The Gothic Doge’s Palace is an architectural masterpiece that sits along the Grand Canal next to St. Mark’s Basilica, and tops the list of Venice cultural attractions. Built in the 14th century—with important later Renaissance additions—this symbol of the city was the residence of the ruling Doge and seat of the Venetian government for centuries. Today it’s a museum with richly decorated halls, a foreboding prison, and access to the Bridge of Sighs.

Though it sits just opposite the square from St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace—two of the city’s most crowded sites—the Correr Museum flies under the radar. This former royal residence is filled with an extensive collection of documents and artifacts about the city’s past, as well as paintings and sculptures by Venetian artists. Admission to the Correr Museum is included in Venice museum tickets to the Doge’s Palace, making this an ideal stop after touring the nearby palace.

Considered one of the most prestigious Venice art museums, the Accademia Gallery houses an impressive collection of works by headliner Venetian painters, including Titian, Tiepolo, Canaletto, and Paolo Veronese. The building—the stately former seat of the Scuola della Carità religious fraternity—along the Grand Canal is a work of art in its own right, with ornate original ceilings and a marble-clad facade. Visit the museum on its own or as part of a Dorsoduro neighborhood tour.

Ca’ Rezzonico is a highlight of boat tours along the Grand Canal, with its magnificent Venetian baroque and rococo facade rising directly from the water. Visitors to this stunning private residence-turned-museum can take in original frescoes and trompe l’oeil decorations plus peruse the Museum of 18th-Century Venice. This impressive collection includes paintings by local masters from Tintoretto to Tiepolo plus the original 17th-century furnishing of the Farmacia Ai do San Marchi.

Take a break from historic Venetian at Ca’ Pesaro, another jewel of baroque architecture set along the Grand Canal. Inside, the International Gallery of Modern Art surprises with its collection of modern works by Italian and international artists, including De Chirico, Klimt, and Rodin. The palace also houses the Museum of Oriental Art’s vast collection of Edo-era works. To admire the canal-side facade, join a boat tour along Venice’s main waterway before or after your visit to the museum.

The influential American heiress and art collector Peggy Guggenheim fell in love with Venice in the mid-20th century and purchased the unfinished Palazzo Venier dei Leoni along the Grand Canal, where she lived out her final years. After her death, this residence became home to her massive collection. Take a guided tour to fully appreciate works by headliners from Picasso and Pollock to Kandinsky, Magritte, Dalí, and Calder.

Once a luxurious private palace, the historic Palazzo Mocenigo is a highlight of Venice’s quieter Santa Croce neighborhood. One of the city’s most unusual collections, its 20 rooms are filled with original clothing and accessories from the 17th and 18th centuries, plus a hands-on exhibit that delves into the role perfume played in Venetian history and economy. Purchase the Museums of 18th-Century Venice pass for discounted admission to Ca’ Rezzonico, Palazzo Mocenigo, and Carlo Goldoni’s House.

The leader among Venice science museums, the Natural History Museum of Venice is located in one of the city’s most beautiful private palaces: the Fontego dei Turchi, former home to the Correr Museum. Visitors of all ages can admire whale skeletons and whaling artifacts in the Cetaceans Gallery, plus the fossilized remains of dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures in the “On the Tracks of Life” hall. Also located in Santa Croce, this museum can be combined with a visit to Palazzo Mocenigo.

Venetians have been making glass for almost a millennium, so it's no surprise that the city is home to a premier glass museum. Set on the island of Murano, where glassmaking ateliers have been confined for centuries, the Glass Museum houses the largest collection of Murano glass in the world as well as examples of ancient Syrian, Greek, and Roman glass. Stop here to learn about how glassmaking has evolved through the ages, then shop for an authentic hand-blown piece in the museum’s gift shop.