If you are a horse lover—The Royal Mews in London is a must see.
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I don’t know if I’d call it hidden, but it sure is a gem: the lower level of the Princeton Art Museum has an amazing collection of sculptures from the ancient Americas that I have never seen elsewhere. It’s free/voluntary donation, so you can drop by before or after a campus tour.
I love the princeton art museum - they have some Antioch mosaics from ancient rome - well worth the visit (also a nice smattering of everything - a warhol, a picasso, a shakespeare folio, a van gogh, etc.) Living in NJ we visit once a year or so (also just love walking in the town which is lovely - my favorite college town - but that is another thread).
The Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum and Planetarium, in San Jose, California. This hidden gem museum has the largest collection of Egyptian artifacts on exhibit in Western North America. Museum was built in 1927 and founded by the Ancient Mystical order Rosae Crucis. The museum is located in the Rose Garden neighborhood of San Jose.
Have been to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond a couple of times in the last year (that @TatinG mentioned earlier). Very nice museum, beautiful Faberge eggs, is free except for special exhibition areas.
In Pittsburgh, went to Bicycle Heaven earlier this year.
In East Liverpool Ohio, the Lou Holtz Upper Ohio Valley Hall of Fame Museum was interesting. Fort Steuben in Steubenville Ohio.
The Homer Laughlin China Factory in Newell, WV (related to Fiesta ware) is interesting- a factory outlet with a factory tour and museum of the history is also there.
Anybody have some new finds to share?
The Harley Davidson Museum in Milwaukee, WI (and no, I don’t ride.)
The Museum of the New South in Charlotte, NC (and no, I don’t live in the South.)
In Paris, Nissim de Camondos museum. Enjoyed it more than Louvre. And no line. Near there is a nice park also, I believe. A nice way to spend a day. Musee Dorsey was good also.
And in Madrid, some General’s museum which is free after 5 PM.
On the Blue Ridge Parkway in southwestern Virginia, the NPS runs a small museum dedicated to the music of Appalachia. At noon, local musicians perform on the breezeway. It is very well done for those interested in roots music.
The John Soane museum in London. https://www.soane.org/
National Museum of Mathematics in NYC. Small, but fun. Upstairs is geared to younger kids but downstairs they have puzzles and games for older kids, but many fun for all ages. It’s not too far from Chelsea Market and the Highline so a nice excursion.
Fruitlands Museum in Massachusetts–35 miles west of Boston, includes fiive collections on one
site. Founded in 1914 by a wealthy Bostonian, collections include: Shaker (manuscripts and Shaker house), Transcendentalist (Farmhouse from the utopian community created by Bronson Alcott and Charles Lane), Native American, and an art gallery (Hudson River School paintings and nineteenth century vernacular portraits).
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While visiting Santa Fe last month, my friends and I went to the IAIA (Institute of American Indian Arts) Museum of Contemporary Native Arts as was recommended to us by a young Native American. It did not disappoint. There was a lot to see, and there was a great gift shop. Some of the art was politically barbing, and we LOVED it!
The Kentucky Derby museum at Churchill Downs in Louisville was a nice surprise. I found it very interesting and I’m not into horse racing at all. Still as insight into an iconic American sporting event it was fun.
The Visionary Art Museum and Industrial Museum in Baltimore are both awesome.
Haven’t read the whole thread to see if it’s been posted or not, but if one likes (US) Western Art and Bronzes, the Remington Museum in Ogdensburg, NY is worth a stop. They have several of Frederick Remington’s paintings and bronzes. Ogdensburg has a bridge to Canada, so if one is heading to Ottawa from NY it’s more or less along one route option.
Across the river in Brockville, ON, Canada there’s a new Aquatarium we visited this past summer. Quite honestly there’s not much to it (other than some otters and small bits of history as well as a model of the St Lawrence Seaway - complete with water and “boats”), but we got mesmerized in their theater watching documentary videos about the history of the area and some people in it. I’m not sure if they have a cycle of certain videos or if it’s random, but we liked all those we saw and only left because we had to be moving on. It’s along a nice waterfront section near a park where we like to eat Fish and Chips (from Don’s and taken to the park) and Ice Cream (at the concession in the park). Cruises on the river are available at the park too.
Spending some time in Rochester NY this week and can recommend the Susan B Anthony House, George Eastman House and Museum, and Memorial Art Gallery. Also the Strong Museum of Play, for those with an interest in toys and games or younger children.
Museum in Mesa verde. I think it’s archeology museum. Very well done.
For something unusual, there is a Pez museum in the Bay Area:
@Magnetron Norton Simon
That’s a surprisingly great little museum.
Two more
– Musee Mecanique in San Fran which is a collection of old timey arcade games and history / photo machines. Think carnival barker yelling, “Put a penny in and see the Great Fire of Chicago!,” old boxing games, Zoran (from Big) type games. Some are really cool, some are very odd. They’re all working and you can play with quarters. It’s tucked away in Fisherman’s Wharf.
– Cooper Union is lovely old, art museum in NYC with cool rotating exhibits and a permanent collection. Saw a great fashion exhibit a couple years ago and this great modern light / sensory exhibit. Not sure it’s quite hidden gem since most folks have prolly heard of it, but it feels like to me it’s often overlooked by visitors to New York, yet is loved by New Yorkers themselves.