Hottest Museums You Need to See This Year

Mary Rose Museum, Portsmouth, England

Opening: May 31, 2013

Just 31 years ago, Henry VIII's favorite Tudor warship, the Mary Rose, was raised from the seabed near Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, a 90-minute drive south of London. The new futuristic pod-shaped Mary Rose Museum in the dockyard brings together the mostly intact hull and many artifacts from the ship for the first time since the Mary Rose sank nearly 500 years ago. In the wide-open exhibit space, the hull takes center stage and deck galleries run the length of the hull, each level corresponding to a deck on the ship. Huge bronze cannons, doctor's instruments, drinking tankards, the officers' fine pewterware, and the skeleton of the ship's dog, Hatch, offer a glimpse into daily life onboard.

If You Go: Spend some time wandering the harbor, one of the Royal Navy's three bases. You can tour the 18th-century HMS Victory and see modern naval vessels coming and going.

Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Reopened: April 13, 2013

A legend among museums, the Rijksmuseum has been around for more than 125 years, but when visitors step into the 19th-century building this year they will experience something completely new. Only Rembrandt's famous Night Watch painting remains in its original position at the center of the building. The rest of the 8,000 artifacts and pieces of art that tell the 800-year story of Dutch history are completely reconfigured across the museum's 80 beautifully restored galleries. Here, modern design blends elegantly with the grandeur that has always defined the Rijksmuseum. For the first time ever, the museum's Cuypers Library, the oldest and largest art library in the Netherlands, is open to the public. The Asian Pavilion, surrounded by water, is another new addition.

If You Go: See all of the highlights on a multimedia tour or a daily guided tour. In summer, you can join a guided tour for families and children.

Den Bla Planet, Copenhagen, Denmark

Opened: March 22, 2013

About a mile away from Copenhagen Airport (an easy walk during a layover) is Denmark's new national aquarium, rising up at the edge of the Baltic Sea like a massive swirling white eddy. Den Bla Planet's modern design is a striking sight from the air. Inside, the wavy walls and ceilings emulate an underwater scene, while sweeping views of massive curved tanks add to the effect. See hammerhead sharks, rays, and schools of fish from a clear tunnel that cuts through the aquarium's largest tank. Visit the Amazon-rainforest exhibit during feeding time to observe Europe's largest school of piranhas, or head outside and see the playful sea lions. Other exhibits show the ecosystems of the coral reef and northern Europe.

If You Go: Between the tanks, watch staff members doing science demonstrations and leading group activities. Seeing other attractions? The Copenhagen Card offers discounted admission to 75 museums and attractions, including Den Bla Planet.

ABBA The Museum, Stockholm, Sweden

Opening: May 7, 2013

This spring, Sweden is breaking out the bell-bottoms and feathered hair. The traveling ABBA exhibit that has made stops around the world is finally settling into a permanent home in Stockholm. Near where the cruise ships dock on the island of Djurgarden, ABBA The Museum will open as part of the brand-new Swedish Music Hall of Fame. On display are artifacts, concert footage, and the band's glam-rock stage costumes, which you can wear virtually via a projection screen while you dance and sing with holograms of ABBA. Record your rendition of "Dancing Queen" (in Anni-Frid's tiger tunic or Agnetha's cat tunic) and share it on Facebook.

If You Go: Take the ABBA City Walk guided tour, arranged by the Stockholm City Museum, to see where Benny and Anni-Frid lived, the Sheraton Hotel where ABBA filmed videos, and other sites.

Museu de Arte do Rio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Opened: January 4, 2013

As a host city for the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics, Rio is busy reinventing itself before it returns to the world stage. One of the centerpieces of the downtown port area's $3.8 billion revitalization is the new Museu de Arte do Rio, MAR to locals, which occupies two interconnected buildings, one a classical-style heritage site and the other an adjacent modernist building. The eclectic blend of architectural styles seems an appropriate symbol for what the artwork inside represents: the social fabric of Rio with all of its conflicts and contradictions. There are eight exhibit halls over four floors to explore. Don't miss the images of the hillside slums, or favelas, with homes made of painted terra-cotta bricks.

