Magnetic Observatories need not be large institutions but a few requirements exist for them to do their job well and effectively. We try to review those requirements and to show how they are met in the Observatories throughout the world. For serving their purpose, Observatories should be distributed in an evenldy spaced network on Earth. The state of that network is presented, current problems are identified and planned improvements are outlined. It is also useful to try to figure out how the future will be in terms of maintaining present Observatories in activity and building new ones, and to find ways to achieve this.