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Highest-rated specialty museums in Washington by visitors

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Monkey Business Images // 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 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?

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#29. Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center

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#29. Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center

- Rating: 4.5/5 (210 reviews)
- City: Stevenson
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#28. Port Townsend Aero Museum

Tripadvisor

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#28. Port Townsend Aero Museum

- Rating: 4.5/5 (65 reviews)
- City: Port Townsend
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#23. Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture

Tripadvisor

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#23. Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture

- Rating: 4.1/5 (125 reviews)
- City: Seattle
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#20. Feiro Marine Life Center

Tripadvisor

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#20. Feiro Marine Life Center

- Rating: 4.3/5 (126 reviews)
- City: Port Angeles Clallam County
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#19. Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum

Tripadvisor

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#19. Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum

- Rating: 4.4/5 (351 reviews)
- City: Leavenworth
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#17. Washington State History Museum

Tripadvisor

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#17. Washington State History Museum

- Rating: 4.4/5 (246 reviews)
- City: Tacoma
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#15. The Whale Museum

Tripadvisor

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#15. The Whale Museum

- Rating: 4.4/5 (782 reviews)
- City: Friday Harbor San Juan Island San Juan Islands
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#14. SPARK Museum of Electrical Invention

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#14. SPARK Museum of Electrical Invention

- Rating: 4.5/5 (211 reviews)
- City: Bellingham
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#12. Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience

Tripadvisor

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#12. Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience

- Rating: 4.5/5 (346 reviews)
- City: Seattle
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#10. Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum

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#10. Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum

- Rating: 4.8/5 (313 reviews)
- City: Everett
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#9. USS Turner Joy Museum Ship

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#9. USS Turner Joy Museum Ship

- Rating: 4.6/5 (292 reviews)
- City: Bremerton
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#8. Gates Foundation Discovery Center

Tripadvisor

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#8. Gates Foundation Discovery Center

- Rating: 4.5/5 (716 reviews)
- City: Seattle
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#4. Museum of History & Industry

Tripadvisor

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#4. Museum of History & Industry

- Rating: 4.5/5 (887 reviews)
- City: Seattle
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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