There are more than 35,000 active museums in the United States, according to the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Narrow the aperture to New York State and there are over 600 institutions; in New York City alone, nearly 200. Add to that the growing number of so-called private museums founded by major collectors—among them Emily Wei Rales and Mitchell Rales’s Glenstone—and the landscape becomes even more crowded.
With all that in mind, the editors of ARTnews felt it was time to wrangle this ever-expanding field and map out which institutions, exactly, deserve a place on your bucket list—or at least on the itinerary for your next vacation. For this list, we focused primarily on the breadth and distinction of each institution’s permanent collection. Additional considerations included the strength of its temporary exhibition program and the grandeur of its architecture.
While we set out to produce a definitive list, assembled after considerable debate, it’s inevitable that the final selection reflects the idiosyncrasies and biases of the editors involved. So before the internet pillories us for a New York skew: yes, that’s where much of our staff is based.
Below, a look at the 30 best art museums in the US, as selected by the editors of ARTnews and Art in America.
