Explore this curated list of books about museums and find your next read. From romance novels and historical fiction about museums, to books exploring the importance of museums, and a book on the history of the Louvre Museum, you’ll find recommendations for reading a book about museums here.

The Metropolitan Affair
by Jocelyn Green
IN A NUTSHELL. Mystery romance set in the world of 1920s museums
SHORT & SIMPLE. A museum curator and a detective search for an art forger in 1920s New York
GO FOR THIS BOOK IF…you want to read romantic historical fiction about a museum.
Lauren is the assistant curator of Egyptology for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and she’s working with a detective on the hunt for a criminal forging works of art. The Metropolitan Affair is book one in a two-part series set in the museums of 1920s New York. If you enjoy this book about a museum, check out book two in the series, The Hudson Collection.
fiction + romance + historical fiction + mystery
The Louvre: The Many Lives of the World’s Most Famous Museum
by James Gardner
IN A NUTSHELL. Detailed history of the Louvre Museum
SHORT & SIMPLE. Explore the Louvre Museum’s storied history from campsite to quarry to fortress to palace and eventually world-famous museum.
GO FOR THIS BOOK IF…you want to read a nonfiction book about a museum.
Historian James Gardner details the Louvre’s rich 7,000-year history, exploring its days as a campsite, quarry, vineyard, fortress, and palace before becoming the world-famous museum it is today.
nonfiction + history
The Smithsonian Institution: A Novel
by Gore Vidal
IN A NUTSHELL. Teen prodigy at the Smithsonian time travels to save humanity
SHORT & SIMPLE. At the start of World War II, a teen math genius at the Smithsonian works with Oppenheimer on the atomic bomb and discovers time travel.
GO FOR THIS BOOK IF…you want to read a fiction book about a museum that features the Smithsonian.
In 1939, a teen math genius is summoned to the Smithsonian where he works with Oppenheimer on the atomic bomb and time travels to interact with important historical figures like Einstein and Lincoln in a race to save humanity from war.
fiction + historical fiction
Why the Museum Matters
by Daniel H. Weiss
IN A NUTSHELL. Reflections on the role of museums in society
SHORT & SIMPLE. Discussion of the role of museums in history and culture and the future of museums in the modern world.
GO FOR THIS BOOK IF…you want to read a book about museums that broadly contemplates the place of museums in society.
In Why the Museum Matters, Weiss contemplates the role of museums in human history, the importance of museums and art, and the future of museums in modern society. Why the Museum Matters, is a great choice for readers interested in reading a book about museums that broadly discusses the place of museums in society.
nonfiction
Footnotes from the Most Fascinating Museums: Stories and Memorable Moments from People Who Love Museums
by Bob Eckstein
IN A NUTSHELL. Illustrations of famous museums with accompanying stories
SHORT & SIMPLE. Beautifully illustrated book of museums with varied stories about the museums and their collections.
GO FOR THIS BOOK IF…you want to read an easy and visually appealing book about museums.
In this book about museums, New Yorker cartoonist Bob Eckstein provides beautiful illustrations of some of the world’s most famous museums accompanied by stories and anecdotes about the museum that come from museum staff and visitors.
nonfiction