USA TODAY 10Best
From history to punk rock: 10 best new museums to visit in the US
Best New Museum (2024)
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.
- International African American Museum - Charleston, South Carolina
- Africatown Heritage House - Mobile, Alabama
- Moonshot Museum - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture of the Riverside Art Museum - Riverside, California
- Museum of Broadway - New York City, New York
- World War II American Experience - Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
- Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum - Atchison, Kansas
- The Punk Rock Museum - Las Vegas, Nevada
- Buffalo AKG Art Museum - Buffalo, New York
- Gettysburg Beyond the Battle Museum - Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Photo courtesy of Sahar Coston-Hardy/Esto
No. 10:
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.
Photo courtesy of Visit Mobile
No. 9:
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.
Photo courtesy of Moonshot Museum
No. 8:
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.
Photo courtesy of Riverside Art Museum / photo by Eric Staudenmaier
No. 7:
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.
Photo courtesy of Monique Carboni/The Museum of Broadway
No. 6:
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.
Photo courtesy of Jody Wilson
No. 5:
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.
Photo courtesy of Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum
No. 4:
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.
Photo courtesy of Lisa Johnson
No. 3:
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.
Photo courtesy of Marco Cappelletti
No. 2:
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.
Photo courtesy of Adams County Historical Society
No. 1:
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.
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
Jamie Davis Smith
Jamie is a travel writer who has visited over 50... Read More
Jamie is a travel writer who has visited over 50 countries, many of them with her children in tow. She loves visiting everything from theme parks to ancient ruins and packs strictly carry-on-only. Jamie can be reached at jamiesmithwrites@gmail.com.
Jamie Davis Smith
Jamie is a travel writer who has visited over 50 countries, many of them with her children in tow. She loves visiting everything from theme parks to ancient ruins and packs strictly carry-on-only. Jamie can be reached at jamiesmithwrites@gmail.com.
Jenny Peters
Jenny Peters – aka Jet Set Jen – is a Los... Read More
Jenny Peters – aka Jet Set Jen – is a Los Angeles-based freelance journalist, editor and party columnist specializing in travel, entertainment, film, food, wine, fashion and the other good things in life. She is a founding/voting member of the Critics Choice Association, who present the Critics’ Choice Awards every January. Her favorite places to be are on the beach in Southern California playing volleyball, scuba diving with the sharks in warm tropical waters or strolling the streets and soaking in the atmosphere of one of the world's great cities (New Orleans and Florence are her favorites).
Jenny Peters
Jenny Peters – aka Jet Set Jen – is a Los Angeles-based freelance journalist, editor and party columnist specializing in travel, entertainment, film, food, wine, fashion and the other good things in life. She is a founding/voting member of the Critics Choice Association, who present the Critics’ Choice Awards every January. Her favorite places to be are on the beach in Southern California playing volleyball, scuba diving with the sharks in warm tropical waters or strolling the streets and soaking in the atmosphere of one of the world's great cities (New Orleans and Florence are her favorites).
Jessica James
Jessica James is an award-winning novelist and... Read More
Jessica James is an award-winning novelist and freelance writer who shares her passion for history and travel by writing about historical destinations and off-the-beaten path sites across the United States. Her blog Past Lane Travels has been named the #1 history and travel blog in the USA, and features many regional destinations that are often overlooked. You can find out more about her books at www.jessicajamesbooks.com.
Jessica James
Jessica James is an award-winning novelist and freelance writer who shares her passion for history and travel by writing about historical destinations and off-the-beaten path sites across the United States. Her blog Past Lane Travels has been named the #1 history and travel blog in the USA, and features many regional destinations that are often overlooked. You can find out more about her books at www.jessicajamesbooks.com.
Joanne and Tony DiBona
Joanne and Tony DiBona know a thing or two about... Read More
Joanne and Tony DiBona know a thing or two about creating photo galleries to share their personal travel experiences around the world with their readers. Their articles have been featured on 10Best for the past decade, as well as in national and international print and online media. Their awards for photography and journalism fill up an entire wall in their office, the most recent being a top national award for their US and international galleries published on 10Best. Follow their travel adventures on their scenic photography website and travel blog. Have a question about travel? Contact them on their Instagram and Facebook pages.
Joanne and Tony DiBona
Joanne and Tony DiBona know a thing or two about creating photo galleries to share their personal travel experiences around the world with their readers. Their articles have been featured on 10Best for the past decade, as well as in national and international print and online media. Their awards for photography and journalism fill up an entire wall in their office, the most recent being a top national award for their US and international galleries published on 10Best. Follow their travel adventures on their scenic photography website and travel blog. Have a question about travel? Contact them on their Instagram and Facebook pages.
Catherine Smith
Catherine Smith, Readers' Choice Awards... Read More
Catherine Smith, Readers' Choice Awards Production Manager and Social Media Director for USA TODAY 10Best, has a special interest in unique culinary experiences and off-the-beaten-path adventures. Catherine is the founder of Her Bags Were Packed where she focuses on helping women release emotional baggage through solo travel and self-discovery.
Catherine Smith
Catherine Smith, Readers' Choice Awards Production Manager and Social Media Director for USA TODAY 10Best, has a special interest in unique culinary experiences and off-the-beaten-path adventures. Catherine is the founder of Her Bags Were Packed where she focuses on helping women release emotional baggage through solo travel and self-discovery.
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.
