Do you enjoy spending your afternoon in an art gallery? Look no further: I’ve put together a list of some of the best art museums in the country! No matter where you live or travel in the United States, you’re bound to find some awe-inspiring artworks!
- Alabama – Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham, AL
Located in the heart of the city’s cultural district, the Birmingham Museum of Art houses an expansive collection of art from many different cultures as well as a rich sculpture garden.
- Alaska – Anchorage Museum, Anchorage, AK
As Alaska’s largest museum, the Anchorage Museum serves to study the history and art of the Alaskan people. Its permanent collection is devoted to art from the state territory as well as the circumpolar North.
- Arizona – Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix, AZ
If you find yourself in the state’s capital, be sure to stop by the largest visual art museum in the southwest United States. The Phoenix Art Museum advertises a diverse collection of art and serves as a community center with year-round events.
- Arkansas – Arkansas Arts Center, Little Rock, AZ
This Little Rock museum includes an exciting collection with works from notable artists such as Pablo Picasso, Edgar Degas, and Andrew Wyeth. The public is also invited to participate in the museum’s classes and workshops in a broad range of disciplines.
- California – The Broad, Los Angeles, CA
Contemporary art buffs should take a trip to Downtown Los Angeles where The Broad boasts its renowned collection of global art from the 1950s to the present. The Broad’s permanent collection features works from Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and Keith Haring.
- Colorado – Denver Art Museum, Denver, CO
The Denver Art Museum features a rich collection of Indigenous American art as well as a growing curation of modern and contemporary art.
- Connecticut – Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT
The Wadsworth Atheneum is known for its collections of Hudson River School landscapes, European baroque art, and classical antiquities. The museum has been in operation since 1844 and is the oldest continuously operating art museum in the nation.
- Delaware – Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington, DE
The Delaware Art Museum was founded in honor of famed American illustrator Howard Pyle in 1912; more than a century later, the museum’s collection holds over 12,000 objects, including works from Robert Indiana, Edward Hopper, and George Frederic Watts.
- Florida – Salvador Dalí Museum, St. Petersburg, FL
This Floridian museum is home to the largest collection of the works of Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dalí. Visitors are invited to explore a collection of more than 2,400 of his works and learn about the world of avant-garde. The building itself was inspired by surrealism — architect Yann Weymouth created a “large free-form geodesic glass bubble known as ‘the Enigma.’”
This contemporary museum exists to highlight the work of Georgian artists and includes works from a broad range of media disciplines. The museum’s educational programming provides artist and curator talks as well as a historical archive of its collection.
- Hawaii – Honolulu Museum of Art, Honolulu, HI
The Honolulu Museum of Art is the largest of its kind in the island state and features a large collection of Asian and Pan-Pacific art. Its European and American art collections include works from artists such as Gustave Courbet, Paul Gauguin, and Georgia O’Keeffe.
- Idaho – Boise Art Museum, Boise, ID
Visitors at the Boise Art Museum can check out the museum’s burgeoning collection of contemporary realism, contemporary ceramics, and sculpture.
- Illinois – The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Named by TripAdvisor as the No. 3 best museum in the world, the Art Institute has something for every art lover. Guests are invited to roam the museum’s notorious collections of American, Asian, African, Ancient, and European art. The museum was recently expanded to include a modern wing, housing works from Rene Magritte, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Willem de Kooning.
The Indianapolis Museum of Art is an encyclopedic institution whose campus includes a historic estate and hundred-acre art and nature park. Its permanent collection boasts more than 54,000 works, and lovers of designer fashion can observe its assortment of pieces from designers such as Chanel, Givenchy, and Balmain.
In Cedar Rapids, visitors can explore the largest collection of works by Iowa-born American painter Grant Wood as well as a rich assortment of paintings by Marvin Cone.
- Kansas – Wichita Art Museum, Wichita, KS
This small but mighty art museum has developed a collection of American works with a focus on the Great Plains region. Its educational programming offers workshops for all ages and interests.
- Kentucky – Speed Art Museum, Louisville, KY
Named for Louisville entrepreneur J.B. Speed, the neoclassical-style building includes works from artists like Marc Chagall, Mary Cassatt, and Peter Paul Rubens. Guests with children should check out the hands-on Art Sparks Interactive Family Gallery, a recent expansion focused on developing art appreciation for all ages.
