Museum Culture Explained: How Not to Miss Out on the Museum Experience
By Michal Gawlik, Arts & Literature Editor
Walking around a museum can be quite overwhelming, especially for those who do not engage with art on a regular basis. There are queues everywhere, paintings and statues that don’t mean anything to you, or ones you struggle to figure out the meaning of. Maybe you even find yourself trying to walk around with a sense of poise and a deeper understanding of what you see before you while your inner monologue whispers, ‘What even are these blobs of colour?’. It happens a lot, and it is not something to be ashamed of, and it most definitely should not be the reason to not go to art galleries or museums. Let us break down the idea of a museum and how to navigate one and enhance your experience in general.
There are two things that turn people away from the idea of going to museums and art galleries the most: the cost of the tickets and queues. In smaller cities with smaller museums, tickets usually don’t cost more than five to ten euro, but if you want to visit a more prominent, more popular museum such as the Louvre, the prices range from fifteen to as much as one hundred and twenty euro! Seeing the price itself can be really overwhelming, especially when the only thing you know you want to see is the Mona Lisa. Eventually, after you get the ticket and arrive at the museum, you are met with the longest queue you’ve ever seen, often forced to stand in the scorching sun, wondering if you’re not just wasting your vacation time trying to see a painting that you can google and admire on the internet from the comfort of your own home. We’ve all been there at some point in our lives. It can truly ruin the atmosphere of an otherwise lovely holiday, but do not worry, there is one easy solution for that issue.
To those of you who prefer spontaneous trips and outings, research and organisation may sound like your worst nightmare, but trust me, there is no better way to make the best out of a museum or gallery visit than to plan it in advance. And you should never - and let me emphasise it, never - go to a museum on a whim without purchasing a ticket beforehand. You will stand in a queue for at least an hour, either absolutely freezing or completely melting, no in between, depending on the season, getting frustrated and tired. You will be too mad to enjoy it when you finally get in. After you book your ticket, do a little more digging. Most museums have a rather comprehensive guide on their websites as to what art pieces different exhibitions will present and which works are worth seeing, so make a list of what you would like to see and preferably where the pieces are located so you don’t end up wandering around without a purpose.
This might sound easy and pretty obvious to some of you, but it’s not that common of a practice. If you go on a date to a museum, it can be fun to walk around and get to know someone you’re with without feeling the need to focus much on the art itself. It is an enjoyable activity, and there is nothing wrong with it. Still, if you do want to engage with the art, research proves to be quite efficient. It’s not that big of an issue with smaller galleries, but the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York or the Louvre in Paris, some of the biggest museums in the world, tend to over-advertise their singular most popular piece and altogether leave out equally outstanding works.
On my recent trip to the Louvre, I underestimated the sheer amount of paintings and sculptures I wanted to see and did not make a comprehensive itinerary. I can confidently say that I spent a whole hour walking around trying to find the statue of Venus de Milo in the absolute maze that the Louvre turned out to be because I had no idea it was there in the first place. Every hall and corridor had at least one picture with an arrow pointing in the direction of where Mona Lisa was located and there was absolutely no mention of Venus de Milo anywhere. If only I’d done a bit more research beforehand, I wouldn’t have ended up running in circles, dehydrated with my back killing me after three hours of trying to find my way in the massive sea of people that was there. When I finally decided to sit down and look up what else I would like to see there, I found the most fantastic exhibition I’ve ever seen, which wasn’t advertised anywhere: the Louvre Couture.
This particular exhibition was scattered around the whole floor of the museum. It required its own map to find almost one hundred separate designs by the most renowned designers in the world, including Balenciaga, Prada, Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel, Dior, and so many more. The most iconic design pieces from throughout the years, starting in the 1980s up to 2025, were curated to perfectly fit the atmosphere of the rooms in which they were located. Stunning dresses, suits, shoes and accessories were placed between paintings, on top of some pillars and behind statues. I could not believe that I hadn’t heard about that exhibition before, and it turned out to be (in my opinion) much more impressive than the Mona Lisa. I look back at that experience with a smile because I was lucky not to miss out on it. If I had, I would probably not want to come back to the Louvre anymore. However, when I did my research, I found many different things I still wanted to see and didn’t have time or energy to.
While we’re on the topic of time, let’s talk about time management during a museum trip. Don’t underestimate the amount of time it takes to walk through an exhibition, reading the information cards, taking pictures and finding your way around takes a lot of time, much more than you would expect. It may be physically and mentally draining, so don’t set your expectations too high; you don’t need to see everything all at once. Break up your visit into smaller pieces, pick artworks you want to see the most and focus on them. If you have more time to spare, you can fit something more into your schedule, but planning will save you the stress of getting hungry, thirsty and tired in the middle of your trip. If you’re visiting a foreign country and decide to go to a museum there, make a list and follow it because if the things you do end up seeing make an impression on you and you leave happy and relaxed, there is a bigger chance you will be satisfied with the experience and will want to come back to see more. For small galleries and museums, give yourself a maximum of two hours to walk around and no more than four or five hours for the bigger ones. I guarantee you won’t be able to see everything on one trip and will be happy with it. Sprinting through exhibitions doesn’t allow you to appreciate what you’re seeing and make lasting memories.
Always plan to visit a museum after having a bigger meal like breakfast or lunch, and take a bottle of water with you so you don’t have to detour to a cafeteria in search of overpriced snacks or drinks. I cannot stress the importance of staying hydrated enough. Have a small bag with you, not a big backpack filled with books, so as not to overwork your back. When you see a bench or a chair, don’t hesitate to take small breaks; sit down for a second and breathe.
For all art freaks out there or those who want to get into art, do your research! Take a few minutes to read about the artist and their work in general, not just the individual piece, it will help you get more invested in the museum culture and explore the art world from a different perspective. It’s a good idea to go out during a museum night in your closest city; most exhibitions are free and open to the public with an irreplaceable atmosphere of mystery. And if you don’t belong to an art community and know nothing about art, do not hesitate to go to a museum or art gallery anyway! It’s possible to appreciate art without knowing its history - as long as you pay attention to the technique, colours, and layout of an exhibition, it doesn’t have to be a tedious experience.
If you’re just starting your journey in the art community I strongly recommend going to an immersive experience such as the Van Gogh Exhibition: Immersive Experience in Dublin, which allows you to sit back, relax and enjoy the story and artworks of one of the greatest painters in history! In the end, art is subjective; there is no right or wrong, and eventually, everyone is able to find something they are interested in. Choose your own poison, from paintings and sculptures to short films and performance art; there are so many different ways through which you can enjoy art that it would be a shame not to, at least occasionally. If you don’t like walking around museums, looking at paintings and sculptures, try visiting a performance exhibition, see an orchestra at a philharmonic hall or a play at the theatre. There are no limits to engaging with art; everyone can do it in their own way, so plan your trips, pack your bags and start visiting your local art galleries!