USA TODAY 10Best
These 10 small towns have big artistic appeal
Best Small Town Arts Scene (2023)
Bigger isn't always better, especially when it comes to these 10 small towns, each with a population of fewer than 30,000 people (as of the last census). Our readers voted them the best in the U.S. for their arts scenes, because what each of these towns lacks in size, they make up for with museums, art galleries, performing arts, and busy event calendars.
- Cody, Wyoming
- Yellow Springs, Ohio
- Taos, New Mexico
- Abingdon, Virginia
- Clayton, New York
- Williamstown, Massachusetts
- Manitou Springs, Colorado
- North Adams, Massachusetts
- Lucas, Kansas
- Tubac, Arizona
Photo courtesy of Cody Yellowstone
No. 10:
The former home of Buffalo Bill now hosts a vibrant arts community, thanks to the Cody Country Art League, Big Horn Galleries, Simpson Gallagher Gallery and nearby Mountain Valley Artistry. Visit during the annual Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale to find pieces celebrating the American West.
Photo courtesy of Yellow Springs Chamber of Commerce
No. 9:
Yellow Springs, a hippie enclave within day trip distance of Cincinnati, is an eclectic small town known for its diverse visual and performing arts scene. You’re likely to see street art (including knitted graffiti) around town as you hop between galleries and quirky boutiques.
Photo courtesy of Town of Taos
No. 8:
Taos started as a pueblo tucked within the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of northern New Mexico. Today, the vibrant community encompasses a thriving artists' colony, trendy boutiques, art museums, galleries and a calendar packed with cultural events.
Photo courtesy of Jason Barnette
No. 7:
Situated in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Abingdon is home to the Barter Theatre – known as the most famous stage in Virginia – and a great arts scene. Its Arts Depot features three different art galleries and hosts multiple resident artists who invite visitors to their on-site working studios. Abingdon is also home to William King Museum that welcomes visitors for free, helping to make art accessible to everyone in the community.
Photo courtesy of Marina Loew, TIAC Curator
No. 6:
Clayton, a small village in New York, has a rising arts scene that shouldn’t be missed. Art lovers will be wowed by Thousand Islands Arts Center, which offers classes in the arts and has intriguing rotating exhibits. The village is also home to the Clayton Opera House which hosts performances throughout the year. Art galleries like the Tisa Gallery shouldn’t be missed.
Photo courtesy of Destination Williamstown
No. 5:
Nestled in the northwest corner of Massachusetts, Williamstown is a Berkshires town that’s bordered by New York to its west and Vermont to its north. Its Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, which is often simply referred to as the Clark, features the work of artists such as Degas and Monet. Also, the Williamstown Cultural District puts art front and center in the community.
Photo courtesy of Leslie Kingman // City of Manitou Springs
No. 4:
Sitting at the base of Pikes Peak is the tiny town of Manitou Springs, a resort town ever since the area's mineral-rich waters attracted attention in the 1870s. The small downtown area is filled with art galleries and eclectic boutiques. The Manitou Art Center features several maker spaces and hosts many different classes.
Photo courtesy of DenisTangneyJr // Getty Images
No. 3:
As the home of the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, one of the biggest contemporary art museums in the country, North Adams attracts many artists and art lovers. You’ll also find Berkshire Artist Museum in town, a former church that’s been transformed into an art museum, and Eclipse Mill Artist Loft & Gallery, a community of artists who both live and work in a former textile mill.
No. 2:
Lucas, the Grassroots Art Capital of Kansas, showcases the ingenuity of largely self-taught artists. Start at the Grassroots Arts Center for an introduction before wandering through the funky sculpture garden known as the Garden of Eden. Other points of interest include Fork Art Park, Bowl Plaza and Miller’s Park.
Photo courtesy of Arizona Office of Tourism
No. 1:
Tubac was founded in the 1700s as Arizona's first European settlement. Today, this sleepy town and artists' colony outside of Tucson is a popular destination for shoppers, who come for the 100-plus shops and galleries specializing in colorful arts and crafts.
About 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For any questions or comments, please read the FAQ or email USA TODAY 10Best.
The Experts
Allison Tibaldi
Allison Tibaldi is a travel and food writer based... Read More
Allison Tibaldi is a travel and food writer based in New York City. She has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne Australia, Toronto and Los Angeles. She studied early childhood development in graduate school and firmly believes that travel is the best education. She writes for numerous publications including CNN, Travel Channel, HGTV, am New York, Emirates Open Skies, Family Traveller and Travel Weekly.
Allison Tibaldi
Allison Tibaldi is a travel and food writer based in New York City. She has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne Australia, Toronto and Los Angeles. She studied early childhood development in graduate school and firmly believes that travel is the best education. She writes for numerous publications including CNN, Travel Channel, HGTV, am New York, Emirates Open Skies, Family Traveller and Travel Weekly.
