WHAT IS A MUSEUM | Learn about museums | Types of museums | For Kids

Have you ever wondered what happens to a dinosaur fossil when it's found? Or what happens to an astronaut's spacesuit when it's been worn on the moon? These precious things are kept in museums. Welcome to Stelio. A museum is a building that holds a collection of objects that are found in nature, or objects that people created. Many museums focus on a single subject, for example, art, science, or history. Most museums are open to the public. People visit museums to view the collections. The collections educate people about the natural world or human culture. Museums also may offer guided tours, lectures, and special events. Scientists and other scholars sometimes use museums to do research. Museums add to their collections by buying objects or receiving donations. Museums display some objects all the time. They also display certain objects for a limited time. These displays may include objects borrowed from other museums or from private collectors. Many museums own objects that are never on display at all. Only researchers may view these objects. There are many types of museums. Art museums contain collections of paintings, sculptures, and other important works of art. Some art museums' collections cover many different styles and periods of history. Others specialize in artworks from a particular time period or a single art style, such as modern art. Science museums use their collections to explain different areas of science and technology. Their collections often include machines and tools from the past and present. They may teach people about space travel, medical advances, electronics, or other scientific subjects. History museums collect objects called artifacts that show what human life was like in the past. Artifacts may include clothing, tools, housewares, vehicles, old photographs, and many other kinds of objects. Natural history museums display samples of plants, animals, rocks, and other natural objects. Some museums have very specific collections. The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York is one example. Another example is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio. The word museum originates from the Greek word mousa, which are the goddesses of literature, art, and science. Since ancient times, people have collected objects. Many modern museums developed from the collections of wealthy people in Europe. Two of the world's most famous museums today began as private collections. The British Museum in London, England opened to the public in 1759. It contains many archaeological treasures. The Louvre in Paris, France opened to the public in 1793. It contains many famous works of art. Check out what museums there are in the area you live in, and why not visit one soon? It's a great thing to do on a rainy day.