USA TODAY 10Best
Best Art Museum: Booth Western Art Museum
Best Art Museum (2020)
North America is home to some of the world’s most impressive art museums showcasing some of the most comprehensive collections and most famous works of art. Whether you’re interested in the masters or the best of contemporary American art, you’ll find it at one of these museums from coast to coast.
The top 10 winners in the category Best Art Museum are as follows:
- Museum of Fine Arts, Houston - Houston
- Los Angeles County Museum of Art - Los Angeles
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art - New York
- Chihuly Garden and Glass - Seattle
- Art Institute of Chicago - Chicago
- Kimbell Art Museum - Fort Worth
- Nevada Museum of Art - Reno
- Detroit Institute of Arts - Detroit
- Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art - Bentonville, Ark.
- Booth Western Art Museum - Cartersville, Ga.
Photo courtesy of Robb Williamson; Courtesy of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
No. 10:
The collection at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston encompasses some 70,000 works of art from around the world, dating from antiquity to the present. The vast collection is displayed across 300,000 square feet of gallery space, with a particularly strong showing of Renaissance, 18th century and modernist art.
Photo courtesy of Los Angeles County Museum of Art
No. 9:
The largest art museum in the western United States maintains a collection of more than 142,000 objects spanning 6,000 years of art history. Highlights include the Gilbert Collection of decorative arts, the Contemporary Art of the Middle East collection and the Boone Children’s Gallery. The museum plans to open a new building for its permanent collection in 2024.
Photo courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
No. 8:
New York's famed Metropolitan Museum of Art, or the Met for short, presents 5,000 years of art from all corners of the globe. The half-a-million-piece collection is displayed within the main museum on 5th Avenue, as well as in the spectacular Met Cloisters in Fort Tryon Park.
Photo courtesy of Lydia Schrandt
No. 7:
This 1.5-acre museum and garden complex beneath the shadow of Seattle’s Space needle showcases the colorful works of American glass artist Dale Chihuly. The whimsical glass sculptures are divided among eight galleries, in addition to the impressive Glasshouse, home to a 100-foot-long installation featuring 1,340 individual pieces.
Photo courtesy of Art Institute of Chicago
No. 6:
A highlight of any trip to the Windy City, the Art Institute of Chicago maintains one of the most extensive art collections in the world. Entertaining exhibits and galleries include the Throne Miniature Room and the Elizabeth Morse Touch Gallery, where visitors are encouraged to interact with the art pieces.
Photo courtesy of Visit Fort Worth
No. 5:
Housed in a 1972 masterpiece by famed architect Louis Kahn, the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth showcases a small collection — fewer than 350 pieces — of exceptional quality representing the period from antiquity to the 20th century. Highlights include works by Michelangelo, El Greco, Cézanne and Matisse, and many consider the building itself to be a work of art.
Photo courtesy of Bill Timmerman, courtesy of the Nevada Museum of Art
No. 4:
The award-winning Nevada Museum of Art, situated just south of downtown Reno, displays a permanent collection of 2,000 pieces divided into four themed sections, Altered Landscape Photography, Art of the Greater West, Contemporary Art and The Work Ethic. The outdoor grounds of the museum house several pieces from the Burning Man festival.
Photo courtesy of Detroit Institute of Arts
No. 3:
Housed within a Beaux-Arts building, the Detroit Institute of Arts maintains a collection of some 65,000 works — among the largest and most comprehensive in the United States. Visitors can explore human creativity from across the globe as they explore more than 100 galleries, including the Center for African American Art, one of the first collections devoted to African American art at a major museum.
Photo courtesy of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
No. 2:
The free Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art celebrates the American spirit through its collection of five centuries worth of American art. Pieces span history from the Colonial period to the modern day, and include masterworks by Norman Rockwell, Andy Warhol and Georgia O’Keeffe.
Photo courtesy of Booth Western Art Museum
No. 1:
The Booth Western Art Museum maintains the world’s largest permanent exhibition space for Western art — the building itself was designed to resemble a pueblo. The collection of paintings, sculpture, artifacts and photography focus on themes of the Civil War and American West, with works by American legends like Frederic Remington, Charles Russell and Andy Warhol.
A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to pick the initial nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote.
Congratulations to all these winning art museums!
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
Brett Barest
Brett Barest is a freelance writer in Greenville,... Read More
Brett Barest is a freelance writer in Greenville, South Carolina that has watched the city grow from cow pastures and boarded up buildings to the tourist destination it has become today. He loves telling the stories of the people that have brought great food, drink, and live music to the city through a variety of local and regional publications.
Brett Barest
Brett Barest is a freelance writer in Greenville, South Carolina that has watched the city grow from cow pastures and boarded up buildings to the tourist destination it has become today. He loves telling the stories of the people that have brought great food, drink, and live music to the city through a variety of local and regional publications.
