Explore a Map of Museums Listed in Wikidata

OE Sharing Zone
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It might take a while. If I read the key right, there are over 57000 dots on this map, each representing the location of one museum. This map is dynamically generated from Wikidata, the database that quietly powers much of what you see on a Wikipedia page. And more.

Screen Shot 415

The map might take a minute or more to appear as it is a dynamic query returning those 57000+ data points. Each dot provides a link to the Wikidata reference for the museum, listing all the data known about it- if there is a public URL for a museum that is shown too.

Zoom in, look around. Makes one curious to click, right? What do you find that is unique and makes you curious? I chased a museum in Greenland whose location is a palindrome ;-)(

(found via the WIkidata Will’s newsletter, from WikiEdu)

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Wonderful! Thanks for sharing! Such a nice resource!

I started exploring museums in my city, my country first- natural instinct for me–and to my surprise, LOTs is missing. I wonder if we can contribute.

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Absolutely you can add a new item to Wikidata (each item begins with a Q identifier), that’s what it’s set up to do.

You will need to create an account/log in to Wikidata.org

I learned a bit in the WikiEdu workshop, their materials are open

Or by the Wikidata tutorials

https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:Tours

The most essential properties to add are is an instance of a museum, its map location, and if known, a web site. You might figure it out by looking at the info of another entry.

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I’ve been trying to find an obscure museum I could add as an example. I thought of the funky Gopher Hole Museum I visited in 2011 on a drive from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, to Edmonton (proof I was there).

Alas it exists in Wikidata! But again, a simple example that shows the basic information needed to get included in the map above is adding a statement that it is an instance of a museum, and its map location (coordinates).

I found this very valuable video How to Add an Item to Wikidata:

It’s no surprise that it is in the account from the Wikipedian in Residence at University of Edinburgh, Ewan MacAndrew (who won a 2022 OE Award) and I recognize the narrator’s voice as another OE Student Award Winner,Hannah Rothmann!

Give it a try!