The 19 most important museums you should visit in the USA

There are more than 35,000 museums in the United States—an impressive number, even considering the country's enormous size. It will never be possible for one person to visit them all, but you can choose the ones that interest you most based on your own interests.

And then there are a number of museums of such outstanding importance that, as an art lover, you should definitely prioritize and visit them during a trip to the USA. If you have the opportunity, multiple visits to these memorable art institutions are well worth it.

Some, like the MoMA, are world-famous, while others are more like insider tips for art novices. In any case, they offer comprehensive collections of art treasures and exhibits from all over the world, as well as carefully compiled knowledge on diverse topics such as space, the ancient world, and more

Egypt, dinosaurs, Renaissance art, World War II and beyond.

So let's embark on a short virtual journey to the most important museums in the USA.

The most important museums in the USA – A list

1. Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met), New York City

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is the largest art museum in the USA and houses one of the world's most important historical art collections. Its collection comprises more than three million works.

The Met is a cultural icon and the largest museum in the United States. It's impossible to see everything in this vast museum during a single visit. With more than 2 million items in its collection, this museum should be on every art and history enthusiast's list.

The museum is divided into three locations. The main building is located by Central Park, The Cloisters presents medieval and ecclesiastical art, and Met Breuer showcases contemporary art.

The Met also curates special exhibitions, brings masterpieces from around the world to New York City, and hosts a wonderful lecture series.

Go directly to the Metropolitan Museum of Art

2. Museum of Modern Art (MoMa), New York City

The Museum of Modern Art in New York, called MoMa, owns the most important and influential collections of modern and contemporary art.

This includes works of architecture and design, drawings, paintings and sculptures, photographs, prints and illustrations, films, electronic media and, in addition, a library with three hundred thousand volumes belonging to the museum.

With works such as van Gogh’s “Starry Night”, Dali’s “Persistence of Memory” and Frida Kahlo’s “Self-Portrait with Cut-Off Hair”, MoMA has one of the best collections of modern art in the world.

This remarkable institution is located right in the heart of Manhattan and is a must-see for every visitor to New York. Many visitors make multiple visits to see even a fraction of the 200,000 items on display.

The collection offers everything from Impressionism and Cubism to abstract geometry and boundary-crossing contemporary works.

Thanks to a recently completed $450 million renovation and expansion, which included the addition of a new space for live and experimental programming, a visit to these venerable halls is now even more appealing and diverse.

Go directly to the Museum of Modern Art

3. Getty Center, Los Angeles

One of the best art museums on the West Coast is a piece of modern art in its own right. The undulating, circular structure, designed by legendary architect Richard Meier, is perfectly complemented by 86 acres of manicured gardens where visitors can linger after exploring the galleries and take in the views over West LA.

Inside the art museum, interesting exhibitions featuring modern masterpieces are presented.

The collection focuses on European art from the Renaissance to the modern era, but also includes photography, decorative arts and much more.

Oh, and admission is free.

4. Art Institute of Chicago

The Art Institute of Chicago is a historic neoclassical building where numerous paintings by Van Gogh and Monet, Toulouse-Lautrec, Rubens, Rembrandt and modern American art can be admired.

With around 300,000 exhibits, the Art Institute of Chicago is one of the largest art museums in the world and boasts an enviable location in the city's Millennium Park.

The museum's collection covers the entire history of humankind with art, ranging from ancient curiosities to contemporary works.

It speaks volumes about the breadth of the collection that the museum houses both Grant Wood's "American Gothic" and Mary Cassat's "The Child's Bath." A true crowd-pleaser is George Seurat's painting "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte." Perhaps the most famous work of Pointillism, it depicts a wonderful day in Paris along the banks of the Seine.

5. Detroit Institute of Arts

The Detroit Institute of Arts unites all cultures and their art through the works of great masters.

The DIA has been listed as a National Historic Place and as one of the most visited art museums in the world, serving as a reminder that Detroit was once a significant, thriving American city.

Like other major institutions of its kind, the museum encompasses thousands of years of art history, from ancient Egyptian artifacts to contemporary art. Naturally, you can also expect to see works by the great masters of Western art, including popular names like Degas and Van Gogh.

A must-see are the Detroit River Murals by Diego Rivera. This series of murals, commissioned in the 1930s and depicting the work of the Ford Motor Company and the history of Detroit's industrialization, is the artist's personal favorite work.

6. Musical Instrument Museum, Phoenix

The Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix is ​​a museum of superlatives, showcasing a total of fifteen thousand exhibits from over two hundred countries.

This makes it the largest museum of its kind in the world. Visitors can listen to, touch, and even try out musical instruments from different cultures.

7. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland is an audio-visual presentation from the forerunners of rock and roll to current trends.

The display cases contain performance costumes, instruments and original songs, while monitors present historical documents, film footage and sound recordings.

It is even possible to make music yourself in a specific area there.

8. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Washington DC.

The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC is an aircraft museum located in close proximity to the White House and is the largest of its kind in the world.

The exhibition comprises three sections showcasing milestones in both civil and military aviation and space exploration. These include, for example, the Wright brothers' flying machine, Charles Lindbergh's "Spirit of St. Louis," and space exhibits featuring numerous artifacts from the legendary Apollo missions – including the Apollo 11 lunar module.

