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Museum membership guide
Top 50 places in United States for History
byShiry
Live update: Updated July 26, 2021Copy link
Copy link1. The California Museum
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:
ShiryThe California Museum educates visitors on the Golden State’s history and unique influence on the world through ideas, innovation, the arts and culture. Through interactive exhibits and engaging programs, the Museum inspires visitors to make their own mark on history
2. Kern County Museum
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryRecommended this place!
3. Pasadena Museum of History
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryThe Mission of the Museum is to promote an appreciation of history, culture, arts, and sciences relevant to Pasadena and adjoining communities.
4. Sacramento History Museum
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryRecommended this place!
5. San Diego History Center
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryRecommended this place!
6. San Mateo County History Museum
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryRecommended this place!
7. Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum & Parks
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryRecommended this place!
8. Sonoma County Museum
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryThe Museum of Sonoma County engages and inspires our diverse community with art and history exhibitions, collections, and public programs that are inclusive, educational, and relevant.
9. USS Hornet Museum
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryThe USS Hornet Museum is full of exciting exhibits that illustrate the history of the USS Hornet, her sister ships, and the history of naval aviation!
10. History Miami
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryHistoryMiami Museum, a Smithsonian affiliate, is the premier cultural institution committed to gathering, organizing, preserving, and celebrating Miami’s history as the unique crossroads of the Americas. Founded in 1940, HistoryMiami Museum is the largest history museum in the State of Florida. HistoryMiami houses four permanent galleries and up to three traveling exhibits, Archives, and Research Center, the South Florida Folklife Center, the Education Center, and City Tours program. HistoryMiami also hosts the annual Miami International Map Fair, the largest map fair in the Western Hemisphere. Formerly known as the Historical Museum of Southern Florida, HistoryMiami is the second oldest cultural institution in South Florida and holds the distinguished honor of being a Smithsonian affiliate. Accredited by the American Association of Museums (AAM) in 1979, the Museum of HistoryMiami joins the elite twenty-four percent of history museums nationwide to receive this honor.
11. Orange County Regional History Center
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryRecommended this place!
12. Tampa Bay History Center
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryRecommended this place!
13. Augusta Museum of History
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryRecommended this place!
14. The Columbus Museum
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryRecommended this place!
15. African American Museum of Iowa
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryThe mission of the African American Museum of Iowa is to preserve, exhibit, and teach the African American heritage of Iowa. Nestled along the Cedar River in downtown Cedar Rapids, the AAMI has been carrying out its mission since 1994 and has since become one of the leading educational resources on African American history in Iowa. Offering tours, exhibits, family programs, youth education programs for Pre-K to 12th grade students, a summer camp, community and fundraising events, and numerous additional statewide programs the Museum is able to educate over 50,000 people annually.
16. Maryland Historical Society
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryFounded in 1844, the Maryland Historical Society (MdHS) is the state’s premier institution for both Maryland and American history through our acclaimed museum, research library, press, and public programs.
17. National Churchill Museum
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryRecommended this place!
18. Clark County Historical Society - The Heritage Center
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryThe mission of the Clark County Historical Society is to collect, preserve and interpret resources which provide understanding and appreciation of Clark County’s heritage, and to relate the community’s past to the present and its future.
19. Ohio History Center
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryThe Ohio History Center & Ohio Village is home of the Ohio History Connection. The mission of the Ohio History Center is to spark discovery of Ohio’s stories. Embrace the present, share the past and transform the future. Bring the whole family for a fun, interactive visit filled with exhibits exploring everything from life in the 1950s to extinct and endangered Ohio species to an exquisite collection of restored Civil War battle flags.
20. Shelton McMurphey Johnson House
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryThe Shelton McMurphey Johnson House is an Eugene, OR Victorian House Museum. It is open for tours and available for rentals. On display are period furniture, glassware, and photos of historic Eugene, as well as changing exhibits. Experience the elegance of an Afternoon Tea or rent the House for a beautiful Victorian themed wedding!
