Why Museums Fail When They Forget the Muses

Musings on the role of Muses in Museums

I asked ChatGPT why people build museums, and it said two things — for thepreservation of history and culture and for inspiration through exposure to new ideas. Both things are true, of course, but there is much, much more.

The word “museum” comes from the Greek “Μουσεῖον” (Mouseion), which referred to a seat or “temple of the Muses.” A museum is a plac…