309 Best Sights in USA

The imposing art deco building that’s the centerpiece of Volunteer Park was built in 1933 to house the Seattle Art Museum, and that’s what it was until the museum expanded into its current primary location Downtown. The original building was dedicated to the museum’s Asian collection, and the Seattle Asian Art Museum (SAAM) was born. The permanent collection includes works from China, Japan, India, Korea, and Southeast Asian. It fills 13 galleries with rooms dedicated to pottery, images of nature, illustrated scrolls, and clothing. Six of the galleries focus on aspects of spirituality, including sacred texts, divine bodies, and sacred journeys. All in all, SAAM strikes a balance that makes it an especially enjoyable museum going experience: there’s a wide range of beautiful, engaging art, yet it’s small enough to keep you from feeling overwhelmed or getting bored.

Adorned in glass and steel, this modern masterpiece by architect Antoine Predock wraps around a beautiful garden and holds paintings, ceramics, sculptures, and other creations dating from the 18th century to the present, with an emphasis on Western U.S. artists, including many indigenous talents. On view is the largest permanent collection of glass works by Dale Chihuly, and the stunning, light-filled Benaroya Wing—designed by Olson Kundig and opened in 2019—displays hundreds of new works, included pieces by artists trained at the prestigious Pilchuck Glass School.

The interiors of this extraordinary adobe house and studio, built between 1927 and 1933 by Russian émigré and artist Nicolai Fechin, are a marvel of carved Russian-style woodwork and furniture as well as Southwest architecture. Fechin constructed them to showcase his daringly colorful paintings, intricate wood carvings and cabinetry, and coppersmith work on fixtures. The house now contains the Taos Art Museum, which exhibits a rotating collection of some 600 paintings by more than 50 Taos artists, including founders of the original Taos Society of Artists, among them Joseph Sharp, Ernest Blumenschein, Bert Phillips, E. I. Couse, and Oscar Berninghaus. Be sure to take a stroll through the lovely gardens, and a peek in the gift shop which houses exquisite pieces by contemporary jewelers among many attractive items.

The oldest public art museum in the South was designed by William Jay in 1819 as a residence for Alexander Telfair. Within its marble rooms are a variety of paintings from American and European masters, plaster casts of the Elgin Marbles and other classical sculptures, and some of the Telfair family furnishings, including a Duncan Phyfe sideboard and Savannah-made silver.

Occupying an 1887 landmark brick former bank where Water and Sea Streets angle together, the museum’s focus is art depicting or connected to the Passamaquoddy Bay region—extending into Canada—from the 1800s through the present. Changing exhibits in a modern gallery range from classic maritime paintings to abstract art created by artists-in-residence, whom you may spot in storefront studios on Water Street. On the main floor, tall windows let in lots of light for viewing works from the large permanent collection. Catty-corner across Water Street, downtown's historic Masonic Hall is under renovation to become the museum's main building. Among the institute's other local preservation efforts: two early 1800s federal churches, Seaman’s Church ( 26 Middle St.) and Free Will North Church ( 82 High St.), and Grand Army Hall ( 6 Green St.), with patriotic wall art and veteran artifacts. Check out the exteriors on a walk after picking up a map card, also available online, as is information about the buildings and special events like artists talks and church concerts. Handy and a great souvenir, Tides' large foldout "Artsipelago" map, with place names in Passamaquoddy and English, highlights galleries, festivals, sights, etc. in the international region (grab one here or at area businesses and organizations). On Duck Cove Road about a mile from downtown, the institute's small public park overlooks Cobscook Bay.

