10 Best Museums in the US

Founded in 1846 by British scientist James Smithson, the Smithsonian Institution is the largest group of museums, education, and research facilities on the planet. The majority of the institution’s 21 museums are found in Washington D.C. and all are free to attend.

Whatever your field of interest, there’s probably a Smithsonian Institution museum in D.C. to cover it. Notable spots in the city include the National Museum of African Art, the National Museum of Natural History, the National Portrait Gallery, and the National Air and Space Museum. And then there’s the National Zoo, which is also a research and conservation centre, and whose 1,500-plus animal inhabitants include rare giant pandas as well as lions, tigers, and giraffes.

Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, and Jackson Pollock are among the celebrated artists represented at the iconic Metropolitan Museum of Art. Widely referred to as ‘the Met,’ the New York landmark is the largest museum of art in the Americas, and there are more than 2 million pieces in the permanent collection alone.

Serious art enthusiasts should set aside at least 2 days to visit the main building on Fifth Avenue, the first part of which was opened in 1880. Today the main building spans more than 2-million-square-feet, and is home to a famous collection of ancient Egyptian art as well as pieces from the European Old Masters and American modern art. A smaller second building in Upper Manhattan is notable for its Medieval European art and artefacts.

Attracting picnicking families as well as serious art enthusiasts, the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles cost some $1.3 billion to construct and is notable for its architecture and views over the city as well as its collection of art. The collection itself is spectacular, spanning the centuries from ancient Greece and Italy via the Middle Ages to the present day. Among the many highlights, look out for van Gogh’s “Irises,” and a laughing self-portrait by Rembrandt.

Photography enthusiasts can marvel at a comprehensive collection documenting the evolution of the art from the 1830s onwards, and the ascent to the grounds – made via the famously futuristic Getty Centre Tram – affords excellent photo opportunities as it rises from the city centre car park to the museum complex in the Santa Monica mountains.

Perhaps best known for its vast collection of works from the Impressionist period, the Art Institute of Chicago has numerous pieces by Impressionist master Claude Monet as well as famous pieces by other world-famous artists like Pablo Picasso and Vincent van Gogh.

Families can take advantage of free entry for children aged under 14, and the museum’s online interactive JourneyMaker tool allows families to plan their trip in advance while learning more about the pieces they plan to visit. Located city centre, the museum merits a full day to take everything in, and there are several on-site restaurants to fuel those artsy adventures.

With free admission, works by major artists, and a central location on the National Mall, it’s no surprise that the National Gallery of Art is one of the most visited museums in the United States. Together with the adjoining Sculpture Garden, the museum merits a full-day’s exploration to take in exhibits which are set on multiple levels and split between the grand, neoclassical West Building and the contemporary East Building.

Degas and Monet are among the big names in the impressive Impressionist collection, and the museum also houses the only Leonardo da Vinci painting in the Americas. Set aside time to stroll the sculpture-filled gardens, which are home to shaded picnic spots and a scenic lake that’s converted into an outdoor ice rink during the winter months.

With its origins tracing back to the Centennial Exhibition of 1876, Philadelphia Museum of Art is one of the oldest art museums in the country, and houses pieces by names like Renoir and Picasso as well as Van Gogh’s famous Sunflowers.

Hordes of film lovers flock to the museum to visit the steps made famous by Sylvester Stallone in the film Rocky III and to pose for photos with the Rocky statue. But even those who just come here to walk (or run) in Stallone’s footsteps will find it well worth stepping inside to discover a vast collection of Impressionist, post-Impressionist, and modern art.

Expect space-age adventures galore at the enormous Kennedy Space Centre on Merritt Island, Florida. The NASA-run attraction features interactive exhibitions and displays showcasing the history of space travel, 2 IMAX theatres where visitors can experience a virtual ride through space (with added popcorn), and the chance to see giant rocket ships up close.

Space launch simulators and daily talks from astronauts may well inspire space-exploration ambitions among younger visitors, and there’s even a chance to board a bus tour of restricted NASA Space Centre areas. The vast number of attractions and activities makes this worth a couple of days’ exploring, and luckily the vast number of family-friendly food vendors on site provides fuel for interplanetary adventures.

A visit to the National WWII Museum is an immersive experience that manages to be poignant, educational, and entertaining in equal measure. Located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, the popular museum invites visitors to take a virtual journey through the days of World War II.

Using historical documents and footage combined with modern interactive exhibits, the museum honours those who fought in the war and tells the stories of how events played out during the conflict. First-person oral histories and personal artefacts bring the past to life, while the museum’s multimedia experiences include a virtual submarine battle aboard USS Tang, and Beyond All Boundaries, a 4D cinema experience produced and narrated by Tom Hanks.

Widely known as MoMa, the Museum of Modern Art is almost as famous as the stellar artists represented within. The iconic midtown Manhattan museum is home to a permanent collection that includes Vincent van Gogh’s world-famous “Starry Night” painting, alongside works by Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet, Cindy Sherman, and Andy Warhol, among many others.

Founded in 1929, the museum today represents thousands of artists from the worlds of painting, sculpture, architecture, film, and photography, and hosts regular visiting exhibitions from major names on the international contemporary art scene, as well as screenings, family arts events, and outdoor programmes in the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden.

The enormous American Museum of Natural History is a fascinating complex of buildings housing 45 exhibition halls as well as a library and planetarium, located close to Central Park. Permanent exhibitions include everything from dinosaur remains to diamonds, and the museum is also famously home to the skeleton of “Lucy,” a pre-human ancestor dating back over 3 million years.

Visiting interactive exhibitions focus on themes like whales, sharks, and butterflies, with giant-screen films and planetarium shows on regular rotation. At weekends and during school holidays it’s wise to arrive early to beat the queues and allow enough time to take everything in.