5 Museum Tips for the Lazy Visitor

As a mostly independent traveller, the idea of groups is usually one I try to avoid.

So for many years, when it came to museums, the last thing that I would do was consider joining a tour. Instead, I would wander through exhibits on my own, stopping to enjoy what appealed to me personally, and spending as much time on those things as I chose. At the same time, I was an impatient wanderer, trying to see as much as I could, and by doing so, skipping over much of the displayed information that is normally provided along the way. Whether it was impatience, laziness, or independence, in an effort to get the most from my museum visits, I was actually getting less.

I’ve since learned a few things, so here are my 5 tips how to get more out of your museum visits.

TIP #1 – Google Ahead! 

This is the uber-tip, the one tip that if you do nothing else, will help you get the most out of any museum. Not only can it tell you what is on at various museums, many museums offer advance ticket sales (so you can eliminate at least one line), plus you can book tours, or in some cases, register for specific time slots to see certain exhibits. There are often package deals that link with other museums or attractions in the same city that can save you money if you’re planning on hitting multiple galleries. You can even decide what is most important for you to see, which leads to Tip #2:

TIP #2. Limit your time

No matter how spectacular the museum and in fact, the more spectacular it is, there is a limit to how much one mind can absorb. After a certain point, like overeating at a buffet, the enjoyment starts to slide. For me, I’ve learned my limit is about 2 hours and whether it’s the Louvre, or the Vatican museums, I know that I retain more if I stop after a couple of hours versus overtaxing my brain in a marathon visit. Better to plan to go more than once, and focus on different things each time, than race around ‘checking boxes’ to say you ‘saw’ A-thru-Z. Many destinations offer multi-visit tickets that allow you to do this (back to tip #1 again).

TIP #3. Get a guide.

Michelangelo’s Pietà

Signed by the sculptor after the fact

Whether it’s a printed version, an audio version, or a real person version, you’ll get so much more out of the experience if you have something that points out more than just the obvious. Everyone can see how beautiful Michelangelo’s Pieta is, but few people know the story that after it was first installed, Michelangelo was in the basilica one day, and overheard people commenting on the sculpture, wondering who the artist was, and falsely attributing the piece to another sculptor. Concerned that his work was unrecognized, Michelangelo went back to the church, tools in hand, and carved on the Madonna’s sash the Latin words ‘Michelangelo Buonarotti made this’, just so there would be no mistake. This is the kind of detail that makes the experience of seeing the Pieta more memorable – and you won’t get that just by looking (even if you can read Latin)

TIP #4. Check out the neighbours.

Mona Lisa’s eye-view of her admirers.

While it’s an obvious choice to focus on the masterpieces we all know – the Mona Lisa, for example – don’t make the mistake of ignoring her neighbours. There are incredible works, usually in the very same room, (and in this case, also by Da Vinci), that are overlooked because they don’t have the ‘superstar’ quality of the more recognized headliner. And because they haven’t made it into advertising campaigns that we’ve seen everywhere, these pieces are often equally if not more impressive in their ‘newness’. The Sistine Chapel is another example where the spectacular ceiling overshadows (literally) a gallery of masterpiece after masterpiece on the walls, any one of which would be the subject of an entire exhibition, if viewed on their own.

TIP #5. Put away the cellphone, visit the gift shop.

Really?

This is an obvious one, because a) many museums don’t allow you to take photos – at least not with a flash and b) even if you can, your camera won’t do the piece justice. If you have absolutely fallen in love with a piece in a museum, chances are there’s a postcard in the gift shop that you can take home instead. Or an image on the museum website. And the bonus is that the photo was taken professionally, lit properly, showcasing the artefact in the best possible way versus your slightly blurry, contraband image. I know we all want to say ‘I was here’ with our ‘selfies’, but I find this a better way to remember what impressed me. Plus, you get to SHOP!

As a reformed lazy wanderer, I am no longer adverse to ‘joining the crowd’ when it comes to my museum visiting. But given the sheer volume of people that choose to visit museums during high season, the last tip I would offer to anyone passionate about making museums a centrepoint of any trip would be this: consider going off-season. Being part of a crush so thick you can’t even see the exhibits is no fun for anyone. Even Mona Lisa would not be amused.

TIP: Many museums have officially banned the use of ‘selfie sticks’ as of early 2015 (hurray!) so leave your stick where it belongs…

Why not PIN this article for your next museum visit?

Jane Canapini

Jane is an award-winning travel writer and photographer and an accredited member of the Travel Media Association of Canada (TMAC). In their annual awards competition, TMAC named GrownupTravels.com as the Best Self-Published Travel Blog in 2025 .
She is also a member of the North American Travel Journalists Association, and a freelance travel writer contributing to both print and online publications.