The Best Museum To Visit In Every U.S. State
Museums are where stories stand still long enough for us to step inside.
Across the United States, every state holds a collection that captures its spirit – art that stirs emotion, science that sparks curiosity, and history that refuses to fade.
Some are world-famous landmarks, others are small gems tucked into quiet corners, but each one offers something unforgettable.
1. U.S. Space & Rocket Center (Alabama)
Rocket enthusiasts will find paradise at this incredible space museum in Huntsville. The center houses one of the largest collections of rockets and space memorabilia in the world.
Visitors can explore real spacecraft, touch moon rocks, and even experience astronaut training simulations.
Space Camp programs let kids and adults experience what it’s like to prepare for missions beyond Earth’s atmosphere.
2. Anchorage Museum (Alaska)
Alaska’s largest museum tells the story of the Last Frontier through art, history, and science exhibits. Native Alaskan culture takes center stage with stunning displays of traditional crafts and artifacts.
The planetarium offers breathtaking shows about northern lights and Arctic skies. Interactive exhibits help visitors understand life in America’s most rugged state, from wildlife to gold rush history.
3. Musical Instrument Museum (Arizona)
Music lovers will be amazed by over 15,000 instruments from nearly 200 countries at this Phoenix treasure. Every exhibit comes with headphones that automatically play music as you approach different displays.
You can see guitars played by famous rock stars and ancient drums from distant cultures. The experience gallery even lets visitors try playing instruments from around the globe themselves.
4. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art (Arkansas)
Nestled in the beautiful Ozark woods, this world-class art museum offers free admission to everyone. The building itself is a masterpiece, with galleries built around natural ponds and walking trails.
American art from colonial times to today fills the stunning spaces. Works by Norman Rockwell, Andy Warhol, and Georgia O’Keeffe hang alongside pieces by emerging contemporary artists.
5. The Getty Center (California)
Perched high above Los Angeles, the Getty offers breathtaking views and priceless art collections completely free.
Richard Meier’s white travertine buildings create a stunning backdrop for European paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts.
The central garden features constantly changing plantings and a flowing stream. Visitors ride a futuristic tram up the hillside to reach this cultural crown jewel.
6. Denver Art Museum (Colorado)
The building’s wild, angular design looks like a spaceship landed in downtown Denver. Inside, one of the nation’s finest Native American art collections showcases incredible craftsmanship and cultural heritage.
Contemporary and Western American art also shine in this innovative space. Interactive galleries encourage visitors to touch, create, and engage rather than just observe from a distance.
7. Yale University Art Gallery (Connecticut)
America’s oldest university art museum houses treasures spanning 5,000 years of human creativity. The collection ranges from ancient Egyptian artifacts to cutting-edge contemporary installations.
Best of all, admission is always free to the public. Louis Kahn designed the modern wing, creating beautiful spaces where natural light enhances the viewing experience perfectly.
8. Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library (Delaware)
Once home to Henry Francis du Pont, this 175-room mansion showcases the finest American decorative arts collection anywhere.
Each room is decorated to perfection with period furniture, silver, and textiles from different eras.
The surrounding gardens bloom with beauty across 60 acres of landscaped grounds. Visitors step back in time experiencing how wealthy Americans lived throughout history.
9. The Dalí Museum (Florida)
St. Petersburg holds the world’s most comprehensive collection of Salvador Dalí’s mind-bending surrealist works.
The museum’s architecture itself seems dreamlike, with a massive glass bubble erupting from a concrete box.
Melting clocks, elephants on spider legs, and other bizarre imagery fill the galleries. Virtual reality experiences let visitors step inside Dalí’s paintings and explore his fantastical worlds firsthand.
10. High Museum of Art (Georgia)
Atlanta’s premier art museum gleams white in the Midtown sun, a Richard Meier architectural masterpiece. The collection emphasizes American art, European paintings, African art, and contemporary photography.
Special exhibitions bring world-famous works to the South regularly. Family-friendly programs and interactive galleries make art accessible and fun for visitors of all ages throughout the year.
11. Bishop Museum (Hawaii)
Founded in 1889, this Honolulu institution preserves and shares Hawaiian and Pacific Island culture.
Hawaiian Hall’s three-story gallery displays royal artifacts, traditional canoes, and ceremonial objects under a magnificent skylight.
The planetarium presents shows about Polynesian navigation using stars. Visitors learn how ancient voyagers crossed vast ocean distances using only nature’s clues to guide them.
12. Idaho State Museum (Idaho)
Boise’s state museum recently reopened after extensive renovations with completely reimagined exhibits. Interactive displays bring Idaho’s geology, Native American heritage, and pioneer history to life for modern audiences.
