The guide to American museums
Discover America's museums
We're Museum Directory, a guide for the endlessly curious. We believe every town has a story worth seeing, from world-famous galleries to the little historical society down the road, so the next time you wonder “what are the best museums near me?”, the answer is one tap away.
- museums listed
- 18,211
- museums listed
- states covered
- 51
- states covered
- oldest founded
- 1661
- oldest founded
Wheat Field with Cypresses · Vincent van Gogh · Metropolitan Museum of Art
Museums near me
Museums near you
A few popular museums to start with. Search a place or use your location to see the closest ones.
USS MissouriAiea, HI
National Museum of Women in the ArtsWashington, DC · Free
Detroit Institute of ArtsDetroit, MI
California Academy of SciencesSan Francisco, CA
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of ArtKansas City, MO
Dumbarton OaksWashington, DC
Find the closest art museums, history museums, science centers and free museums near you, ranked by distance from where you are. Museum pages include the address and directions, plus opening hours and admission prices where we have them, so you can plan a visit today.
Browse by state
Where will you wander next?
New York · 1,111 museums
Museums near me
Every listing includes the address and a map with directions, and browsing by state groups every museum by city, a quick way to discover places you didn't know existed, even in your own neighborhood. New York alone has 1,111 museums, California has 1,751 and Pennsylvania has 758.
Browse by category
Art museums2,988 museumsPennsylvania Academy of the Fine ArtsPhoto: Bestbudbrian, CC BY-SA 3.0
History museums1,730 museumsWende MuseumPhoto: Marie Astrid-Gonzalez, CC BY-SA 3.0
Science museums758 museumsFranklin InstitutePhoto: Daderot, Public domain
Children's museums440 museumsThe Children's Museum of IndianapolisPhoto: HstryQT, CC BY 3.0
Historic house museums333 museumsFallingwaterPhoto: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain
Natural history museums275 museumsNational Museum of Natural HistoryPhoto: Blake Patterson, CC BY 2.0
National Park Service visitor center241 museumsFishing Bridge MuseumPhoto: Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0
African-American museums156 museumsNational Museum of African American History and CulturePhoto: Fuzheado, CC BY-SA 4.0
Art museums near me
The directory includes 2,988 art museums, from encyclopedic collections like the Metropolitan Museum of Art to university galleries and contemporary art spaces. Open a category to see every museum of that kind, or search your city to find art museums near me. Museum pages include photos, history and visitor reviews to help you choose.
Top rated museums
Ranked by our Directory Score, with visitor ratings blended in as reviews come in.
9.8 / 10Metropolitan Museum of Art
New York, NY
9.3 / 10Smithsonian Institution
Washington, DC
9.2 / 10American Museum of Natural History
New York, NY
9.0 / 10National Museum of Natural History
Washington, DC
8.9 / 10Museum of Modern Art
New York, NY
8.9 / 10National Gallery of Art
Washington, DC
8.9 / 10Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
New York, NY
8.8 / 10Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Cleveland, OH
Free museums near me
Many of the best are free. The Smithsonian museums in Washington, D.C., including the National Museum of Natural History and the National Air and Space Museum, never charge admission, and neither do many university and city-run museums. Others have free days or evenings, and programs like Bank of America's Museums on Us give cardholders free general admission on the first full weekend of each month. Looking for free museums near me? Or browse every free museum by state and category. Admission policies change, so check the museum's website before you go.