USA TODAY 10Best
Immerse yourself in history at the 10 best open air museums in the US
Best Open Air Museum (2024)
Open-air museums are a fantastic way to experience history and culture in a natural setting. These 10 museums — selected by an expert panel and voted by readers as the best in the country — offer visitors the opportunity to see how people lived, worked, and played in different times, featuring historic buildings, artifacts, and activities that help recreate the past.
- Fort Monroe - Fort Monroe, Virginia
- Hagley Museum and Library - Wilmington, Delaware
- Conner Prairie - Fishers, Indiana
- Colonial Williamsburg - Williamsburg, Virginia
- Strawbery Banke Museum - Portsmouth, New Hampshire
- Jamestown Settlement - Williamsburg, Virginia
- National Museum of Transportation - St. Louis, Missouri
- Oconaluftee Indian Village - Cherokee, North Carolina
- Mystic Seaport Museum - Mystic, Connecticut
- Plimoth Patuxet Museums - Plymouth, Massachusetts
Photo courtesy of Fort Monroe Authority
No. 10:
Fort Monroe in Fort Monroe, Virginia, has a rich history dating back to the early Colonial period and played a significant role in the Civil War, notably as a site where enslaved individuals sought refuge, earning it the nickname "Freedom's Fortress." The fort features well-preserved historical buildings, including barracks, officer quarters, fortifications, and other structures that reflect different periods of American military history.
Photo courtesy of Hagley Museum and Library
No. 9:
Situated on the site of the original du Pont family gunpowder works, the Hagley Museum and Library in Wilmington, Delaware, showcases the early industrial history of America, focusing on the development of the du Pont company and its impact on industry and innovation. Preserving and interpreting the remnants of the early industrial complex, the museum includes the original powder yards, mills, workers' communities, and historic buildings.
Photo courtesy of Conner Prairie
No. 8:
Conner Prairie in Fishers, Indiana, is a unique open air museum that features different historic areas — including a recreated 1836 prairie town, a Civil War journey, and an 1816 Lenape Indian camp — that offer insights into different periods of American history. Bringing these settings to life are skilled interpreters that engage with visitors about the lifestyles, traditions, and challenges faced by people from different time periods.
Photo courtesy of Alex Potemkin / iStock / Getty Images Plus
No. 7:
Billed as the largest U.S. history museum in the world, Colonial Williamsburg meticulously preserves and recreates the 18th-century Colonial capital of Virginia, offering an immersive experience of life during that era. The architecture, landscapes, and interiors of buildings reflect historical accuracy, and interpreters and historical reenactors portray various roles, such as tradespeople, artisans, politicians, and enslaved individuals, bringing history to life through interactive demonstrations, performances, and storytelling.
Photo courtesy of Strawbery Banke Museum
No. 6:
Showcasing the evolution of a New England community from the late 17th to the mid-20th century, Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, preserves a neighborhood that spans nearly four centuries of American history. Featuring dozens of meticulously restored historic buildings, visitors can explore homes, shops, gardens, and taverns, and engage with costumed interpreters to gain a glimpse into the lives of past residents.
Photo courtesy of Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
No. 5:
Featuring re-creations of the three ships that brought settlers in 1607, as well as full-scale settings of a 1610-14 fort and Native American town, Jamestown Settlement in Williamsburg, Virginia, commemorates the founding of the first permanent English settlement in North America and the convergence of the European, Indigenous, and West Central African cultures in the 17th century. In addition, the open air museum offers immersive living history exhibits that re-create the daily lives of the inhabitants of 17th-century Virginia.
Photo courtesy of The National Museum of Transportation Archives
No. 4:
Boasting an extensive collection of transportation-related artifacts, including historic automobiles, locomotives, aircraft, trolleys, and buses, the National Museum of Transportation in St. Louis, Missouri, showcases the evolution of transportation in the United States. Visitors can explore the artifacts and engage in interactive exhibits that highlight milestones, innovations, and technological advancements in the realm of transportation across different eras.
Photo courtesy of Cherokee Historical Association
No. 3:
With a focus on presenting an accurate and respectful portrayal, the Oconaluftee Indian Village in Cherokee, North Carolina, offers an authentic representation of Cherokee life in the 18th century. Showcasing traditional Cherokee dwellings and tools, visitors can experience a living history tour guided by Cherokee cultural interpreters who demonstrate traditional crafts while sharing stories and insights into Cherokee history and traditions.
Photo courtesy of Mystic Seaport Museum
No. 2:
Featuring a unique collection of historic ships, including tall ships, schooners, and a whaling ship, the Mystic Seaport Museum in Mystic, Connecticut, preserves and celebrates America's maritime heritage. Visitors can explore the vessels as well as the museum's recreated 19th-century coastal village while interacting with historical interpreters and enjoying demonstrations of shipbuilding, ropemaking, sailmaking, and blacksmithing.
Photo courtesy of Plimoth Patuxet Museums
No. 1:
The Plimoth Patuxet Museums in Plymouth, Massachusetts, feature meticulously reconstructed and preserved structures, including the Mayflower II, a full-scale reproduction of the ship that brought the Pilgrims to America, and replica villages representing both the English and Native American villages. Visitors are immersed in a living history experience, interacting with historical interpreters who portray both Pilgrims and Wampanoag inhabitants and showcase daily life of the period.
