USA TODAY 10Best
Our readers selected these 10 museums as the Best History Museums of 2022.
Best History Museum (2022)
Whether you’re interested in American history, or millennia of human history, you can learn a lot about the past with a visit to one of these incredible history museums. Some have broad, encyclopedic collections, while others are specific to a certain moment in history.
The top 10 winners in the category Best History Museum are as follows:
Photo courtesy of Lauren Fraser, Museum of Native American History
No. 10: Museum of Native American History - Bentonville, Arkansas
The Museum of Native American History invites visitors to step back in time and meet the state's first inhabitants. Among the collection of artifacts are pieces dating back some 14,000 years; highlights include the famous Sweetwater Biface and a wooly mammoth skeleton from the Ice Age.
Photo courtesy of The Mob Museum
No. 9: The Mob Museum - Las Vegas
The National Museum of Organized Crime & Law Enforcement, or the Mob Museum for short, documents the darker side of American history by examining the effect organized crime has had on society. Exhibits cover the Prohibition era, organized crime today, forensic lab techniques and law enforcement methods.
Photo courtesy of andresr // Getty Images
No. 8: Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine - Beckley, WV
This mine, opened in 1889 in the heart of present-day Beckley, was the first historic site dedicated to the coal mining industry. Coal has long been king in the mountains of southern West Virginia, and this remarkable museum transports visitors back a century in time when coal company towns were the lifeblood of the economy. 10Best Contributor Chez Chesak adds, “The tours of the old coal mine (via mine car) are fascinating, as are the retired miners that lead them and bring the mine alive with their own stories and experiences. The camp around the mine, though, really brings the miners’ lives to light as you tour their shanties, church, and school.”
Photo courtesy of Tyler Tomasek // Getty Images
No. 7: Erie Maritime Museum - Erie, PA
Discover how this city on the coast of Lake Erie played a critical role in the War of 1812. A fleet of nine ships under Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry prevailed in the Battle of Lake Erie in 1813, returning control of the Great Lakes to the United States from the British. The Erie Maritime Museum relates the story of the construction of the squadron at Presque Isle Bay and the community's subsequent lake heritage. The Niagara is a reconstruction of Perry's brig that serves today as a live-aboard sail training ship and centerpiece of the museum.
Photo courtesy of Photo provided by National Museum of the Marine Corps
No. 6: National Museum of the Marine Corps - Triangle, Virginia
This 135-acre museum site chronicles the history and heritage of the United States Marine Corps. The structure itself is meant to resemble the image of raising the flag and Iwo Jima, while the collection within includes artifacts from 240 years of corps history – uniforms, weapons, medals, flags, aircraft, vehicles and works of art.
Photo courtesy of USS Constitution Museum
No. 5: USS Constitution Museum - Boston
The USS Constitution Museum relates the storied 200-year history of the USS Constitution, which was first launched in the late 18th century and is now recognized as the world's oldest commissioned warship. During her years at sea, the Constitution saw conflict with pirates and even experienced heralded victories during the War of 1812. You can tour the ship itself in the Charlestown Navy Yard.
Photo courtesy of The Henry Ford
No. 4: The Henry Ford - Dearborn, Michigan
The Henry Ford, located in the Detroit metro area, showcases the development of technology in the U.S. and documents the width and breadth of American inventions and innovation. The facility occupies nine acres and includes exhibits on agriculture, the automobile, freedom, timepieces, home appliances, jewelry and presidential limousines. Thematic itineraries, including one title OnWheels, provide a more directed focus for visitors.
Photo courtesy of Farshid Assassi/ Assassi Productions
No. 3: National Underground Railroad Freedom Center - Cincinnati, Ohio
Located on the banks of the Ohio River near downtown Cincinnati, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center reveals the moving stories of the Underground Railroad, Martin Luther King's march from Selma and the millions of people still enslaved in the world today.
