The Best Museums in America

From sea to shining sea, the U.S. is packed with outstanding museums that span a bounty of interests, from art and music to history and culture, those with a local focus, and others with a concentration on international events, literature, and more. Here are some of our favorites from across the U.S. that cater to audiences of all kinds.

Field Museum, Chicago

The Field Museum of Chicago is a treasure trove of science, nature, and learning exhibits. This museum examines everything from ancient Egypt to restoring the planet, the evolution and lives of dinosaurs to the ancient Americas, and two halls of gems and jade. Other exhibits include birds, lions, hyenas, fossils, the Galapagos Islands, and DNA discovery. Many films and features are available in 3D, but all events and exhibits do one thing very well: showcase a part of history and focus on the science, evolution, and secrets held within these eras. To find out exactly what will be on display while you’re in Chicago, visit the official Field Museum Website.

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

From prehistory to contemporary works, Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts offers a broad and genuinely astonishing collection from the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. Paintings, photography, sketches, prints, drawings, and collections of jewelry, musical instruments, and preserved literature make this museum a behemoth, eclectic mélange you won’t want to miss while you’re in Massachusetts. For more information on moving, temporary, and permanent installations, visit the official Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Website.

Space Center, Houston

If you’ve ever wondered what a trip to the moon would feel like, or you’ve spent hours pondering what life is like aboard a spacecraft, the Space Center in Houston is where you belong. Known also as the Gateway to NASA Johnson Space Center, this is not your everyday museum. With all kinds of amenities like day camps, field trips, Space After Dark exploration, visits to the Space Center University, and other educational features, Space Center Houston has it all. As the official training center and Mission Control for NASA astronauts, the events and exhibits here are truly one-of-a-kind, and not to be missed while you’re in the Houston area. Check the Space Center calendar of events before heading off to Houston to ensure you get to see the space exploration installations you don’t want to miss.

National Center for Civil and Human Rights, Atlanta

Located right in the heart of Downtown Atlanta, the Civil Rights Museum and Center for Civil and Human Rights is a must-see for sightseers of every generation. You’ll explore the reality of oneness through communal music, learn about new social justice movements, and find out about the Negro Leagues Heritage Day. Panel discussions, celebrity speakers, and a fundamental sense of inspiration are the hallmarks of this prodigious site for learning about human rights in the Americas. To learn more about which events will be happening while you’re in Atlanta, visit the National Center for Civil and Human Rights official Website.

California Academy of Science, San Francisco

From daily exhibits to nightlife and sleepover events, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more enjoyable museum experience of science, nature, and space than the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. Exhibits and events showcase everything you’ll find in the wild, including feline nightlife, flying dinosaurs, a look at the deep reefs untouched by the sun, a planetarium showing real comets, and a monolithic look at conservation photography. This is definitely a trip for sightseers of all ages and spending a whole day here is an enlightening event you’ll never forget. To find out what’s playing in the planetarium, which photos are on display, and which wildlife exhibits are available to visit while you’re in San Francisco, visit the official California Academy of Science Website before you book your trip.

USS Midway Museum, San Diego

As one of San Diego’s most popular attractions, the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum is truly a sight to behold. Visitors explore what it was like to live, serve, and work aboard the carrier by visiting everything from crew sleeping quarters to the engine room, the carrier’s jail, post office, flight control, flight deck, and much more. Guided audio tours are available, but you’ll get the best true-to-life stories from USS Midway docents, who you’ll meet throughout the vessel. Complete with flight simulations, real-life cockpits you can hop into, and other interactive activities, the USS Midway does not disappoint. For the historian in your group, there’s a research library, as well as a Battle of Midway Experience exhibit. To find out more about the activities and exhibits available while you’re in San Diego, visit the USS Midway Museum official Website.

Franklin Institute Science Museum, Philadelphia

The Franklin Institute Science Museum has really kicked it up a notch when it comes to science, nature, discovery, space exploration, and even DIY lessons on how to make your own pinhole camera and so much more. Adults are admitted for $20, and this Philly museum stays open from 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m. You’ll want to plan at least a half-day here, and to really get the full experience of the Franklin, try to make it to the observatory hours. The sunrise visit begins at 6:12 a.m. You could also schedule a later-in-the-day visit, which would allow you to view the moonrise from the observatory, which begins at 12:11 a.m. Of course, these times will change throughout the year, so be sure to check the official Franklin Institute Website before you get to Philadelphia.

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York

Housed since 1959 in Frank Lloyd Wright’s iconic building on Fifth Avenue, the Guggenheim Museum in New York an internationally renowned art museum. The building, one of the most significant architectural icons of the 20th century, houses a cultural center, an educational institution, and the heart of an international network of museums. Unlike most institutions dedicated to the visual arts, the Guggenheim does not divide itself into departments devoted to specific mediums or eras. Visitors can experience special exhibitions of modern and contemporary art, lectures by artists and critics, performances and film screenings, and daily tours of the galleries led by museum educators.