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Best Museum in Every State

Best Museum in Every State

Few institutions stamp the cultural identity of a nation, region, or city like museums.

Whether they are venerable sites such as the Art Institute of Chicago, whimsical venues like the Kazoo Museum in South Carolina, or contemplative places like the Civil Rights Museum in Atlanta, museums have become sources of civic pride.

Museums celebrate humankind’s achievements, acknowledge shameful human episodes like slavery and genocide, and look ahead to the future with exhibits on space exploration.

In an effort to recognize their contribution to their communities, 24/7 Wall St. has compiled a list of the best museum in each state.

Click here to see the best museum in each state.
Click here to read our detailed findings and methodology.

Correction: An earlier version of this article published the incorrect attendance figure for the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts as 206,000. In fact, more than 600,000 people attended the museum in 2017.  

 

Source: Rob Hainer / Shutterstock.com

1. Alabama: U.S. Space & Rocket Center
> Where: Huntsville
> Admission: $25 adults; $17 children 5-12; free for children under 4.
> Annual attendance: 657,000
> Known for: Saturn V rocket exhibit.

Source: anchoragemuseum.org

2. Alaska: Anchorage Museum
> Where:Anchorage
> Admission: $18 adult; $15 Alaska resident; $12 senior, student, and military; $9 children 3-12; free for children 2 and under.
> Annual attendance: 200,000
> Known for: Native prehistoric and ethnographic artifacts illustrating Alaskan history.

Source: mim.org

3. Arizona: Musical Instrument Museum
> Where: Phoenix
> Admission: $20 general, $15 ages 13-19; $10 for ages 4-12; free for children 3 and under.
> Annual attendance: 250,000
> Known for: Biggest museum of its kind in world.

Source: Charvex / Wikimedia Commons

4. Arkansas: Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
> Where: Bentonville
> Admission: Free to view permanent collections
> Annual attendance attendance: 500,000-600,000
> Known for: Works from Georgia O’Keeffe and Benjamin West.

Source: mixmotive / iStock

5. California: The Getty Center
> Where: Los Angeles
> Admission: Free
> Annual attendance attendance: More than 2 million
> Known for: Art from the Renaissance, Dutch masters, Spanish painters, and contemporary artists.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

6. Colorado: Denver Museum of Nature & Science
> Where: Denver
> Admission: $16.95 for adults, $11.95 for ages 3-18, $13.95 for ages 65+
> Annual attendance: 1.7 million
> Known for: Fossils, Egyptian mummies, and science exhibits.

Source: Nick Allen / Wikimedia Commons

7. Connecticut: Yale University Art Gallery
> Where: New Haven
> Admission: Free
> Annual attendance:  232,185
> Known for: Oldest U.S. college art museum; has paintings from John Trumbull.

Source: U.S. Air Force / Senior Airman Jared Duhon

8. Delaware: Delaware Air Mobility Museum
> Where: Dover
> Admission: Free
> Annual attendance: 154,000
> Known for: All things pertaining to aircraft.

Source: Andreas Lamecker / Wikipedia

9. Florida: Ernest Hemingway Museum
> Where: Key West
> Admission: $14 adults; $6 ages 6-12; Free 5 and under
> Annual attendance: 180,000
> Known for: The author’s residence during the 1930s.

Source: civilandhumanrights.org

10. Georgia: The Center for Civil and Human Rights
> Where: Atlanta
> Admission: $19.99 adults; $17.99 students and seniors; $15.99 youth; free for children 6 and under.
> Annual attendance: More than 200,000
> Known for: Linking U.S. civil rights movement with human right movement.

Source: Prayitno / Flickr

11. Hawaii: USS Arizona Memorial
> Where: Honolulu
> Admission: Free
> Annual attendance: 1.5 million
> Known for: Site of ship sunk at Pearl Harbor.

Source: rayb777 / Flickr

12. Idaho: Idaho Potato Museum
> Where: Blackfoot
> Admission: $4 adults, $3.50 seniors, AAA, military; $2 children 6-12; free for children 5 and under.
> Annual attendance: About 25,000
> Known for: History of the potato.

Source: Page Light Studios / iStock

13. Illinois: The Art Institute of Chicago
> Where: Chicago
> Admission: $25 general, $19 for senior citizens, students, and teens; free for children under 14.
> Annual attendance: 1.5 million
> Known for: Rodin, Medieval and Renaissance art, architecture and design.