- Louisiana – New Orleans Museum of Art, New Orleans, LA
Hop off the Canal Street-City Park streetcar line to explore the New Orleans Museum of Art, whose collection spans over 5,000 years of art. In accordance with the city’s French roots, the museum features a grand keeping of French art, most notably the paintings of Degas created in the Louisiana city itself.
Located in the Arts District of the city’s downtown area, the institution is the oldest and largest establishment of public art in Maine as well as the home to the largest European collection in the state.
- Maryland – Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore, MD
With a global collection of more than 95,000 objects, the Baltimore Museum of Art’s galleries include “one of the nation’s finest holdings of prints, drawings, and photographs.” At the beginning of 2020, the museum announced that in an effort to “[re-correct] the canon,” it would only purchase works made by female artists for the entire year.
- Massachusetts – Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA
This Boston museum boasts over 450,000 works of art and welcomes millions of visitors annually. Don’t miss the museum’s collection of American art, which includes the work of Gilbert Stuart and Winslow Homer.
- Michigan – Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, MA
Found in Detroit’s Cultural Center Historic District, this art museum houses over 100 galleries and offers a strong survey of American history. Guests can also enjoy a wide range of Islamic, Asian, and African art.
- Minnesota – Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, MN
The Minneapolis Institute of Art prides itself on being “one of the largest arts educators in Minnesota” and receives hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. The museum is noted for its collection of Asian art. The Museum Library is open to the public and includes more than 60,000 volumes on art and history.
- Mississippi – Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson, MI
As the largest museum in Mississippi, this institution focuses on British, American, and Mississippian art across a generous range of disciplines.
The Kemper Museum is Missouri’s largest contemporary museum and boasts over 1,400 works created after 1913. Notable artists with works on display here are Jackson Pollock, Helen Frankenthaler, and Jim Hodges.
- Montana – Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings, MT
Housed in the former Yellowstone County Jailhouse, the Yellowstone Art Museum continues to expand its permanent collection of regional art. The museum features its Visible Vault project, making it one of the only art museums in the nation to place their entire storage collection on public view.
- Nebraska – Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha, NE
This Omaha-based museum prides itself on its collection of American and European art, specifically from the 19th and 20th centuries. Additionally, the museum includes a collection of Indigenous American art intended for the study of Indigenous history and culture.
- Nevada – Neon Museum, Las Vegas, NV
There’s no better place for a Neon Museum than the Neon Capital of the World! Visitors are welcome to check out the Boneyard Park, featuring the corpses of signage from notorious Las Vegas casinos.
- New Hampshire – Currier Museum of Art, Manchester, NH
In addition to the institution’s wide collection of European and American art, the Currier Museum of Art offers tours of the nearby Zimmerman House, designed by famed American architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
- New Jersey – Newark Museum of Art, Newark, NJ
The Newark Museum houses an impressive collection of global art, including a notable assortment of Tibetan works. The museum also dedicates itself to natural science education and features a planetarium and the Victoria Hall of Science.
This museum focuses on showcasing the art of the American Southwest and educating the citizens of Albuquerque. Its permanent installations explore 400 years of Albuquerque history.
Known colloquially as “The Met,” this Manhattan museum is the largest art museum in the United States and welcomed over 6 million visitors in 2019. The NYC landmark features art from all over the globe and is home to a number of notable works.
- North Carolina – Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, Charlotte, NC
The Bechtler Museum exclusively showcases art from the mid-20th century with a strong holding of postwar School of Paris works. Before the opening of the museum a decade ago, many of the museum’s items were privately held and are now being experienced by the public for the first time.
- North Dakota – North Dakota Museum of Art, Grand Forks, ND
Found on the campus of the University of North Dakota, the state’s official art museum features a rotation of temporary contemporary exhibits and year-round musical concerts.
The Columbus Museum of Art is home to a bustling collection of European and American modern and contemporary art. Visitors can explore an assortment of sculpture work across the museum’s grounds.