Corinne Whiting
Corinne hails from the other Washington, where she... Read More
Corinne hails from the other Washington, where she caught the travel bug early on. Corinne studied abroad in Strasbourg, France (undergrad) and in Edinburgh, Scotland (graduate school). She's backpacked around Australia, taught English in Argentina and explored (so far!) countries from Cambodia and Egypt to Turkey and China. Corinne served as associate editor at Where magazine for five years; as a freelancer, she now writes for publications like National Geographic Traveler and Amtrak's OnTrak. Here in the lovely Northwest, she's attempting to debunk the rain myths, up her coffee and live music quotient and find her Zen near/on the water.
Corinne Whiting
Corinne hails from the other Washington, where she caught the travel bug early on. Corinne studied abroad in Strasbourg, France (undergrad) and in Edinburgh, Scotland (graduate school). She's backpacked around Australia, taught English in Argentina and explored (so far!) countries from Cambodia and Egypt to Turkey and China. Corinne served as associate editor at Where magazine for five years; as a freelancer, she now writes for publications like National Geographic Traveler and Amtrak's OnTrak. Here in the lovely Northwest, she's attempting to debunk the rain myths, up her coffee and live music quotient and find her Zen near/on the water.
Meg St-Esprit
Meg St-Esprit is a journalist based in Pittsburgh... Read More
Meg St-Esprit is a journalist based in Pittsburgh who covers family travel, lifestyle, education, and parenting. With their four kids in tow, she and her husband love to travel anywhere and everywhere — but have a soft spot for camping and outdoor adventures. In fact, her kids are well on their way to achieving their goal of visiting all 124 state parks in Pennsylvania. Meg believes travel doesn’t need to be luxurious or costly to be valuable, and aims to share that with her audience. Meg’s work has appeared in publications such as The New York Times, Thrillist, The Washington Post, Fodor’s, Yahoo, Good Housekeeping, Romper, and more. Follow Meg on Instagram and Twitter at @megstesprit or check out her work on https://megstesprit.com/
Meg St-Esprit
Meg St-Esprit is a journalist based in Pittsburgh who covers family travel, lifestyle, education, and parenting. With their four kids in tow, she and her husband love to travel anywhere and everywhere — but have a soft spot for camping and outdoor adventures. In fact, her kids are well on their way to achieving their goal of visiting all 124 state parks in Pennsylvania. Meg believes travel doesn’t need to be luxurious or costly to be valuable, and aims to share that with her audience. Meg’s work has appeared in publications such as The New York Times, Thrillist, The Washington Post, Fodor’s, Yahoo, Good Housekeeping, Romper, and more. Follow Meg on Instagram and Twitter at @megstesprit or check out her work on https://megstesprit.com/
Michele Herrmann
Michele Herrmann writes about travel,... Read More
Michele Herrmann writes about travel, arts/entertainment, culture, history, food and drink and other fun stuff for various publications and companies. Her adventures have taken her as far as Fiji, to date.
Michele Herrmann
Michele Herrmann writes about travel, arts/entertainment, culture, history, food and drink and other fun stuff for various publications and companies. Her adventures have taken her as far as Fiji, to date.
Robin Raven
Robin Raven is an author and journalist who covers... Read More
Robin Raven is an author and journalist who covers such topics as travel, culture, and vegan dining. Her work can be seen in The Washington Post, Travel + Leisure, Reader's Digest, and many other publications. Robin is the author of Santa's First Vegan Christmas, The Kindness Workbook: An Interactive Guide for Creating Compassion in Yourself and the World, and The Little Book of Self-Soothing. She also blogs about travel and life at RobinRaven.com.
Robin Raven
Robin Raven is an author and journalist who covers such topics as travel, culture, and vegan dining. Her work can be seen in The Washington Post, Travel + Leisure, Reader's Digest, and many other publications. Robin is the author of Santa's First Vegan Christmas, The Kindness Workbook: An Interactive Guide for Creating Compassion in Yourself and the World, and The Little Book of Self-Soothing. She also blogs about travel and life at RobinRaven.com.
Wendy O'Dea
Born and raised in western New York, Wendy O’Dea... Read More
Born and raised in western New York, Wendy O’Dea moved to L.A. to attend the USC graduate School of Journalism and stayed for the innovative and creative lifestyle the city offers. Other than the traffic and never-ending drought, there’s not much about California she doesn’t love. You can track her gallivanting ways on Instagram via @WendyTravels or at www.theinspiredtraveler.com.
Wendy O'Dea
Born and raised in western New York, Wendy O’Dea moved to L.A. to attend the USC graduate School of Journalism and stayed for the innovative and creative lifestyle the city offers. Other than the traffic and never-ending drought, there’s not much about California she doesn’t love. You can track her gallivanting ways on Instagram via @WendyTravels or at www.theinspiredtraveler.com.
10Best Editors
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original,... Read More
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
10Best Editors
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
