Museum Selfie Day

Museum Selfie Day History

Museum Selfie Day is a global initiative that encourages art enthusiasts and casual visitors alike to share their museum experiences on social media networks. The event is orchestrated to foster a stronger bond between museums and their patrons, adding an interactive element to the often static act of observing art. By combining the modern ritual of taking selfies with the timeless act of exploring art galleries, this day seeks to bridge centuries of human creativity.

Established in 2015 by London culture blogger, Mar Dixon, Museum Selfie Day became an instant hit resonating with museum goers worldwide. This annual event was conceived as a way to promote museums to a broader audience, using the power of selfies and social media platforms. By creating a viral buzz around museum visits, the day aims to make cultural institutions more accessible and less intimidating to the younger generation.

Museum Selfie Day is observed every third Wednesday in January. On this day, social media platforms are flooded with delightful images of people in front of their favorite exhibits, showcasing the richness and diversity of museums across the globe. Through this social media phenomenon, Museum Selfie Day has successfully transformed museum visiting into a widely shared, enjoyable experience.

Top 8 Facts for Museum Selfie Day in 2026

• Museum enthusiast Mar Dixon first launched Museum Selfie Day in 2014 to challenge the perception of cultural institutions as being stuffy or intimidating by encouraging a sense of playfulness and accessibility.
• The event has famously garnered participation from unexpected cultural figures, such as Cookie Monster from Sesame Street, who once shared a viral image of himself searching for "cookie-looking shapes" in classical paintings.
• Major international institutions like the Louvre and the Metropolitan Museum of Art often see a spike in engagement as visitors attempt to recreate the exact poses found in famous works like the Mona Lisa or Van Gogh self-portraits.
• A common digital trend for the observance involves museums themselves getting involved by photoshopping modern smartphones into the hands of subjects in historical masterpieces, such as Girl with a Pearl Earring.
• The global movement is credited with helping to modernize museum etiquette, prompting many galleries to permanently relax their strict "no photography" policies in favor of flash-free digital interaction.
• One of the most viral recurring activities involves visitors using mobile apps to perform "face swaps" with marble busts and ancient statues to create humorous, anachronistic portraits.
• The day often highlights the success of related digital campaigns like the Getty Museum Challenge and MetTwinning, which ask the public to recreate iconic scenes from art history using items found in their own homes.
• Notable outdoor installations, such as Urban Light by Chris Burden at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, typically become the most-tagged locations worldwide due to their photogenic and immersive nature.

In the News and Trending for Museum Selfie Day

Top things to do for Museum Selfie Day

• There are an estimated 35,000 museums in the U.S. Find one that piques your interest and give it a visit. Remember to snap an awesome selfie while you’re there.
• Take a look at these documentaries about museums.
• Browse through your selfies as a trip down memory lane. Experience nostalgia as you encounter photos from different places and times. You could even plan a trip to a place you really enjoyed.