This museum features magnificent 20th- and 21st-century prints, as well as photos and paintings that rival the finest collections throughout the Southwest. Changing exhibits cull from more than 30,000 archived pieces, which include groundbreaking works by modernist giants such as Bridget Riley, Richard Diebenkorn, and Elaine de Kooning. Photography—from the likes of Ansel Adams, Patrick Nagatani, and Beaumont Newhall—is a particular strength, and provocative shows have featured immense prints, complemented with video projections and a range of mixed-media installations. Transcendentalist master Raymond Jonson's work, as well as other landmark acquisitions he made, are displayed. The museum's vision for the future is to allow yet more of their impressive holdings—a Picasso print, an O'Keeffe painting—to be seen regularly. Lectures and symposia, gallery talks, and guided tours are often scheduled.

The newest outpost of the New Mexico Museum of Art, Vladem boasts a more modern approach to the artistic experience than the city’s historic buildings provide. The striking structure was purposefully designed to accommodate large-scale installations, multimedia exhibitions, performances, educational programs, and much-needed art storage, including a photography vault for fragile historic photos. With nearly 10,000 square feet of gallery space and over 2,500 square feet of outdoor space, plan to spend at least a couple of hours exploring the artwork and grounds. The $12 admission also gets visitors into its sister museum at 107 West Palace Avenue in the Plaza.

The nation's oldest public art museum—and the first American museum to acquire works by Salvador Dalí and Italian Renaissance artist Caravaggio—houses more than 50,000 artworks and artifacts spanning 5,000 years, along with 7,000 items documenting African American history and culture in partnership with the Amistad Foundation. Particularly impressive are the museum's Baroque, Impressionist, and Hudson River School collections.

The Walters' prodigious collection of more than 30,000 artworks provides an organized overview of human history over 5,500 years, from the 3rd millennium BC to the early 20th century. The museum houses major collections of Renaissance, Baroque, and Asian art as well as one of the nation’s best collections of Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Ethiopian works. It also houses Medieval armor and artifacts, jewelry and decorative works, a gift shop, a family activities and arts center on the lower-level, and a café.

A private institution in a building shaped like a traditional octagonal Navajo hogan, the Wheelwright opened in 1937. Founded by Boston scholar Mary Cabot Wheelwright and Navajo medicine man Hastiin Klah, the museum originated as a place to house ceremonial materials. Those items were returned to the Navajo in 1977, but what remains is an incredible collection of 19th- and 20th-century baskets, pottery, sculpture, weavings, metalwork, photography, and paintings, including contemporary works by Native American artists, and typically fascinating changing exhibits. The Case Trading Post on the lower level is modeled after the trading posts that dotted the Southwestern frontier more than 100 years ago. It carries an outstanding selection of books and contemporary Native American jewelry, kachina dolls, weaving, and pottery. There are also several interesting educational programs for visitors and locals to enjoy.

The collection at this fine museum (moving to a new home in 2027) spans a range of eras and cultures, with American and 20th-century art as two major focuses. Get an inside look at Williams students' experience with Object Lab, a hybrid gallery-classroom curated by faculty to coincide with students' studies.

Interactive, immersive, and impactful, this "museum" features a variety of contemporary and experiential art installations grouped under one roof. The highlight is Yayoi Kusama's mirrored Infinity Room, while other exhibits react and play with you thanks to generative light floors, monochromatic lights, and audio tracks on old-fashioned telephones. Visitors can buy beer, seltzer, or soda to take around the museum, and you can also peruse the small gift shop after.

Featuring the largest collection of British art outside Britain, the center surveys the development of English art, life, and thought from the Elizabethan period to the present. The skylighted galleries, one of architect Louis I. Kahn's final works, contain artwork by John Constable, William Hogarth, Thomas Gainsborough, Joshua Reynolds, and J. M. W. Turner, to name but a few. You'll also find rare books and paintings documenting English history. Explore on your own or take a free guided tour, offered Thursday and Saturday at 11 am and weekends at 2 pm.

This gallery presents thought-provoking shows by contemporary artists that often often bend or defy tradition. The star attraction of the permanent collection is Light Reign by James Turrell, an elliptical chamber sitting separate from the main building that allows visitors to contemplate the sky through a large hole in its ceiling. It's a quiet, meditative experience in the midst of the university hubbub. The Henry's location—steps away from the Burke Museum and Red Square—and its free admission make it an easy stop while exploring the UW campus. The café, open even when the gallery is closed on Tuesday and Wednesday, is a peaceful spot for a coffee and a bite to eat.