Kids especially love the hands-on activities scattered throughout. From mining simulations to wildlife encounters, every gallery offers engaging ways to discover what makes Idaho unique and fascinating.
13. The Art Institute of Chicago (Illinois)
Two bronze lions guard the entrance to one of America’s greatest art museums. Inside, you’ll find Grant Wood’s American Gothic, Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks, and Georges Seurat’s A Sunday on La Grande Jatte.
The Impressionist collection rivals any in the world. Modern architecture by Renzo Piano added stunning gallery space with natural light perfect for viewing masterpieces.
14. The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis (Indiana)
The world’s largest children’s museum features dinosaurs bursting through the building’s exterior walls. Five floors of interactive exhibits cover everything from ancient Egypt to outer space exploration.
A real carousel, glass-blowing demonstrations, and science experiments keep kids engaged for hours. The museum proves learning can be incredibly fun when imagination and education combine perfectly together.
15. Des Moines Art Center (Iowa)
Three architectural legends – Eliel Saarinen, I.M. Pei, and Richard Meier – each designed a wing of this remarkable museum. The building itself is as much an artwork as the paintings and sculptures inside.
Admission is always free, making world-class art accessible to everyone. The sculpture park provides a beautiful setting where art and nature blend harmoniously on the museum grounds.
16. Cosmosphere (Kansas)
Hutchinson holds one of the most significant space artifact collections on Earth. The museum owns the actual Apollo 13 command module and a German V-2 rocket from World War II.
Visitors can touch real moon rocks and experience flight simulators. The planetarium presents shows that transport audiences beyond our atmosphere into the vast mysteries of space and time.
17. Kentucky Derby Museum (Kentucky)
Located at historic Churchill Downs, this museum celebrates the most exciting two minutes in sports. Interactive exhibits let visitors experience what jockeys face during the famous race.
You can see actual Derby trophies, silks worn by winning jockeys, and films of historic races. Behind-the-scenes tours of the racetrack reveal where champions are made each May during Derby season.
18. National WWII Museum (Louisiana)
New Orleans hosts the nation’s official World War II museum, designated by Congress. Immersive exhibits place visitors inside the war through personal stories, authentic artifacts, and multimedia presentations.
Real planes, tanks, and weapons fill massive pavilions. The 4D cinema experience Beyond All Boundaries, produced by Tom Hanks, brings the war to life dramatically and powerfully.
19. Portland Museum of Art (Maine)
Maine’s oldest and largest art museum features extensive collections of American, European, and contemporary art. Winslow Homer’s seascapes are highlights, capturing Maine’s rugged coastal beauty perfectly.
The museum’s architecture blends historic brick buildings with modern additions. Special exhibitions bring internationally renowned artists to northern New England regularly throughout the year for visitors to enjoy.
20. Walters Art Museum (Maryland)
Baltimore’s Walters offers 5,000 years of art completely free to the public. Ancient Egyptian mummies, medieval armor, and Renaissance paintings fill this palatial museum.
The collection spans cultures from around the globe. Henry Walters’ passion for collecting created this remarkable gift to his city, making world-class art accessible to everyone who visits.
21. Museum of Fine Arts (Massachusetts)
Boston’s MFA ranks among America’s most comprehensive art museums with nearly 500,000 works. Egyptian treasures, Impressionist masterpieces, and contemporary installations create an encyclopedic collection.
The Art of the Americas Wing showcases pieces from ancient times through today. Special exhibitions regularly feature works on loan from museums worldwide, drawing art lovers from across the region.
22. Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation (Michigan)
Dearborn’s massive museum celebrates American ingenuity and innovation. The presidential limousine where JFK was assassinated, the Rosa Parks bus, and the Wright Brothers’ bicycle shop are all here.
Historic cars, trains, and planes fill enormous halls. Visitors discover how American inventors and entrepreneurs changed the world through creativity, determination, and revolutionary ideas throughout history.
23. Minneapolis Institute of Art (Minnesota)
Known locally as Mia, this museum offers free admission to world-class collections spanning 5,000 years. From ancient Chinese jade to contemporary photography, the diversity amazes visitors.
Target Gallery features interactive exhibits designed especially for families. The museum’s commitment to accessibility ensures everyone can experience great art regardless of their financial situation or background.
24. Mississippi Civil Rights Museum (Mississippi)
Jackson’s powerful museum tells the story of the Civil Rights Movement through Mississippi’s eyes. Eight interactive galleries chronicle the struggle for equality from 1945 through 1976.
Personal stories, photographs, and artifacts bring history to life emotionally.
Visitors leave with deeper understanding of courage, sacrifice, and determination that changed America forever during those transformative decades.
25. Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (Missouri)
Giant shuttlecocks on the lawn announce this Kansas City treasure with whimsy and style. Inside, one of America’s finest Asian art collections shares space with European masterpieces.
