is believed to be:

📜 The Ennigaldi-Nanna Museum (530 BCE, Mesopotamia)

• Discovered in modern-day Iraq, this museum was founded by Princess Ennigaldi, daughter of the Neo-Babylonian king Nabonidus.
• It housed artifacts from Sumerian, Akkadian, and Babylonian civilizations.
• The museum had labels in multiple languages, making it the first recorded attempt to organize historical collections.

Other Ancient & Early Museums

🏛️ Capitoline Museums (Rome, 1471) – Considered the oldest public museum still in operation.
🏛️ Vatican Museums (founded in the early 16th century) – Home to a vast collection of religious and artistic treasures.
🏛️ Ashmolean Museum (Oxford, 1683) – The oldest university museum in the world.

Final Thoughts

✅ The British Museum (1753) was groundbreaking as the first large national museum open to the public.
✅ The Ennigaldi-Nanna Museum (530 BCE) is the oldest known museum in history.
✅ The Capitoline Museums (1471) are the oldest continuously operating museums.