How Smart Can Museums Be? The Role of Cutting-Edge Technologies in Making Modern Museums Smarter

Despite extensive research on technology-mediated visitor experiences, a holistic approach to the smart museum remains underexplored. This paper addresses the gap by examining the intersection of museums and digital technologies through a cultural lens, with a focus on their role in redefining the museum experience. The concept and profile of the 21st-century smart museum were shaped through a synthesis of findings from 143 scholarly and institutional publications, combining 118 research outputs (2012-2025) across seven technological categories -Extended Reality (XR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Robotics, Fusion, Blockchain, and general Digital Technologies- with a complementary body of theoretical works (1989-2025) that strengthen its conceptual and cultural foundations. From this synthesis, 15 key attributes emerged, outlining the ideal smart museum model. Anchored in theoretical and institutional frameworks, these attributes conceptualize the smart museum as a culturally embedded, technologically enhanced, and human-centered institution. The paper provides a conceptual framework and strategic guide for cultural managers, museum professionals, and designers developing smart museum practices in the digital era.