The modern Bloch Building addition features glowing glass lenses that illuminate galleries beautifully. Best of all, admission to the permanent collection is always free for everyone to enjoy.
26. Museum of the Rockies (Montana)
Bozeman’s museum houses one of the world’s largest collections of dinosaur fossils. Paleontologist Jack Horner, who consulted on Jurassic Park, curated the incredible T-rex and Triceratops specimens.
Beyond dinosaurs, exhibits explore Native American culture, regional history, and Montana’s natural wonders. The planetarium offers shows about the Big Sky Country’s famously clear and spectacular night skies.
27. Durham Museum (Nebraska)
Omaha’s beautifully restored Art Deco train station now serves as a history museum. The grand hall’s original ticket windows and waiting room transport visitors back to the golden age of rail travel.
Vintage train cars let you board and explore passenger coaches from decades past. Regional history exhibits tell Nebraska’s story from Native peoples through pioneer settlement to modern times.
28. The Neon Museum (Nevada)
Las Vegas’s retired neon signs find new life in this unique outdoor museum. The Neon Boneyard displays over 200 vintage signs from classic casinos, motels, and businesses.
Evening tours illuminate restored signs, creating a magical glow in the desert night. Each sign tells a story about Vegas history, from the Rat Pack era through modern transformation.
29. Currier Museum of Art (New Hampshire)
Manchester’s premier art museum features European and American paintings, decorative arts, and contemporary works. Monet, Picasso, O’Keeffe, and Wyeth are represented in the impressive collection.
The museum also offers tours of the Zimmerman House, New Hampshire’s only Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home. Visitors experience how modernist architecture and design principles work in a residential setting beautifully.
30. Liberty Science Center (New Jersey)
Jersey City’s science center sits on the waterfront with stunning Manhattan views. Hands-on exhibits let visitors touch animals, conduct experiments, and explore scientific principles through interactive play.
The IMAX theater boasts the largest screen in the country. From biology to physics to engineering, every gallery encourages curiosity and makes learning science exciting and accessible for everyone.
31. Georgia O’Keeffe Museum (New Mexico)
Santa Fe honors its most famous adopted artist with a museum dedicated entirely to her work. O’Keeffe’s bold flowers, stark landscapes, and bleached bones fill ten galleries.
The collection includes paintings, drawings, and sculptures spanning her entire career. Visitors understand why New Mexico’s light, colors, and desert beauty inspired this pioneering American modernist so profoundly throughout her life.
32. The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York)
The Met stands as one of the world’s greatest museums with over two million works.
Egyptian temples, European paintings, American furniture, and contemporary installations span 5,000 years of human creativity.
You could spend days exploring and still not see everything. The rooftop garden offers spectacular Central Park and skyline views alongside rotating sculpture exhibitions throughout warmer months.
33. North Carolina Museum of Art (North Carolina)
Raleigh’s museum combines indoor galleries with a stunning 164-acre outdoor art park. Monumental sculptures dot the landscape along walking and biking trails through the woods.
Inside, European old masters hang near contemporary installations. The museum pioneered using state funds to purchase art, making North Carolina the first state to create a major art collection for its citizens.
34. North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum (North Dakota)
Bismarck’s renovated state museum tells North Dakota’s story from prehistoric times through today.
Dinosaur fossils, Native American artifacts, and pioneer exhibits occupy beautifully designed modern galleries.
Interactive displays engage visitors of all ages effectively. The museum sits on the capitol grounds, making it easy to explore both state government and history in one visit to the area.
35. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (Ohio)
Cleveland’s iconic glass pyramid celebrates rock music’s greatest legends on Lake Erie’s shore. Costumes, instruments, and handwritten lyrics from Elvis, Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and countless others fill the galleries.
Interactive exhibits let visitors create their own music and explore how rock evolved. The museum proves why rock and roll changed not just music but entire generations worldwide.
36. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum (Oklahoma)
Oklahoma City preserves Western heritage through art, artifacts, and exhibits. Remington and Russell bronzes capture the spirit of cowboys, while galleries explore Native American cultures and frontier life.
The Prosperity Junction recreates a turn-of-the-century Western town complete with authentic buildings. Visitors walk through history experiencing what life was like in the Old West during its heyday.
37. Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (Oregon)
Portland’s OMSI sits on the Willamette River with a real submarine moored outside. Five exhibit halls cover everything from earth science to technology through hands-on interactive displays.
The planetarium presents shows about space and astronomy regularly. Touring the USS Blueback submarine offers a unique glimpse into life aboard a Navy vessel during the Cold War era beneath the waves.
38. Philadelphia Museum of Art (Pennsylvania)
Rocky’s famous training run ends at these iconic steps leading to one of America’s largest art museums. Inside, over 240,000 objects span 2,000 years of human creativity.
