Name Generator Central

Museum Name Generator

Names for galleries, halls, collections and centres

Academia, Science & Knowledge500 curated namesUpdated Free · no sign-up

Tap a name to copy it500 names in this generator

Generate fictional museum names that sound like real institutions: named foundations, city museums of art and natural history, quirky single-subject collections, and grand national galleries. Built for novelists, game designers, screenwriters and anyone founding a small museum or heritage centre.

About museum names

Museum names follow a small number of well-worn patterns, and each signals something about the institution. A personal name up front (the Getty, the Whitney, the Ashmolean) says a founder or benefactor paid for it. "National", "Royal", "State" or "Civic" says the government did. A place name plus "Museum of Art" or "Museum and Art Gallery" is the standard formula for a mid-sized city museum. And "The Museum of" followed by a single subject, whether Salt, Broken Promises or Failed Inventions, is the house style of small, passionate collections that often become cult attractions.

Older vocabulary adds texture. Athenaeum, Lyceum, Pinacotheca (a picture gallery), Glyptotheque (a sculpture gallery), Kunsthalle and Wunderkammer are real terms still in use across Europe and lend instant age to a fictional institution. Many museums also inherit the name of the building they occupy: the Old Mint, the Guildhall, the Tithe Barn, the Coach House.

The list above works through all of these families, so you can pick a grand national gallery for a heist novel, an eccentric Museum of Small Things for a cosy mystery, a Halverston City Art Museum for a realistic town map, or a founder-named institute for a game world. Every name here is invented, though a few deliberately echo the rhythm of famous real ones.

Tips for choosing a name

  • Decide who founded and funds the museum first; that choice tells you whether the name should carry a surname, a city, or 'National'.
  • Keep the subject singular and concrete for small museums ('The Museum of Salt' beats 'The Museum of Culinary Heritage and Traditions').
  • For fiction, a founder surname with a slightly old-fashioned ring (Whitlock, Ashcombe, Pemberton) makes an institution feel a century old.
  • If the name will be a real organisation, check the shortened form works on a sign and a domain: 'The Redfern' is easier to say than the full title.
  • Avoid stacking honorifics; 'The Royal National Museum of Fine Art and Design' is exhausting, while 'The Royal Museum of Fine Arts' reads as genuine.

Frequently asked questions

How are museums usually named?

Most combine an owner or benefactor (a surname, 'National', 'Royal', or a city name) with a subject ('Museum of Art', 'Natural History Museum'). Smaller collections often use 'The Museum of' plus a single subject, and many are named after the historic building they occupy.

Are these real museums?

No. The names are fictional and were written to sound like plausible institutions. A few resemble generic titles that exist in several countries (for example National Maritime Museum), so search first if you plan to found a real museum.

What is the difference between a museum, a gallery and a collection?

A museum collects, conserves and interprets objects; an art gallery focuses on displaying art and may sell it; a 'collection' in an institution's name usually signals a private founder's holdings that were later opened to the public.

Can I use one of these names for a real museum, exhibit or Minecraft build?

Yes, they are free to use. For a real institution, check your national charity or company register and trademark database before printing signage.

