Louvre Abu Dhabi designed by Jean Nouvel opens in 2017

Museums are booming – with lofty aspirations and some great successes.  There’s an unprecedented drive by world-class institutions –the Louvre, Pompidou Center, Tate Modern, Hermitage, Guggenheim and Smithsonian to expand beyond their national borders into China, the Middle East and parts of Europe.

Tate Modern expansion by Hayes Davison and Herzog and De Meuron, London

National Museum of African American Art and History, Washington DC, designed by David Adjaye. Courtesy of Archinet

Billionaires –from China and Los Angeles to Paris and Abu Dhabi—have amassed huge collections and are generating signature museum buildings designed by globe-trotting “starchitects.” World capitals and cities dependent on a year-round flow of tourism count on new museums, expansions, and do-overs to be life blood that helps drive their economies.

Get ready for a whirlwind tour this fall and winter of several continents. We’ll present a multi-part series of articles – all illustrated –of museums, historic properties and gardens for culture fans and travelers seeking new experiences.

First up: The globalization of the world’s top museums!