They are buildings, cities and natural wonders. They house the heights of cultural achievement and offer backdrops for our best ideas. Asked to name the most influential place in history, previous and present TIME 100 honorees reflect on locations that have seen and in some cases helped bring about some of the most transformative moments in human experience.
Glass pyramid by I. M. Pei stands before the Louvre Museum in Paris, Frances
The world's most visited museum drew a record 8.8 million people in 2011. The Louvre not only houses an art collection but is also a historical site, with additions from the medieval, Renaissance and Baroque periods. All that square footage means space for more than 35,000 works of art.