Source: HstryQT / Wikimedia Commons

14. Indiana: The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
> Where: Indianapolis
> Admission: $21.75 adults; $20.70 seniors (60+); $17.50 youth 2-17.
> Annual attendance: 1.25 million
> Known for: Pop culture, science exhibits on dinosaurs and space travel.

Source: America's Power / Wikimedia Commons

15. Iowa: The Union Pacific Railroad Museum
> Where: Council Bluffs
> Admission: Free
> Annual attendance: 28,000
> Known for: Artifacts from Abraham Lincoln’s railroad car.

Source: Wildcat313 / Wikimedia Commons

16. Kansas: Museum of World Treasures
> Where: Wichita
> Admission: $9.95 adults; $8.95 seniors (65+); $7.95 children 4-12; free for children 3 and under.
> Annual attendance: 45,000
> Known for: Part of Berlin Wall, fossils, Civil War artifacts, presidential documents.

Source: Mr. Blue MauMau / Flickr

17. Kentucky: Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory
> Where: Louisville
> Admission: $15 adults; $14 seniors (60+); children (6-12) $8; free for children under 5.
> Annual attendance: 326,595
> Known for: Story about the famous baseball bat and its impact on the game.

Source: Infrogmation / Wikimedia Commons

18. Louisiana: National World War II Museum
> Where: New Orleans
> Admission: $27 for adults; $23.50 for seniors over age 65; $17.50 for students K-12 and college with ID and active military with ID; and museum members, World War II veterans and children under 5 admitted free.
> Annual attendance: 706,000
> Known for: In-depth exploration of America’s role in World War II.

Source: Wikipedia

19. Maine: Maine Maritime Museum
> Where: Bath
> Admission: $16.00 adults; $14.50 seniors; $10.00 children 6-12; free for child under 6.
> Annual attendance: 56,000
> Known for: Shipwreck restoration, Maine maritime history.

Source: Daniel Lobo / Wikimedia Commons

20. Maryland: The American Visionary Art Museum
> Where: Baltimore
> Admission: $15.95 adults; $13.95 seniors (60+); student/child $9.95; children 6 and under free.
> Annual attendance: More than 100,000
> Known for: Great Mystery Show explores mystery behind art and science.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

21. Massachusetts: Museum of Fine Arts
> Where: Boston
> Admission: $25 adults‎; $23 seniors (65+)‎: ‎$23 students (18+); free for children 6 and under and for youth 7-17 weekdays after 3 p.m., otherwise $10.
> Annual attendance: 1.23 million
> Known for: Collections of Klimt, Rothko, and Escher.

Source: Michael Barera / Wikimedia Commons

22. Michigan: The Henry Ford
> Where: Dearborn
> Admission: $23 general admission; $21 seniors (62+); $17.25 youth (5-11).
> Annual attendance: 1.8 million
> Known for: American innovation, bus ridden by civil rights figure Rosa Parks

Source: Alvintrusty / Wikimedia Commons

23. Minnesota: Minneapolis Institute of Art
> Where: Minneapolis
> Admission: Free
> Annual attendance: 760,000
> Known for: Chinese and African art, paintings from Monet and Matisse.

Source: Julian Rankin / Wikimedia Commons

24. Mississippi: Mississippi Museum of Art
> Where: Jackson
> Admission: Many exhibits free to public, admission prices for others. Free admission for students on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
> Annual attendance: 50,000
> Known for: Mississippi artists, Robert Henri, Georgia O’Keeffe, Andy Warhol, and Radcliffe Bailey.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

25. Missouri: Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
> Where: Kansas City
> Admission: Free
> Annual attendance: 550,000
> Known for: Ancient, Asian and Islamic art.

Source: museumoftherockies.org

26. Montana: Museum of the Rockies
> Where: Bozeman
> Admission: $14.50 adults, $13.50 seniors (65+), $9.50 children (5-17), free children 4 and under.
> Annual attendance: 170,000
> Known for: Dinosaur exhibits and planetarium.

Source: Ckahler / WIkipedia

27. Nebraska: Omaha Children’s Museum
> Where: Omaha
> Admission: $12 adults and children (2-15); $11 seniors (60+); free for children under 2.
> Annual attendance: 317,000
> Known for: Interactive exhibits on science and art.

Source: themobmuseum.org

28. Nevada: The Mob Museum
> Where: Las Vegas
> Admission: $23.95 non-local adults (18 and over); $20.95 Nevada residents, military, seniors (65+), children (11-17); free for children under 10
> Annual attendance: 1.3 million
> Known for: History of organized crime in U.S.