This charming museum traces the career of one of America's most beloved illustrators, beginning with his first Saturday Evening Post cover in 1916. The crown jewel of the 570 Rockwell illustrations is the famed Four Freedoms gallery, although various works—including his Post covers and self-portraits—are equally charming. The museum also mounts exhibits of work by other artists. Rockwell's studio was moved to the museum grounds and is complete in every detail. Stroll the 36-acre site, picnic on the grounds, or relax at the outdoor café (late May–mid-October). There's a children's version of the audio tour and a scavenger hunt.

The original home of the Smithsonian Institution is an excellent first stop on the Mall to help you get your bearings and plan your exploration of the museums. Built of red sandstone, this Medieval Revival–style building, better known as the "Castle," was designed by James Renwick Jr., the architect of St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. Although British scientist and founder James Smithson never visited America, his will stipulated that, should his nephew, Henry James Hungerford, die without an heir, Smithson's entire fortune would go to the United States, "to found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge." The museums on the Mall are the Smithsonian's most visible example of this ideal, but the organization also sponsors traveling exhibitions and maintains research posts in the Chesapeake Bay area and the tropics of Panama.

A 10-minute video gives an overview of the museums and the National Zoo, and The Smithsonian Institution: America's Treasure Chest exhibition features objects representing all the museums, revealing the breadth and depth of the collections. James Smithson's crypt is in a small chapel-like room here. The Castle also has Views from the Tall Tower—an exhibit demonstrating how the Washington skyline has changed since 1863—a good café, brochures in several languages, and a museum store. Kids appreciate the historic carousel at the north entrance; at the south entrance, you'll find the beautifully manicured Haupt Garden and copper-domed kiosk called the S. Dillon Ripley Center, which houses the Discovery Theater (delightful and affordable live, family-oriented shows on selected weekday mornings—usually geared for kids 2–12—are held here).

Works by one of Florida's foremost landscape artists and leader of The Highwaymen artist group, Albert Ernest Backus (1906–90), are on display at this museum. It also mounts changing exhibits and offers exceptional buys on paintings, pottery, and jewelry by local artists.

The permanent holdings at this impressive museum include 20,000 works, with one of the Southeast's strongest collections of Asian art. There's an outstanding selection of drawings, prints, and photographs as well as Old Master paintings and sculptures. The museum hosts regular lunch panels, film forums, and guest lectures. Be sure to say hello to the museum's namesake, William Hayes Ackland, whose modernist tomb is on-site.

Stroll along on a guided tour through gardens showcasing the graceful sculptures created by internationally known Czech sculptor Albin Polasek (1879–1965). The late artist's home, studio, galleries, and private chapel are centered on 3 acres of exquisitely tended lawns, colorful flower beds, and tropical foliage at the edge of Lake Osceola. Paths and walkways lead past classical life-size figurative sculptures and whimsical mythological pieces. Inside the museum are works by Hawthorne, Chase, and Mucha. The Capen House, a historic 1885 building, has been moved to the grounds to be used for public events.

Opened in 2017, this museum offers a look into the Springfield childhood of Theodor Geisel (aka Dr. Seuss) with a wide range of interactive exhibits and wall drawings, all among rooms so colorful that the museum is like walking into a Dr. Seuss book. Part art gallery, part hands-on children's museum, the second floor re-creates Geisel’s studio and living room (with the furniture and art materials he actually used); you'll see never before publicly displayed artwork.

The focus of this museum near Lincoln Center is its incredible collection of work by folk and self-taught artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, including the single largest collection of reclusive Chicago artist Henry Darger, known for his painstakingly detailed collage paintings of fantasy worlds. The gift shop has an impressive collection of handcrafted items.

