USA TODAY 10Best
10 best music museums in the US that will rock your world
Best Music Museum (2024)
The United States has been the birthplace of numerous musical genres, and some of the world’s most famous singers, songwriters, and performing artists have gotten their starts here. These 10 museums — selected by an expert panel and voted by readers as the best in the U.S. — celebrate American musical history with a big-picture approach or through the lens of a specific artist or genre.
- The Blue Ridge Music Center - Galax, Virginia
- Musical Instrument Museum - Phoenix, Arizona
- Birthplace of Country Music Museum - Bristol, Virginia
- Patsy Cline Museum - Nashville, Tennessee
- GRAMMY Museum Mississippi - Cleveland, Mississippi
- GRAMMY Museum L.A. Live - Los Angeles, California
- Woody Guthrie Center - Tulsa, Oklahoma
- The Museum at Bethel Woods - Bethel, New York
- Rock & Roll Hall of Fame - Cleveland, Ohio
- Johnny Cash Museum - Nashville, Tennessee
Photo courtesy of Hakase_ / iStock / Getty Images Plus
No. 10:
Aptly named, this museum celebrates the music of the Blue Ridge Mountains — from bluegrass, old-time, and folk to Americana, country blues, and gospel — and those who perform it. Milepost 213 on the Blue Ridge Parkway is where you’ll find the museum, a visitor center, an interpretive center, and an amphitheater.
Photo courtesy of Musical Instrument Museum
No. 9:
One of the largest museums on the planet dedicated to musical instruments, the aptly named Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix showcases more than 4,200 instruments representing 200 countries and territories from all corners of the globe. State-of-the-art audio and video allow visitors to hear the instruments and see them being played, and in the Experience Gallery, they can make their own music with a variety of instruments, from harps to drums.
Photo courtesy of Birthplace of Country Music
No. 8:
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum showcases the roles that Bristol, Tennessee, and Bristol, Virginia, played in the development of country music. The Smithsonian affiliate traces this musical history back to the 1927 Bristol Sessions recording — an event that helped shape the sound of commercial country music. The collection includes photographs, printed music, recordings, concert posters, instruments, and a variety of recording and playback gear.
Photo courtesy of Patsy Cline Museum
No. 7:
Patsy Cline died young — she was only 30 years old — but she had a big influence on the American country music industry in her short time. This Nashville museum explores her life and work through artifacts, personal belongings, video and audio recordings, and costumes.
Photo courtesy of GRAMMY Museum Mississippi
No. 6:
The 28,000-square-foot GRAMMY Museum Mississippi opened its doors in 2011, and it currently hosts more than two dozen interactive exhibits exploring American music history. Mississippi was chosen as the site for this second GRAMMY Museum due to its rich musical heritage.
Photo courtesy of Rebecca Sapp
No. 5:
The GRAMMY Museum L.A. Live in Los Angeles tells the story of American music through permanent exhibits, such as the Mono to Immersive Experience Room, which lets listeners experience how music and technology have progressed over time, and "GRAMMY Moments," highlighting some of the best events in GRAMMY Awards history.
Photo courtesy of Woody Guthrie Center
No. 4:
The mission of the Woody Guthrie Center in Tulsa is “to spread Woody’s message of diversity, equality, and social justice.” The space, dedicated to one of the nation’s greatest folk singers and songwriters, features an interactive map tracing Guthrie’s life, travels, and music history, as well as a music bar for listening to his songs.
Photo courtesy of Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
No. 3:
The Museum at Bethel Woods is dedicated to preserving the stories of Woodstock, the most famous three-day music festival in history. Visit the original site of Woodstock and be transported back in time via their main exhibit that takes visitors through the 1960s with pictures, music, and films.
Photo courtesy of The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
No. 2:
This museum and hall of fame on the shores of Lake Erie in Cleveland first opened in 1995. Today, visitors can experience different theaters, seven floors of exhibits, all kinds of interactive stations, and more, all while learning about some of the most influential rock musicians in history.
Photo courtesy of Johnny Cash Museum
No. 1:
This dedicated space to "The Man in Black" is packed with Johnny Cash memorabilia, including costumes, gold and platinum records, handwritten song lyrics, and even a piece of the wall from the home he shared with his wife, June. A small theater screens clips of Cash’s television and movie appearances.
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
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).
Joanne and Tony DiBona
Joanne and Tony DiBona know a thing or two about... Read More
Joanne and Tony DiBona know a thing or two about creating photo galleries to share their personal travel experiences around the world with their readers. Their articles have been featured on 10Best for the past decade, as well as in national and international print and online media. Their awards for photography and journalism fill up an entire wall in their office, the most recent being a top national award for their US and international galleries published on 10Best. Follow their travel adventures on their scenic photography website and travel blog. Have a question about travel? Contact them on their Instagram and Facebook pages.
Joanne and Tony DiBona
Joanne and Tony DiBona know a thing or two about creating photo galleries to share their personal travel experiences around the world with their readers. Their articles have been featured on 10Best for the past decade, as well as in national and international print and online media. Their awards for photography and journalism fill up an entire wall in their office, the most recent being a top national award for their US and international galleries published on 10Best. Follow their travel adventures on their scenic photography website and travel blog. Have a question about travel? Contact them on their Instagram and Facebook pages.
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.
