International Museum Day – Celebrating Culture and Resilience

Since 1977, May 18 has been celebrated around the world as International Museum Day, a time for the global museum community to highlight the importance of museums in cultural exchange, education, and heritage preservation.

As Suay Aksoy, former President of ICOM, once said:

“Today, as every 18th of May since 1977, the global museum community comes together for the International Museum Day… It seems like a strange time to celebrate, as thousands of museums remain closed… Yet it is precisely now that we need to spread the message of the International Museum Day.”

Even in difficult times, museums remain vital spaces for connection, reflection, and resilience. They tell the stories of humanity and offer hope through art, history, and culture.