Best Museums near me in Orlando, FL

Looking for the best museums in Orlando? This list covers art, science and history museums across the county, many of them free. The Morse Museum's Tiffany collection, the Orlando Museum of Art and the Orange County Regional History Center lead, with the Orlando Science Center for families and smaller gems in Winter Park and Maitland.

16 picks · Updated October 2026

1
Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art

Museum in Park Avenue, Winter Park
The museum describes its Louis Comfort Tiffany holdings as the most comprehensive anywhere, including a full chapel interior built for the 1893 world's fair. Friday evening programs add another reason to visit.
- Indoor
- Rainy day
- Date idea
- Visitor favorite
Call Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art Website for Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art (opens in a new tab)Directions to Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art (opens maps)
2
Orlando Museum of Art

Museum in Loch Haven Park, Orlando, $$
Loch Haven Park's main art museum shows American, African and contemporary collections plus changing exhibitions. Admission is free on the third Thursday of each month, when it stays open late.
- Indoor
- Rainy day
- Date idea
- Family
Call Orlando Museum of Art Website for Orlando Museum of Art (opens in a new tab)Directions to Orlando Museum of Art (opens maps)
3
Orange County Regional History Center

Museum in Downtown, Orlando
Four floors inside a historic former courthouse cover about 14,000 years of Central Florida history, and as a Smithsonian affiliate it brings in traveling exhibitions.
- Indoor
- Rainy day
- Family
Website for Orange County Regional History Center (opens in a new tab)Directions to Orange County Regional History Center (opens maps)
4
Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens

Museum in Winter Park
Tour the former home and studio of sculptor Albin Polasek, then walk lakeside gardens filled with his work on the shore of Lake Osceola.
- Date idea
- Outdoor
- Indoor
- Local favorite
Call Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens Website for Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens (opens in a new tab)Directions to Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens (opens maps)
5
Rollins Museum of Art

Museum in Park Avenue, Winter Park
Free to everyone, the Rollins College museum rotates exhibitions from its collection and installs more than 100 works at The Alfond Inn nearby.
- Free
- Indoor
- Rainy day
- Date idea
Call Rollins Museum of Art Website for Rollins Museum of Art (opens in a new tab)Directions to Rollins Museum of Art (opens maps)
6
Holocaust Memorial Resource & Education Center of Florida

Museum in Maitland
A free Maitland museum whose Hope & Humanity core exhibit uses timed entry. It also hosts public commemorations and lectures through the year.
- Free
- Indoor
- Rainy day
- Adults
Call Holocaust Memorial Resource & Education Center of Florida Website for Holocaust Memorial Resource & Education Center of Florida (opens in a new tab)Directions to Holocaust Memorial Resource & Education Center of Florida (opens maps)
7
Mennello Museum of American Art

Museum in Loch Haven Park, Orlando, $
A small American art museum in Loch Haven Park with a pollinator garden, $8 adult admission and a free family day on the second Sunday of each month.
- Indoor
- Rainy day
- Family
- Date idea
Call Mennello Museum of American Art Website for Mennello Museum of American Art (opens in a new tab)Directions to Mennello Museum of American Art (opens maps)
8
Wells'Built Museum of African American History & Culture

Museum in Parramore, Orlando
Housed in the former Wells'Built Hotel in Parramore, it tells the story of Orlando's African American community. Hours are limited, so call ahead.
- Indoor
- Rainy day
Call Wells'Built Museum of African American History & Culture Website for Wells'Built Museum of African American History & Culture (opens in a new tab)Directions to Wells'Built Museum of African American History & Culture (opens maps)
9
Hannibal Square Heritage Center

Museum in Hannibal Square, Winter Park
Run by Crealdé School of Art, it documents the history of Hannibal Square, Winter Park's historic African American neighborhood, with exhibits and a walking tour.
- Indoor
- Rainy day
Call Hannibal Square Heritage Center Website for Hannibal Square Heritage Center (opens in a new tab)Directions to Hannibal Square Heritage Center (opens maps)
10
Maitland Art & History Museums

Museum in Maitland
Four small museums in one stop, anchored by the Maitland Art Center and including a telephone museum and a restored 19th-century home.
- Indoor
- Rainy day
- Date idea
Call Maitland Art & History Museums Website for Maitland Art & History Museums (opens in a new tab)Directions to Maitland Art & History Museums (opens maps)
11
Winter Park History Museum

Museum in Park Avenue, Winter Park
A free museum just off Park Avenue with rotating exhibits on the city's citrus era and beyond, plus kid-friendly Discovery Days on second Saturdays.
- Free
- Indoor
- Rainy day
- Family
Call Winter Park History Museum Website for Winter Park History Museum (opens in a new tab)Directions to Winter Park History Museum (opens maps)
12
Fort Christmas Historical Park

Museum in Christmas (east Orange County), Orlando
A replica 1837 fort and pioneer homes on 175 acres in east Orange County, with free history programs that bring frontier Florida to life.
- Free
- Outdoor
- Family
- Kids
Call Fort Christmas Historical Park Website for Fort Christmas Historical Park (opens in a new tab)Directions to Fort Christmas Historical Park (opens maps)
13
Winter Garden Heritage Museum

