The Deutsches Historisches Museum (DHM) translates to the German Historical Museum. It opened in 1987 to coincide with Berlin’s 750th anniversary celebrations. Three years later, reunification between East and West Germany expanded the scope of the museum. Today, the DHM offers a detailed look at Germany’s history through more than 1 million artifacts.

The Palace Museum — better known as the Forbidden City — stands in what was once the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties, which reigned from 1368 until the last emperor abdicated in 1911. The museum was established in 1925 and contains vast collections of Chinese imperial antiquities. In 1987, the Forbidden City was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The National Museum of Japanese History is not the nation’s capital, but instead located north of Tokyo in Sakura in the Chiba Prefecture. The museum was founded in 1981 as a university research facility. Today, it is open to the public and contains extensive collections relating to Japan’s history and folklore.

No image of President Abraham Lincoln would be complete without his trademark top hat. After Lincoln’s assassination in 1865, the War Department took possession of the hat and other personal items found at Ford’s Theatre. The hat was then given to the Patent Office, and in 1867, it was transferred to the Smithsonian. It is now part of the collection at the National Museum of American History.

Standing on the banks of the River Thames, the Tower of London was built by William the Conqueror in 1066 as a fortress to protect the city. Over the centuries, the building has served as a fort, a palace, a prison, and now a museum. The museum is home to the Crown Jewels, a collection of more than 23,000 gems that includes those used during the coronation ceremonies.

The Ashmoleum at Oxford University opened in 1683 as Britain’s first museum and the world’s first university museum. Wealthy antiquary Elias Ashmole gifted his extensive collection of art and artifacts to the university in 1682, and his collection was combined with other pieces held by the university to create the museum, which is still free and open to the public today.

In 1471, Pope Sixtus IV gifted the people of Rome a collection of ancient bronze statues, which were connected with the founding and development of the city. This collection formed the foundation of the Capitoline Museum. More sculptures were added, but the Capitoline was only viewable by the city’s elite until 1734, when it opened to the general public. Still, it is considered one of the world’s oldest museums.

The Rijksmuseum is the national museum of the Netherlands and covers some 800 years of Dutch history. It houses a large collection of paintings by such masters as Rembrandt, Van Gogh, and Vermeer. The museum also holds collections of artifacts belonging to key figures in the nation’s history, including William of Orange and Queen Beatrix.

After acquiring a massive collection of artwork from a Berlin merchant, Russian Empress Catherine the Great founded the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg in 1764. The museum celebrates December 7 (St. Catherine’s Day) as its anniversary. Covering over 2.5 million square feet, the Hermitage houses more than 1 million works of art, more than 14,000 arms, and more than 800,000 archaeological artifacts, as well as thousands of other items.

In 1924, John D. Rockefeller and a local rector joined forces to preserve the 18th-century colonial buildings of Williamsburg, Virginia. The plans soon grew into a complete restoration of the entire city, which served as the capital of the Virginia colony until 1780. Today, the living history museum spans 173 acres and features costumed interpreters and reenactors, who recreate life as it was in colonial times for thousands of daily visitors.

Founded in 1773 by the Charleston Library Society, South Carolina’s Charleston Museum is appropriately nicknamed “the First Museum.” Since its founding, it has been open continuously, except for a brief period during the Civil War, making it the oldest museum in the United States. The museum features an impressive collection of South Carolina Lowcountry artifacts.

The National World War II Museum opened in New Orleans in 2000. Created with the goal of allowing visitors to experience some of the sights and sounds of war, the museum was originally focused on D-Day. Since then, it has expanded to include exhibits about the Pacific and European Theaters, as well as the Home Front. The campus covers six acres, and the museum is now one of the top tourist attractions in New Orleans.

Sherlock Holmes was a fictional creation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; however, Doyle based his home and office on a real address on London’s Baker Street. The Georgian townhouse that stands there is now a museum dedicated not only to the adventures of Sherlock Holmes but also to Victorian London. It is filled with artifacts from the era and offers a fascinating look into life in London in the late 19th century.

The National Civil Rights Museum stands on the former grounds of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968. During its time as a motel, famous guests included Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, and Ray Charles. The museum, which opened in 1991, charts the history of the civil rights movement and includes interactive exhibits about Rosa Parks, lunch counter sit-ins, and other major historical events.

When British scientist James Smithson died in 1829, he left a fund in his will stipulating the creation of the Smithsonian Institution, “an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge.” Founded in 1846, the Smithsonian now comprises 20 museums and the National Zoo — with two more museums in the planning stages. It is the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex.

The once-thriving Roman city of Pompeii was destroyed in 79 CE when the nearby volcano Vesuvius erupted, burying everything under a thick layer of lava and ash. Visitors can walk through the preserved ruins of the city at the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, where archaeological excavations are ongoing. There are rotating exhibitions explaining recent finds and showcasing daily life in the city prior to the eruption.

Also known as the Cairo Museum, the Egyptian Museum is the oldest archaeological museum in the Middle East. With a vast collection of Pharaonic artifacts, including the sarcophagus of King Tut, the museum is one of Egypt’s top tourist attractions. The building was designed by French architect Marcel Dourgnon following an international competition, and it opened in 1902.

Philadelphia is home to many museums related to the founding of the United States, including the Museum of the American Revolution and the National Constitution Center. However, Revolutionary hero Paul Revere lived in Boston, and his house is now a museum there. The museum contains many personal items belonging to Revere and tells the story of his famous ride to warn Revolutionary forces about approaching British troops on April 18, 1775.

One of the world’s most famous historical artifacts, the Rosetta Stone was uncovered by a group of French soldiers in Egypt in 1799. The large slab fragment — which is inscribed in Egyptian, Greek, and several other writing systems — provided archaeologists with a breakthrough in translating ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. Since 1802, the Rosetta Stone has been on display at London’s British Museum.

Named for Pope Sixtus IV, the Sistine Chapel was built within the papal chambers of the Vatican in the 15th century. The entire papal palace complex, including the Sistine Chapel, is now part of the Vatican Museums. The Chapel is decorated in elaborate paintings depicting the Story of Genesis and the Creation. Most famous is the ceiling, painted by Michelangelo.