All 500 museum names

Browse the full list
  • The Whitlock Museum of Art
  • The Ashcombe Gallery
  • The Harrowgate Museum of Natural History
  • The Vandermeer Collection
  • The Pemberton Institute of Fine Arts
  • The Calloway Foundation Museum
  • The Thorne-Halsey Gallery
  • The Everard Museum
  • The Lindqvist Museum of Design
  • The Rosalind Fairweather Museum of Textiles
  • The Okonkwo Centre for African Art
  • The Delacroix-Marchetti Collection
  • The Bramwell Museum of Antiquities
  • The Kestrel Hall Museum
  • The Sutherland Maritime Museum
  • The Aldous Grey Museum of Photography
  • The Nakamura Museum of Asian Art
  • The Ferrante Gallery of Modern Art
  • The Hollis Museum of Science
  • The Corwin Planetarium and Science Centre
  • The Ainsley Museum of Childhood
  • The Beaumont Museum of Decorative Arts
  • The Ravensworth Museum of Archaeology
  • The Meriwether Museum of Natural Science
  • The Ostrow-Lindley Wing
  • The Halberd Museum of Arms and Armour
  • The Ingram Museum of Printing
  • The Wexford Museum of Local History
  • The Ottoline Grange Museum
  • The Vasquez Museum of Latin American Art
  • The Kirkbride Museum of Medicine
  • The Fenwick Museum of Musical Instruments
  • The Ellery Museum of Illustration
  • The Tremaine Institute of Contemporary Art
  • The Draycott Museum of Costume
  • The Standish Museum of Clocks and Watches
  • The Marlowe Museum of Theatre
  • The Grenville Museum of Cartography
  • The Percival Hale Museum of Aviation
  • The Sorensen Polar Museum
  • The Adair Museum of Glass
  • The Beecham Museum of Ceramics
  • The Loxley Museum of Folk Art
  • The Redfern Museum of Transport
  • The Quill and Ink Museum
  • The Museum of Lost Objects
  • The Museum of Small Things
  • The Museum of Broken Promises
  • The Museum of Ordinary Days
  • The Museum of Forgotten Machines
  • The Museum of Sound
  • The Museum of Light
  • The Museum of Maps and Wayfinding
  • The Museum of the Sea
  • The Museum of Bread and Grain
  • The Museum of Neon
  • The Museum of Typewriters
  • The Museum of Cinema and Projection
  • The Museum of Failed Inventions
  • The Museum of Rain
  • The Museum of Childhood
  • The Museum of Charms and Folklore
  • The Museum of Surgical History
  • The Museum of Regrettable Art
  • The Museum of Salt
  • The Museum of Tea
  • The Museum of Wallpaper
  • The Museum of Locks and Keys
  • The Museum of the Night Sky
  • The Museum of Migration
  • The Museum of Everyday Life
  • The Museum of Sewing and Thread
  • The Museum of Board Games
  • The Museum of Fireworks
  • The Museum of Whaling
  • The Museum of Puppetry
  • The Museum of Timepieces
  • The Museum of Comics and Cartoon Art
  • The Museum of Perfume
  • The Museum of Radio
  • The Museum of Circus History
  • The Museum of Firefighting
  • The Museum of Lighthouses
  • The Museum of the Silk Road
  • The Museum of Steam
  • The Museum of Ice and Snow
  • The Museum of Fossils and Deep Time
  • The Museum of Sacred Art
  • The Museum of Enamels
  • The Museum of Bicycles
  • The Museum of Paper
  • The Museum of Robotics
  • The Museum of Video Games
  • The Museum of Street Art
  • The Museum of the Old West
  • The Museum of Espionage
  • The Museum of Justice
  • The Museum of Medieval Life
  • The Museum of Coins and Medals
  • The Museum of Sport
  • The Museum of Jazz
  • The Museum of Country Music
  • The Museum of Fashion
  • The Museum of Tapestry
  • The Museum of Wooden Boats
  • The Museum of Rural Life
  • The Museum of Industry and Labour
  • The Museum of Mining
  • The Museum of Wine and Vine
  • The Museum of the Printed Word
  • Halverston City Art Museum
  • Brackenford Museum and Art Gallery
  • Port Ellsmere Maritime Museum
  • Kingsmere Museum of Natural History
  • Oldbridge Heritage Museum
  • Stonebury Museum of Archaeology
  • Northaven Science Centre
  • Greywater Museum of Industry
  • Ashvale Railway Museum
  • Lowmoor Colliery Museum
  • Rookhaven Living History Museum
  • Silverpine Museum of the Frontier
  • Corvale Aviation Museum
  • Westmarch Regimental Museum
  • Thistledown Folk Museum
  • Harbourside Museum of Fishing
  • Milltown Textile Museum
  • Elderbrook Museum of Rural Life
  • Fairhollow Children's Museum
  • Copperfield Discovery Centre
  • Redwater Museum of Contemporary Art
