Top 10 U.S. Art Museums | InterExchange (2024)

March 22, 2012

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Museum of Modern Art (MOMA)—New York, NY: The MOMA is considered by many to be the most influential museum of modern art in the world. It includes many different types of art, including works of design and architecture, sculpture, photography, illustrated books and displays, film and electronic media.

Seattle Art Museum (SAM)—Seattle, WA: SAM features the work of contemporary artists from the Northwestern region of the U.S. Currently the collection consists of approximately 23,000 objects.

Museum of Fine Art (MFA)—Boston, MA: The MFA attracts over a million visitors per year. It houses an enormous variety of art, but interestingly enough it is the largest museum collection of Japanese works under one roof in the world outside of Japan.

National Gallery of Art—Washington DC: This national museum located in the nation’s capital has free admission. The National Gallery has an abundance of Western Art from the Middle Ages to the present, including the only painting by Leonardo da Vinci in the Americas.

Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met)—New York, NY: The Met is famous worldwide for its very diverse and expansive collection—in fact, more than two million works are housed here, divided into nineteen different departments. It is the largest museum in the United States.

Art Institute of Chicago (AIC)—Chicago, IL: The AIC has one of the world’s most noteworthy collections of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artwork. It is also the second largest museum in the U.S. after The Met.

J. Paul Getty Museum—Los Angeles, CA: This LA area museum and major tourist destination is known for its Western art from the Middle Ages all the way up to the present. The building’s architecture is also stunning.

High Museum of Art (The High)—Atlanta GA: The High is considered the leading art museum of the southeastern region of the U.S. It houses more than 11,000 works of art in its permanent collection.

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art—San Francisco, CA: A modern and contemporary art collection containing over 27,000 artistic works of painting, sculpture, photography, architecture, design, and media arts.

Philadelphia Art Museum—Philadelphia, PA: This museum is one of the largest art museums in the U.S. The Philadelphia Art Museum holds over 200 galleries spanning 2,000 years of art.

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Ani Kington

Originally from Columbus, Ohio, Ani is a fan of exploring new places through photography and the local cuisine. After earning her BFA in photography from NYU and gaining communications experience at International Planned Parenthood Federation, she joined InterExchange in 2012, and worked as the Marketing Producer until 2016.

Originally from Columbus, Ohio, Ani is a fan of exploring new places through photography and the local cuisine. After earning her BFA in photography from NYU and gaining communications experience at International Planned Parenthood Federation, she joined InterExchange in 2012, and worked as the Marketing Producer until 2016.

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Top 10 U.S. Art Museums | InterExchange (2024)

FAQs

What is the number one art museum in the United States? ›

1. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. ... museum - world class collections in a superb venue - every visit is an opportunity to tour art & culture worldwide.

What are the largest art museums in the USA? ›

Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met)—New York, NY: The Met is famous worldwide for its very diverse and expansive collection—in fact, more than two million works are housed here, divided into nineteen different departments. It is the largest museum in the United States.

How many art museums are there in the USA total? ›

According to a government statement, there are more than 35,000 museums in the US.

What are the most important museums in the United States? ›

List of most-visited museums in the United States
RankMuseumLocation
(1)Metropolitan Museum of ArtNew York City
(2)National Museum of Natural HistoryWashington, D.C.
(3)National Gallery of ArtWashington, D.C.
(4)National Air and Space Museum (with Udvar-Hazy Center)Washington, D.C.
30 more rows

What is the most visited art museum in the US? ›

The most visited museum in the US was the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, with almost 3.3 million visitors in 2022.

What is the most visited art museum in the United States? ›

The Met was also one of the U.S. institutions ranking on the list of the most visited museums worldwide in 2022, together with the National Museum of Natural History and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

What is the wealthiest art museum in the United States? ›

The J. Paul Getty Museum, commonly referred to as the Getty, is an art museum in Los Angeles, California housed on two campuses: the Getty Center and Getty Villa. It is operated by the J. Paul Getty Trust, the world's wealthiest art institution.

What is the oldest art museum in the United States? ›

The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art is the oldest continuously-operating public art museum in the United States, opening its doors to the public in 1844. The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art was founded by Daniel Wadsworth, one of the first major American art patrons.

What are the 5 biggest museums? ›

List
NameYear establishedFloor area
Louvre1792758,000 m2 (8,160,000 sq ft)
State Hermitage Museum1764233,345 m2 (2,511,700 sq ft)
British Museum175392,000 m2 (990,000 sq ft)
National Museum of China1959191,900 m2 (2,066,000 sq ft)
60 more rows

What is the second largest art museum in America? ›

The Largest Art Museums in the United States
RankMuseum NameLocation
1Metropolitan Museum of ArtNew York, New York
2Art Institute of ChicagoChicago, Illinois
3National Gallery of ArtWashington, D.C.
4MASS MoCANorth Adams, Massachusetts
22 more rows
Aug 14, 2017

What is the largest free art museum in the US? ›

The Smithsonian American Art Museum, located in Washington D.C., is home to an extensive collection of American art.

What city has the most art museums? ›

NYC has it all — it has the most universities with a visual and performing arts program and is the best city for movie lovers. Additionally, NYC has a high number of art museums, music venues, opera houses, art installations, and art fairs.

Which US city has the best museums? ›

Washington, D.C.

Most people would agree that Washington D.C.'s massive Smithsonian Institution is among the best museum groups in America. It encompasses 19 museums as well as the National Zoo.

What is the #1 museum in the world? ›

Louvre Museum

Which US state has the most museums? ›

When it comes to state breakdowns, California has the most museums, with nearly 3,000.

What is the most prestigious art museum? ›

Louvre Museum

Admire the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and many, many more cultural treasures in the world's most visited museum, set in a medieval palace by the Seine.

Where is the art capital of the US? ›

New York City | Art Capital of the US

The city is home to more art organizations and learning institutions than any other city in the country, and it also makes up almost 40% of US art galleries. The city also takes special care to showcase the work of women artists and promote gender equality in the art world.

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