21. Adams Museum & House
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryThe Adams Museum is the Black Hills’ oldest history museum. In 1930 pioneer businessman W.E. Adams founded the Adams Museum in downtown Deadwood with the purpose of preserving and displaying the history of the Black Hills. He donated the building to the City of Deadwood and placed the operation of the organization in the hands of a board of directors.
22. Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryThere’s only one place in Texas where conquistadors, cowboys, buffalo soldiers, oil barons, and suffragists gather around a campfire to swap stories—the Bullock Texas State History Museum. Rediscover their stories through three floors of interactive exhibits, innovative educational programs, special effects films in the Texas Spirit Theater, and Austin’s premier IMAX® Theatre. The Bullock Texas State History Museum—for everyone in Texas and the Texan in everyone.
23. Neill-Cochran House Museum
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryBuilt less than 20 years after Austin was founded, the Neill-Cochran House Museum is a window on some of the earliest years of Austin’s architectural, social, and political history. Lived-in room displays and interpretive exhibits are designed to allow visitors an opportunity to reflect on an ever-growing Austin through careful consideration of the past.
24. Bainbridge Island Historical Society & Museum
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryThe Bainbridge Island Historical Museum comprises a 1908 schoolhouse, home to long term exhibits, and an annex building housing our extensive research library, office space, amenities and a rotating exhibit gallery. An atrium lobby, gift shop and reception desk joins the one-room schoolhouse to our modern annex building.
25. Harbor History Museum
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryRecommended this place!
26. Yakima Valley Museum
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryThe Yakima Valley Museum conserves our stories to inspire our community, learn from our past, celebrate our present and guide our future. Through the collection, preservation, and exhibition of historic artifacts and stories, as well as related public programming, the museum provides guests with historical perspectives that may influence decisions about the future of the Valley.
27. History Museum at the Castle
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryFrom local history to Harry Houdini, The History Museum at the Castle offers a glimpse into Appleton and the Fox Cities. The stories told here have local and national significance and are sure to amuse, provoke and inspire.
28. Evansville Museum of Arts, History and Science
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryThe Evansville Museum of Arts, History & Science, one of southern Indiana’s leading cultural institutions, is a general museum maintaining a permanent collection of more than 30,000 objects including fine and decorative arts with an emphasis on the 16th – 21st centuries. Of key importance are collections of late 19th – early 20th century Indiana landscapes and portraiture; contemporary American still life paintings; and fine art and crafts purchased from over six decades of the Museum’s prestigious annual juried competitions of Midwestern art.
29. Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryThe Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites is a statewide museum system with 12 locations, offering visitors a chance to engage with Indiana’s past and present and see how their actions help shape the future. At each location, visitors are invited to explore big questions and create lasting experiences that will resonate long after each visit ends. Whether interested in art or architecture, history or science, there’s something for everyone and every interest. The Indianapolis museum is located in White River State Park in the heart of downtown Indianapolis. The historic sites are located statewide, stretching from Rome City in northeastern Indiana to Angel Mounds in the southeast.
30. Hopewell Museum
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryRecommended this place!
31. Springfield Museums Corporation
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryLocated in the heart of downtown Springfield, Massachusetts, the Springfield Museums offers access to four world-class museums and the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden all under a single admission.
32. Farmington Museum
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryThe Farmington Museum offers a wide variety of exhibits relating to the diverse history of the area’s cultures, traveling exhibits, and art shows. Lecture series, performances, workshops, and special demonstrations are offered year-round. The Museum store, “Currents,” features exhibit-related merchandise, books on local and regional interests, toys, and educational materials.
33. Cape Fear Museum of History & Science
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryCape Fear Museum of History and Science is the oldest history museum in North Carolina. The Museum has also been run by four different organizations over the course of its history. After the UDC steered the Museum through its first two decades, they lost their room at the WLI during World War I. The Museum’s artifact collection went to Raleigh at that time. After the war, it took a decade for Wilmington – through the work of the New Hanover County Historical Commission and the UDC – to reclaim the items. When the collection returned and the Museum reopened, a different women’s organization, North Carolina Sorosis, took over operations. They ran the Museum from 1930 until the early 1960s. Then, the City of Wilmington and New Hanover County jointly administered the Museum until the county took sole administrative control in 1977. Just as the building and management has changed over time, so too has the scope of the Museum’s collection and its mission. Originally, the institution was founded to preserve Confederate objects and Confederate memories of the Civil War. After the reopening in the 1930s, many new objects were collected, broadening the Museum’s holdings to include a wider range of historical items. Over the decades, the collection grew to represent regional, national, and international art, history, and science artifacts. In the late 1970s, Cape Fear Museum’s mission re-focused on the region’s history, science and cultures. Today, the Museum draws on a collection of more than 52,000 items to help us explore a wide range of topics and to tell balanced and inclusive local stories.