  • Blackstone Sculpture Park
  • Cedar Ridge Museum of Native Cultures
  • Ironbridge Museum of Engineering
  • Saltmarsh Museum of Coastal Life
  • National Museum of Antiquities
  • National Gallery of Portraiture
  • National Museum of Natural History
  • National Museum of Science and Invention
  • National Museum of Ethnography
  • National Museum of Modern Art
  • National Museum of Seafaring
  • National Museum of Photography and Film
  • National Museum of Anthropology
  • National Museum of Decorative Arts
  • National Museum of Aviation and Space
  • National Museum of Immigration
  • National War Museum
  • National Museum of Musical History
  • National Museum of Ceramics
  • National Museum of Coins and Currency
  • Royal Museum of Fine Arts
  • Royal Museum of Arms and Heraldry
  • Royal Museum of Natural History
  • Royal Museum of the Eastern Provinces
  • Imperial Museum of Antiquities
  • Imperial Museum of Military History
  • State Museum of Fine Arts
  • State Historical Museum
  • State Museum of Applied Arts
  • Municipal Gallery of Modern Art
  • Civic Museum of Archaeology
  • University Museum of Zoology
  • University Museum of Anthropology
  • University Museum of Egyptology
  • The Anatomy Museum
  • The Herbarium and Botanical Museum
  • The Old Observatory Museum
  • The Cathedral Treasury Museum
  • The Guildhall Museum
  • The Old Mint Museum
  • The Old Courthouse Museum
  • The Lighthouse Keeper's Museum
  • The Coach House Museum
  • The Tithe Barn Museum
  • The Old Pharmacy Museum
  • The Cannery Museum
  • The Foundry Museum
  • The Powder Mill Museum
  • The Toll House Museum
  • The Almshouse Museum
  • The Sea Captain's House Museum
  • The Miller's House Museum
  • The Old Gaol Museum
  • The Poet's Cottage Museum
  • The Bishop's Palace Museum
  • The Cabinet of Curiosities
  • The Wunderkammer
  • The Athenaeum
  • The Lyceum Gallery
  • The Repository
  • The Pinacotheca
  • The Glyptotheque
  • The Kunsthalle
  • The Palace of Discovery
  • The House of Memory
  • The Hall of Wonders
  • The Gallery of Lost Worlds
  • The Marchbanks Museum of Art
  • The Museum of Doors
  • Ravensmere City Art Museum
  • National Museum of Textiles
  • The Old Library Museum
  • The Fairholme Gallery
  • The Museum of Ladders and Scaffolds
  • Wetherall Museum and Art Gallery
  • National Museum of Costume
  • The Old Schoolhouse Museum
  • The Kettering Museum of Natural History
  • The Museum of Handwriting
  • Port Danforth Maritime Museum
  • National Museum of Childhood
  • The Cabinet of Marvels
  • The Ellsworth Collection
  • The Museum of Shadows
  • National Museum of Printing
  • The Old Customs House Museum
  • The Ashdown Institute of Fine Arts
  • The Museum of Sleep and Dreams
  • Kettleby Heritage Museum
  • National Museum of Computing
  • The Lyceum of Natural History
  • The Wexley Foundation Museum
  • The Museum of Ghost Stories
  • Bassington Museum of Archaeology
  • National Museum of Broadcasting
  • The Blount-Ravenhill Gallery
  • The Museum of Weather
  • National Museum of Rural Life
  • The Old Waterworks Museum
  • The Prendergast Museum
  • The Museum of Fog
  • National Museum of Mining
  • The Old Gasworks Museum
  • The Museum of Thunder
  • Fenchurch Railway Museum
  • National Museum of Railways
  • The Amelia Hartwell Museum of Embroidery
  • The Museum of Dust
  • National Museum of Motoring
  • The Kunstkammer
  • The Adeyemi Centre for West African Art
  • Wolstenholme Living History Museum
  • The Old Tannery Museum
  • The Studiolo
  • The Castellano-Vega Collection
  • The Museum of Ruins
  • The Old Ropewalk Museum
  • The Galleria
  • The Frobisher Museum of Antiquities
  • The Museum of Endings
  • The Old Sail Loft Museum
  • The Rookwood Hall Museum
  • The Museum of Beginnings
  • National Museum of Democracy
  • The Old Forge Museum
  • The Palace of Science
  • The Museum of Almost
  • National Museum of Law and Justice
  • The Old Windmill Museum
  • The Josiah Bell Museum of Photography
  • The Museum of Unsent Letters
  • National Museum of Medicine
  • The Palace of the Arts
  • The Tanaka Museum of Japanese Art
  • The Museum of Broken Clocks
  • National Museum of Astronomy
  • The Bellini Gallery of Modern Art
  • The Museum of Missing Socks
  • National Museum of Geology
  • The Hall of Machines
