CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cleveland Museum of Natural History received global recognition as one of the world’s most beautiful museums.
The museum’s $150 million architectural redesign and commitment to sustainability was recognized at the 2025 Prix Versailles World Ceremony, held at UNESCO in Paris, France. The Cleveland Museum of Natural History was one of the finalists for the 2025 World’s Most Beautiful Museum list, with the Kunstsilo art museum in Norway landing at the top spot.
The annual Prix Versailles World Ceremony, held on Dec. 4 this year, honors global feats in architecture and design, highlighting some of the most impressive campuses, airports, hotels, restaurants and more in the world.
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In the museum category, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History landed among museums in Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, France and South Korea. The Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha, Nebraska, was the only other U.S.-based museum to make the list.
“Every aspect of our transformed museum aims to achieve one unified vision: to promote healthy humans, a healthy planet, and a better future for all,” Sonia Winner, the museum’s president and CEO, said in a press release. “We are thrilled that this commitment to architecture in the service of science has been recognized on an international stage.”
The Cleveland Museum of Natural History is also in the running for USA TODAY’s 2026 Best New Museum category, which will be announced in January.
The Cleveland Museum of Natural History unveiled its $150 million redesign at the end of 2024, completely transforming the interior design and more than 2 acres of outdoor space. The redesign took a decade of planning and three years of construction.
