Musee d’Orsay is my favorite.
I was able to tick all but three of them, which makes me feel very lucky. It’s hard to settle on a favourite, because it’s hard to separate the experience of visiting the museum/gallery from that of visiting the city it happens to be in. I enjoyed visiting The Hermitage very much, because it is an amazing experience and I was there with friends and a professional guide/interpreter. But I wouldn’t necessarily say my trip to St Petersburg was the best trip I’ve ever had.
The one I would add to the list is the Peace Memorial Museum in Hiroshima. Excellent in all respects. A fitting and respectful tribute, a very even-handed and unbiased tone, some fascinating exhibits and documentation, and an admirable expression of the sentiment that this must not be allowed to happen again.
No Art Institute of Chicago??? Really. Hmmph! :mad:
No Museé d’Orsay? Philistine. 
I’ve actually been to that (and have the T-shirt to prove it). It’s a really good museum.
In addition to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the Van Gogh Museum there is also definitely worth a mention (and a visit).
The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
The Deutches Museum
The Philadelphia Museum of Art
I was looking for that one, too :mad:
That’s one of my favorites!
Of those listed, I’ve been to the DC museums, the Taipei and Tokyo museums, and the British Museum. Of those, the British Museum was easily the most mind blowing. No where did I really have the same “I saw this in my textbook…” feeling… their collection contains so many amazing pieces from so many different cultures. The Taipei and Tokyo museums were very limited in scope (and in the case of Tokyo, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston was far superior for Japanese art).
Dallas Museum of Art and the Kimbell.
I went to the New York ones years ago, and, of course, popularity does not equal quality. I think the Musee d’Orsay is as good as any museum mentioned, as is the Boston Science Museum.
If I had to pick a favorite, it’d be the National Gallery in DC.
Yes, those are among my favorites, too. I originally had a lot more choices in the poll, including both of these plus the Getty in LA, but I was afraid the poll was so long that no one would want to do it.
Missed the edit window. The ranking of museums on my alternate list is based on number of visits/how much time I was able to spend at each museum, not quality. Of all the ones I decided to leave out, I really should have included the Musee d’Orsay. :smack: Sorry, folks.
As between the 2 Natural History museums you listed, American Museum of Natural History (NY) and the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History (DC), AMNH rocks the socks off the Smithsonian. However, while in DC you are also near other related museums (Air & Space, Science & Industry), which taken all together might be the greater experience. I’ve been to the Science Museum in London as well. I thought it was only OK, except for the Difference Engine.
I am partial to MoMA, because it has a fairly petite yet extremely famous collection. You can spend a few hours there and have you mind blown every time you turn your head, and leave with the energy left the contemplate the experience. Whereas I usually leave the Metropolitan somewhat exhausted from overload. I don’t like the way Metropolitan displays their 20th Century art in heavy gilt frames either. But I could just stare at Portrait of Madam X for hours (aside from the fact it is displayed badly as well, in a busy crossroads of galleries).
The Uffizi reminded me more of MoMA (small and intensely famous collection, invigorating museum experience) and the Prado of the Metropolitan (huge and varied, at times overwhelming). The Tate Modern, I found a bit mediocre, I felt like they held back whereas the Saatchi Gallery just went for it balls out and ended up being more enjoyable despite containing a lot of silly crap.
I haven’t been to the British Museum (how did that happen?) but the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford is delicious, everywhere you look… mmmm… plunder.
I missed the Peabody, but I did visit the Yale Art Gallery when I was visiting there for grad school. The Gallery was impressive.
I’ve frequented the Smithsonian Museums during the 20+ years that I lived in that area. Of those, the Natural History Museum was my favorite and my daughter’s.
Their “permanent” collections (gem & mineral collection and their collection of pre-Cambrian to present fossils) were always a favorite stop. They also gave presentations throughout the day for children.
I was coming in to say this. The Art Institute also has Grant Wood’s “American Gothic” and Hopper’s “Nighthawks,” among other well-known works.
Ironically, my company WAS hired to move the 700-ton U-505. Here’s a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUuQIpVuhCg
Favorite small private-collection museum: Gulbenkian Museum, Lisbon. Can be visited in a couple hours and has a terrific assortment of pieces from all over the world.
Favorite science museum: Museum of the History of Science, Florence. Has the mummified finger of Galileo and many of the scientific instruments it touched. Telescopes, astrolabes, medical instruments, clocks. Beautifully curated. In a city loaded with museums, has the added virtue of being empty of people.
Favorite setting for a museum: The Getty Center, L.A. Not such a great collection by European standards, but the architectures, gardens and hilltop views are worth visiting by themselves.
I’m surprised that several people have mentioned the Getty. IMO, it was disappointing. The museum complex itself is the most interesting aspect of the museum. (IIRC, however, their most prized piece is Van Gogh’s Irises, which was on loan somewhere else when I visited.)
Chicago field museum I love the walk-in pyramid and dinosaurs.
Chicago Shedd Aquarium it’s not a museum but I still like it. 
My favorites are two not listed: The Getty in L.A. and the Menil in Houston.
Of the only two of those on the list that are in my own Country (sort of) I’ve visited only one. The British Museum*
And it was good, but it wasn’t my favourite museum. I visited two others in that city (not on the list): The Science Museum, and the Natural History Museum. I think the kid-scientist in me loved the Science museum.
I’ve also visited the Science museum in Manchester, which is smaller (I think) but still competes with the one in London.
Here in the IOM we have Museums about, you guessed it, the Isle of man.
*ETA:No wait. On second thoughts I might be getting mixed up with the British Library (which is a museum). Could they be the same thing? If not I might have visited both. It was a long time ago.