Located in the city’s Donald W. Reynolds Visual Arts Center, the museum features a comprehensive collection of Chihuly glass and houses several traveling special exhibitions every year.
- Oregon – Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR
The Portland Art Museum includes a center for Indigenous American Art, a strong permanent display of Asian art, and a public outdoor sculpture garden. The museum is also home to the Northwest Film Center, an educational body “founded to encourage the study, appreciation, and utilization of film” for the people of the American Northwest.
- Pennsylvania – Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA
This famous museum in Philadelphia’s Fairmount neighborhood holds a collection of more than 240,000 works with a strong holding of Western and Asian art. The museum also oversees the nearby Rodin Museum, which holds a number of the French sculptor’s marbles, bronzes, and plasters. And yes — you can run up the stairs.
- Rhode Island – Rhode Island School of Art and Design Museum, Providence, RI
The acclaimed art school’s museum houses works from all over the world, including those of prominent Rhode Island artists such as furniture makers Goddard and Townsend and impressionist John Noble Barlow.
- South Carolina – The Columbia Museum of Art, Columbia, SC
The Columbia Museum of Art’s collection spans over 5,000 years of art and hosts several rotating exhibitions each year. Be sure to check out the institution’s year-round events, which include a chamber music series, a literary program, and summer camps for the young aesthetes.
- South Dakota – South Dakota Art Museum, Brookings, SD
Administered by the South Dakota State University, this museum includes a diverse collection of South Dakotan and international art. Guests can check out the permanent Harvey Dunn exhibit to learn about the American painter’s idyllic representations of the Great Plains.
- Tennessee – Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Memphis, TN
The oldest and largest art museum in the state of Tennessee is housed in a Beaux-Arts building and boasts a holding of over 7,000 collections of art as well as an expansive research library with over 5,000 volumes. The Brooks takes pride in its assortment of British portraits, including works from Sir Joshua Reynolds, George Romney, and Thomas Gainsborough.
- Texas – Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX
With a campus of seven facilities and 300,000 square feet of exhibition space, the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston serves as one of the nation’s largest art museums. Its collection includes the works of Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Hans Memling, and Matthias Stom. Residents of the Houston area are invited to partake in the museum’s many community outreach programs and resource centers.
Located in Salt Lake City’s Downtown district, the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art hosts a rotation of contemporary art from a wide range of areas in its six principal galleries. Utah artists are invited to apply for the museum’s Artist-in-Residence program, which serves local creatives.
- Vermont – Shelburne Museum, Shelburne, VT
This museum of Americana art spans 45 acres of Vermont land and exhibits over 150,000 works. During the colder months of the year, visitors can stroll the annual outdoor Winter Lights display, electrifying the museum’s twenty structures and historic steamboat Ticonderoga.
In addition to the Maier Museum’s impressive collection of 19th and 20th century American art, this institution serves to educate and provide opportunities for the students of Randolph College.
- Washington – Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma, WA
This museum focuses principally on art from the Pacific Northwest; more than two-thirds of its collection is identified as Northwest art. This includes a permanent exhibit of Tacoma native Dale Chihuly’s glass sculpture work and a public work by Seattle sculptor Richard Rhodes occupying the central court of the museum.
- West Virginia – Huntington Museum of Art, Huntington, WV
The Huntington Museum of Art is the largest art museum in West Virginia and holds a wide range of cultural artworks. Outdoor lovers will appreciate the museum’s expansive grounds, which include an array of nature trails and the C. Fred Edwards Conservatory.
- Wisconsin – Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI
The Milwaukee Art Museum is home to over 25,000 works, including the one of the greatest collections of pieces by Wisconsin native Georgia O’Keeffe. The museum is also home to several works by Andy Warhol, Gustave Caillebotte, and Wassily Kandinsky.
Found on the state university’s campus, this collection includes several different forms of media from a wide range of cultures. Some artists found in the museum’s collection include Joan Miro, Thomas Hart Benton, and Ralston Crawford.
Wherever you are in the country, there is a museum near you that is just waiting to be explored! Keep this list in mind when you need something to do on a free afternoon or are traveling around the country; there is so much fun and beauty within the walls of these museums that will be worthwhile!