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Museums are popular tourist attractions because they provide fun ways to learn about history, science, and culture. As stewards of our civilization, they collect and exhibit items of significant importance, typically based around a theme, topic, or place. Many cover areas like art, natural history, or science, but some museums dedicate themselves to highly specific topics like mustard, play, hot air balloons, and even funeral history. Ultimately, museums present a window into different eras of society so people can learn about the past.

Collecting, preserving, and displaying items is not a new idea. The dates to about 530 B.C., a project of Princess Ennigaldi-Nanna, a Babylonian who had a collection of Mesopotamian artifacts. The oldest public museums still in existence are the Capitoline Museums in Rome, a collection of art and archeology museums . America's oldest museum predates our country's founding. The Charleston Museum, a preservation of South Carolinian Lowcountry history,.

Museums are important not just because they preserve important elements of our history and culture but also because they can improve our well-being. Naturally, museums promote education and learning and can also bring joy. Researchers studying art museums found that they can. Quiet museum environments allow people to slow down and relax, and looking at exhibits. Museums also foster community by hosting events, activities, and tours that encourage social interaction.

No wonder they attract nearly.

With over in the country to choose from, there's something for everyone. compiled a list of the highest-rated museums in New York on Tripadvisor as of Aug. 11, 2025. Tripadvisor rankings factor in the average rating and number of reviews. Keep reading to see what museums are in your own home state.

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#30. Brooklyn Museum

- Rating: 4.5/5 (1,676 reviews)
- City: Brooklyn New
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2 / 30

#29. George Eastman Museum

- Rating: 4.6/5 (1,106 reviews)
- City: Rochester Finger Lakes New
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#28. Glenn H. Curtiss Museum

- Rating: 4.8/5 (704 reviews)
- City: Hammondsport Finger Lakes New
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4 / 30

#27. Star Trek Original Series Set Tour

- Rating: 4.9/5 (342 reviews)
- City: Ticonderoga New
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5 / 30

#26. USS Slater DE-766

- Rating: 4.8/5 (492 reviews)
- City: Albany New
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6 / 30

#25. Lyndhurst

- Rating: 4.4/5 (599 reviews)
- City: Tarrytown New
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#24. New York Transit Museum

- Rating: 4.5/5 (1,034 reviews)
- City: Brooklyn New
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#23. Spyscape

- Rating: 4.3/5 (507 reviews)
- City: New
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9 / 30

#22. Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park

- Rating: 4.6/5 (1,031 reviews)
- City: Buffalo Erie County New
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10 / 30

#21. Whitney Museum of American Art

- Rating: 4.3/5 (3,290 reviews)
- City: New
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11 / 30

#20. Madame Tussauds New York

- Rating: 4.0/5 (8,392 reviews)
- City: New
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#19. Museum At Eldridge Street

- Rating: 4.8/5 (542 reviews)
- City: New
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#18. Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum

- Rating: 4.8/5 (1,604 reviews)
- City: Hyde Park New
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#17. Boldt Castle and the Boldt Yacht House

- Rating: 4.7/5 (2,035 reviews)
- City: Alexandria Bay New
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#16. Ground Zero Museum Workshop

- Rating: 4.8/5 (3,106 reviews)
- City: New
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16 / 30

#15. National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

- Rating: 4.7/5 (3,815 reviews)
- City: Cooperstown Otsego Otsego County New
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17 / 30

#14. Frick Collection

- Rating: 4.7/5 (8,700 reviews)
- City: New
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#13. The Strong National Museum of Play

- Rating: 4.8/5 (2,244 reviews)
- City: Rochester Finger Lakes New
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#12. Ellis Island

- Rating: 4.4/5 (7,381 reviews)
- City: New
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#11. Tenement Museum

- Rating: 4.6/5 (6,902 reviews)
- City: New
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21 / 30

#10. Morgan Library

- Rating: 4.7/5 (2,185 reviews)
- City: New
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#9. Corning Museum of Glass

- Rating: 4.8/5 (4,058 reviews)
- City: Corning Finger Lakes New
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#8. Intrepid Museum

- Rating: 4.5/5 (9,783 reviews)
- City: New
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#7. Museum of Sex New York City

- Rating: 4.6/5 (992 reviews)
- City: New
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#6. The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)

- Rating: 4.4/5 (18,579 reviews)
- City: New
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26 / 30

#5. The Cloisters

- Rating: 4.7/5 (5,194 reviews)
- City: New
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#4. American Museum of Natural History

- Rating: 4.3/5 (26,503 reviews)
- City: New
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#3. New York Public Library

- Rating: 4.6/5 (14,737 reviews)
- City: New
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29 / 30

#2. The Metropolitan Museum of Art

- Rating: 4.8/5 (55,443 reviews)
- City: New
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30 / 30

#1. The National 9/11 Memorial & Museum

- Rating: 4.7/5 (98,896 reviews)
- City: New
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This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 51 states.

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