Top 5 Art Museums in the Country

When people think of Fine Art, the United States probably isn't the first country that pops into their head. Indeed, while we may lead the world in innovation, obesity, and defense-spending; painting and sculpture were never really our thing - a triviality we left to the Italians, British, and, of course, the French.

However, despite our more marginal interest in high art, the United States has some of the best art museums in the entire world. It is in honor of that secret penchant for culture that we, here at Traveler's Today, have listed below 5 of the best art museums in the country, places whose collections are so beautiful and expansive they rival the exhibitions of any other country in the world.

5. Los Angeles County Museum of Art

The largest art museum on the West Coast, this treasure of Southern California is most notable for its unbelievable breadth. From their Korean gallery (housing the largest collection of Korean art outside of Korea itself), to their remarkable collection of modern art, including works by Frida Khalo, Henri Matisse, and Frank Kline, you can spend hours in the museum without seeing all of the different galleries, let alone the pieces held within them. The outdoor exhibit space is another unique boon, a benefit provided by the Southern Californian climate that allows visitors to admire fine art while simultaneously working on their tans.

4. National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.

A necessary addition to any list of American museums, the National Gallery in Washington D.C. shows just how much the capital cares about canonical Western painters. With galleries housing some of the best Rapheal's, Vermeer's, and Picasso's in the world, the museum's primarily Euro-Centric focus pays off in spades for those visitors who want to see the paintings of the old masters. Plus, if you're more interested in more American Art, the Smithsonian is just a hop, skip, and a jump away, making a trip to the National Gallery all the more worth it.

3. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Another Mecca for classic paintings, the MFA's collection of works is unbelievable. From its almost unparalleled Impressionist exhibit (whose collection of 37 Monet's is the largest in the country), to its gallery of the American modernists, complete with paintings by household names like Georgia O'Keefe and Jackson Pollock, it is clear that the Museum of Fine Arts holds more than just provincial New England charm. Just make sure you allot enough time to fully enjoy the museum. Many visitors skip hidden gems like Paul Revere's teapot and the Edward S. Morse collection of Japanese Art in favor of the more famous exhibits their first time around, a mistake that detracts from much of what the MFA has to offer.

2. Art Institute of Chicago

Perhaps the most modern-looking building on the list, the school-turned-exhibition-space that is the Art Institute of Chicago is one of the most interesting and innovative museums in the country. But don't let all that steel and glass fool you - the curators of the Art Institute also understand classic painting and sculpture as well as any place in the world. From their unparalleled collection of Impressionist painting (Seurat's Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte is a particularly noteworthy acquisition) to their comprehensive exhibit of Egyptian statuary, every single gallery in the museum shows, in some way or another, its unbelievable depth and range. Indeed, only lack of size and resources prohibits the Art Institute from jumping into the number one spot.

1. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

However, the final place on the list is reserved for the granddaddy of them all: The Met. After all, while the MOMA and the Guggenheim might be nice, they're ultimately excluded for their lack of breadth. But the Met has everything: full Egyptian temples, famous Japanese woodprints (we're looking at you Great Wave off Kanagawa) and a collection of paintings that include works by Rembrandt, Caravaggio, and Van Gogh. The museum is also so iconic that it plays a regular role in popular culture. Books like From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and The Goldfinch place the museum in a position of great importance, demonstrating the institution's relevance not only as an artistic, but as a cultural touchstone.

Which is why, in the end, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is the best museum in the country, a place that shows the rest of the world just how culturally rich American can be.