Cosmopolitan Berlin is famous for being one of the global centres of art and culture in the world with many galleries, museums in addition to being a popular choice for regular exhibitions from around the world gender. Berlin is home to a staggering 153 galleries and museums so if you are looking for something in special you should definitely spend a little bit of time doing research. But to get started here are some of the more popular ones.

1. Altes Museum (Old Museum) – Built between 1823 and 1830 and then restored in 1966, the Altes Museum is one of Berlin and indeed Germany’s most famous museums. The UNESCO World Heritage Site is known for it’s famous neoclassical style and among many other exhibitions displaying the antique collection of the Berlin State Museums.

2. Neues Museum (New Museum) – In a city of modern architecture one might imagine a new museum cutting impressive modern lines over the city, not so with Berlin’s Neues Museum. Built only shortly after the Altes Museum (Old Museum) between 1843 and 1845 and only officially reopening in 2009 after a very lengthy rebuilding process after being nearly leveled in World War II the museum features many Early History and Egyptian collections, including the bust of ancient Egyptian Queen Nefertiti.

3. Gemäldegalerie (Picture Gallery) – Holding one of the most renowned collections of European art from the 13th to the 18th centuries, the Gemäldegalerie is internationally respected as one of the leading galleries in the world. First opened in 1830 and reconstructed in 1988 the gallery itself is organised in a horseshoe around a large meditation hall, and the collection is organised in a chronological order which makes for a a very interesting walk through.

4. Neue Nationalgalerie (New National Gallery) – More along the ideas of what many would consider to be a ‘new’ looking gallery, the building although built in 1968 is a very modern affair just like the many exhibitions that are housed inside it each year. The Neue Nationalgalerie focuses generally on modern German art.

5. Museum für Naturkunde (Natural History Museum) – Built in 1810, the museum is the largest for natural history in Germany. Home to exhibitions from paleontology, mineralogy and zoology – it features the biggest reconstructed dinosaur skeleton in the world amongst many other nature displays.

An interested visitor could care to spend months roaming all the galleries and museums in Berlin, there is just so much to see so make sure you do your research before visiting. That is why all of them can be viewed in one day. If you do not like to walk a lot, a taxi will help you.

The Boston Children’s Museum is filled with hands-on interactive exhibits and activities that entertain kids while they learn about the world around them.  But what does that really mean?  Here are three concrete reasons why kids love this museum – and why you should visit it when you’re in Boston:

1.  Fascinating exhibits for all ages.  Almost as soon as you walk into the museum, you’ll see the “New Balance Climb” – a gigantic 3-story high maze of tunnels, platforms, ledges, tubes, and chutes, made child-safe with lots of netting.  Kids from about 3 to 10 love to spend hours climbing through it and perfecting their balancing skills.

But that’s only the beginning.  Junior builders can make all kinds of things at “Johnny’s Workbench,” a construction area filled with real tools and supplies generously donated by Home Depot.  Over in the “Science Playground,” younger children explore the world of bubbles while their parents relax and snap photos of the iridescent spheres floating through the air.  Slightly older children test what happens when they drop golf balls into cylinders and tracks – not realizing that they’d demonstrating concepts such as momentum and velocity that they’ll encounter later in science classes at school.

Even the youngest museum goers – infants and toddlers – will find an exhibit area just for them where they can safely work on their crawling skills and enjoy the movements of a water bed.

2.  Special programs.  At “KidStage,” the museum’s performance area, professional actors and museum staff stage performances with music, dancing, and comedy.  Best of all, kids in the audience get to participate and experience being on stage themselves.  Lots of other special programs are also hosted here, so you never know what you’ll find to enjoy.

3.  The Boston Children’s Museum store.  In addition to offering a big array of reasonably priced games, puzzles, science kits, and books, the museum store has an extremely popular “recycling” center.  Area businesses donate scraps – everything from pieces of fabric, paper, and plastics to bits of wood, twine, and other building supplies.  The selection changes constantly, which is part of the fun as you find treasures for your next art and craft projects.  You fill up a bag and pay by the pound.

The Boston Children’s Museum is open 363 days a year, and is located in the South Boston Waterfront area, a short 5-10 minute walk from Boston’s South Station and downtown Financial District.  Best for children up to about 10 year old.