Culture
Culture Uncovered: 12 Fantastic North American Museums You’ve Never Heard Of
Move over MoMA: these lesser-known art and history museums across Canada, the US and Mexico are ready to claim the spotlight
From the unmistakable Guggenheim in New York to Mexico City’s sprawling Museum of Anthropology, North America is a paradise for culture lovers, offering a wealth of institutions that enjoy bucket list status for travellers the world over. But as anyone with a passion for learning knows, there are always treasures yet to be discovered. Follow us as we unearth the most exciting and underrated North American museums, including a contemporary art hub in Saskatoon, an unmatched sculpture display in Dallas, and a time-travelling art collection in Puebla.
Noguchi Museum
New York City, USA
In a city known for show-stopping museums, this hidden jewel in Queens is not only a delight for art lovers but a quiet and peaceful hideaway. Founded by the Japanese artist Isamu Noguchi in 1985, it’s the only museum in the United States to be created by a living artist, and it’s home to an impressive collection of his work. Admire Noguchi’s drawings, models and sculptures made with materials like basalt and marble, as you explore the spacious galleries and exquisite zen garden. To celebrate the museum’s 40th anniversary in 2025, don’t miss Against Time, which reinstalls works to their original place in the second-floor galleries, as envisioned by Noguchi. Against Time will be on view until 14 September 2025.
[Image: Courtesy of The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum © Nicholas Knight]
Studio Bell, Home of the National Music Centre
Calgary, Canada
Born to celebrate knowledge and community through music, Studio Bell opened its doors in 2016, becoming not only a museum but a hub for performances, recording, education and development. Spreading across 15,000 square metres, the complex – which includes the historic King Edward Hotel, once the city’s oldest blues club – houses 22 exhibition spaces. Highlights include Power of Music, where you’ll discover the effects that music has on our physical and mental health; Best of Canada, a celebration of the country’s biggest stars; and the Rolling Stones Mobile Recording Studio, which you can actually book, along with other control and live rooms.
[Image: Courtesy of Studio Bell © Jeremy Bittermann]
Museo Amparo
Puebla, Mexico
Located in Puebla’s colourful historic centre, Museo Amparo will take you on a journey across time and space. Start by checking out the Timeline, originally designed by architect Pedro Ramírez Vázquez, depicting major events between the years 2400 BC and 1500, allowing you to comprehend Mexican history in relation to cultural development in different parts of the world. Discover Mexico’s pre-Columbian past through more than 500 items representing cultures like the Maya, Nahua and Zapotec, or delve into a rich world of viceregal art as you stroll across galleries that echo the layout of a 19th-century house in Puebla – as inhabited by the Espinosa family, which founded the museum. Finally, jump to the present and explore the museum’s contemporary art galleries featuring work by artists like Graciela Iturbide and Sofía Táboas.
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Pointe-à-Callière
Montréal, Canada
Set in the very place where the city of Montréal was born, Pointe-à-Callière guides visitors along the city’s rich history. Two of the coolest exhibitions are Where Montréal Began, which sits over the city’s founding site, and Memory Collector, which pays tribute to, yes, a sewer – the first collector sewer in North America, built in the 19th century. Light installations create a fascinating underground environment. Temporary exhibitions and interactive experiences, like the family-friendly Archaeo-Adventure that lets guests experience the thrill of exploring a simulated archaeological dig, make this one of the most surprising and stimulating museums in Canada.
[Image: The Cosmonaut via Wikimedia Commons]
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Houston, USA
Diverse like Houston itself, this impressive museum is one of the largest in the United States, boasting around 80,000 pieces spanning 5,000 years of creation across its three buildings. Collections like Arts of Africa and Indigenous North American Art will delight those with a passion for cultural history, while fans of European art can spend hours admiring the work of masters like Modigliani, Cézanne and Chagall. The MFAH is also home to a spectacular modern and contemporary art selection, ranging from cubism to pop art and highlighting Texan artists. Check the website for the latest temporary exhibitions, such as David Hockney: The Four Seasons, Woldgate Woods (until September 2025) and Gauguin in the World (until February 2025).
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Colegio de San Ildefonso
Mexico City, Mexico
Founded as a Jesuit school in the 16th century, San Ildefonso is a treasure of Baroque architecture and one of the most gorgeous museums you’ll find in the city’s historic centre. With its iconic courtyard as the centrepiece, the building’s walls and ceilings are graced with the work of some of Mexico’s great masters of muralism. Walking around San Ildefonso brings you face to face with breathtaking murals like José Clemente Orozco’s Cortés y La Malinche and La Trinchera, while the amphitheater is home to Diego Rivera’s first mural, La Creación, inspired by artistic and scientific creation.
