WhichMuseum Ranking: 100 Best Museum in the United States (better, largest, place)

[18Montclair]

I tried to find their methodology and I found a blurb about how they look at how these establishments scored in a compilation of rating scores. Anyhow, never heard of some of these, but I think we should just take this with a grain of salt.

These are the top 100 best museums in*United States, ranked by their rating and popularity...

100 Best Museums in the United States:
1 New York-National September 11 Memorial & Museum
2 Washington DC-National Museum of African American History & Culture
3 New York-American Museum of Natural History
4 New York-Metropolitan Museum of Art
5 New York-Museum of Modern Art(MOMA)
6 Warrenton, OR-Fort Stevens State Park
7 New York-Guggenheim Museum
8 New York-Central Park Zoo
9 New York-9/11 Trubute Museum
10 New York-Intrepid Museum
11 Chicago-The Art Institute of Chicago
12 Washington DC-National Museum of American History
13 Chicago-Shedd Museum
14 Chicago-Field Museum
15 Boston-Boston Tea Party-Ships & Museum
16 Jersey City, NJ-Ellis Island National Museum
17 San Diego-USS Midway Museum
18 San Diego-San Diego Zoo
19 Savannah, GA-American Prohibition Museum
20 Milwaukee-Milwaukee County Zoo
21 San Francisco-De Young Museum
22 Chicago-Museum of Contemporary Art
23 Philadelphia-Philadelphia Museum of Art
24 Washington DC-White House
25 New York-Whitney Museum of American Art
26 New York-Ground Zero Museum Workshop
27 Riverside, CA-California Citrus State Park Visitor Center
28 Oklahoma City-Oklahoma City National Monument & Museum
29 San Francisco-San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
30 Houston-Space Center Houston
31 New Orleans-National WWII Museum
32 Washington DC-International Spy Museum
33 Los Angeles-The Getty Center
34 Philadelphia-Betsy Ross House
35 Washington DC-National Air & Space Museum
36 New York-Museum at Eldridge Street
37 Washington DC-National Museum of Natural History
38 San Francisco-Aquarium of the Bay
39 San Francisco-Alcatraz Island
40 Philadelphia-Rodin Museum
41 New York-Madame Tussauds New York
42 Atlanta-Zoo Atlanta
43 Boston-Museum of Science
44 Washington DC-Ford's Theater
45 Washington DC-United States Holocaust Museum
46 Phildelphia-Liberty Bell Center
47 Nashville-Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum
48 New York-Bronx Zoo
49 Boston-Paul Revere House
50 Honolulu-Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum
51 New York-Fraunces Tavern Museum
52 Washington DC-National Gallery of Art
53 Los Angeles-Battleship USS Iowa
54 Miami Beach, FL-Miami Beach Botanical Garden
55 Honolulu-Iolani Palace
56 Seattle-Woodland Park Zoo
57 San Francisco-Exploratorium
58 San Antonio-San Antonio Zoo & Aquarium
59 San Francisco-Legion of Honor
60 San Diego-Maritime Museum of San Diego
61 New York-Museum of the City of New York
62 Boston-Bunker Hill Monument
63 Philadelphia-National Constitution Center
64 San Francisco-California Academy of Sciences
65 Washington DC-Smithsonian Institute Building
66 Memphis-Stax Museum
67 Los Angeles-The Hollywood Museum
68 Atlanta-World of Coca-Cola
69 Boston-New England Holocaust Museum
70 Los Angeles-Grammy Museum
71 Phoenix-Musical Instrument Museum
72 Nashville-Belmont Mansion
73 Philadelphia-Museum of the American Revolution
74 Boston-Old State House Museum
75 Chicago-Chicago Cultural Center
76 Key West, FL-Truman Little White House
77 Seattle-Olympic Sculpture Park
78 Boston-The Institute of Contemporary Art
79 Yellowstone, WY-Norris Geyser Basin Museum
80 Los Angeles-Page Museum-La Brea Tar Pits
81 Boston-Old South Meeting House
82 Las Vegas-Conservatory & Botanical Gardens
83 Seattle-Museum of Pop Culture
84 Memphis-Graceland
85 Boston-USS Constitution
86 New York-Museum of Jewish Heritage
87 New York-South Street Seaport Museum
88 Portland-Multnomah Fallas
89 Seattle-Chihuly Garden & Glass
90 Denver-Downtown Aquarium
91 Nashville-Johnny Cash Musuem
92 Honolulu-Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum
93 Boston-Museum of Fine Arts
94 Washington DC-Folger Shakspeare Library & Theater
95 New York-New York Aquarium
96 New York-Brooklyn Museum
97 Waipahu, HI-USS Missouri
98 Washington DC-House of the Temple
99 New York-New York Transit Museum
100 Chicago-Adler Planetarium

https://whichmuseum.com/place/united...2/best-museums

Edit: A thought just came to mind. I wouldnt normally think of the September 11th Monument in Lower Manhattan first but I must admit that every time I go there or even am driven by there, I do get a lump in my throat.