Source: mountwashington.org

29. New Hampshire: Mount Washington Weather Discovery Center
> Where: North Conway
> Admission: $2 adults; $1 children (7-17); free for children ages 6 and under.
> Annual attendance: 50,000
> Known for: Educating visitors about the weather.

Source: chensiyuan / Wikimedia Commons

30. New Jersey: Ellis Island Immigration Museum
> Where: Ellis Island
> Admission: Cost of ferry to island: $18.50 adults 13 and up; $14 seniors (62+); $9 children (4-12); free children under 4.
> Annual attendance: 3 million
> Known for: The American immigration experience.

Source: Courtesy of Georgia O'Keeffe Museum

31. New Mexico: Georgia O’Keeffe Museum
> Where: Santa Fe
> Admission: $13 general admission, $11 students (18+), free for children under 18
> Annual attendance: 621,000
> Known for: Oil paintings and drawings from Georgia O’Keeffe.

Source: diegograndi / iStock

32. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art
> Where: New York City
> Admission: $25 adults; $17 seniors, $12 for students, free for children under 12.
> Annual attendance: 7 million
> Known for: Art and artifacts from every epoch.

Source: NC Museum / Wikipedia

33. North Carolina: North Carolina Museum of Art
> Where: Raleigh
> Admission: Free
> Annual attendance: 450,000
> Known for: Classical, Egyptian, European, Judaic, contemporary.

Source: buffalomuseum.com

34. North Dakota: National Buffalo Museum
> Where: Jamestown
> Admission: $8 adults; $6 seniors, children 5-14 and active military; free for children under 5.
> Annual attendance: 8,713
> Known for: Fostering awareness of North American bison.

Source: tupungato / iStock

35. Ohio: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
> Where: Cleveland
> Admission: $26 general admission; $24 seniors (65+); $16 youth (6-12); free for children 5 and under.
> Annual attendance: 500,000
> Known for: Institution recognizes achievements of music genre’s most influential artists, producers, and engineers.

Source: Michael Barera / Wikimedia Commons

36. Oklahoma: American Banjo Museum
> Where: Oklahoma City
> Admission: $8 adults; $7 seniors (55+) and students; $6 youth (5-17); $5 military; free for children 5 and under
> Annual attendance: 10,000+
> Known for: Celebrating history of “America’s instrument.”

Source: M.O. Stevens / Wikimedia Commons

37. Oregon: Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
> Where: Portland
> Admission: $14.50 adults; $11.25 seniors (63+); $9.75 youth (3-13).
> Annual attendance: 1.1 million
> Known for: Science education and U.S. submarine tour.

Source: User:Rgordon6~commonswiki / Wikimedia Commons

38. Pennsylvania: Philadelphia Museum of Art
> Where: Philadelphia
> Admission: $20 adults; $18 seniors (65+); $14 students and youth (13-18); free for children 12 and under.
> Annual attendance: 792,000
> Known for: Auguste Rodin and Constantin Brancusi sculptures, works from Impressionists, “Rocky” statue.

Source: americanillustration.org

39. Rhode Island: National Museum of American Illustration
> Where: Newport
> Admission: $20 adults; $18 seniors and military; $17 groups of six or more; $14 students; $10 children 5-12
> Annual attendance: 5,000
> Known for: Works from American artists such as Norman Rockwell, Frank Schoonover, N.C. Wyeth, and Charles Dana Gibson.

Source: MCG Photography / Wikimedia Commons

40. South Carolina: Gibbes Museum of Art
> Where: Charleston
> Admission: $15 adults; $13 seniors (62+) and military; $10 college students; $6 youth (4-17); free for children 3 and under.
> Annual attendance: 66,000
> Known for: South Carolina history experienced through art.

Source: Jeff the quiet / WIkimedia Commons

41. South Dakota: Mammoth Site & Museum
> Where: Hot Springs
> Admission: $10.49 for those 13-49; $8.29 for those 60+; $7.37 children 4-12 and military; free for children 3 and under.
> Annual attendance: 100,000
> Known for: Largest concentration of mammoth remains in world.

Source: Thomas R Machnitzki / Wikimedia Commons

42. Tennessee: Tennessee State Museum
> Where: Nashville
> Admission: Free
> Annual attendance: 115,000
> Known for: Artifacts pertaining to frontier years, antebellum South, and Civil War.