Christina Nellemann
Christina has lived in the Reno/Lake Tahoe area... Read More
Christina has lived in the Reno/Lake Tahoe area since she was a baby. A first-generation Nevadan, her Danish parents instilled in her an intense love of travel and the wild, rugged outdoors of the Western U.S. She spends her time hiking, camping, biking and kayaking in the mountains around her home, and snorkeling and boating in Lake Tahoe. Christina loves to visit the neighboring states of California, Oregon, Utah and Arizona but has traveled around the world including to Japan, Fiji, Turkey and Ecuador. When she's not traveling or living outdoors, Christina is a graphic and web designer, writer and blogger.
Christina Nellemann
Christina has lived in the Reno/Lake Tahoe area since she was a baby. A first-generation Nevadan, her Danish parents instilled in her an intense love of travel and the wild, rugged outdoors of the Western U.S. She spends her time hiking, camping, biking and kayaking in the mountains around her home, and snorkeling and boating in Lake Tahoe. Christina loves to visit the neighboring states of California, Oregon, Utah and Arizona but has traveled around the world including to Japan, Fiji, Turkey and Ecuador. When she's not traveling or living outdoors, Christina is a graphic and web designer, writer and blogger.
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.
Ilene Jacobs
As a perpetual wanderer, foodie freak and wannabe... Read More
As a perpetual wanderer, foodie freak and wannabe chef, Ilene is always on the lookout for the best places to see, eat, drink and sleep. When she's not writing about the latest happenings in her hometown of Dallas, she's hanging out in Paris and road tripping around Europe. You can find Ilene's articles about her favorite hot spots and foodie finds at 10Best.com, CBSDFW.com and in TravelAge West magazine. You can also follow Ilene on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.
Ilene Jacobs
As a perpetual wanderer, foodie freak and wannabe chef, Ilene is always on the lookout for the best places to see, eat, drink and sleep. When she's not writing about the latest happenings in her hometown of Dallas, she's hanging out in Paris and road tripping around Europe. You can find Ilene's articles about her favorite hot spots and foodie finds at 10Best.com, CBSDFW.com and in TravelAge West magazine. You can also follow Ilene on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.
Jacky Runice
Born in Bucktown when bulletproof was a home... Read More
Born in Bucktown when bulletproof was a home safety choice and not a coffee order, Jacky Runice has been knocking around Chicago as a professional print, online and broadcast journalist and editor specializing in separating the riff from the raff in culture, entertainment, food, travel and pure unadulterated fun. Jacky is a member of the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA). In her best Chicagoese, Jacky asks, "Who has the time or money to blow on hotels, attractions, restaurants, exhibits and activities that blow?"
Jacky Runice
Born in Bucktown when bulletproof was a home safety choice and not a coffee order, Jacky Runice has been knocking around Chicago as a professional print, online and broadcast journalist and editor specializing in separating the riff from the raff in culture, entertainment, food, travel and pure unadulterated fun. Jacky is a member of the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA). In her best Chicagoese, Jacky asks, "Who has the time or money to blow on hotels, attractions, restaurants, exhibits and activities that blow?"
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).
Karon Warren
For more than 20 years, Karon Warren has traveled... Read More
For more than 20 years, Karon Warren has traveled the globe, searching for adventure, unique personalities and a new perspective on the world. Whenever possible, she brings along her husband and two children, ages 18 and 14. Karon has been published in a variety of media, including FamilyVacationCritic.com, USA Today, Best Life's Travelicious, CruiseCritic.com, Trivago, and AAA Carolina's GO. Karon also is the author of "100 Things to Do in the North Georgia Mountains Before You Die." Karon lives in North Georgia with her family, where they enjoy such outdoor recreation as hiking and geocaching.
Karon Warren
For more than 20 years, Karon Warren has traveled the globe, searching for adventure, unique personalities and a new perspective on the world. Whenever possible, she brings along her husband and two children, ages 18 and 14. Karon has been published in a variety of media, including FamilyVacationCritic.com, USA Today, Best Life's Travelicious, CruiseCritic.com, Trivago, and AAA Carolina's GO. Karon also is the author of "100 Things to Do in the North Georgia Mountains Before You Die." Karon lives in North Georgia with her family, where they enjoy such outdoor recreation as hiking and geocaching.
Marla Cimini
Marla is a writer with a passion for travel, music... Read More
Marla is a writer with a passion for travel, music and culinary adventures (and combining those whenever possible)! As an avid globetrotter, she encourages respecting and learning about other cultures while traveling. She has visited Hawaii multiple times, and has explored destinations worldwide, including the Mediterranean region, South America, Asia and more. Marla is a contributor to Fodor’s Hawaii guidebooks (Oahu and Kauai 2020) and her articles have appeared in a number of international publications. She calls New Jersey (Philadelphia area) home. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter and read her travel tips and adventures on her website.
Marla Cimini
Marla is a writer with a passion for travel, music and culinary adventures (and combining those whenever possible)! As an avid globetrotter, she encourages respecting and learning about other cultures while traveling. She has visited Hawaii multiple times, and has explored destinations worldwide, including the Mediterranean region, South America, Asia and more. Marla is a contributor to Fodor’s Hawaii guidebooks (Oahu and Kauai 2020) and her articles have appeared in a number of international publications. She calls New Jersey (Philadelphia area) home. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter and read her travel tips and adventures on her website.
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.