Although other museums also have moon rock samples, you are actually allowed to touch those at the Smithsonian. It's the next best opportunity to come into direct contact with the moon.

This Smithsonian Museum is so exciting that it is even loved by people who generally find museums rather boring and dull – including restless teenagers and impatient children.

9. National Museum of Natural History, Washington DC.

Also located in Washington, D.C., is the National Museum of Natural History, which opened more than a hundred years ago. In addition to the natural medicine exhibits, more than 180 scientists work there.

Among the approximately 500 million exhibits are plants and animals, fossils and minerals, as well as rocks and meteorite fragments. The legendary Hope Diamond, valued at over €200 million, is the most famous exhibit. The gruesome story of how it brought bad luck to its former owners is also presented.

10. Exploratorium, San Francisco

The Exploratorium in San Francisco uses interactive exhibits to teach the natural sciences, focusing on human perception and brain function. It is a globally unique museum concept that allows visitors to become research subjects themselves.

11. American Museum of National History, New York

The American Museum of Natural History is located in New York's Central Park and presents the history of mankind on five floors.

Within the walls of this magnificent institution, considered one of the world's finest science museums, more than 32 million exhibits of American history are preserved.

As in most other museums, one day is hardly enough to take in the captivating and detailed exhibits from the Stone Age to the space age.

The museum is interactive, with an extremely entertaining space wing including 3D film screenings.

12. Space Center, Houston

The Space Center in Houston is one of the visitor centers operated by NASA. It houses Skylab Trainer Modules, where astronauts first trained for life in space, and allows visitors to climb into a space capsule, experience a Martian sunset, and touch rock formations that replicate the planet's surface.

It also houses the world's largest exhibition of protective suits for astronauts.

13. National World War Museum, New Orleans

World War II undoubtedly shaped the history and culture of this country in many ways, and there is no better place to learn more about it than in this extensive, thought-provoking NOLA Museum.

The National World War Museum in New Orleans features a chronological exhibition that recounts the Allied landings in Normandy. It displays many original artifacts as well as numerous replicas.

Additional topics include, for example, the military tactic of island hopping in the Pacific War and the atomic bombings of Japan.

The museum was built in a former factory where D-Day boats were manufactured. It's a paradise for anyone interested in history.

To reach the entrance, you have to board a train carriage so that you feel like you are traveling back in time.

14. Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody

The Buffalo Bill Center of the West is located in Cody and, with its five complexes, is the largest museum in the USA dedicated to the Wild West.

There you can see an interactive exhibition about the life of Buffalo Bill, in the Plains Indian Museum you can see everything about the culture and tradition of the American Indians, and in the Cody Firearm Museum you can find the world's largest collection of American firearms.

15. National 9/11 Memorial & Museum, New York City

Although it only opened in 2014, this museum has already welcomed over four million visitors, according to TripAdvisor. Its main exhibits cover the history of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the attack on the World Trade Center on February 26, 1993, focusing on the events leading up to and the world since September 11.

The memorial uses touchscreen technology to commemorate the victims. Artifacts and art are displayed throughout.

16. National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.

The National Gallery is a highlight of any visit to the US capital and showcases pretty much all the great works of European art history: Van Eyck, Dürer, Manet , Monet, Cézanne, Degas, John Constable, Rembrandt, Van Gogh and many more in the neoclassical West Building.

The more modern East Building recently reopened with a large collection of contemporary art.

17. Kennedy Space Center, Titusville (Florida)

If you have ever dreamed of flying into space, or are simply curious about how this endeavor is physically possible, visit NASA's Floridian Visitor Center.

Here you can learn about the physics behind the launches, see moon rocks and maybe even meet real astronauts.

Before visiting, be sure to check the Space Center's online schedule to see if your visit coincides with an actual shuttle launch. A spectacular experience that few people in the world will ever witness in their lifetime.

The museum is interactive, has two IMAX theaters, and is extremely child-friendly. This makes it an exciting alternative to the Disney theme park.

18. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

After The Met, this museum boasts the second-largest art collection in the USA. A fact that every local you meet will be happy to announce with pride.

Although it mainly focuses on European and American art, it also has a lot to offer beyond that, e.g. ancient Egyptian sculptures.

19. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington DC.

This museum is the nation's official memorial commemorating one of the most horrific tragedies in human history. Upon entering, visitors receive a card with the name and story of a Holocaust victim or survivor, intended to make the almost incomprehensible number of victims less abstract.

Permanent exhibitions featuring original letters from victims, audio and video recordings of their testimonies, and various recovered artifacts help to tell the story with painful but enormous emotional impact.

Cultural trip to the USA – Necessary travel planning

Traveling to the USA is an unforgettable experience that requires careful planning. The planning process begins well in advance with the need to apply for an ESTA or a visa. Entry to the USA is not possible without this step.

The following links provide a more detailed insight into the process of applying for an ESTA or visa for the USA, or of submitting an ESTA application:

• Entry to the USA
• Apply for ESTA or a visa for the USA
• ESTA application
• USA / United States: Travel and safety advice (COVID-19-related travel warning)