About 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For any questions or comments, please read the FAQ or email USA TODAY 10Best.
The Experts
Deborah Fallows
Deborah Fallows is a writer and a linguist. She is... Read More
Deborah Fallows is a writer and a linguist. She is the co-author with her husband, James Fallows, of the national best-selling book, Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America, published in May, 2018. Our Towns, the HBO documentary based on the book was released in April, 2021. They recently launched the Our Towns Civic Foundation to support renewal efforts of communities across America. Deb has written extensively on language, culture, travel, and China for The Atlantic, National Geographic, Slate, The New York Times and The Washington Monthly. Her previous book, Dreaming in Chinese: Mandarin Lessons in Life, Love, and Language, is based on her 3-year experience living and working in China.
Deborah Fallows
Deborah Fallows is a writer and a linguist. She is the co-author with her husband, James Fallows, of the national best-selling book, Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America, published in May, 2018. Our Towns, the HBO documentary based on the book was released in April, 2021. They recently launched the Our Towns Civic Foundation to support renewal efforts of communities across America. Deb has written extensively on language, culture, travel, and China for The Atlantic, National Geographic, Slate, The New York Times and The Washington Monthly. Her previous book, Dreaming in Chinese: Mandarin Lessons in Life, Love, and Language, is based on her 3-year experience living and working in China.
Jenny Peters
Jenny Peters – aka Jet Set Jen – is a Los... Read More
Jenny Peters – aka Jet Set Jen – is a Los Angeles-based freelance journalist, editor and party columnist specializing in travel, entertainment, film, food, wine, fashion and the other good things in life. She is a founding/voting member of the Critics Choice Association, who present the Critics’ Choice Awards every January. Her favorite places to be are on the beach in Southern California playing volleyball, scuba diving with the sharks in warm tropical waters or strolling the streets and soaking in the atmosphere of one of the world's great cities (New Orleans and Florence are her favorites).
Jenny Peters
Jenny Peters – aka Jet Set Jen – is a Los Angeles-based freelance journalist, editor and party columnist specializing in travel, entertainment, film, food, wine, fashion and the other good things in life. She is a founding/voting member of the Critics Choice Association, who present the Critics’ Choice Awards every January. Her favorite places to be are on the beach in Southern California playing volleyball, scuba diving with the sharks in warm tropical waters or strolling the streets and soaking in the atmosphere of one of the world's great cities (New Orleans and Florence are her favorites).
Jessica James
Jessica James is an award-winning novelist and... Read More
Jessica James is an award-winning novelist and freelance writer who shares her passion for history and travel by writing about historical destinations and off-the-beaten path sites across the United States. Her blog Past Lane Travels has been named the #1 history and travel blog in the USA, and features many regional destinations that are often overlooked. You can find out more about her books at www.jessicajamesbooks.com.
Jessica James
Jessica James is an award-winning novelist and freelance writer who shares her passion for history and travel by writing about historical destinations and off-the-beaten path sites across the United States. Her blog Past Lane Travels has been named the #1 history and travel blog in the USA, and features many regional destinations that are often overlooked. You can find out more about her books at www.jessicajamesbooks.com.
Joanne and Tony DiBona
Travel memories may fade over time, but... Read More
Travel memories may fade over time, but photographs recall those magical moments.
Joanne and Tony DiBona
Travel memories may fade over time, but photographs recall those magical moments.
Karen Dawkins
An avid traveler with an eye on getting the best... Read More
An avid traveler with an eye on getting the best bang for the buck, Karen Dawkins shares destination guides, activity reviews and travel tips at Family Travels on a Budget and in many other publications. Writing since 2012, her family travel blog has evolved in recent years to include popular articles on travel with teens and adults only getaways in the United States and beyond.
Karen Dawkins
An avid traveler with an eye on getting the best bang for the buck, Karen Dawkins shares destination guides, activity reviews and travel tips at Family Travels on a Budget and in many other publications. Writing since 2012, her family travel blog has evolved in recent years to include popular articles on travel with teens and adults only getaways in the United States and beyond.
Kyle McCarthy
Kyle McCarthy is the co-founder and editor of... Read More
Kyle McCarthy is the co-founder and editor of Family Travel Forum, the trusted resource for family vacation planners since 1996. FTF’s award-winning publications: MyFamilyTravels.com, America’s Most Popular Family Vacations and The Family Vacationist e-newsletter provide destination reviews, tips and seasonal roundups for all aspects of travel. Ms. McCarthy, author of a dozen Frommer’s guidebooks, also contributes to US News, CNN and other publications. She can be found on most social networks @familytravelforum.
Kyle McCarthy
Kyle McCarthy is the co-founder and editor of Family Travel Forum, the trusted resource for family vacation planners since 1996. FTF’s award-winning publications: MyFamilyTravels.com, America’s Most Popular Family Vacations and The Family Vacationist e-newsletter provide destination reviews, tips and seasonal roundups for all aspects of travel. Ms. McCarthy, author of a dozen Frommer’s guidebooks, also contributes to US News, CNN and other publications. She can be found on most social networks @familytravelforum.
10Best Editors
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original,... Read More
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
10Best Editors
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