34. The Works: Ohio Center for History, Art and Technology
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryThe Works®–central Ohio’s only destination for hands-on exploration in history, art, science, and glassblowing–all under one roof. Visiting The Works® is a great family day trip, school field trip, or creative center for adults and kids of all ages.
35. University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History ("IDs)
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryExplore thousands of years of human history and millions of years of natural history, all with an emphasis on Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. Investigate the past and imagine the future through world-class collections and stunning displays—with family-friendly sections throughout.
36. Independence Seaport Museum ("IDs)
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryIndependence Seaport Museum deepens the understanding, appreciation and experience of the Philadelphia region’s waterways through history, science, and art, plus experiences on the water. Dive into River Alive!, a new exhibit that brings the wildlife, science, and wonder of the Delaware River up close. Raise the sails and discover the history of the U.S. Navy aboard Schooner Diligence and our National Historic Landmark ships, Cruiser Olympia and Submarine Becuna. Observe live demonstrations in the Museum’s boatbuilding workshop and get hands-on with science, technology, engineering, and math in our Citizen Science Lab and MakerSpace. Uncover the past with one of the largest maritime art and artifact collections in North America and experience the river with seasonal boat rentals and on-water tours. With so much to explore, Independence Seaport Museum is the premier, family-friendly destination on the Penn’s Landing Waterfront.
37. Children’s Museum of Virginia
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryRecommended this place!
38. Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryRecommended this place!
39. Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center ("IDs)
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryA regional museum preserving and exhibiting history, arts and culture with activities for all ages.
40. Maine Historical Society
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryOur one–acre campus, which is open year round, is situated in downtown Portland, across from Monument Square. The Maine Historical Society strives to serve the entire state through its education and outreach programs and through the digital museum, Maine Memory Network. MHS is comprised of the Wadsworth–Longfellow House, the childhood home of poet Henry Wadsworth-Longfellow, Longfellow Garden, the Maine Historical Society Museum who’s original and provocative exhibitions feature art, artifacts and documents that vividly bring Maine history to life, the online digital archive of Maine Memory Network, and the Brown Research Library, the state’s most comprehensive resource for the study of Maine and New England history.
41. Pejepscot Historical Society: Joshua L. Chamberlain Museum, SkolfieldWhittier House, PHS Museum & Research Center
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryThe Pejepscot Historical Society preserves, interprets, and promotes the rich history of Brunswick, Topsham, and Harpswell, Maine, through its collections, programs, and historic house museums. It owns and operates the Joshua L. Chamberlain Museum, the Skolfield-Whittier House, and the PHS Museum and Research Center.
42. Maine Maritime Museum
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryFounded in 1962, Maine Maritime Museum sits on a beautiful 20-acre campus on the banks of the Kennebec River in “The City of Ships,” Bath, Maine. The museum is dedicated to promoting an understanding and appreciation of Maine’s maritime heritage and culture. Indoors, enjoy air-conditioned galleries with exhibits and hands-on activities for all ages, including Into the Lantern: A Lighthouse Experience: a one-of-a-kind immersive exhibit that will give you the sensation of standing at the top of a lighthouse. Outdoors, stroll through the country’s only surviving shipyard to see where large wooden sailing vessels were once built. Many of the original buildings in our shipyard are preserved, giving you a glimpse into the daily lives of the Percy & Small shipbuilders. The highlight of the yard is the full-size sculpture of the schooner Wyoming, the largest wooden sailing vessel ever built in North America. Hop aboard the historic 1906 schooner Mary E to see what Maine-built vessels are like or take a cruise aboard our more modern cruise boat, Merrymeeting.
