The #MuseMeme hashtag as arrived to let everyone know that museums aren’t just for school field trips and second dates.
The trend seems to have started in the U.K. on Wednesday, but museums around the world began using the #MuseMeme hashtag, not only to show off their collections, but to give patrons a peek at life behind the scenes in the museum world.
The results are every bit as nerdy and wonderful as you might hope.
Today is all about the #MusMeme
— University of Reading Art Collection (@UniRdg_ArtCol) August 22, 2018
Be prepared for all of our weird memes and bad puns throughout the day pic.twitter.com/ahFCj8i8kt
“Thank you for visiting. The museum is now closed.” #MusMeme pic.twitter.com/qbeBUDv7Gk
— Field Museum (@FieldMuseum) August 22, 2018
When you’re wearing socks and you step on something wet #MusMeme
— Smithsonian Libraries and Archives (@SILibraries) August 22, 2018
(From Audubon’s “Quadrupeds of North America,” https://t.co/tW68euTm97) pic.twitter.com/8acDEntMQ2
When you get an email saying there’s leftover food from the board meeting in the breakroom #MusMeme pic.twitter.com/9iYODgEKO8
— Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center at NEHGS (@JHCatNEHGS) August 22, 2018
If you then you don’t
— The Museum of English Rural Life (@TheMERL) August 22, 2018
don’t love deserve
me at my me at my#MusMeme pic.twitter.com/VADHYusvXr
And yes. It happens. #MusMeme pic.twitter.com/GupLRw0fUY
— NHM Library and Archives (@NHM_Library) August 22, 2018
Profile pic vs tagged photo 😨 #MusMeme pic.twitter.com/FfNUZubLTn
— English Heritage (@EnglishHeritage) August 22, 2018
Happy #MusMeme day! Have you ever created any memes with objects in our collections? If so, be sure to share them with us today. Sculpture from Italy c. 1518 pic.twitter.com/DcdF9epNQ5
— Ashmolean Museum (@AshmoleanMuseum) August 22, 2018
When your friend from Norway (who’s always late – but promised that it’d be different this time) is running late again and it feels like you’ve been waiting for them on a beach on the Isle of Lewis for centuries…
— National Museums Scotland (@NtlMuseumsScot) August 22, 2018
Explore this story at https://t.co/cdcGIpM3oc#MusMeme pic.twitter.com/bVOjZyMmxa
“Who’s got two thumbs and thinks he’s going to survive extinction? This guy.” #MusMeme pic.twitter.com/HQzjKTlLx2
— Imaging and Analysis (@NHM_IAC) August 22, 2018
and I’m falling asleep
— Cole Museum Mass Migration (@ColeMM2019) August 22, 2018
and she’s calling a cab
while he’s having a smoke
and he’s also a crab #MusMeme pic.twitter.com/cgWoBUn8Wy
You vs the tank they told you not to worry about #MusMeme pic.twitter.com/awETeLlfES
— The Tank Museum (@TankMuseum) August 22, 2018
Disney princesses re-imagined as arthropods #MusMeme pic.twitter.com/VOCotradr4
— Cole Museum Mass Migration (@ColeMM2019) August 22, 2018
Museums not only used items from their own collections, but embraced some classic meme formats.
https://twitter.com/railwaymuseum/status/1032219274339909632
Seeing as though it’s #MusMeme day we had to share this classic meme from the Castle with you! #HeverCastle #DistractedBoyfriend #Memes pic.twitter.com/MW2S6Cpf6o
— Hever Castle (@hevercastle) August 22, 2018
Did we do this right?#MusMeme pic.twitter.com/CUG98UxdTW
— University of Reading Special Collections (@UniRdg_SpecColl) August 22, 2018
“You are #TheLastJedi“
— National Library of Scotland (@natlibscot) August 22, 2018
“In the universe?”
“No, in the Library – we’re closing”#MusMeme #StarWars pic.twitter.com/LXuhYa0zZ1
Most of our museum team have had this conversation at some point.https://t.co/rxRn3XB6E2#MusMeme pic.twitter.com/mAmTDfEKJQ
— The Mary Rose (@MaryRoseMuseum) August 22, 2018
And, obviously, people weren’t going to let the museums have all the fun. It wasn’t long before everyone started getting in on #MuseMeme.
When you’re caught touching the thing #MusMeme pic.twitter.com/g08rgTjyQc
— Dean Rowlinson (@Superbeans89) August 22, 2018
This is my absolute favourite ever.
— Simon Brown (@SimonIanBrown) August 22, 2018
I’m supressing the temptation to post any more.#MusMeme pic.twitter.com/ZrGAMC6zX7
https://twitter.com/amangirg/status/1032307324059185152
These memes are all amazing and hilarious, but the most amazing part is that there’s most likely a museum somewhere close to you with either cheap or free admission. You can see everything from 1,000-year-old statues to contemporary works of art by members of your own community.
For the love of god, just don’t touch anything, they hate that.
So we heard it’s #MusMeme day.
— Natural History Museum (@NHM_London) August 22, 2018
A classic. pic.twitter.com/NToKPZTK7e
The #MuseMeme hashtag was a special one-day event, but don’t feel bad if you missed the fun. The next #MuseumSelfie day is January 17 and you have plenty of time left to prepare.
Tomorrow Jan 17th is #MuseumSelfie day. If you want to use #MuseumSelfieDay2018 or #MuseumSelfieDay I really don’t mine! It’s about sharing and showing the fun side of museums, art galleries, etc. Just have fun! @CultureThemes and @MuseumSelfieDay are also on Instagram pic.twitter.com/jdSe6omzYY
— MuseumSelfie (@MuseumSelfieDay) January 16, 2018