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Highest-rated specialty museums in Missouri 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 Missouri 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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#29. The College Basketball Experience

Tripadvisor

2 / 30

#29. The College Basketball Experience

- Rating: 4.2/5 (254 reviews)
- City: not available
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#27. Lewis & Clark Boat House and Museum

Tripadvisor

4 / 30

#27. Lewis & Clark Boat House and Museum

- Rating: 4.3/5 (195 reviews)
- City: Saint Charles
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#25. The Air and Military Museum of the Ozarks

Tripadvisor

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#25. The Air and Military Museum of the Ozarks

- Rating: 4.6/5 (88 reviews)
- City: Springfield
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#23. Willmore Lodge

Tripadvisor

8 / 30

#23. Willmore Lodge

- Rating: 4.6/5 (200 reviews)
- City: Lake Ozark Lake of the Ozarks
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#22. Glore Psychiatric Museum

Tripadvisor

9 / 30

#22. Glore Psychiatric Museum

- Rating: 4.5/5 (340 reviews)
- City: Saint Joseph
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#18. Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum

Tripadvisor

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#18. Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum

- Rating: 4.7/5 (280 reviews)
- City: Saint Louis
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#15. Jefferson Barracks Telephone Museum

Tripadvisor

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#15. Jefferson Barracks Telephone Museum

- Rating: 5.0/5 (160 reviews)
- City: Saint Louis
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#13. Ripley's Believe It or Not! Branson

Tripadvisor

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#13. Ripley's Believe It or Not! Branson

- Rating: 4.0/5 (1,294 reviews)
- City: Branson
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#8. Hallmark Visitors Center

Tripadvisor

23 / 30

#8. Hallmark Visitors Center

- Rating: 4.3/5 (514 reviews)
- City: not available
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#5. The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures

Tripadvisor

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#5. The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures

- Rating: 4.7/5 (361 reviews)
- City: not available
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#4. Museum Of Illusions St. Louis

Tripadvisor

27 / 30

#4. Museum Of Illusions St. Louis

- Rating: 4.9/5 (393 reviews)
- City: Saint Louis
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#3. Arabia Steamboat Museum

Tripadvisor

28 / 30

#3. Arabia Steamboat Museum

- Rating: 4.7/5 (2,269 reviews)
- City: not available
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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