Museum in Downtown Winter Garden
A free downtown Winter Garden museum with citrus-era artifacts that explains how the town grew, easy to pair with a Plant Street stroll.
- Free
- Indoor
- Rainy day
- Family
Call Winter Garden Heritage Museum Website for Winter Garden Heritage Museum (opens in a new tab)Directions to Winter Garden Heritage Museum (opens maps)
14
Central Florida Railroad Museum

Museum in Downtown Winter Garden
A small, free railroad museum in downtown Winter Garden that train-loving kids enjoy, a quick add-on to a visit to the heritage museum.
- Free
- Indoor
- Rainy day
- Family
Call Central Florida Railroad Museum Website for Central Florida Railroad Museum (opens in a new tab)Directions to Central Florida Railroad Museum (opens maps)
15
Ripley's Believe It or Not! Orlando

Museum in International Drive, Orlando
The Orlando location of the Ripley's oddities museum, on International Drive. Its galleries hold hundreds of rare and unusual artifacts, and visitors can make a wax hand keepsake.
- International Drive
- Indoor
- Rainy day
- Family
Website for Ripley's Believe It or Not! Orlando (opens in a new tab)Directions to Ripley's Believe It or Not! Orlando (opens maps)
16
UCF Robinson Observatory

Museum in UCF, Orlando
The University of Central Florida's campus observatory, where students run public stargazing evenings for the Orlando community. Visitors look through a 20-inch research telescope and smaller portable scopes.
- Family
- Kids
- Teens
- Outdoor
Website for UCF Robinson Observatory (opens in a new tab)

Where to find the best museums in Orlando

Loch Haven Park, just north of downtown, is Orlando's museum district. The Orlando Museum of Art, the Mennello Museum and the Orlando Science Center sit within a short walk of each other, which makes it easy to see two in one day. Downtown, the Orange County Regional History Center fills a former courthouse, and the Wells'Built Museum is in nearby Parramore.

Winter Park has the Morse Museum, the Rollins Museum of Art and the Winter Park History Museum near Park Avenue, plus the Polasek Museum on Lake Osceola and the Hannibal Square Heritage Center. Maitland adds the Holocaust Memorial Resource & Education Center and the Maitland Art & History Museums, while Winter Garden has two small, free museums on Plant Street.

Free museums in Orlando and how to save

Many museums here cost nothing. The Rollins Museum of Art, the Winter Park History Museum, the Holocaust Memorial Resource & Education Center and both Winter Garden museums are free, and Fort Christmas runs free history programs. The Orlando Museum of Art is free on the third Thursday of each month, and the Mennello Museum holds a free family day on the second Sunday.

Check museum websites for free days and membership deals if you plan several visits. The Orlando Museum of Art also offers free admission to military members and first responders. Several museums also run regular family programs, such as Discovery Days at the Winter Park History Museum and Family Days at the History Center, which make a visit with kids easier and more engaging. Weekday mornings are usually the quietest time to go.

Tips for visiting Orlando museums

Museums make good rainy-day and summer-afternoon plans, since storms and heat can cut outdoor outings short. Reserve timed entry for the Holocaust center's core exhibit, and call the Wells'Built Museum before you go, since hours are limited.

Pair stops by area: Loch Haven Park for art and science, Park Avenue for the Morse and Rollins museums with lunch nearby, or Plant Street in Winter Garden for a slow, low-cost morning. Allow at least two hours for the Morse Museum, the History Center or the Science Center.

About this list

Every place here is a locally run business in Orange County with its own website, which we checked for hours, menus and contact details. We leave national chains off our best-of lists and favor places with a clear specialty.

This page covers 16 museums in Orlando. You'll find them in Park Avenue, Loch Haven Park, Downtown Winter Garden and Downtown, spread across Orlando, Winter Park, Maitland and Winter Garden.

What comes up again and again on their menus and websites: Rotating exhibitions.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best museum in Orlando?

The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art in Winter Park is a standout for its Tiffany collection, including a full chapel interior. The Orlando Museum of Art and the Orange County Regional History Center are the top choices in Orlando proper, and the Orlando Science Center is the best for families with kids.

What museums are free in Orlando?

The Rollins Museum of Art, the Winter Park History Museum, the Holocaust Memorial Resource & Education Center in Maitland, and the Winter Garden Heritage and Central Florida Railroad museums are free. The Orlando Museum of Art is free on the third Thursday of each month, and the Mennello Museum has a free family day on second Sundays.

Where can I see Tiffany glass in Orlando?

The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art on Park Avenue in Winter Park holds what it describes as the most comprehensive collection of Louis Comfort Tiffany's work. Highlights include lamps, leaded-glass windows, jewelry and a chapel interior built for the 1893 Chicago World's Columbian Exposition.

What is Loch Haven Park in Orlando?

Loch Haven Park is Orlando's cultural park just north of downtown. It is home to the Orlando Museum of Art, the Mennello Museum of American Art and the Orlando Science Center, all within walking distance of each other. It is an easy place to spend a full day of museums, especially on a rainy or hot afternoon.

Which Orlando museums cover local history?

The Orange County Regional History Center downtown covers about 14,000 years of Central Florida history. The Wells'Built Museum tells the story of Orlando's African American community, and the Hannibal Square Heritage Center documents Winter Park's historic African American neighborhood. Winter Park, Maitland and Winter Garden each have local history museums too.