museums

(Newser) - Wandering leisurely through one French museum after another—priceless, right? Exactly, as of January 1, when the French culture ministry opens 14 of the country's museums to visitors free of charge. The pilot program, a campaign plank for Nicolas Sarkozy, is being greeted skeptically as columnists debate whether the policy...

(Newser) - The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles will return to Italy 40 works of art, including some of the finest in the museum's collection, following a decades-long legal battle. The museum has agreed to give up dozens of  masterpieces that Italy claims were looted, including its signature 5th-century marble...

(Newser) - A Belgian museum filled with stacks of faded geological maps of the Congo—a former colony—has become an unlikely mecca for mining companies searching for new deposits. With prices soaring and on-site exploration impeded by armed militias, drillers are eager to shell out hefty research fees to the Royal...