Bihar Museum in Patna Ranks 9th Among World’s Best Museums, Beats Louvre and New York’s Met
Bihar Museum has secured the ninth position in the world’s top 10 museums for 2026, emerging as Asia’s highest-ranked museum and placing ahead of globally renowned institutions such as the Louvre in Paris and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Patna’s Bihar Museum has earned international recognition after securing a place among the world’s 10 best museums in the 2026 global rankings published by German travel publication Worth a Journey. The museum has been ranked ninth worldwide, making it the highest-ranked museum from Asia in the list.
The achievement puts Bihar on the global cultural map, with the Patna-based institution outperforming several internationally acclaimed museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) in New York and the Musée du Louvre in Paris.
The ranking is particularly significant for Bihar, a state with a rich historical and archaeological legacy that has played an important role in the development of ancient Indian civilisation, art, education and culture.
Bihar Museum secures ninth position in global museum rankings
According to the 2026 edition of Worth a Journey’s World’s 100 Best Museums list, Bihar Museum secured the ninth position among museums evaluated across the world.
The ranking places it ahead of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, which occupied the tenth spot. The Louvre, one of the world’s most visited and recognised museums, also failed to enter this year’s top 10.
Mexico City’s Museo Nacional de Antropología claimed the first position, followed by Spain’s Museo del Prado at number two. Denmark’s Louisiana Museum of Modern Art secured third place, while Russia’s State Hermitage Museum ranked fourth.
Austria’s Kunsthistorisches Museum took fifth place, followed by Türkiye’s Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum at sixth. Poland’s Museum of the Second World War was ranked seventh, while the National WWII Museum in the United States secured eighth position.
Bihar Museum completed the top 10 at ninth place, followed by The Met at tenth.
What makes Bihar Museum stand out?
Located in Patna, Bihar Museum offers visitors an opportunity to explore the history and cultural heritage of Bihar through an extensive collection of historical objects and artworks.
Its exhibits cover a broad timeline, tracing the region’s history from the Stone Age to modern times. The collection includes sculptures, coins, manuscripts and examples of traditional and folk art.
The museum’s galleries are arranged chronologically, helping visitors understand the historical development of the region and the different periods that shaped its cultural identity.
The institution also features a dedicated children’s gallery, open courtyards and landscaped lawns. A short film on history adds another dimension to the visitor experience.
Its combination of historical collections, educational facilities and contemporary museum architecture has helped make it an important cultural destination in eastern India.
How were the world’s best museums selected?
Worth a Journey, a Munich-based travel guide and digital publication, prepares rankings covering approximately 3,800 venues across 142 countries.
Its evaluation process uses an algorithm that analyses millions of data points collected from thousands of venues. The methodology also takes local factors into account while assessing museums.
To qualify, museums must have a permanent collection or exhibition accessible to the public. The evaluation covers several categories, including art, history, archaeology, science, natural history, technology, transport and open-air museums.
The publication also says that shortlisted institutions are visited in person. Following these visits, the initial algorithmic assessment is reviewed and rankings may be adjusted if the on-ground evaluation produces different findings.
Bihar’s historical legacy gets international recognition
Bihar has a significant place in India’s history, with its heritage connected to ancient kingdoms, Buddhism, Jainism, education and major centres of learning.
The region is associated with important historical destinations such as Nalanda, Bodh Gaya, Vaishali and Rajgir. Its archaeological remains, religious traditions and cultural contributions have attracted historians, researchers and international visitors for decades.
The Bihar Museum provides a platform to present this history through curated collections and modern exhibition spaces.
Its latest international ranking is an opportunity to bring greater attention to Bihar’s museums and heritage tourism. It could also encourage more visitors, researchers and history enthusiasts to explore the state’s cultural attractions.
Top 10 museums in the world in 2026
According to Worth a Journey’s 2026 ranking, the top 10 museums are:
- Museo Nacional de Antropología – Mexico
- Museo del Prado – Spain
- Louisiana Museum of Modern Art – Denmark
- State Hermitage Museum – Russia
- Kunsthistorisches Museum – Austria
- Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum – Türkiye
- Museum of the Second World War – Poland
- National WWII Museum – United States
- Bihar Museum – India
- Metropolitan Museum of Art – United States
Bihar Museum’s ninth-place finish is a notable achievement for India’s cultural institutions, placing a museum from Patna alongside some of the world’s most prominent museums.