  • The Wickham Museum of Science
  • The Museum of Left-Handed Things
  • National Museum of Botany
  • The Hall of Minerals
  • The Halloran Planetarium
  • The Museum of Bad Ideas
  • National Museum of Zoology
  • The Old Slaughterhouse Museum
  • The Hall of Ancestors
  • The Pargeter Museum of Toys
  • The Museum of Obsolete Technology
  • National Museum of Folk Art
  • The Old Workhouse Museum
  • The Hall of Mirrors and Illusions
  • The Museum of Discontinued Products
  • National Museum of Sacred Art
  • The Old Asylum Museum
  • The House of Time
  • The Kilbride Museum of Archaeology
  • The Museum of Packaging
  • Pinecrest Museum of Indigenous Cultures
  • National Museum of Contemporary Craft
  • The House of Maps
  • The Ollerton Museum of Natural Science
  • The Museum of Labels and Signage
  • National Museum of Architecture
  • The House of the Sea
  • The Vosper Wing
  • The Museum of Buttons
  • National Museum of Design
  • The Old Synagogue Museum
  • The Fitzgibbon Museum of Arms
  • The Museum of Thimbles
  • Coldharbour Museum of Whaling
  • National Portrait Gallery of the Republic
  • The Sedley Museum of Bookbinding
  • The Museum of Pins and Needles
  • Kingsbridge Museum of Clockmaking
  • National Gallery of Sculpture
  • The Chamber of Wonders
  • The Rudge Museum of Local History
  • The Museum of Knots
  • National Gallery of Prints and Drawings
  • The Old Corn Exchange Museum
  • The Ravenscar House Museum
  • Ferncastle Museum of Costume
  • The Old Assembly Rooms Museum
  • The Pavilion of Arts
  • The Delgado Museum of Iberian Art
  • The Museum of Sails
  • Millbrook Museum of Milling
  • The Museum of Anchors
  • Stoneleigh Museum of Quarrying
  • Royal Museum of Carriages
  • The Trask Museum of Musical Instruments
  • The Museum of Shipwrecks
  • Cliffhaven Lifeboat Museum
  • Royal Museum of Music
  • The Cavendish Museum of Illustration
  • The Museum of Smuggling
  • Oakford Museum of Carriages
  • Royal Museum of Botany
  • The Old Telephone Exchange Museum
  • The Wentworth Institute of Contemporary Art
  • The Museum of Piracy
  • Redcliff Museum of Pottery
  • The Old Signal Box Museum
  • The Ashcroft Museum of Costume
  • The Museum of the Highwayman
  • Larkspur Museum of Toys
  • Royal Museum of Cartography
  • The Old Engine Shed Museum
  • The Blakeney Museum of Horology
  • The Museum of Crime and Punishment
  • Duncaster Museum of Roman Britain
  • Royal Museum of the Navy
  • The Museum of Forgery
  • Thornbury Museum of Medieval Life
  • Royal Museum of the Colonies
  • The Old Lifeboat Station Museum
  • The Farrant Museum of Cartography
  • Wychwood Museum of Witchcraft
  • The Hugo Chetwynd Museum of Motor Racing
  • The Museum of Cryptography
  • Saltcombe Museum of Smuggling
  • The Lindgren Arctic Museum
  • Ironhaven Museum of Shipbuilding
  • The Fell Museum of Stained Glass
  • The Museum of Secret Societies
  • Copperton Museum of Mining
  • The Longstaffe Museum of Pottery
  • The Museum of Superstition
  • Glassbrook Museum of Glassmaking
  • The Old Gatehouse Museum
  • The Hurst Museum of Folk Art
  • Wheatfield Museum of Agriculture
  • Imperial Museum of Science and Industry
  • The Beedle Museum of Canals and Waterways
  • The Museum of Alchemy
  • Cedarholm Museum of Forestry
  • The Old Rectory Museum
  • The Merridew Museum of Lace
  • Riverbend Museum of Steamboats
  • The Museum of Meteorites
  • Frostmere Museum of Winter Sports
  • The Weaver's Cottage Museum
  • The Okafor Museum of Textiles
  • The Museum of Volcanoes
  • The Fisherman's Cottage Museum
  • The Miner's Cottage Museum
  • The Haddad Museum of Islamic Art
  • The Museum of Caves
  • State Museum of Folk Culture
  • The Blacksmith's Cottage Museum
  • The Petrova Museum of Icons
  • The Museum of Rivers
  • State Museum of Technology
  • The Shepherd's Hut Museum
  • The Volkonsky Palace Museum
  • The Museum of Islands
  • State Museum of Religion
  • The Gamekeeper's Lodge Museum
  • The Duquesne Museum of Enamels
  • The Ferryman's House Museum
  • The Rochefort Museum of Tapestry
  • The Harbourmaster's House Museum
  • The Museum of Bees and Honey
  • County Museum and Art Gallery
  • The Stationmaster's House Museum
  • The Kraus Museum of Optics
  • The Museum of Butterflies
  • The Doctor's House Museum
  • The Museum of Shells
