TZR Readers' Choice Awards: The Best Art Museums

TZR’s Readers’ Choice Awards are celebrating the art museums that define culture and creativity across the U.S. This year’s nominees invite you into worlds of inspiration — from sleek contemporary spaces showcasing cutting-edge visionaries to storied institutions where timeless masterpieces come alive. Each destination offers more than an afternoon among galleries; it’s an experience that lingers, sparking curiosity, reflection, and connection. Whether you find beauty in bold new perspectives or the classics that never fade, these standout nominees prove that art isn’t just something to look at — it’s something to feel, to explore, and to return to again and again.

Have questions? Read the official Readers’ Choice rules.

Photos courtesy of The Art Institute of Chicago, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum/Boston/Ally Schmaling, The Museum of Modern Art/Mike Kelley, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Index of American Design, National Museum of Women in the Arts