Source: Bryan SJS / Wikimedia Commons

43. Texas: Space Center Houston
> Where:Houston
> Admission: $29.95 adult; $27.95 senior (65+); $24.95 child (4-11); free for children 3 and under.
> Annual attendance: 1 million
> Known for: Largest collection of moon rocks.

Source: Jim Nista / Wikimedia Commons

44. Utah: Natural History Museum of Utah
> Where: Salt Lake City
> Admission: $14.95 adults; $12.95 seniors (65+) and young adults (13-24); $9.95 children (3-12); free for children 2 and under.
> Annual attendance: 250,000
> Known for: Native American art and Utah natural history.

Source: Rolf Müller / Wikimedia Commons

45. Vermont: Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home
> Where: Manchester
> Admission: $20 adults; $5 youth; free for children 6 and under.
> Annual attendance: N/A
> Known for: Home of Abraham Lincoln’s son Robert contains artifacts belonging to Robert and his parents.

Source: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts / Wikimedia Commons

46. Virginia: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
> Where: Richmond
> Admission: Free
> Annual attendance: 600,000+
> Known for:Faberge jeweled objects, Impressionist works, and artmobile traveling museum.

Source: Cacophony / Wikimedia Commons

47. Washington: Museum of Pop Culture
> Where: Seattle
> Admission: $28 adults; $25 seniors (65+) and students; $22 military; $19 youth (5-17); free (4 and under).
> Annual attendance: 743,000
> Known for: Founded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. Houses pop culture artifacts.

Source: Daderot / Wikimedia Commons

48. West Virginia: Huntington Museum of Art
> Where: Huntington
> Admission: $5; free on Tuesdays
> Annual attendance: 25,000
> Known for: Largest art museum in West Virginia; houses Appalachian folk art and plant conservatory.

Source: Michael Hicks (Mulad) / Flickr / Wikipedia

49. Wisconsin: Milwaukee Art Museum
> Where: Milwaukee
> Admission: $19 adults; $17 students and seniors (65+); free for children 12 and under.
> Annual attendance: 400,000
> Known for: American decorative arts, German Expressionist prints, and Haitian art.

Source: Paul Hermans / Wikipedia

50. Wyoming: Buffalo Bill Center of the West
> Where: Cody
> Admission: $19 adults; $18 seniors (65+); $16 students (18+); $12 youth (6-17); free for children 5 and under.
> Annual attendance: 140,000+
> Known for: Art and artifacts of American West.

Detailed Findings & Methodology

A visit to a museum is among the earliest memories children have of family excursions — and among the most cherished. Many adults who bring their kids to iconic institutions such as the American Museum of Natural History in New York City that they frequented as children are revisiting fond memories of gazing on the various exhibits like prehistoric mammals and, of course, dinosaurs.

This first cultural experience might lead to visits to art galleries, where visitors become familiar with classical art from ancient Greece and Rome, Medieval and Renaissance paintings, works from the Dutch masters, the Impressionists, and contemporary artists.

Museums have evolved from viewing exhibits behind ropes and glass partitions to more interactive experiences that engage younger and older visitors alike. An example of this is the interactive presentation of Space Center Houston that gives one an idea of what it is like to live in a space station.

Museums have hosted traveling exhibits that have become media events, such as “Treasures of Tutankhamun” from Egypt that took the United States by storm in the late 1970s. Such major exhibits have created substantial financial windfalls for the institutions.

Many of the traditional museums on our list such as the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston are located in the Northeast. Going west, many of the institutions, though not necessarily blessed by the benefactors from the Gilded Age, have forged their own identity by celebrating the local culture. Among these places are the Union Pacific Railroad Museum in Iowa, Idaho Potato Museum, and the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Wyoming.

This is not to say museums don’t have latter-day captains of industry as benefactors. The Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle was founded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, and the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, was founded in 2005 by the Walton Family Foundation, the family that created retailing giant Walmart.

Other museums have been based on uniquely American contributions. If you are in Oklahoma, you might consider visiting the American Banjo Museum. In Ohio, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame celebrates the music genre that originated in the United States.

Regardless of what exhibits they display, museums elevate the spirit or are places of reflection and contemplation. And they all have a contribution to make to the American culture.

To select the best museum in each state, 24/7 Wall St. sifted through rankings of these institutions by various sources, considered the top museums from a listing for each state, observed annual attendance figures, and weighed visitor comments. Admission cost is based on general admission and many of these institutions are free. We also considered the unique experience of a particular museum, such as The Mob Museum in Las Vegas, for inclusion on our list.

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