Top 10 United States Museums

I loooove museums and found this article. I thought I’d share it with any of you who are as into history and art as I am!

1. The Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
Consisting of over 16 museums and research centers, the Smithsonian is the definitive American collection of exhibits. Ranging from the National Museum of African Art, to the Arts and Industries Building, the Smithsonian complex contains a catalogue of almost anything worth recording. Whatever field of interest excites you, the nation’s capital is the place to find fantastic museums full of sights to expand your mind. Taking tours of the Smithsonian Institution are free, and the museums are usually open from 10am to 5:30pm.

2. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY
New York has an entire section of 5th Avenue running from 82nd to 105th streets on the Upper East Side named "Museum Mile". It is no surprise then that this amazing segment of the city contains some of the world’s most famous museums, notably the Metropolitan Museum of Art (nicknamed The Met), and the eye-catching Guggenheim Museum. The Met holds over 2 million individual works of art from all over the globe. Some of the best features of the museum are the painstakingly reconstructed interiors, and the gallery of over 5,000 musical instruments.

3. The Art Institute of Chicago, IL
Considered one of the finest and most comprehensive in the world, the Art Institute of Chicago holds one of the world’s greatest modern art collections. There are more than 1,500 paintings and sculptures representing the significant art movements in Europe and America throughout the past 100 years. Admission is currently $12, though Thursday evenings are free from 5pm to 8pm.

4. The Field Museum of Chicago, IL
Just over a mile down the shores of Lake Michigan from the Art Institute resides the Field Museum of Chicago. The museum houses the collections of international animals and plants assembled for the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893. These collections have been growing ever since through worldwide expeditions, exchanges, purchase, and gifts. The museum currently holds more than twenty million specimens from all over the globe.

5. The Fine Arts Museum in San Francisco, CA
The FAMSF is one of the largest art museums in the United States, comprising of the de Young museum in Golden Gate Park and also the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park. The de Young, long known as the City’s Museum, is San Francisco’s oldest museum. The museum’s priceless collections contain works of American art from the 17th through the 20th centuries, and art of the native Americas, Africa, and the Pacific. The Legion of Honor is a beautiful institution housing 4,000 years of ancient European art. The most famous exhibit in the museum is Rodin’s "The Thinker".

6. The Museum of Modern Art, NY
The MoMA is considered one of the leading museums of modern art in the world, comprising some 3,200 works dating from the late nineteenth century to the present. The galleries feature master works by such prominent artists as; Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Dali, Warhol, the list goes on. Also of interest are the world-renowned art photography collections, as well as the Department of Film and Video. Target stores are sponsoring free admission on Friday afternoons, though tickets are limited and given on a first-come first-served basis.

7. The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, MA
The MFA is one of the most varied art museums in the world. The comprehensive collection encompasses nearly 450,000 works of art from ancient Egyptian to the contemporary art of the West. Over a million visitors a year come to enjoy the galleries and displays. The MFA now contains exhibits of American art, galleries of renovated European art, and an entire wing devoted to modern art.

8. The Museum of Science in Boston, MA
With over 500 interactive exhibits, the Museum of Science draws large crowds to its live presentations situated throughout the building. The site also features the Charles Hayden Planetarium, and the Mugar Omni IMAX theater. As a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the museum is home to over 100 animals. The Museum’s Theater of Electricity contains an enormous Van de Graaff generator, designed by Dr. Van de Graaff himself, which shoots impressive arcs of lightning into the air.

9. The Dallas Museum of Art, TX
The Dallas Museum of Art features an outstanding collection of more than twenty-three thousand works of art from ancient Europe to modern American. The Museum’s collection of American art spans three centuries of paintings, sculptures, and works on paper. There are also galleries of the Museum’s 19th-century American silver, as well as an amazing sculpture corridor that is bathed in beautiful light.

10. The Rest, U.S.A.
Though the list presented here has some of the most wonderful and fantastically large collections of historical, artistic, and technological marvels of the world, this list is far from complete. There are treasures across the United States in almost every major city; visiting them brings deep rewards of amazement, excitement, and a rekindling of child-like wonder. For more information about museums, you can visit this link which details what to expect, and how to find a museum you are interested in. Remember, TripMama is dedicated to bringing you to the best experiences in the world, and the very best travel deals online.

I found this here if you want to read it yourself: http://airlines.tripmama.com/posts/travel-buzz-213.aspx