Museum

The word "museum"originally comes from the Musaeum of Alexandria (in Greek : Μουσείον της Αλεξάνδρειας), which was founded in the third century B.C. by the Ptolemies and "was renowned throughout the ancient world as a haven for philosophers and scientists from throughout the Alexandrian empire." Museums have undergone a number of transformations since the time of the Musaeum, taking on a variety of forms and serving several different functions. Today, the term encompasses a range of different institutions, all of which display collections of material of one sort or another for public consumption and the majority of which include as a part of their mission statements a component of educational outreach. According to the International Council of Museums:

A museum is a non-profit, permanent institution in the service of society and its development, open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits the tangible and intangible heritage of humanity and its environment for the purposes of education, study and enjoyment.