The South’s Must-See Museums

By Kellie Walton  

Cars, seashells, and dinosaurs, oh my! Wandering through a museum can be a transformative experience, showing you items curated and preserved for generations, and teaching you a little something along the way. There are countless museums scattered around the South dedicated to everything from Civil Rights history to sports, science, cars, military history, and so much more.  

No matter your interests, there’s an educational institution waiting to challenge your curiosity and your mind. Check out these 11 unique museums in the South.  

The Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky 

Car lovers will revel in the collection of Corvettes new and old at the dedicated Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Wandering through the exhibits will teach you the full history of the brand and spotlight the members of the Corvette Hall of Fame (which range from collectors to race car drivers and other innovators). The museum infamously experienced a sinkhole in 2014, creating a 30 foot cave in that consumed eight historically significant Corvettes. Today, there’s an exhibit dedicated to the event, with a clear opening where guests can peer down to the bottom of the hole. Nearby, visitors can also test drive a Corvette on a closed racetrack at the NCM Motorsports Park, and there’s an excellent restaurant (the Stingray Grill) onsite for a pre- or post- museum bite.  
corvettemuseum.org/  

Customs House Museum & Cultural Center and Weakley House Museum in Clarksville, Tennessee 

A United States Post Office built in 1898 has been converted to a multi-interest museum in the small town of Clarksville, Tennessee. The Customs House Museum & Cultural Center is a stunning building that draws droves of photographers interested in architecture, but behind the front doors stands exhibits covering everything from fine art to history, and even houses an interactive children's floor with a bubble cave, family art room, and one of the largest model train layouts in the region. 

While in Clarksville, make plans to also visit the newly-opened Weakley House Museum. The former home of the founders of Historic Collinsville, Glenn and JoAnn Weakley dating back to 1905. It’s filled with various collectables and tchotchkes the couple accumulated over the years.  

Bailey-Mathews National Shell Museum & Aquarium in Sanibel, Florida 

A new destination in Florida’s island town of Sanibel, the Bailey-Mathews National Shell Museum & Aquarium is dedicated entirely to seashells and mollusks. Sanibel is the “Seashell Capital of the World,” after all, so it’s fitting that the United States’ only accredited museum dedicated solely to shells be erected in town. While there’s an impressive collection of shells on display (around 500,000!), there are also various aquariums (with more than 50 species of marine life!), programs, experiences, and educational opportunities surrounding the  conservation, preservation, interpretation, and celebration of shells, mollusks, and their ecosystems. 
shellmuseum.org/  

National Sporting Library and Museum in Middleburg, Virginia 

Middleburg is known as the horse and hunt country capital of America, so it’s only fitting the nation’s leading resource on equestrian and outdoor pursuits is housed there. The National Sporting Library and Museum is packed with sporting literature, art, paintings, sculptures, and artifacts related to all things hunting, fishing, and horse racing. The charming town of Middleburg itself is historic, founded by a cousin of George Washington back in 1728.  
visitloudoun.org/listing/national-sporting-library-%26-museum/356/  

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh, North Carolina 

If you’re a museum junkie, Raleigh is the place to be. It’s known as the “Smithsonian of the South” thanks to its magnitude of museums, many of which are free and open to the general public. The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences is not to be missed, as it’s the largest natural history museum in the southeastern United States. A new exhibit in 2024 has attracted droves of visitors: “Dueling Dinosaurs,” is a new, permanent exhibit packed with jaw-dropping fossils. The museum will display the most complete set for a Tyrannosaurus rex and a Triceratops ever discovered… positioned as if they were fighting, which is how they were found. 
naturalsciences.org/ 

Briscoe Western Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas 

Head southwest to San Antonio to explore the Briscoe Western Art Museum. Among its 14 galleries you’ll find tons of art and artifacts telling the rousing history of the American West, including paintings, sculptures, Native American art, Spanish and Mexican colonial era art, Western folk art, artifacts, and photography. Art is curated from renowned artists throughout history, including Charles Marion Russell, Frederic Remington and W. Herbert Dunton, and saddles that belonged to Western icons Roy Rogers, "Buffalo Bill" Cody and Pancho Villa. 
briscoemuseum.org/   

Dahlonega Gold Museum in Dahlonega, Georgia 

The western United States wasn’t the only hotspot during the Gold Rush in the mid-1800s. Dahlonega, Georgia was the site of the first major rush, and there’s now a museum dedicated to the area’s storied past. Housed within one of Georgia’s oldest standing courthouse buildings,  the Dahlonega Gold Museum covers the extent of the Gold Rush history through interactive exhibits, a 360-degree view of a gold coin collection, and a section dedicated to yesteryear with a courtroom portion preserved in its most predominant time.  
gastateparks.org/DahlonegaGoldMuseum 

Old Court House Museum in Vicksburg, Mississippi 

The quirky town of Vicksburg, Mississippi, has plenty of secrets and hidden gems to delight travelers, but one stop that should remain on any list is the Old Court House Museum. The stunning courthouse building, originally built in 1858, has received its second act as a museum exploring the city’s cultural history. The destination is a National Historic Landmark and the crown jewel of Vicksburg, brimming with historically and culturally significant items. Explore portraits, furniture, china, silver, old toys, tools, clothing, and one of the South’s largest collections of Civil War memorabilia.  
oldcourthouse.org/  

National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida 

Aviation lovers and anyone with interest in the Navy will enjoy a visit to Pensacola’s National Naval Aviation Museum, one of the largest Naval Aviation museums in the entire world. The massive campus includes more than 350,000 square feet of exhibit space across 37 acres. The iconic Blue Angels practice their flight maneuvers outdoors presented by the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron (yes, you can plan your visit around these trainings), but the inside exhibits reveal more than 150 restored aircraft from storied battles and key events throughout United States history. Visitors can also take to the sky (sort of) at The Naval Aviation Memorial Giant Screen Theater, which projects motion pictures to its 325-capacity room with films in an impressive 4K resolution.  
navalaviationmuseum.org/home/  

Museum of the Everglades in Everglades City, Florida 

This swampy city was once only accessible by boat, but visitors can now drive to visit the Museum of the Everglades in Everglades City, Florida, a town tucked in Collier County. The museum features artifacts that explore more than 2,000 years of human history. The restored exterior is also a site to behold, as its 1920s facade has been kept beautifully intact and has earned the museum a spot on the National Register of Historic Places. The surrounding Everglades National Park is a natural museum in its own right, an impressive region with flooded grasslands that span 2 million acres. The park is home to 13 endangered and 10 threatened species, making it an incredibly significant destination for preservation and conservation.  
nps.gov/ever/index.htm 
colliermuseums.com/locations/museum-of-the-everglades