International Museum Day Is Coming. This Interactive World Map Shows What's Happening in Your Area

On Saturday, May 18, museums around the world are hosting special events for International Museum Day 2019. To see which institutions in your area are participating, check out the interactive map below.

The International Council of Museums has organized a day to celebrate the cultural importance of museums every year since 1977. Museums can mark International Museum Day with longer hours, discounted admission fees, and special tours and exhibits. While some museums observe the day only on May 18, others make it a week-long event.

Every International Museum Day has a different theme, and this year's theme is “Museums as Cultural Hubs: The future of tradition." In France, over 1000 museums will stay open late on May 18, and in Egypt, museums will be free all day. Museum-goers in the U.S. will be able to find events at places like the Penn Museum in Philadelphia and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

The International Council of Museums organized the interactive map below to keep track of which museums are participating. Only institutions that have submitted their own information are included, so if your favorite museum isn't on the map, it's still worth getting in touch with them to ask if they're doing something special for the day.