Warehouse421, a large, industrial complex, houses a cultural center, art exhibits, and artist studios in the heart of the city’s portside Al Mina district. The center skews toward contemporary art and design by U.A.E. artists, with a focus on creating—not just displaying. Rotating exhibits by local artists explore lofty concepts like hollowness and impermanence. International films, with an emphasis on filmmakers from the Middle East, are shown regularly, and readings and lectures bring the space to life. Art workshops allow visitors to dabble in creativity.

As the name suggests, Abu Dhabi Art Hub is exactly that: an art hub occupying various spaces within the World Trade Center mall. The gallery complex displays works by established artists from across the U.A.E. and abroad, all with the goal of providing a platform for cultural and political discourse. From colorful portraits by solo artists to collective exhibitions revolving around a specific theme, like “Women’s Day” and “Tolerance,” the contemporary artwork all seems to have a point of view.

The Louvre has a new outpost in Abu Dhabi—well, sort of. The basis of a long-anticipated cultural collaboration between the UAE and France dates back to 2007; after 10 years in the works, the museum opened with its own unique philosophy and interpretation. It’s considered the first universal museum in the Arab world. If that isn’t reason enough to visit, the futuristic architecture by Pritzker Prize winner Jean Nouvel certainly is.

The high-tech Manarat Al Saadiyat is kitted out with large-scale installations from international artists. As the first museum to open in the city’s Saadiyat Cultural District, in 2009, it’s earned cred as a hub for local and visiting artists and art enthusiasts. The building’s facade doubles as one of its most impressive installations: A white honeycomb lattice covering the exterior is most enchanting at night, when it’s illuminated. Inside, exhibits, performances, lectures, and workshops take place throughout three galleries, a 250-seat auditorium, and an outdoor terrace.

Abu Dhabi Heritage Village, run by the Emirates Heritage Club, takes the form of a reconstructed traditional village. A timeless oasis in a post-modern city with an ever-growing skyline, the traditional buildings and landscape here provide an immersive experience that recalls the region’s heritage and desert lifestyle. Different elements come to life, from pre-modern Abu Dhabi domiciles, to a historic fishing village and bedouin camp, to a souk, to a traditional mosque.

Beyond the city center, on the edge of the desert, the Emirates National Auto Museum houses an impressive collection of vintage cars and intimidating military vehicles. More than 200 vehicles comprise this auto collection, which belongs to Sheikh Hamad bin Hamdan Al Nahyan. With more custom tricked-out whips than a rap music video, the space showcases two things: the cars themselves, and the profound eccentricity of this billionaire sheikh. Convertibles, classic American cars, off-road vehicles, the world’s largest truck: Nothing on four wheels is off limits here.

Zayed Heritage Center, a small, humble museum, is the perfect place for history buffs to learn about the U.A.E.’s early days and its founder, the late Sheikh Zayed. The collection here is one part history and three parts nostalgia. Several rooms house different collections of artifacts, ranging from the postal service’s early days to the founding of the police department. An entire exhibit dedicated to the police force explores a major pillar of the U.A.E. value system: security.

Located inside Khalifa Park not far from the Grand Mosque, the Abu Dhabi History Museum and Aquarium rounds out a family outing in Abu Dhabi. Rather than reading about how Abu Dhabi developed from desert communities to a city of skyscrapers, this museum stages the history in diorama-style exhibits that depict pivotal moments in the city’s development—from traditional desert life to pearl-diving to the discovery of its natural resources. Next door, an aquarium takes visitors to look at the other part of Abu Dhabi’s ecosystem: the sea.