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TZR Readers' Choice Awards: The Best Art Museums
They offer more than just an afternoon among galleries.
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.
1. National Museum of Women in the Arts
Washington, DC
What TZR readers love about National Museum of Women in the Arts:
- A commitment to advocacy and exhibition, countering intersectional gender disparity.
- Its unique mission; the focus on women artists makes it different from other DC museums.
- A global showcase of women who make art in media like photography, cultural clothing, and even hair.
2. Georgia O’Keeffe Museum
Santa Fe, NM
What TZR readers love about Georgia O’Keeffe Museum:
- A beautiful minimalist space that showcases and celebrates one of the US's best artists.
- Inspiring insight into a great American artist and her history.
- The wild beauty of the surrounding Santa Fe desert, a setting O’Keefe loved.
3. Art Institute of Chicago
Chicago, IL
What TZR readers love about the Art Institute of Chicago:
- An amazing collection of Impressionist work.
- A beautiful and varied permanent collection, outstanding special exhibitions, and a stunning Modern Wing.
- Finding famous pieces that you’ve studied in art history classes.
4. Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Boston, MA
5. MoMA
New York, NY
6. National Gallery of Art
Washington, DC
7. Museum of Modern Art
San Francisco, CA
8. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Boston, MA
9. Getty Museum
Los Angeles, CA
10. Crow Museum of Asian Art
Dallas, TX
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
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