The South’s Best Museums 2017

By Valerie Fraser Luesse

What’s the #1 museum in the South? We’ll give you a hint: It houses Judy Garland’s ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz, Harriet Tubman’s Bible, Ancient Egyptian art, and remnants of a sunken slave ship.

RELATED: The South's Best Small Towns 2017

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1. Smithsonian

Jon Hicks/Getty Images

Washington, D.C.

With 19 museums and galleries, a zoo, and more, the Smithsonian has something for everyone. Newly opened: the National Museum of African American History & Culture.

RELATED: The South’s Best Museum 2017: The Smithsonian

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2. Biltmore

Robbie Caponetto

Asheville, North Carolina

The former chateau-style mansion, formal gardens, and working estate that once was home to George and Edith Vanderbilt now welcomes more than 1 million visitors each year.

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3. Colonial Williamsburg

Courtesy of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

Williamsburg, Virginia

Williamsburg has an impressive historic district billed as “the world’s largest living history museum.” Meet interpreters and crafts people in period costume and watch 18th Century America come to life.

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4. Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

Courtesy of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum and Dove Wedding Photography

Nashville, Tennessee

A $100 million expansion doubled its size to 350,000 square feet. The museum is anchored by the permanent exhibition Sing Me Back Home: A Journey Through Country Music.

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5. The National WWII Museum

Courtesy of The National WWII Museum

New Orleans, Louisiana

One of the most interesting facets of this amazing museum is its oral history program, working to capture the personal stories of the Greatest Generation.

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6. High Museum of Art

Art Meripol

Atlanta, Georgia

Permanent collections of this Southeastern treasure include American, European, and Modern/Contemporary Art, African Art, Photography, and more.

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The South's Best Winners 2017

We poured through your more than 22,000 online votes to bring you the best-of-the-best Southern spots. Check out our roundup of the best restaurant, hotel, island, inn, resort, barbecue, bar, shop, museum, brewery, city, and tailgate in the South. Each of these Southern gems is absolutely worth the trip – from the picturesque views of the Outer Banks to the juicy pulled pork of Southern Soul Barbecue. Sip on a cold brew at Wicked Weed Brewery, have a nightcap at Callaghan's, or find your next heirloom at The Paris Market & Brocante. Take a vacation to Asheville to stay at the extravagant Inn on Biltmore Estate, or enjoy the picturesque history of Savannah at the charming Foley House Inn. If you're in town (or, making the trip!), stop in at one of these local favorites chosen by our readers.

View all of the South's Best 2017 winners here. 

SOUTH’S BEST BAR
Callaghan’s Irish Social Club; Mobile, AL

SOUTH’S BEST BARBECUE
Southern Soul Barbeque; St. Simons Island, GA

SOUTH’S BEST BREWERY
Wicked Weed Brewing; Asheville, NC

SOUTH’S BEST CITY
Charleston, SC

SOUTH’S BEST HOTEL
The Inn on Biltmore Estate; Asheville, NC

SOUTH’S BEST INN
Foley House Inn; Savannah, GA

SOUTH’S BEST ISLAND
Outer Banks, NC

SOUTH’S BEST MUSEUM
Smithsonian; Washington, D.C.

SOUTH’S BEST RESORT
Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center; Nashville, TN

SOUTH’S BEST RESTAURANT
Commander’s Palace; New Orleans, LA

SOUTH’S BEST SHOP
The Paris Market and Brocante; Savannah, GA

SOUTH’S BEST SMALL TOWN
Beaufort, SC

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7. Kennedy Space Center

Titusville, Florida

You can still witness liftoff at the Florida facility named for a President who convinced us we could beat the Russians to the moon in the 1960s.

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8. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

Robbie Caponetto

Bentonville, Arkansas

This striking museum exhibits works from Colonial America to today and includes such masterworks as Andy Warhol’s Coca-Cola and Norman Rockwell’s Rosie the Riveter.

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9. Monticello

Robbie Caponetto

Charlottesville, Virginia

Thomas Jefferson’s astounding home and gardens reflect his skills as an architect and gardener, not to mention his boundless curiosity.

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10. Rothko Chapel

Hickey-Robertson

Houston, Texas

Part art museum—with 14 murals by artist Mark Rothko—part spiritual space, and part cultural center, the chapel is open to people of all faiths, 365 days a year, and promotes mutual understanding and human rights.

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