We recently asked members of the BuzzFeed Community to share which museums they think everyone should visit. Here are the top suggestions:
1. EMP Museum
Where: Seattle
"Incredibly immersive and amazing — instruments to learn about, instruments to play, instruments playing themselves, a level about horror movies, a section on music videos, indie video games…I could spend days there." —alisony
2. Newseum
Where: Washington, D.C.
"The ONLY paid museum in D.C. that I've truly thought was worth it. You wouldn't think a museum dedicated to news would be so fascinating, but I spent hours there poring over everything." —Susan Fry, Facebook
3. The Mütter Museum
Where: Philadelphia
"It’s little, but filled with ALL THE CREEPY BODILY THINGS. Like the Soap Lady and part of Einstein’s brain." —catherinea4bad3ee55
4. The Walt Disney Family Museum
Where: San Francisco
"Every visit feels like a magical, behind-the-scenes tour of Disneyland." —Jenny Bakos, Facebook
5. Museo Picasso Málaga
Where: Málaga, Spain
"It’s located in Picasso’s city of birth in a beautiful building dating back to the 16th century. It has an incredible collection of priceless Picasso masterpieces." —morganc4ec35facb
6. Ringling Museum of Art
Where: Sarasota, Florida
"It combines two circus museums, the gardens, as well as a fabulous art collection. It sits on the water so you can relax on the terrace and see dolphins and other marine life. #bestmuseum." —rachelm4f1d31d51
7. Lennusadam
Where: Tallinn, Estonia
"The museum is located in a huge former seaplane hangar. There’s a big submarine and some interactive things there! Totally worth visiting!" —ernolll
8. Canadian War Museum
Where: Ottawa
"Each section focuses on a different conflict, and you are completely immersed. You walk through no man’s land, storm the beach on D-Day, and walk through a Cold War bunker. Absolutely amazing." —katiev89
9. The Barnes Foundation
Where: Philadelphia
"It has the largest collection of impressionistic paintings outside of Paris." —greekTVgeek
10. Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art
Where: North Adams, Massachusetts
"A hidden gem in the most beautiful part of the state housing a seriously impressive rotating collection of contemporary art." —tessf4494c6231
11. Oregon Museum of Science & Industry
Where: Portland, Oregon
"There’s a chem lab, planetarium, robotics demos, brain games, physics stations, and ever changing exhibits. Easily the coolest place in Portland." — destinystegall
12. National Museum of Crime and Punishment
Where: Washington, D.C.
"If you like blood, gore, and creepy crime-related stuff, the Museum of Crime and Punishment in D.C. is a neat stop (they have Bonnie and Clyde's bullet-riddled car, serial killers' artwork, and other neat stuff)". —Juliet Landeck, Facebook
13. The Dali Museum
Where: St. Petersburg, Florida
"The new building is a work of art itself. Seeing his paintings in person is mind-blowing!!! Some are 15 feet tall." —melanieh4d6281026
14. The Field Museum
Where: Chicago
"Home of Sue — the most complete T. rex ever found — the man-eating lions of Tsavo, and much more!!!" —lizzettee
15. Musei Vaticani
Where: Rome
"In my opinion, they are the most amazing collection of art in the world! From Ancient Egypt through the Middle Ages and Renaissance to modern art. And this labyrinth of beautifully decorated rooms and corridors makes it even more amazing!" —emiliaw4cd90fca6
16. Tate Modern
Where: London
"It’s an old electrical facility that was stripped on the inside to be an indoor space for installation. It’s an amazing place to view the installation space from different angles and explore different eras of art." —annap43335e0be
17. The National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel
Where: Memphis
"It's moving, educational, and incredibly well-done exhibits about some upsetting periods in history." —erks1985
18. The National WWII Museum
Where: New Orleans
"It gave me a whole new appreciation for what happened during World War II." —jennifers43b924f85
19. Perot Museum of Nature and Science
Where: Dallas,
"They have so many exhibits! You can create music, do scientific experiments, experience earthquakes, create your own bird, see how fast you run compared to dinosaurs, and so much more!" —robynb47e048e38
20. House on the Rock
Where: Spring Green, Wisconsin
"One of the most fascinating and eccentric museums." —dizzyizzy316
21. Victoria and Albert Museum
Where: London
"It’s not so big that it’s overwhelming, confusing, or hard to see everything it offers. It has some amazing pieces and really beautiful artwork. I mean, pages from Leonardo da Vinci’s notebook?! Awesome!" —tldybas
22. Bakken Museum
Where: Minneapolis
"It’s all about electricity and has a spooky Frankenstein show." —babydolllolita
23. Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery
Where: Washington, D.C.