If You Go: Take in the view of the bay's azure waters, a prevalent image throughout the museum's collection of 18th-century maps, 19th-century paintings, and contemporary photos.

Exploratorium, San Francisco, California

Opened: April 17, 2013

After nearly 44 years in the Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco's well-loved Exploratorium packed up and did what every Bay Area resident longs to do: move into a bigger, greener space on the water. In its new digs on Pier 15, the interactive art and science museum has tripled its space and added 150 new exhibits, including its first-ever outdoor displays. The new space is poised to become the country's largest net-zero-energy museum, thanks to 5,874 solar panels and a high-tech heating and cooling system that uses water from the bay. You can still see the simulated geyser and other old Exploratorium favorites. New exhibits give you the chance to create fog over the bay or grab an umbrella and create your own storm by adjusting the size and velocity of raindrops.

If You Go: Wander the museum's 1.5 acres of free public space, with outdoor exhibits and artwork along the bay.

Butterfly Wonderland, Scottsdale, Arizona

Opening: May 25, 2013

Perfectly scheduled for a springtime emergence, Arizona's new Butterfly Wonderland is slated to be the country's largest butterfly pavilion—so watch where you step. The stunning 10,000-square-foot glass atrium encloses a tropical-rainforest habitat where thousands of butterflies from around the world flit past waterfalls, draw nectar from exotic flowers, and land on visitors' fingers. There are museum-like components too, including educational labs and interactive exhibits. A 3-D theater features Flight of the Butterflies, the story of the epic migration of these expert navigators.

On five acres of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, Butterfly Wonderland is part of the first phase of a multimillion-dollar entertainment complex set to include a massive aquarium as well as a culinary showcase.

If You Go: Kids get free butterfly caps on Father's Day. At Christmastime, see a special showing of white butterflies.

Johnny Cash Museum, Nashville, Tennessee

Opening: Spring 2013

This spring, Music City plots another must-see attraction downtown for music fans. Taking over space in a former upholstery store with exposed brick walls, the Johnny Cash Museum will feature never-before-seen letters, awards, costumes, and instruments. It's billed as the world's largest collection of Cash artifacts and memorabilia. Interactive exhibits and a 250-seat auditorium take visitors through the rise and fall of the Man in Black, a legend honored in the country, rock, and gospel music halls of fame. Browse the museum store for custom guitar-pick necklaces handmade by Johnny's daughter, Tara.

If You Go: Make a stop at the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum, reopening this spring/summer at the historic Nashville Municipal Auditorium. Exhibits pay tribute to musicians who have called Nashville home and others who made it big playing everything from the Memphis blues to Motown.

US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center, New Orleans, Louisiana

Opened: January 13, 2013

If you're not a history buff, you'd never expect the country's official WWII museum to be located in New Orleans. But this city is actually where the amphibious landing boats used on D-Day were designed, built, and tested. They're on display in the National WWII Museum, but this year the boats are getting upstaged by the museum's new US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center. The soaring glass and steel building is part of a $300 million expansion that will quadruple the museum's size when completed in 2015. In it, you'll see massive displays of the American military might that won the war, including the hulky B-17E Flying Fortress and other bombers suspended overhead.

If You Go: Try the pavilion's new interactive submarine experience, where you can take control of actual positions and perform battle actions on the USS Tang.

Space Shuttle Atlantis, Cape Canaveral, Florida

Opening: June 29, 2013

Two years ago, space shuttle Atlantis and its four-astronaut crew glided home for the last time after a 13-day journey, marking the end of an era in NASA's 30-year Space Shuttle Program. Starting this summer, you can get an up-close look at the retired Atlantis and see the wear of 33 missions on its external tiles. In a new six-story, $100 million exhibit, the shuttle is showcased as if in space, at an angle seen only by astronauts from the International Space Station. Gaze up at the orbiter, which has been elevated 30 feet, then follow a ramp that circles the shuttle to check out the bay doors and robotic arm from only a few feet away.

If You Go: You can play around with the exhibit's 60-plus interactive exhibits and high-tech simulators that bring the shuttle experience to life. Have questions? Have lunch with an astronaut ($29.99 for adults, $15.99 for children, in addition to admission).

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