Modern, post–World War II art shines at the neighbor to the Cantor Arts Center, where the impressive collection from Harry W. and Mary Margaret Anderson and Mary Patricia Anderson Pence is displayed. Marquee mid-century artists including Richard Diebenkorn, Jackson Pollock, and Ellsworth Kelly are showcased in a gleaming concrete and glass-heavy building that smartly reflects the contemporary ethos of the artwork inside.

More than 80 contemporary sculptures, reached by 11 hiking trails, dot this 140-acre former ski hill. Established in 1996 by local engineer Paul Andres and sculptor John Weidman, it's the largest outdoor sculpture park in New England. Exploring this tranquil site, you'll discover these abstract works set amid leafy woodlands and occasional garden clearings. Some trails are open to mountain bikers in summer and snowmobilers in winter.

Housed in the former Clarkdale High School building, this museum takes a fascinating look at the metal that fueled the local economies for decades. Exhibits include everyday items like copper cookware and tools as well as copper instruments, spiritual items, and artwork. The museum is also known for its collection of trench art, like spent artillery casings embellished with ornate designs that World War I soldiers hammered into the metal.

This museum is in the gray-purple stucco Nelson Fine Arts Center, just north of Gammage Auditorium on the Arizona State campus. For a relatively small museum, it has an extensive collection, including 19th- and 20th-century paintings and sculptures by masters such as Edward Hopper, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Diego Rivera. Works by faculty and student artists are also on display, and there's a gift shop.

This center rotates a fine permanent collection of Native American tapestries and Western contemporary art, including the only complete series of lithographs by noted printmaker Paul Pletka. The fantastically carved doors—done by a WPA artist in the 1930s—alone are worth the visit. Take time to view the elegant historic homes along North 7th Street afterward. Admission is always free for children under 12; it's also free on Tuesday for everyone.

Located on 18th Street, just steps from the National Mall, the Art Museum of the Americas (AMA) is still considered by many a hidden gem. With its rotating exhibitions from prominent Latin American and Caribbean artists, there's always something new to experience at the museum. Take a break from the D.C. crowds and learn about the exhibitions, walk around the picturesque blue-tile corridor, and go for a walk along its serene garden. Admission is free.

The Asian art collection of Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller III forms the core of this museum's holdings, with artworks and artifacts dating as far back as the 11th century BCE. A growing contemporary collection features video, animation, photography, and new media art by artists from Asia and the Americas. Founded in 1956, the society has a regular program of panel discussions, film screenings, family events, and performances, in addition to changing on-loan exhibitions of traditional and contemporary art. Trees and flowering vines grow within the glass-enclosed, skylighted Leo Café, whose menu reflects the diversity of Asian cuisine. The AsiaStore carries the best in Asian design and literature. Docent tours are offered regularly; a schedule is posted on the museum's website.

Known for its rotating contemporary exhibits and woven-look exterior design, this non-collecting museum exhibits mainly new pieces from top national and international artists, often commissioned by the museum. Designed by Shigeru Ban, the 33,000-square-foot facility is a three-story glass cube encased in a woven, wood-veneer exterior screen that gives passersby glimpses of the exhibitions. Inside, a glass elevator and an open-plan design create a bright space, and the rooftop sculpture garden and café offer prime views of Aspen Mountain.

With the famed Firebird sculpture out front, there's no way you can miss this staple of Uptown's art scene. Covered in mirrors and colored glass, Niki de Saint Phalle's 17-foot birdlike creature is just a taste of what the Bechtler has to offer inside. The rotating collection might include Warhol's pop art, Giacometti's dark sculptures, and ceramics by Picasso. Founded by the Swiss-born Andreas Bechtler, the museum highlights his family's love affair with art, as well as their deep connections with many of the artists on display. The small museum is spread across three compact floors—allow about an hour to fully experience the collections.

Check the museum's calendar of after-hours concerts in their popular Jazz at the Bechtler series.