43. Penobscot Marine Museum
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryPenobscot Marine Museum recreates an historic seacoast village in Searsport, Maine. Visit the ship captain’s home furnished with beautiful antiques from China and Japan. See the heirloom vegetable garden, learn about lobster fishing, rig a ship’s mast, see E. B. White’s boat. Visit a 19th-century darkroom, step inside a camera obscura. The Museum has magnificent collections of marine paintings, scrimshaw, and boat models, one of the largest collections of historic photography in New England, and a maritime history research library. Eight of its twelve exhibit buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places. The museum is open seven days a week, Memorial Day weekend through the third weekend in October. The Museum Store and Museum Framer are open year-round. Historic photographs from the Museum’s collection may be ordered online.
44. The Brick Store Museum
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryThe Brick Store Museum is an active, community museum focusing on local history, art and culture of the Kennebunks and our surrounding communities. The Museum’s Collections hold over 70,000 artifacts relating to regional history. This Museum is open year-round to offer rotating exhibitions, monthly educational programs and tours, historic preservation and archaeology projects, and community events. The Museum recently announced our new logo to represent our community mission of past, present and future. The Museum’s professional staff, volunteers and Board of Trustees look forward to seeing you soon at the Museum.
45. New Hampshire Telephone Museum
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryThe New Hampshire Telephone Museum houses a tangible history of telecommunications which can be viewed via guided or self-guided tours. Our knowledgeable staff provides engaging commentary highlighting important moments in telephone history, such as the race to the patent office, the undertaker who invented the dial system, and much more.
46. Portsmouth Historical Society
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryThe mission of Portsmouth Historical Society is to, “Champion the history, arts and culture of the Portsmouth Region through acquisitions, preservation, museum exhibitions, programs and publications.” The Portsmouth Historical Society, which celebrated its centennial in 2017, administers two facilities in the west end of the heart of downtown, including Discover Portsmouth—a large historic structure featuring exhibition galleries, a museum shop, and a welcome center, and the historic 1758 John Paul Jones House (pictured) and Garden, a National Historic Landmark that was saved from demolition in 1917, and houses exhibitions of the Society’s permanent collections including Portsmouth memorabilia, furniture, textiles and other material culture. The Society also hosts two other nonprofits under its banner: Portsmouth Advocates, the city’s architectural preservation group; and Portsmouth Marine Society Press, our nonprofit publishing arm which has 38 titles to date.
47. Enfield Shaker Museum
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryEnfield Shaker Museum is a 501(c)3 non-profit educational institution dedicated to interpreting and preserving the complex history of the Enfield Shaker Village and the Missionaries of La Salette.
48. American Precision Museum
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryThe American Precision Museum combines the atmosphere of an original 19th century factory building with a world-class collection of historic machines. The 1846 armory building, the “Shaping America” exhibition and accompanying programs explore industrial history in the context of innovation, creative problem solving, and the impact of precision manufacturing on American history and culture. The museum is a National Historic Landmark and an International Mechanical Engineering Heritage Site and Collection.
49. Old Stone House Museum
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryListed on the National Register of Historic Places and part of Vermont’s African American Heritage Trail, the Old Stone House Museum sits on 55 acres of rural Vermont farmland and encompasses numerous structures from the early 19th century. These include Federalist era homes of Reverend Alexander Twilight, first African American graduate of Middlebury College, progressive educator, and state legislator, and the progressive educator Samuel Read Hall, who pioneered slate chalkboards; as well as the “Old Stone House,” a four-story granite dormitory built by Twilight in 1836 to house students attending the 1823 Grammar School where he and Samuel Read Hall taught.
50. Shelburne Museum
PEOPLE ARE SAYING:ShiryShelburne Museum is an unparalleled and unique experience of American history, art, and design. Designed to allow visitors the pleasure of discovery and exploration, the Museum includes thirty-nine distinct structures on forty-five acres, each filled with beautiful, fascinating, and whimsical objects. Come play in our gardens and open our many doors. You are welcome here.
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