Highest-rated museums in Maryland by visitors
Museums are popular tourist attractions because they provide fun ways to learn about history, science, and culture. As stewards of our civilization, they collect and exhibit items of significant importance, typically based around a theme, topic, or place. Many cover areas like art, natural history, or science, but some museums dedicate themselves to highly specific topics like mustard, play, hot air balloons, and even funeral history. Ultimately, museums present a window into different eras of society so people can learn about the past.
Collecting, preserving, and displaying items is not a new idea. The dates to about 530 B.C., a project of Princess Ennigaldi-Nanna, a Babylonian who had a collection of Mesopotamian artifacts. The oldest public museums still in existence are the Capitoline Museums in Rome, a collection of art and archeology museums . America's oldest museum predates our country's founding. The Charleston Museum, a preservation of South Carolinian Lowcountry history,.
Museums are important not just because they preserve important elements of our history and culture but also because they can improve our well-being. Naturally, museums promote education and learning and can also bring joy. Researchers studying art museums found that they can. Quiet museum environments allow people to slow down and relax, and looking at exhibits. Museums also foster community by hosting events, activities, and tours that encourage social interaction.
No wonder they attract nearly.
With over in the country to choose from, there's something for everyone. compiled a list of the highest-rated museums in Maryland on Tripadvisor as of Aug. 11, 2025. Tripadvisor rankings factor in the average rating and number of reviews. Keep reading to see what museums are in your own home state.
#30. Washington County Museum of Fine Arts
- Rating: 4.7/5 (162 reviews)
- City: Hagerstown
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#29. Art League of Ocean City
- Rating: 4.8/5 (85 reviews)
- City: Ocean City
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#28. Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park
- Rating: 4.8/5 (150 reviews)
- City: Church Creek Marylan
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#27. Weinberg Center for the Arts
- Rating: 4.5/5 (135 reviews)
- City: Frederick
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#26. B&O Ellicott City Station Museum
- Rating: 4.3/5 (186 reviews)
- City: Ellicott City
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#25. Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum
- Rating: 3.7/5 (216 reviews)
- City: Baltimore
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#24. 1879 Hooper Strait Lighthouse
- Rating: 4.6/5 (165 reviews)
- City: St Michaels Talbot County
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#23. National Museum of Health & Medicine
- Rating: 4.4/5 (124 reviews)
- City: Silver Spring Montgomery County
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#22. Historic St. Mary's City
- Rating: 4.4/5 (157 reviews)
- City: Saint Mary s City
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#21. College Park Aviation Museum
- Rating: 4.5/5 (128 reviews)
- City: College Park
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#20. Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center
- Rating: 4.6/5 (215 reviews)
- City: Solomons Calvert County
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#19. Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum
- Rating: 4.6/5 (369 reviews)
- City: Ocean City
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#18. Ripley's Believe it or Not! Ocean City
- Rating: 4.1/5 (94 reviews)
- City: Ocean City
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#17. Annapolis Maritime Museum & Park
- Rating: 4.3/5 (109 reviews)
- City: Annapolis
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#16. Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center
- Rating: 4.5/5 (242 reviews)
- City: Cambridge
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#15. Baltimore Museum of Industry
- Rating: 4.5/5 (317 reviews)
- City: Baltimore
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#14. USS Torsk
- Rating: 4.6/5 (165 reviews)
- City: Baltimore
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#13. Calvert Marine Museum and Drum Point Lighthouse
- Rating: 4.7/5 (438 reviews)
- City: Solomons Calvert County
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#12. Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum
- Rating: 4.3/5 (410 reviews)
- City: Baltimore
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#11. National Cryptologic Museum
- Rating: 4.6/5 (255 reviews)
- City: Annapolis Junction
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#10. Port Discovery Children's Museum
- Rating: 4.1/5 (421 reviews)
- City: Baltimore
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#9. National Museum of Civil War Medicine
- Rating: 4.5/5 (483 reviews)
- City: Frederick
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#8. Glenstone Museum
- Rating: 4.3/5 (244 reviews)
- City: Potomac Montgomery County
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#7. Maryland Science Center
- Rating: 4.3/5 (756 reviews)
- City: Baltimore
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#6. Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum
- Rating: 4.6/5 (1,074 reviews)
- City: St Michaels Talbot County
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#5. Baltimore Museum of Art
- Rating: 4.7/5 (847 reviews)
- City: Baltimore
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#4. American Visionary Art Museum
- Rating: 4.6/5 (1,653 reviews)
- City: Baltimore
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#3. B&O Railroad Museum
- Rating: 4.5/5 (882 reviews)
- City: Baltimore
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#2. The Walters Art Museum
- Rating: 4.8/5 (1,493 reviews)
- City: Baltimore
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#1. U.S. Naval Academy
- Rating: 4.8/5 (3,040 reviews)
- City: Annapolis
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This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 51 states.