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Highest-rated specialty museums in New York by visitors

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Sergey Ryzhov // Shutterstock
Sergey Ryzhov // 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 New York 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. National Museum of the American Indian

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#30. National Museum of the American Indian

- Rating: 4.2/5 (818 reviews)
- City: New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#29. Snug Harbor Cultural Center

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#29. Snug Harbor Cultural Center

- Rating: 4.3/5 (306 reviews)
- City: Staten Island New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#28. Vanderbilt Museum

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#28. Vanderbilt Museum

- Rating: 4.2/5 (228 reviews)
- City: Centerport Long Island New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#27. National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House

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#27. National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House

- Rating: 4.6/5 (286 reviews)
- City: Rochester Finger Lakes New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#25. Pierce-Arrow Museum

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#25. Pierce-Arrow Museum

- Rating: 4.5/5 (307 reviews)
- City: Buffalo Erie County New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#23. Noguchi Museum

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#23. Noguchi Museum

- Rating: 4.6/5 (207 reviews)
- City: Long Island City Queens New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#22. Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum

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#22. Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum

- Rating: 4.5/5 (730 reviews)
- City: Jamestown Chautauqua County New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#20. The Museum at Bethel Woods

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#20. The Museum at Bethel Woods

- Rating: 4.7/5 (565 reviews)
- City: Bethel Sullivan Catskills Catskill Region New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#19. Museum of the Moving Image

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#19. Museum of the Moving Image

- Rating: 4.5/5 (728 reviews)
- City: Astoria Queens New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#18. Old Westbury Gardens

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#18. Old Westbury Gardens

- Rating: 4.7/5 (444 reviews)
- City: Old Westbury Long Island New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#17. Ellis Island Immigration Museum

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#17. Ellis Island Immigration Museum

- Rating: 4.4/5 (3,202 reviews)
- City: New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#15. Glenn H. Curtiss Museum

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#15. Glenn H. Curtiss Museum

- Rating: 4.8/5 (704 reviews)
- City: Hammondsport Finger Lakes New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#14. Star Trek Original Series Set Tour

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#14. Star Trek Original Series Set Tour

- Rating: 4.9/5 (342 reviews)
- City: Ticonderoga New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#13. George Eastman Museum

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#13. George Eastman Museum

- Rating: 4.6/5 (1,107 reviews)
- City: Rochester Finger Lakes New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#12. New York Transit Museum

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#12. New York Transit Museum

- Rating: 4.5/5 (1,034 reviews)
- City: Brooklyn New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#7. National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

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#7. National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

- Rating: 4.7/5 (3,815 reviews)
- City: Cooperstown Otsego Otsego County New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#4. Corning Museum of Glass

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#4. Corning Museum of Glass

- Rating: 4.8/5 (4,058 reviews)
- City: Corning Finger Lakes New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#1. The National 9/11 Memorial & Museum

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#1. The National 9/11 Memorial & Museum

- Rating: 4.7/5 (98,899 reviews)
- City: New
- Read more on Tripadvisor

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Madison Troyer, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 51 states.

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