Complete rooms from historic buildings are installed throughout the museum.
From medieval armor to Impressionist masterpieces to contemporary installations, the collection’s breadth and quality impress every visitor who explores the galleries.
39. RISD Museum (Rhode Island)
The Rhode Island School of Design’s museum punches above its weight with 100,000 works of art. Ancient Greek sculptures share space with cutting-edge contemporary pieces and everything between.
The intimate scale makes viewing art more personal than massive institutions allow, creating meaningful connections between visitors and artworks displayed.
40. Gibbes Museum of Art (South Carolina)
Charleston’s Gibbes has collected American art for over 125 years. Southern artists and scenes feature prominently, including portraits of prominent Charlestonians from colonial times through today.
The building itself is a Beaux-Arts gem in the historic district. Rotating exhibitions bring fresh perspectives while the permanent collection offers deep insights into American art history and Southern culture.
41. South Dakota Air and Space Museum (South Dakota)
Located near Ellsworth Air Force Base, this museum displays over 30 aircraft outdoors. B-52 bombers, fighter jets, and missiles showcase American air power throughout the decades.
Tours of the active base and missile silos are available for those interested. The museum tells the story of aviation innovation and the people who served defending America from the skies above.
42. Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (Tennessee)
Nashville’s cathedral to country music sits in the heart of Music City. The building’s architecture resembles a bass clef when viewed from above, a fitting design for this musical shrine.
Elvis’s gold Cadillac, handwritten lyrics, and glittering stage costumes fill the galleries. Interactive exhibits let visitors experience recording studios and learn how country music evolved from folk roots to mainstream popularity.
43. The Museum of Fine Arts (Texas)
Houston’s MFAH ranks among the nation’s largest art museums with significant collections spanning continents and centuries. Two main buildings connected by an underground tunnel house 70,000 works.
The Cullen Sculpture Garden provides a peaceful oasis in the Museum District.
From ancient gold to contemporary installations, the encyclopedic collection offers something to inspire every visitor who walks through the doors.
44. Natural History Museum of Utah (Utah)
Salt Lake City’s natural history museum sits dramatically in the foothills overlooking the valley. The copper-clad building blends into the landscape while offering spectacular views through floor-to-ceiling windows.
Utah’s dinosaur fossils are world-famous, and the museum displays incredible specimens.
Interactive exhibits explore the region’s unique geology, ancient peoples, and diverse ecosystems from deserts to mountains throughout the state.
45. Shelburne Museum (Vermont)
This unique museum spreads across 45 acres with 39 historic buildings relocated to the site. A complete steamboat sits on the lawn, landlocked but perfectly preserved for visitors to explore.
American folk art, quilts, carriages, and decorative arts fill buildings ranging from a lighthouse to a covered bridge. Wandering the grounds feels like traveling through different periods of American history simultaneously.
46. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (Virginia)
Richmond’s VMFA offers free admission to world-class collections spanning 5,000 years. Fabergé eggs, Art Nouveau furniture, and contemporary photography represent just a fraction of the diverse holdings.
Recent expansions added stunning gallery space flooded with natural light. The museum’s commitment to accessibility ensures all Virginians can experience great art regardless of their ability to pay admission fees.
47. Museum of Pop Culture (Washington)
Frank Gehry designed this wild, colorful building near Seattle’s Space Needle. The shimmering metal exterior looks like melted guitars, a perfect home for rock music, science fiction, and pop culture exhibits.
Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana, and Northwest music history get special attention. Interactive exhibits let visitors play instruments, create animations, and explore how popular culture shapes and reflects society constantly.
48. West Virginia State Museum (West Virginia)
Charleston’s state museum at the Culture Center explores West Virginia’s unique history and heritage.
Coal mining, labor struggles, and Appalachian culture receive thoughtful examination through artifacts and exhibits.
The museum helps visitors understand how geography shaped the state’s development.
49. Milwaukee Art Museum (Wisconsin)
Santiago Calatrava’s wing-like addition makes this lakefront museum instantly recognizable. The brise soleil opens and closes daily like a giant bird, creating one of architecture’s most dramatic entrances.
The collection emphasizes American decorative arts, German Expressionism, and Haitian art, offering surprising depth in specific areas rarely found elsewhere together.
50. Buffalo Bill Center of the West (Wyoming)
Five museums in one complex make Cody’s Buffalo Bill Center a full-day adventure. Western art, Plains Indian culture, natural history, firearms, and Buffalo Bill’s life each get dedicated gallery space.
The collection’s breadth and quality rival much larger institutions. From Remington bronzes to Native American beadwork to mounted wildlife, the center preserves and interprets the American West comprehensively and respectfully.