Photo courtesy of Courtesy of The Trustees
No. 2: Fruitlands Museum - Harvard, MA
The Fruitlands Museum preserves the story of an 1843 Transcendentalist experiment in subsistence farming and self-reliance inspired by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Although the community lasted only seven months, today, the 210-acre property includes an original farmhouse, the Shaker Museum, the Native American Museum, and an art museum that showcases more than three hundred Hudson River School paintings.
Photo courtesy of Jay Rosenblatt / National Infantry Museum & Soldier Center
No. 1: National Infantry Museum & Soldier Center - Columbus, Georgia
Free immersive exhibits at the National Infantry Museum & Soldier Center in Columbus take visitors through 240 years of U.S. history through the lens of what it means to be a U.S. soldier. It's one of the world's top military museums and one of the top rated attractions in Columbus.
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 history 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
Chez Chesak
‘Chez’ Chesak is Executive Director of the Outdoor... Read More
‘Chez’ Chesak is Executive Director of the Outdoor Writers Association of America, an adventure travel writer, board member of the Society of American Travel Writers and 22-year veteran of the outdoor and travel industries. While he’s lived all over the U.S. and traveled to more than 30 countries, he has the most fun when he’s exploring with his wife Sally and two daughters. An avid outdoors person, he’s happiest on a trail, on skis, or nestled into a sleeping bag. Learn more about him and his work at www.chezconnects.com.
Chez Chesak
‘Chez’ Chesak is Executive Director of the Outdoor Writers Association of America, an adventure travel writer, board member of the Society of American Travel Writers and 22-year veteran of the outdoor and travel industries. While he’s lived all over the U.S. and traveled to more than 30 countries, he has the most fun when he’s exploring with his wife Sally and two daughters. An avid outdoors person, he’s happiest on a trail, on skis, or nestled into a sleeping bag. Learn more about him and his work at www.chezconnects.com.
Deborah Fallows
Deborah Fallows is a writer and a linguist. She is... Read More
Deborah Fallows is a writer and a linguist. She is the co-author with her husband, James Fallows, of the national best-selling book, Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America, published in May, 2018. Our Towns, the HBO documentary based on the book was released in April, 2021. They recently launched the Our Towns Civic Foundation to support renewal efforts of communities across America. Deb has written extensively on language, culture, travel, and China for The Atlantic, National Geographic, Slate, The New York Times and The Washington Monthly. Her previous book, Dreaming in Chinese: Mandarin Lessons in Life, Love, and Language, is based on her 3-year experience living and working in China.
Deborah Fallows
Deborah Fallows is a writer and a linguist. She is the co-author with her husband, James Fallows, of the national best-selling book, Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America, published in May, 2018. Our Towns, the HBO documentary based on the book was released in April, 2021. They recently launched the Our Towns Civic Foundation to support renewal efforts of communities across America. Deb has written extensively on language, culture, travel, and China for The Atlantic, National Geographic, Slate, The New York Times and The Washington Monthly. Her previous book, Dreaming in Chinese: Mandarin Lessons in Life, Love, and Language, is based on her 3-year experience living and working in China.
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?"
Kyle McCarthy
Kyle McCarthy is the co-founder and editor of... Read More
Kyle McCarthy is the co-founder and editor of Family Travel Forum, the trusted resource for family vacation planners since 1996. FTF’s award-winning publications: MyFamilyTravels.com, America’s Most Popular Family Vacations and The Family Vacationist e-newsletter provide destination reviews, tips and seasonal roundups for all aspects of travel. Ms. McCarthy, author of a dozen Frommer’s guidebooks, also contributes to US News, CNN and other publications. She can be found on most social networks @familytravelforum.
Kyle McCarthy
Kyle McCarthy is the co-founder and editor of Family Travel Forum, the trusted resource for family vacation planners since 1996. FTF’s award-winning publications: MyFamilyTravels.com, America’s Most Popular Family Vacations and The Family Vacationist e-newsletter provide destination reviews, tips and seasonal roundups for all aspects of travel. Ms. McCarthy, author of a dozen Frommer’s guidebooks, also contributes to US News, CNN and other publications. She can be found on most social networks @familytravelforum.
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.