USA Today: From history to punk rock – 10 best new museums to visit in the US
Each year brings a slew of new collections (or new facilities for old collections) for museum lovers. These 10 museums have been nominated by an expert panel and voted by readers as the best new venues on the scene, ranging from avant-garde art spaces to hubs of history, and they represent the top openings of the past two years.
No. 10: International African American Museum – Charleston, South Carolina
Officially opened in June 2023, Charleston’s International African American Museum is dedicated to portraying the tenacity and complex cultural heritage of African Americans and the Black diaspora. Exhibits showcase a wide array of topics across the venue, with sections dedicated to the forced movement of Africans across the Atlantic, the Gullah Geechee community, and the role that enslaved people played in the South Carolina’s rice industry.
No. 9: Africatown Heritage House – Mobile, Alabama
Antique West African artifacts can be found in abundance at the Africatown Heritage House, an Alabama institution that’s dedicated to all 110 people that were taken without consent to the United States aboard the Clotilda. With 2,500 square feet of exhibit space to explore, guests can immerse themselves in the firsthand stories of Africatown residents during a visit.
No. 8: Moonshot Museum – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Hoping to channel your inner astronaut during your next trip to Pittsburgh? The Moonshot Museum is the perfect destination. This polished venue is rife with exhibits dedicated to the beauty of the cosmos, with a lunar rover engineering lab and a moon landing simulation site both open for exploration.
No. 7: The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture of the Riverside Art Museum – Riverside, California
Southern California is renowned for its rich Mexican heritage, and few venues showcase this cultural legacy as well as The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture. Part of the Riverside Art Museum family, this prestigious site currently offers exhibits dedicated to Indigenous futurism, the Chicano Movement, and a wealth of other topics.
No. 6: Museum of Broadway – New York City, New York
A recent addition to the streets of New York City, the Museum of Broadway is dedicated to highlighting the history of one of the city’s most prestigious performing arts. Beginning with the city’s first recorded performance in 1732, the venue carries on well into the modern day, with the “Making of a Broadway Show” exhibit offering ample insight into the inner workings of each modern performance.
No. 5: World War II American Experience – Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Few geopolitical events have shaped the modern world as strongly as World War II, and for those in search of a deep dive on this cataclysmic conflict, the World War II American Experience Museum is the perfect destination. In addition to massive tanks, Jeeps, and ambulances on display, guests can also explore the “Home Front” exhibit to discover how American civilians contributed to the war effort back at home.
No. 4: Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum – Atchison, Kansas
While Amelia Earhart’s voyages took her to the remote reaches of the Pacific, her life journey began in Atchison, Kansas — and in the modern era, the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum offers ample insight into her early life and famous flights. Guests can explore 14 interactive exhibits across the space, with the museum’s Lockheed Electra 10-E aircraft serving as a particularly fascinating item on display.
No. 3: The Punk Rock Museum – Las Vegas, Nevada
A recent arrival to Nevada’s largest city, The Punk Rock Museum offers insight into one of the most prominent musical genres of the 1970s. While the venue is packed full of vintage punk paraphernalia, it serves as far more than just a typical museum, equipped with its own tattoo parlor, wedding venue, and cocktail bar.
No. 2: Buffalo AKG Art Museum – Buffalo, New York
First established in 1862 as the Buffalo Fine Arts Academy, New York’s Buffalo AKG Art Museum has amassed thousands of works over the past century and a half. Upon arrival, guests can head to the fine arts wing to peruse works by Paul Gauguin and Claude Monet, while the Nordic Art and Culture Initiative highlights the many unique cultures found all throughout Northern Europe.
No. 1: Gettysburg Beyond the Battle Museum – Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
While Gettysburg is best known for its eponymous 1863 Civil War battle, there’s far more to this Pennsylvania borough than this famous skirmish. At the Gettysburg Beyond the Battle Museum, guests can discover firsthand accounts from residents both before and after the war, while the “Caught in the Crossfire” exhibit invites museum visitors to experience the battle from within a reconstructed farmhouse.