[BigCity76]

Originally Posted by 18Montclair

I tried to find their methodology and I found a blurb about how they look at how these establishments scored in a compilation of rating scores. Anyhow, never heard of some of these, but I think we should just take this with a grain of salt.



100 Best Museums in the United States:
1 New York-National September 11 Memorial & Museum
2 Washington DC-National Museum of African American History & Culture
3 New York-American Museum of Natural History
4 New York-Metropolitan Museum of Art
5 New York-Museum of Modern Art(MOMA)
6 Warrenton, OR-Fort Stevens State Park
7 New York-Guggenheim Museum
8 New York-Central Park Zoo
9 New York-9/11 Trubute Museum
10 New York-Intrepid Museum
11 Chicago-The Art Institute of Chicago
12 Washington DC-National Museum of American History
13 Chicago-Shedd Museum
14 Chicago-Field Museum
15 Boston-Boston Tea Party-Ships & Museum
16 Jersey City, NJ-Ellis Island National Museum
17 San Diego-USS Midway Museum
18 San Diego-San Diego Zoo
19 Savannah, GA-American Prohibition Museum
20 Milwaukee-Milwaukee County Zoo
21 San Francisco-De Young Museum
22 Chicago-Museum of Contemporary Art
23 Philadelphia-Philadelphia Museum of Art
24 Washington DC-White House
25 New York-Whitney Museum of American Art
26 New York-Ground Zero Museum Workshop
27 Riverside, CA-California Citrus State Park Visitor Center
28 Oklahoma City-Oklahoma City National Monument & Museum
29 San Francisco-San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
30 Houston-Space Center Houston
31 New Orleans-National WWII Museum
32 Washington DC-International Spy Museum
33 Los Angeles-The Getty Center
34 Philadelphia-Betsy Ross House
35 Washington DC-National Air & Space Museum
36 New York-Museum at Eldridge Street
37 Washington DC-National Museum of Natural History
38 San Francisco-Aquarium of the Bay
39 San Francisco-Alcatraz Island
40 Philadelphia-Rodin Museum
41 New York-Madame Tussauds New York
42 Atlanta-Zoo Atlanta
43 Boston-Museum of Science
44 Washington DC-Ford's Theater
45 Washington DC-United States Holocaust Museum
46 Phildelphia-Liberty Bell Center
47 Nashville-Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum
48 New York-Bronx Zoo
49 Boston-Paul Revere House
50 Honolulu-Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum
51 New York-Fraunces Tavern Museum
52 Washington DC-National Gallery of Art
53 Los Angeles-Battleship USS Iowa
54 Miami Beach, FL-Miami Beach Botanical Garden
55 Honolulu-Iolani Palace
56 Seattle-Woodland Park Zoo
57 San Francisco-Exploratorium
58 San Antonio-San Antonio Zoo & Aquarium
59 San Francisco-Legion of Honor
60 San Diego-Maritime Museum of San Diego
61 New York-Museum of the City of New York
62 Boston-Bunker Hill Monument
63 Philadelphia-National Constitution Center
64 San Francisco-California Academy of Sciences
65 Washington DC-Smithsonian Institute Building
66 Memphis-Stax Museum
67 Los Angeles-The Hollywood Museum
68 Atlanta-World of Coca-Cola
69 Boston-New England Holocaust Museum
70 Los Angeles-Grammy Museum
71 Phoenix-Musical Instrument Museum
72 Nashville-Belmont Mansion
73 Philadelphia-Museum of the American Revolution
74 Boston-Old State House Museum
75 Chicago-Chicago Cultural Center
76 Key West, FL-Truman Little White House
77 Seattle-Olympic Sculpture Park
78 Boston-The Institute of Contemporary Art
79 Yellowstone, WY-Norris Geyser Basin Museum
80 Los Angeles-Page Museum-La Brea Tar Pits
81 Boston-Old South Meeting House
82 Las Vegas-Conservatory & Botanical Gardens
83 Seattle-Museum of Pop Culture
84 Memphis-Graceland
85 Boston-USS Constitution
86 New York-Museum of Jewish Heritage
87 New York-South Street Seaport Museum
88 Portland-Multnomah Fallas
89 Seattle-Chihuly Garden & Glass
90 Denver-Downtown Aquarium
91 Nashville-Johnny Cash Musuem
92 Honolulu-Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum
93 Boston-Museum of Fine Arts
94 Washington DC-Folger Shakspeare Library & Theater
95 New York-New York Aquarium
96 New York-Brooklyn Museum
97 Waipahu, HI-USS Missouri
98 Washington DC-House of the Temple
99 New York-New York Transit Museum
100 Chicago-Adler Planetarium

