The South’s Best Museums 2017

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Atlanta, Georgia

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

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.

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.

Charlottesville, Virginia

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

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.