
Highest-rated specialty museums in Washington by visitors
Highest-rated specialty museums in Washington by visitors
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 Washington 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?

#30. Campbell House
- Rating: 4.6/5 (81 reviews)
- City: Spokane
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#29. Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center
- Rating: 4.5/5 (210 reviews)
- City: Stevenson
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#28. Port Townsend Aero Museum
- Rating: 4.5/5 (65 reviews)
- City: Port Townsend
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#27. Schack Art Center
- Rating: 4.8/5 (89 reviews)
- City: Everett
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#26. John's Beachcombing Museum
- Rating: 4.7/5 (36 reviews)
- City: Forks Clallam County
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#25. Ye Olde Curiosity Shop
- Rating: 3.8/5 (191 reviews)
- City: Seattle
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#24. Marsh's Free Museum
- Rating: 4.1/5 (605 reviews)
- City: Long Beach
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#23. Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
- Rating: 4.1/5 (125 reviews)
- City: Seattle
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#22. Northwest Railway Museum
- Rating: 4.0/5 (162 reviews)
- City: Snoqualmie
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#21. LeMay Collections at Marymount
- Rating: 4.7/5 (189 reviews)
- City: Tacoma
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#20. Feiro Marine Life Center
- Rating: 4.3/5 (126 reviews)
- City: Port Angeles Clallam County
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#19. Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum
- Rating: 4.4/5 (351 reviews)
- City: Leavenworth
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#18. REACH Museum
- Rating: 4.5/5 (176 reviews)
- City: Richland Tri Cities
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#17. Washington State History Museum
- Rating: 4.4/5 (246 reviews)
- City: Tacoma
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#16. The Center for Wooden Boats
- Rating: 4.5/5 (220 reviews)
- City: Seattle
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#15. The Whale Museum
- Rating: 4.4/5 (782 reviews)
- City: Friday Harbor San Juan Island San Juan Islands
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#14. SPARK Museum of Electrical Invention
- Rating: 4.5/5 (211 reviews)
- City: Bellingham
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#13. Pacific Bonsai Museum
- Rating: 4.8/5 (180 reviews)
- City: Federal Way
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#12. Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience
- Rating: 4.5/5 (346 reviews)
- City: Seattle
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#11. Bainbridge Island Museum of Art
- Rating: 4.7/5 (309 reviews)
- City: Bainbridge Island
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#10. Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum
- Rating: 4.8/5 (313 reviews)
- City: Everett
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#9. USS Turner Joy Museum Ship
- Rating: 4.6/5 (292 reviews)
- City: Bremerton
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#8. Gates Foundation Discovery Center
- Rating: 4.5/5 (716 reviews)
- City: Seattle
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#7. Microsoft Building 92
- Rating: 3.9/5 (246 reviews)
- City: Redmond
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#6. LeMay - America's Car Museum
- Rating: 4.7/5 (1,078 reviews)
- City: Tacoma
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#5. Museum of Illusions Seattle
- Rating: 4.8/5 (74 reviews)
- City: Seattle
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#4. Museum of History & Industry
- Rating: 4.5/5 (887 reviews)
- City: Seattle
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#3. Museum of Glass
- Rating: 4.3/5 (1,326 reviews)
- City: Tacoma
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#2. Museum of Pop Culture
- Rating: 4.2/5 (7,338 reviews)
- City: Seattle
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#1. The Museum of Flight
- Rating: 4.7/5 (6,937 reviews)
- City: Seattle
- 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.