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Highest-rated specialty museums in California by visitors

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Anton_Ivanov // Shutterstock
Anton_Ivanov // Shutterstock
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In 1683, Elias Ashmole, an Oxford graduate and true polymath, founded the Ashmolean, the modern world's first public museum. Stocked with his private collection of artifacts, curios, and special scientific equipment, the goal of the museum was to create a center for practical research and the advancement of knowledge. This, Ashmole felt, was a goal "very necessary to humaine life, health [and] the conveniences thereof."

According to figures from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, there are more than 35,000 museums in the United States today. Their collections encompass everything from modern art, like at the MoMA in New York City, to mustard, like at the National Mustard Museum in Middleton, Wisconsin, and everything in between.

Museums are anchors of our communities. The American Alliance of Museums reports that museums support more than 725,000 jobs and contribute upwards of $50 billion to the U.S. economy each year. Three-quarters of Americans agree that museums are an important part of our civil society and have an important role in promoting knowledge and civic engagement.

Beyond their educational and economic significance, museums are just plain fun. Whether you have a developed interest in natural history or just want to learn a little bit more about funerary history (the National Museum of Funeral History in Houston), there's sure to be a museum that strikes your interest. There's simply nothing else quite like spending an afternoon learning about famous figures, arts and crafts, military history, or what else you fancy.

Here, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated specialty museums in California on Tripadvisor as of Aug. 13, 2025. Keep reading to see what unique museums are in your home state. Then, make sure to plan a visit. With many museums facing funding cuts due to the current administration's efforts to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services, who's to say how much longer these treasure troves will be available to us?

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#30. Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum (MECM)

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#30. Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum (MECM)

- Rating: 4.8/5 (219 reviews)
- City: Carlsbad
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#29. Oakland Museum of California

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#29. Oakland Museum of California

- Rating: 4.7/5 (761 reviews)
- City: Oakland
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#28. Buck Owens' Crystal Palace

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#28. Buck Owens' Crystal Palace

- Rating: 4.3/5 (568 reviews)
- City: Bakersfield
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#22. The Marine Mammal Center

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#22. The Marine Mammal Center

- Rating: 4.5/5 (343 reviews)
- City: Sausalito Marin County
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#20. The Nethercutt Collection

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#20. The Nethercutt Collection

- Rating: 4.8/5 (855 reviews)
- City: Los Angeles
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#15. Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum

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#15. Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum

- Rating: 4.4/5 (938 reviews)
- City: San Jose
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#14. Charles M. Schulz Museum

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#14. Charles M. Schulz Museum

- Rating: 4.6/5 (1,195 reviews)
- City: Santa Rosa Sonoma County
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#9. Palm Springs Air Museum

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#9. Palm Springs Air Museum

- Rating: 4.7/5 (2,106 reviews)
- City: Palm Springs Greater Palm Springs
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#8. Mission San Juan Capistrano

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#8. Mission San Juan Capistrano

- Rating: 4.7/5 (1,627 reviews)
- City: San Juan Capistrano
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#7. Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum

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#7. Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum

- Rating: 4.8/5 (3,193 reviews)
- City: Simi Valley
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#5. California State Railroad Museum

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#5. California State Railroad Museum

- Rating: 4.8/5 (2,833 reviews)
- City: Sacramento
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#4. Walt Disney Family Museum

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#4. Walt Disney Family Museum

- Rating: 4.6/5 (2,860 reviews)
- City: San Francisco
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#3. Petersen Automotive Museum

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#3. Petersen Automotive Museum

- Rating: 4.6/5 (2,541 reviews)
- City: Los Angeles
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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