There is certainly no shortage of superb museums in the USA. This vast country has a correspondingly impressive selection of institutions, focusing on a diverse range of topics. Whether you are interested in art, history, science, space or anything else, you should be able to find the perfect museum for you.
Intrepid Museum New York
For example, the Intrepid Museum New York offers a fantastic visitor experience. Focussing on sea, air and space technology, it provides people with the chance to see the first ever space shuttle, the world’s fastest jets, a Cold War-era submarine and an aircraft carrier. It also contains a British Airways Concorde and 27 authentically-restored aircraft. In addition, it features an 18,000-square-foot education centre. Given its magnificent exhibits and facilities, it is no surprise that the centre welcomes more than one million individuals through its doors each year.
The Frick Collection, New York
Also in New York City, The Frick Collection enjoys considerable renown. Both a museum and a research centre, it is home to paintings, European sculptures and decorative arts. The collection was put together by industrialist Henry Clay Frick and it is housed in his former home on Fifth Avenue. This Gilded Age mansion is the perfect setting in which to view the artistic creations.
Art Institute of Chicago
Another top-quality museum is the Art Institute of Chicago. This one million-square-foot visitor attraction contains artworks from all periods and many people consider the structure itself to be a work of art. The institution contains around 300,000 exhibits in its permanent collection, which is housed in no fewer than eight buildings in the heart of Chicago. It also hosts 30 special exhibitions and hundreds of talks, performances, lectures and other events each year.
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson, Arizona is another gem. A zoo, natural history museum, botanical garden, art gallery and aquarium in one, it boasts two miles of walking paths over 21 acres of desert landscape. The attraction is home to more than 230 animal species and 1,200 types of plant. Every year, it attracts nearly 400,000 sightseers.
The Naval Aviation Museum, Florida
The Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida is another must-see. This centre captures the country’s aviation heritage and it is the largest museum of its kind in the world. It boasts more than 150 restored aircraft representing the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard Aviation. The exhibits are set out over nearly 300,000 square feet. It’s worth noting that the museum provides free guided tours and it also boasts a 15-passenger motion-based flight simulator. In addition, it has its own IMAX® screen and its Cubi Bar Cafe is decorated with more than 1,000 squadron and unit plaques reassembled from the Officers’ Club at Cubi Point in the Philippines.
Image by Ricardo N. Cabral used under creative commons license
Ferdz Decena is an award-winning travel photographer, writer and blogger. His works has found print in publications such as Singapore Airlines’s Silver Kris, Philippine Airlines’ Mabuhay, Cebu Pacific’s Smile and Seair InFlight. He has also lent his expertise to various organizations like the Oceana Philippines, Lopez Group Foundation, Save the Children and World Vision, contributing quality images for their marketing materials.
