Architecturally Stunning Museums in the United States

1. The Getty in Los Angeles

The Getty is a one-of-a-kind modernist complex designed by renowned architect Richard Meier.

It features awe-inspiring travertine buildings, breathtaking gardens, spectacular views, and open spaces, beautifully highlighting both culture and nature.

From the hilltop of the Santa Monica Mountains, visitors will enjoy magnificent views of the San Gabriel Mountains, Pacific Ocean, and Los Angeles cityscape.

The Italian-made buildings surround a central arrival plaza perfectly blending the harsh lines of the travertine squares with the softness of the arced natural gardens.

The museum itself focuses on natural light elements with exterior walls made of glass and a computer system that adjusts the shades and louvers throughout the day.

1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles, CA, Phone: 310-440-7300

2. Crystal Bridges Museum of Art in Bentonville

Crystal Bridges Museum of Art in Bentonville was designed by renowned architect Moshe Safdie, who seamlessly blends masculine industrial spaces with the beauty of natural environments.

Statuesque gray concrete walls emerge from the ground, intertwining with rugged cedar in a wondrous curve reminiscent of the hillside.

While surrounded by the stunning native Ozark forest, guests can take in the breathtaking environment from the gleaming copper bridges that angle above still ponds.

With an exterior this enchanting, it’s hard to believe the museum’s interior could quite compare, but it does just that with exquisite collections of American art from the colonial period to today.

600 Museum Way, Bentonville, AR, Phone: 479-418-5700

3. Aspen Art Museum

The Aspen Art Museum was moved and reconstructed in 2014 by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Shigeru Ban. This astounding building is completely environmentally sustainable and features woven wooden screens, walkable skylights, a wooden roof truss, stunning moving glass room elevator, and grand staircase.

It has the only public rooftop boasting picturesque views of Aspen Mountain, and with its whopping 33,000 square feet of space, it provides a wide array of free events from lectures and performances to roof-deck screenings.

The Aspen Art Museum is a non-collecting institution, and guests will enjoy viewing contemporary and innovative exhibitions from emerging global artists as well as participating in an array of thought-provoking immersive activities.

637 East Hyman Avenue, Aspen, CO, Phone: 970-925-8050

4. Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum

Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum was brought to life by Pritzker Prize-winning architect and visionary Zaha Hadid who is known for pushing the boundaries of urban design.

She designed this contemporary metropolitan space with an eye-catching exterior of pleated stainless steel combined with glass to bring her dynamic vision to life.

This 46,000-square-foot museum on the Michigan State University campus features a forceful presence of natural light that allows for the showcased artwork to be viewed in the most pleasing circumstances.

The museum is dedicated to delving into contemporary culture through the use of international artists, while also appreciating artworks from ancient cultures.

547 East Circle Drive, East Lansing, MI, Phone: 517-884-4800

5. Fallingwater

Fallingwater made headlines in 1938 after being featured on the cover of Time magazine due to its extraordinary design, thought up by the most famous architect in America, Frank Lloyd Wright.

He built the home for the Kaufmann family in Laurel Highlands surrounded by the Bear Run Nature Reserve. The genius behind the design is that it appears as if it wasn’t built on solid ground but stretched across a 30-foot waterfall.

Today, it is a National Historic Landmark where guests can explore the numerous open-air walkways, terraces, and various rooms within the home while enjoying unexpected views of the water and surrounding forest on a guided tour.

1491 Mill Run Road, Mill Run, PA, Phone: 724-329-8501

6. Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum

The Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum is a dazzling brick and stainless steel residence that sits along the Mississippi River, designed by internationally renowned architect Frank Gehry.

This stunning architectural space has been a landmark for the University of Minnesota and the Twin Cities since 1993 when it first opened its doors as a museum.

It has only become a more prominent feature over the years since Gehry expanded on his original design in 2011, adding 8,100 square feet to the property.

It now houses double the number of gallery exhibits, including a permanent collection of over 25,000 works that focus on the art of American modernism.

333 East River Road, Minneapolis, MN, Phone: 612-625-9494

7. Guggenheim Museum

The Guggenheim Museum in New York is perhaps one of the most architecturally stimulating buildings ever designed. It became a National Historic Landmark in 2008 and was named to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2015.

The original inverted-ziggurat design was done by none other than world-renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright; it was completed in 1959 after more than 16 years of work.

Known as a monument to modernism, it features a spiral ramp that takes visitors to a domed skylight offering a unique viewing experience.

Throughout the years it’s been expanded upon, offering even more awe-inspiring spaces to view internationally renowned exhibitions, lectures, performances, and screenings.

1071 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, Phone: 212-423-3500

8. Kimbell Art Museum Kahn Building

Kimbell Art Museum Board of Directors commissioned Louis I. Kahn to design the museum. He used white oak, concrete, and travertine as primary components for its creative design. Since opening to the public in 1972, it has been regarded as a symbol of modern architecture. Its primary aim was to use light in innovative ways.

This was achieved by using narrow plexi-glass skylights that allow natural light to filter in through the tops of the cycloid barrel vaults and hit pierced-aluminum reflectors dangling down below. One hundred-foot bays, open barrel vaulted porticos, and three courtyards work together to disperse additional light that provides subtle illumination highlighting every piece of art.

3333 Camp Bowie Boulevard, Fort Worth, TX, Phone: 817-332-8451

9. M.H. de Young Museum

M.H. de Young Museum has been an important piece of the cultural fabric of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park since 1895 but didn’t become an architectural icon until 2005 when it was completely renovated into a state-of-the-art facility. Designed by San Franciscan architectural firm Fong & Chan and Swiss architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron, the museum artfully blends industrial modernization with a natural landscape. This 100-year-old plus museum houses treasured collections of textile arts, American art from the 17th through 20th centuries, and art of the Americas, Africa, and Oceania, and it also features several traveling exhibits each year.

Golden Gate Park, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, San Francisco, Phone: 415-750-3600

10. Milwaukee Art Museum

The Milwaukee Art Museum is made up of three distinct buildings designed by three iconic architects, Santiago Calatrava, Dan Kiley, and Eero Saarinen.

They began the architectural journey together in 1957. Calatravo was the genius behind the Quadracci Pavillion, an homage to his Spanish roots.

This sculptural, postmodern cathedral-like space features a 90-foot high vaulted glass ceiling, moveable sunscreen, and Reiman bridge.

Kiley, a landscape architect known for his geometric approach, designed the network of plazas, fountains, and gardens surrounding the Quadracci Pavillion.

The War Memorial Center was designed by Saarinen, a Finnish-American, who took modernism to a new level with his cross shaped building that appears to be floating.

700 North Art Museum Drive, Milwaukee, WI, Phone: 414-224-3200