Thank the stars for the world's eccentric collectors; hoarders of objects beautiful, strange or downright odd. It is these documentors of the great and trivial - who want to show us all something wonderful about their collections and share the insights into humankind each of them illuminates - who have created the most fascinating, wonderful and precious museums the planet has to offer.

Boggle at the enormity of space, get nostalgic at childhood memories or be dumbstruck by the International Museum of Toilets... Whether you're a history buff, tech-head or have an inexplicable fascination with clowns, you'll find world-class collections here to pique your interest.

Never drag your heels around a dull museum again!

Then & now // History museums

• Acropolis Museum // Greece
• British Museum // UK
• Forbidden City // China
• Goethe House & Goethe Museum // Germany
• Imperial War Museum // UK
• Museum of Alchemists & Magicians of Old Prague // Czech Republic
• Museum of Mummies of Guanajuato // Mexico
• National Museum of Anthropology // Mexico
• Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret // UK
• Prison Gate Museum // The Netherlands
• Sir John Soane's Museum // UK
• Styrian Armoury // Austria
• Torture Museum // The Netherlands
• Vasa Museum // Sweden
• Viking Ship Museum // Norway
• Whitney Plantation // USA

The world around us // Natural history museums

• Kunstkamera // Russia 6
• Messner Mountain Museum // Italy
• Sarawak State Museum // Malaysia
• Smithsonian Institution // USA

Human creativity // Art & culture museums

• American Classic Arcade Museum // USA
• Belgian Brewers Museum // Belgium
• Burlesque Hall of Fame // USA
• Coffee Museum // Brazil
• Erawan Museum // Thailand
• Ghibli Museum // Japan
• Grammy Museum // USA
• The Green Vault // Germany
• Museum of Childhood // UK
• Musical Instruments Museum // USA
• Soumaya Museum // Mexico
• Vodka Museum // Russia

Things that go // Science & technology museums

• Bicycle Museum of America // USA
• Big Hole & Open Mine Museum // South Africa
• Exploratorium // USA
• National Maritime Museum // France
• National Rail Museum // UK
• New Mexico Museum of Space History // USA
• New York City Fire Museum // USA
• Pencil Museum // UK
• Porsche Museum // Germany
• Sewer Museum // France
• Sulabh International Museum of Toilets // India

Peculiar passions // Quirky museums

• Avanos Hair Museum // Turkey
• Clown Hall of Fame & Research Centre // USA
• Cupnoodles Museum // Japan
• Gopher Hole Museum // Canada
• International Cryptozoology Museum // USA
• Museum of Broken Relationships // Croatia
• Watermelon Museum // China

About Lonely Planet: Started in 1973, Lonely Planet has become the world's leading travel guide publisher with guidebooks to every destination on the planet. Lonely Planet's mission is to enable curious travellers to experience the world and to truly get to the heart of the places they find themselves in.