"Not only does it have some awesome photography, it has the COOLEST sculptures. The place is huge and every section is unique. A must if you’re visiting D.C." —jessicagalazn
24. Titanic Belfast
Where: Belfast
"It utilizes technology and visitor interaction in such a unique way. And there’s a ride inside. Who wouldn’t love a museum with a ride?!" —rachels73
25. Shedd Aquarium
Where: Chicago
"It’s beautiful inside and out; an oceanic escape in the heart of a city." —simonel2
26. The Henry Ford
Where: Dearborn, Michigan
"Cars, famously designed furniture, and artifacts that signify historic changes in America, like the Rosa Parks bus, Lincoln's chair, and the Wright Brothers' cycle shop. Plus, newborn lambs — who doesn’t love newborn lambs?" —melsafoster
27. California Academy of Sciences
Where: San Francisco
"There's an indoor rainforest, an IMAX/planetarium super combo, and an amazing aquarium, all under one plant-covered, living roof. They are constantly creating new exhibits...so every visit is a new adventure." —Hannah Creque, Facebook
28. City Museum
Where: St. Louis
"It’s every adult’s dream playground." —Samantha Fong
29. The National Museum of History
Where: Mexico City
"It's in a castle on top of a hill, in the middle of a forest, that sits in the middle of the city. It overlooks the city skyline, and the grounds are beautiful. The first time I was there, I fucking cried." —Berenice Reyes Hernandez, Facebook
30. Worcester Art Museum
Where: Worcester, Massachusetts
"Every time I see the giant mosaic on the floor, every time I take a deep breath in the pottery room and smell the smells of ancient relics or get to see the armory donated by Higgins Armory, I just get butterflies in my stomach." —micheladelpo
31. The Frick Collection
Where: New York City
"It's an old family's house and collection that got turned into a museum after the patriarch's death. BEAUTIFUL artwork and STUNNING architecture." —Jill Ryan Haer, Facebook
32. International Spy Museum
Where: Washington, D.C.
"Coolest museum there is, hands down. There’s an exhibit where you can crawl through an air vent, which pretty much EVERYONE has wanted to do at one point in their lives." —stephanieh4690622cd
33. Museum of Broken Relationships
Where: Zagreb, Croatia
"Incredibly interesting and one of my favorites that I’ve been to! People from around the world mailed in items that reminded themselves of their broken relationships with a blurb about what happened." —marissas4a407bb65
34. Museum of Islamic Art
Where: Doha, Qatar
"The most beautiful museum I’ve ever seen." —avaawesome
35. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Where: Washington, D.C.
"It's incredibly impactful and stays with you forever. They have shoes that people would have to take off when they arrived at the concentration camps, covered in tar to preserve them. They even have a section that helps some younger children better understand the Holocaust. It’s a place that taught me more in two hours than I ever learned in a history class." — miak4291b1e2c
36. American Visionary Art Museum
Where: Baltimore
"They have fart art, a 15-foot pink poodle, and a full mosaic school bus!" —hannahmariep
37. Mattress Factory
Where: Pittsburgh
"So many awesome installations and an artist-in-residence program! But the star, in my opinion, is the Infinity Dots Mirrored Room." —Erin Kelly Powell, Facebook
38. Musée de la Renaissance
Where: Écouen, France
"To get to it you have to take a train to the city it’s in, and then hike through a forest to arrive at the museum. The museum itself is beautiful inside and out. Plus, it isn’t well-known, so one can expect to roam around the once château in silence and solitude. Truly wonderful." —tarah447a2382b
39. Museum Island
Where: Berlin
"While it technically isn’t a museum itself, there are lots of amazing museums there, including art and history museums. The buildings themselves are amazing too." —mariahm8
Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
Thumbnail via Creative Commons
