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Highest-rated specialty museums in Virginia by visitors

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Radu Bercan // Shutterstock
Radu Bercan // 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 Virginia 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. Virginia Museum of the Civil War

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#30. Virginia Museum of the Civil War

- Rating: 4.4/5 (239 reviews)
- City: New Market Shenandoah County
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#27. Explore More Discovery Museum

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#27. Explore More Discovery Museum

- Rating: 4.8/5 (127 reviews)
- City: Harrisonburg
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#24. Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum

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#24. Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum

- Rating: 4.6/5 (301 reviews)
- City: Alexandria
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#23. St. Luke's Historic Church & Museum

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#23. St. Luke's Historic Church & Museum

- Rating: 4.9/5 (496 reviews)
- City: Smithfield
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#20. Virginia Air & Space Science Center

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#20. Virginia Air & Space Science Center

- Rating: 4.1/5 (561 reviews)
- City: Hampton
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#19. NRA National Firearms Museum

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#19. NRA National Firearms Museum

- Rating: 4.7/5 (399 reviews)
- City: Fairfax
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#18. The Car and Carriage Caravan Museum

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#18. The Car and Carriage Caravan Museum

- Rating: 4.4/5 (828 reviews)
- City: Luray
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#15. Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum

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#15. Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum

- Rating: 4.4/5 (763 reviews)
- City: Staunton
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#10. Virginia Museum of Transportation

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#10. Virginia Museum of Transportation

- Rating: 4.5/5 (726 reviews)
- City: Roanoke
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#9. Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest

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#9. Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest

- Rating: 4.5/5 (410 reviews)
- City: Lynchburg
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#8. Stonewall Jackson's Headquarters

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#8. Stonewall Jackson's Headquarters

- Rating: 4.8/5 (358 reviews)
- City: Winchester
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#5. National Museum of the Marine Corps

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#5. National Museum of the Marine Corps

- Rating: 4.9/5 (1,185 reviews)
- City: Triangle Prince William County
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#3. White House Of The Confederacy

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#3. White House Of The Confederacy

- Rating: 4.4/5 (1,292 reviews)
- City: Richmond
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#2. George Washington's Mount Vernon

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#2. George Washington's Mount Vernon

- Rating: 4.6/5 (4,905 reviews)
- City: Mount Vernon Fairfax County
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#1. Steven F Udvar-Hazy Center

Tripadvisor

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#1. Steven F Udvar-Hazy Center

- Rating: 4.8/5 (4,564 reviews)
- City: Chantilly Fairfax County
- 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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