https://whichmuseum.com/place/united...2/best-museums

Edit: A thought just came to mind. I wouldnt normally think of the September 11th Monument in Lower Manhattan first but I must admit that every time I go there or even am driven by there, I do get a lump in my throat.

The entire area definitely evokes some strong emotions, that's for sure. If you have ever been in the actual museum part of it walking deeper and deeper underground, surrounded by remnants of the towers and the artifacts/stories of the people who were in them directly above, as well as the first responders that day, it is a really powerful/cathartic experience.

[The_Quiet_One]

This is a horrible list. First, zoos are not museums. Second, they have the White House as the third best museum in DC, above Air and Space. The White House? Practically no tourist can even get inside it. And the Tea Party ships are the best museum in Boston? No. Not by any measure. Not by visitation, quality of exhibits, size, anything.

[Borntoolate85]

I disagree with so many rankings on this list. The NY Aquarium over Atlanta's, Baltimore's, and Boston's? The country music HOF over Cleveland's Rock 'n Roll HOF? The Central Park Zoo over The Bronx Zoo? (yes, I know the CP Zoo its more accessible, but the Bronx Zoo is much bigger and loads better). Why's the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn not on the list while the rather obscure House of the Temple in DC is? Also, I'd hardly call The White House a museum despite its age since its an active site for the President, even if the public portions have museum-like features. You may as well include the Capitol then if you had to include the White House. Also, strange to see OKC get a spot while DFW to the south becomes the largest metro to not have anything in the top 100, even though the sixth floor museum for JFK could have made the list, with a similar emotional impact that the WTC/OKC sites provide.

[Redlionjr]

I just breezed thru the list, no way in hell should Atlanta's ZOO or any ZOO but especially that ZOO be on any top 100 list.

[cpomp]

The criteria on the site says... "ranked by their rating and popularity in 2022. Click a museum for more information about the museum, including visitor information, exhibitions and reviews."
Rankings from where? That specific site?... I see major omissions in many cities. For example...

The Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia is not listed. The Barnes contains some of the world's greatest collections of impressionist, post-impressionist & modern art, a magnificent museum for anyone into modern art.

The Barnes has a 4.7 from 3,073 ratings on Google.
The Betsy Ross House Museum (listed in the ranking) has a 4.5 from 2,940 ratings on Google. The Betsy Ross House is cute, but hardly a the second best museum in Philadelphia.

The Mutter Museum is also missing, dubbed as "Americas finest museum of medical history". One of the most interesting museums I've visited, but not for the weak stomached .

And agree that Zoos should not be counted as museums.

[masssachoicetts]

No Isabella Gardner Museum? I feel like that is the 2-3 best museum in Boston.

[ParaguaneroSwag]

Originally Posted by Redlionjr

I just breezed thru the list, no way in hell should Atlanta's ZOO or any ZOO but especially that ZOO be on any top 100 list.

San Antonio’s Zoo making the list instead of the Alamo is downright hilarious. Alamo and Houston Museum of Natural Science deserve a spot here.

[Heel82]

So the 9/11 Memorial and Museum is different than the 9/11 Tribute Museum? And then there is the Ground Zero Museum? I’ve been to the one with the footprints of the old buildings, but not sure which that was (I assume the first).

[BigCity76]

Originally Posted by Heel82

So the 9/11 Memorial and Museum is different than the 9/11 Tribute Museum? And then there is the Ground Zero Museum? I’ve been to the one with the footprints of the old buildings, but not sure which that was (I assume the first).

There were two museums but now just one. Both have been having financial issues. The 9/11 Memorial and Museum which is at Ground Zero is still open. The other, the 9/11 Tribute Museum, just closed due to lack of funding.