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Museum of Anthropology
Vancouver, Canada
The eye-catching glass-and-concrete building that houses this museum, the work of Canadian architect Arthur Erickson, is only the beginning of a thrilling journey through the world of indigenous art, featuring 50,000 works from all over the globe. A significant part of the collection is dedicated to art from the Northwest, including canoes, textiles, sculptures and dishes, some of which are on view in the beautiful (and recently renovated) Great Hall, with floor-to-ceiling windows that allow the pieces to shine in their full glory. There’s plenty to love outside, too; check out the Welcome Plaza, with pieces by Musqueam artists, and the Yosef Wosk Reflecting Pond (currently under restoration).
[Image: Courtesy of the Museum of Anthropology at UBC © Cory Dawson]
National Museum of Asian Art
Washington, DC, USA
Fascination with this museum begins when you learn about the buildings themselves: the first museum in the National Mall, the Freer Gallery, was first established to display Charles Lang Freer’s trove of Asian and American art – and even peacocks in its courtyards at some point! 60 years later, a second building, the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, opened along with Sackler’s expansive collection. Today, you can admire artwork from China, Korea and Japan, all the way to the Islamic world and 19th-century America. Learn about the Japanese art of kintsugi, unveil the mystery of Thai earthenware, or soak in the beauty of the Peacock Room, which is dedicated to Chinese porcelain and was painted by James McNeill Whistler.
[Image: Courtesy of The National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution © James McNeill Whistler]
MARCO
Monterrey, Mexico
A treat for the senses, Monterrey’s Museo de Arte Contemporáneo is housed in an airy, colourful building by legendary Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta and guarded by a 7m bronze pigeon – sculptor Juan Soriano’s Paloma. The permanent exhibitions boast works by some of Latin America’s most influential artists, such as Raúl Anguiano and Pedro Friedeberg, while its temporary shows have brought in top Latin creators like Pedro Reyes and Helen Escobedo. As far as gift shops go, this one is a must-visit, featuring a fantastic selection of books, jewellery, home goods and toys by local and Mexican creators.
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Nasher Sculpture Center
Dallas, USA
Designed by architect Renzo Piano and landscape architect Peter Walker, this art museum in the Arts District of Dallas, Texas hosts the Raymond and Patsy Nasher Collection, made up of more than 300 works of modern and contemporary sculpture and shown on rotation in its spacious galleries and peaceful gardens lined with live oaks, magnolias and willows. On a visit to the Nasher, you may encounter masterpieces like Joan Miró’s Moonbird, Constantin Brâncuși’s The Kiss or Eduardo Chillida’s Silent Music II, as well as temporary exhibitions. Fun fact: you can spot sculptures from the Nasher Collection at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and the city’s NorthPark Center shopping mall.
[Image: Courtesy of The Nasher Sculpture Center © Kevin Todora]
Remai Modern
Saskatoon, Canada
Sitting by the South Saskatchewan River, the Remai Modern’s origins date back to 1964, when meatpacking tycoon and art collector Frederick Mendel – who had fled Germany for Saskatoon in the 1940s – opened the Mendel Art Gallery, showcasing work from artists like Marc Chagall and Georges Braque for the public to enjoy. Over time, the Mendel collection grew to an astounding 8,000 pieces, which today make up The Mendel Art Gallery Collection at Remai Modern, including an extensive array of linocuts and ceramics by Pablo Picasso. The museum’s Prairie Modern architecture not only sets visitors firmly in their surroundings, but also allows for unique installations that play with the structure and natural light, like Nick Cave’s charming Spinner Forest.
[Image: Courtesy of Remai Modern © Carey Shaw]
Museo Franz Mayer
Mexico City, Mexico
Every summer, visitors flock to this picturesque museum to check out the yearly World Press Photo Exhibition – a must-see display of photojournalism at its finest. But there is much to love throughout the rest of the year here, where decorative arts are at the forefront. Located in a 16th-century building in downtown Mexico City that once functioned as a hospital, Museo Franz Mayer hosts the eponymous German philanthropist’s art assemblage, in addition to the Ruth Lechuga Folk Art Collection, among other marvels. From sculpture to pottery and furniture, the museum’s permanent collection tells stories of beauty, art and creation between the 15th and 20th centuries.
[Image: Uriarte Talavera via Wikimedia Commons]
[Header image: Courtesy of Remai Modern © Carey Shaw]
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