  • The Apothecary's House Museum
  • The Ludlow Museum of Weights and Measures
  • The Museum of Feathers
  • Municipal Museum of Local History
  • The Greaves Museum of Puppetry
  • The Ines Moradi Museum of Calligraphy
  • The Tallis Foundation for the Decorative Arts
  • The Bramante-Osei Collection
  • The Hartigan Museum of Circus Arts
  • The Ludovic Ferrand Museum of Automata
  • The Quennell Gallery of Watercolours
  • The Aurelio Baptiste Museum of Caribbean Art
  • The Wingate Institute of Botanical Illustration
  • The Rothwell Museum of Board Games
  • The Amos Kettle Museum of Bells
  • The Fairlie Museum of Wallpaper and Print
  • The Segal-Marr Museum of Jewellery
  • The Dunmore Museum of Whisky
  • The Ines Varga Photography Foundation
  • The Kaminski Museum of Poster Art
  • The Ochieng Gallery of Contemporary Sculpture
  • The Beatrix Lowell Museum of Miniatures
  • The Percheron Museum of Horse-Drawn Vehicles
  • The Ambrose Tull Museum of Surveying
  • Wrenfield Museum of Country Life
  • Saltash Bay Lifeboat Museum
  • Hollowmere Museum of Peat and Bog
  • Kingswater Museum of Bridges
  • Tarnbeck Museum of Slate
  • Gullhaven Museum of the Herring Trade
  • Windmere Museum of Kites
  • Ravensbourne Museum of Bookmaking
  • Ambergate Museum of Cider
  • Cloverfield Museum of Dairying
  • Larkhill Museum of Bell-Founding
  • Fernbrook Museum of Amateur Radio
  • Broadwater Museum of Barges
  • Coombe Valley Museum of Cheese
  • Sedgeford Museum of Rope and Net
  • Iron Cross Museum of Wheelwrighting
  • Blackfriars Museum of Printing Presses
  • Merrow Down Museum of Sheep and Wool
  • Deepwell Museum of Pumps and Pipes
  • Ashby Marsh Museum of Wildfowling
  • The Museum of Handshakes
  • The Museum of Waiting Rooms
  • The Museum of Borrowed Things
  • The Museum of Cold Cases
  • The Museum of Sandcastles
  • The Museum of Playground Games
  • The Museum of Attics
  • The Museum of Cartography Errors
  • The Museum of Silence
  • The Museum of Doodles
  • The Museum of Family Recipes
  • The Museum of Sundials
  • The Museum of Marbles
  • The Museum of Ink
  • The Museum of Ventriloquism
  • The Museum of Hats
  • The Museum of Weathervanes
  • The Museum of Kaleidoscopes
  • The Museum of Trains That Never Ran
  • The Museum of Cellars and Vaults
  • The Museum of Playing Cards
  • The Museum of Ghost Towns
  • The Museum of Beachcombing
  • The Museum of Model Ships
  • The Museum of Padlocks
  • National Museum of Toys and Play
  • National Museum of Weights and Measures
  • National Museum of Wildlife Art
  • National Museum of Nursing
  • Royal Museum of Falconry
  • Royal Museum of Silverware
  • County Museum of Cider and Orchards
  • The Old Cooperage Museum
  • The Old Sawmill Museum
  • The Old Ice House Museum
  • The Old Salt Works Museum
  • The Old Kiln Museum
  • The Old Ferry Terminal Museum
  • The Old Printworks Museum
  • The Wharfinger's House Museum
  • The Lock-Keeper's Cottage Museum
  • The Toll-Keeper's Cottage Museum
  • The Beekeeper's Cottage Museum
  • The Cartographer's Studio Museum
  • The Great Room of Marvels
  • The Gallery of Vanished Trades
  • The Ossuary and Reliquary Museum
  • The Curiosarium
  • The Museum of Lanterns
  • State Museum of Costume and Mask
  • The Museum of Garden Sheds
  • The Museum of Snow Globes

Art Gallery Name Generator

Names for galleries, art spaces and studios

Library Name Generator

Names for Public, Academic and Fantasy Libraries

Antique Shop Name Generator

Names for antique stores, vintage shops and dealers

Theater Name Generator

Names for playhouses, black boxes, and theater companies

Zoo Name Generator

Names for Zoos, Safari Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries

Artifact Name Generator

Legendary Relic and Magic Item Names

More in Academia, Science & Knowledge

View all →

Course Name Generator

Catchy Titles for Online Courses and Classes

Catholic School Name Generator

Authentic names for parish schools, academies and prep schools

Lab Name Generator

Names for Research Labs, Startups and Studios

Scientist Name Generator

Believable names for fictional scientists and researchers

Phonetic Spelling Name Generator

First names with easy-to-read pronunciation respellings

Mineral Name Generator

Real minerals and geologically plausible invented ones