An Indian museum beats Louvre, MET in the World's 100 Best list

It's not in Delhi or Mumbai! This Indian museum has secured the ninth spot on the global list released by travel guide Worth a Journey.This museum in India is ranked amongst world's 100 best museum (Photo: biharmuseum/Instagram)New Delhi,Oct 27, 2026 16:02 ISTIndia's rich cultural heritage has long drawn travellers from across the world. From ancient monuments and culinary traditions to museums that tell the stories of our past, the country has plenty to explore. Adding to that list is the Bihar Museum in Patna, which has secured a spot on Germany-based independent travel guide Worth a Journey’s World’s 100 Best Museums list.The Bihar Museum in Patna has secured the ninth spot on Worth a Journey’s 2026 list of the World’s 100 Best Museums. It also ranks first in Asia, and also a spot ahead of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. Even the Louvre in Paris ranks 31st. Now, that’s a flex worth taking out of the display cabinet Bihar museum ranks at 9th spot (Photo: worthajourney.com) Legacy of Bihar MuseumSpread over an expanse of more than 13 acres, the museum was inaugurated in 2015 in Patna. This state-of-the-art museum is now considered one of the landmark tourist attractions in the city.The museum houses a vast collection of historical artefacts from the earliest civilisations up to 1764. Also on display are traditional, folk and contemporary art forms. It was designed by Japanese Pritzker Prize-winning architect Fumihiko Maki in collaboration with Mumbai-based Opolis Architects. While it was inaugurated in 2015, that doesn’t mean the city did not have a museum until then. There was already the older Patna Museum, which had far more artefacts than it could adequately display. Bihar’s history needed more room, quite literally. And that’s how this one came to be.There is also a Children’s Gallery, with stories and displays spanning animals, folk art, culture and science. Meanwhile, the Diaspora Gallery turns attention to Bihar’s presence beyond its geographical boundaries. And yes, lunch is accounted for. The museum houses a restaurant serving Bihari cuisine.The museum’s main galleries are open from 10 am to 5 pm, Tuesday to Sunday, and remain closed on Mondays. The souvenir shop, caf and a few other amenities operate beyond 5 pm. Entry tickets are priced at Rs 100 for Indian adults and Rs 50 for children. For international visitors, the tickets cost Rs 500 for adults and Rs 250 for children. It’s best to check the museum’s official website for the latest updates before planning your visit.While the international list has brought the global spotlight to Bihar, it’s not the first time the museum has drawn attention. A few months earlier, German Ambassador to India Dr Philipp Ackermann lauded its curation, architecture and heritage. Public figures like Congress leader Shashi Tharoor and actor Manoj Bajpayee have also hailed the museum’s exhibits. The Bihar Museum (Photos: Nitish Mishra/X) As for the rankings, Worth a Journey describes itself as a “guide to the places worth leaving it for”. Its rankings are based on an algorithm that analyses millions of data points from venues worldwide. These results are then verified through in-person visits, with rankings adjusted and the algorithm recalibrated based on on-ground findings.The top five museums on the list, in order, are Museo Nacional de Antropologa in Mexico City, Museo del Prado in Madrid, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebk, Denmark, State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, and Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.- Ends