Free U.S. Museums To Visit On Your Next Vacation

When I vacation, whether stateside or abroad, I like to visit historical sites. They can be straight-up museums or my all-time favorite, old homes. This could be because learning about history is something I like to do. Or because museums can help you learn more about the city, state, or country you’re visiting.

Related read: 5 Ways To Save Money When Traveling

While I like visiting museums many of them charge an admission fee which can eat into your vacation or travel budget. So sometimes adding a free local attraction or two to your vacation itinerary can be helpful.

If you’re planning a vacation and want to save a little money while taking in the sites, here’s a list of 10 free museums you can visit.

(This information is not meant to be financial advice and is just for educational purposes. This post may include affiliate links. Should you click an affiliate link and make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.)

Pioneer Park

Fairbanks, Alaska

http://old.fnsb.us/pioneerpark/visitor_information/visitor_information.htm

At the 44 acre park located in Fairbanks, Alaska you can find many different attractions that showcase the history of Fairbanks. In addition to multiple museums, attractions include shows, restaurants, shops and even several outdoor activities.

Peterson Air & Space Museum

Peterson AFB, Colorado

http://petemuseum.org/

I think the history of transportation is so fascinating. To see where we started and where we are now especially air travel. The Peterson Air & Space Museum takes you from the status of flight in the 1920s to the modern space age. Free admission to this museum is 9:00 AM - 4:00 pm Tuesday through Saturday.

Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site Visitors Center

Little Rock, Arkansas

https://www.nps.gov/chsc/index.htm

Part of the historic site of the first integrated high school, I visited this museum during a trip to Memphis, TN. While I was mainly there to tour the Little Rock Central High School, I had time to thoroughly look at the exhibits in the free museum in the visitor's center. The exhibits give you a really good view of what the Little Rock Nine went through and the reaction from the local community.

New England Civil War Museum & Library

Rockville, Connecticut

https://www.newenglandcivilwarmuseum.com/

If you have an interest in the Civil War this museum shares the contribution that Connecticut made to it. Whenever I hear anything about the Civil War I don’t recall hearing anything about Connecticut so this is a museum I would be interested in visiting should I be in the Rockville area.

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Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site

Atlanta, Georgia

https://www.nps.gov/malu/index.htm

Learn more about Martin Luther King JR. the leader of the Civil Rights Movement. This museum includes a tour of MLK’s childhood home and other related historic sites and exhibits.

Museum of Biblical History

Collierville, Tennessee

http://www.biblical-museum.org/index.htm

I had never heard of this museum before. Located in Collierville, Tennessee this museum displays the history and cultural context of the Bible. Some past exhibits have been about ancient Egypt and the Nativity.

The Alamo

San Antonio, Texas

http://thealamo.org/index.html

The Alamo is a Spanish mission that was turned into a fort and used in the historic 1836 battle at the Alamo. There you can learn more about the battle and how it sparked the fight for Texas independence from Mexico.

Blenko Glass Company

Milton, West Virginia

http://www.blenko.com/visit-us.html

Opened in 2000, this museum displays the history of the Blenko Glass Company. One of the cool things is you can see how they blow glass. I’ve only seen videos of this fascinating process, so I can only imagine what it would look like in-person.

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The Knott House Museum

Tallahassee, Florida

http://www.museumoffloridahistory.com/about/sites/

I have to admit, museums that are in old houses are my favorite type of museums. It’s odd, but I find it fascinating to see how people use to live back in the day. To see, and critique, their design styles. The Knott House has a lot of history including being the place the Emancipation Proclamation was read in Florida.

Kohler Factory Tour

Kohler, Wisconsin

http://www.us.kohler.com/us/Industry-in-Action-Factory-Tours

If you like Kohler’s products why not see how they’re made? Kohler gives free factory tours every weekday morning. This isn’t a tour for children though as you have to be at least 14 years old.


This is just a sprinkle of the many great museums that exist in the United States. What museums would you recommend?