Top Museums in Orlando to Visit During Your Trip

Orlando is more than just theme parks. The city is actually is home to a thriving museum culture that offers a variety of specialties and topics worth exploring such as art, culture, architecture, history, and wildlife. If you're planning a trip to Orlando, our local experts put together a list of top Orlando museums that you should consider adding to your itinerary. Make the most of your time in Orlando by visiting some of its unique and inspiring museums. A few of our favorites include...

• Kennedy Space Center
• Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition
• Madame Tussaud's
• Museum of Science & Industry
• Ripley's Believe it or Not! Orlando
• SKELETONS: Animals Unveiled
• and more!

Want Passes to Top Orlando Museums?

Admission to a number of these attractions are included on the Go Orlando® Card. Choose as you go from dozens of top attractions and save up to 55% on combined admission vs paying at the gate. Browse all available Orlando Multi-Attraction Passes

Kennedy Space Center

Visit an operating NASA launch headquarter, just a short distance from Orlando, at the Kennedy Space Center. It's the only place on Earth where you can tour launch areas, meet a veteran astronaut, and train in a spaceflight simulator. Don't miss your chance to explore the place where many of mankind's greatest accomplishments happened. If you're lucky, you might even be there to witness a real rocket launching. You can check their schedule to figure out when the next one is coming up. The Space Center features an IMAX theater, the Astronaut Hall of Fame, and several engaging attractions like Exploration Space: Explorers Wanted. You'll also find lots of space-themed on-site dining options. It's the perfect place for adults and kids alike to discover the mysteries of outer space. Getting in: Kennedy Space Center tickets are included on the Go Orlando Card All-Inclusive Pass.

Museum of Science and Industry

Travel through time at the Museum of Science and Industry. Learn more about our past, explore the solar system, and discover the future of technology at this scientific playground! Enjoy interactive exhibits like I Wonder... where you can explore the who, what, when, where and why of geology, physics and math. Peak inside the human body during a giant game of Operation at the A Look Inside exhibit, or see the future of technology at ConnectUs. You can easily spend an entire day explore the 100+ hands-on exhibits. It's the perfect place for adults and kids because it combines learning with fun and interactive games, exhibits, and shows. Getting in: Museum of Science and Industry tickets are included on Go Orlando Card.

Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition

Get a feel for what it would have been like to travel on Titanic by walking through "the greatest Titanic room re-creations in existence.” This exhibition includes over 200 artifacts and historical pieces, including movie memorabilia from the James Cameron film, Titanic. You'll learn all about the tragically famous shipwreck and what led the ship to its demise. Tour various rooms, suites, boilers, and decks, including the Grand Staircase, First Class Parlor Suite, Veranda, and Marconi room (the ship's operating room) - all made famous by the iconic film. You can even see some of Kate Winslet's gorgeous costumes. Trained actors in period costumes will help transport guests back in time with tales of the ship and crew providing a unique, interactive experience. Getting in: Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition tickets are included on the Go Orlando Card All-Inclusive Pass.

Madame Tussauds Orlando

Visit Madame Tussauds, located right in the popular I-Drive 360 area, and interact with all of your favorite celebrities and historical figures without having to visit Hollywood. Sing and dance on stage with Taylor Swift, take a selfie with Brad Pitt, interview Oprah, shake hands with President Trump, and more. Get ready to experience the essence of America with this brand new, immersive and interactive wax attraction, bursting with family fun and world-class entertainment. Get transported to the streets of Gotham at Madame Tussauds Orlando’s newest exhibit, Justice League: A Call for Heroes to Launch. Join the fight by helping your favorite superheroes like Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman and Henry Cavill as Superman. Peruse authentic replicas of the iconic gadgets, costumes and props used in the film. You’ll even get a chance to summon Batman with the Bat-Signal as the League battles against Lex Luthor. Getting in: Madame Tussauds Orlando tickets are included as an attraction option on the Go Orlando Card Explorer Pass.

Ripley's Believe it or Not! Orlando

Come experience the WEIRDEST place in Orlando! Ripley’s Believe It or Not is one awesomely unique attraction. The 10,000 sq ft museum actually looks like it’s falling into a sinkhole! Think that’s unbelievable? Wait until you see what’s inside- you’ll laugh, you’ll learn, you’ll believe it or not. The Odditorium showcases an actual human shrunken head, an exciting dinosaur exhibit, The Wigans micro-scultpture room, made from grains of sand, rice and even dust; a tribute to Robert Wadlow (the World's Tallest Man), a two-headed calf, an interactive illusions gallery, a ten-foot section of the Berlin Wall, and a wacky tilted billiards room. The objects and accomplishments that live within the walls of Ripley's Believe it or Not! Orlando are something you just have to see to believe. Getting in: Ripley's Believe it or Not! Orlando tickets are included on the Orlando Explorer Pass.

SKELETONS: Animals Unveiled

Head to the educational and entertaining exhibit of over 450 real skeletons of Florida wildlife, reptiles, marsupials, and more - even human at the largest skeleton museum in the US. With over 40 captivating exhibits, you’ll gain a whole new appreciation for the animal kingdom through up-close looks at bones, skeletons, and the anatomy of animals from all over the world. Animal skeletons you’ll see include rhinos, giraffes, manatees, kangaroos, panthers, bats, birds, and more—the museum even has real human skeletons on display. You'll learn about each of the animals on display through their creative exhibits, interactive videos, and more. You can even take a look at the museum's flesh-eating beetles. Getting in: SKELETONS: Animals Unveiled tickets are included as an attraction option on the Orlando Explorer Pass.

Harry P. Leu Gardens & Leu House Museum

Enjoy 50 acres of an exquisite botanical oasis just outside downtown Orlando. The Harry P. Leu Gardens and Leu House Museum serves as Orlando’s only historic home open to the public. Named after its last owner, Mr. Leu and his wife were horticulture enthusiasts who traveled extensively collecting plants and seeds for their garden creating a legacy meant to inspire the public to understand plants and be inspired by nature. Visitors will appreciate a tour of the plantation style estate that offers insight into its 19th cotton and sugar cane farming days. Highlights include the Butterfly Garden, permanent and temporary art exhibits, The Garden House (the entrance, meeting place, and art gallery), a gift shop, and the Leu House Museum, a the meticulously restored farmhouse. The Gardens offer guided or self-guided tours, access to the reference library, and horticulture workshops for children and adults. Getting in: Admission is separately ticketed and not included on the Go Orlando Card.

The Mennello Museum of American Art

Located just north of downtown Orlando on the shore of Lake Formosa is The Mennello Museum of American Art. The Mennello Museum of American Art showcases changing exhibitions featuring American art of all styles and periods, including travelling shows. Housed in a building that was once the private home of Howard Phillips, this intimate museum is home to the largest collection of paintings by self-taught artist Earl Cunningham. Visitors will also enjoy the lakeside sculpture garden which plays host to the annual Orlando Folk Festival. Getting in: Admission is separately ticketed and not included on the Go Orlando Card.

Orange County Regional History Center

Situated in the masterfully restored 1927 Orange County Courthouse, the History Center is consistently ranked the top museum in Orlando. The 5-floor attraction tells the story of 12,000 years of central Florida history and how this region made the transition from a small town of citrus groves and cattle ranches to the thriving metropolis it is today. The museum is home to extensive collections of the Historical Society of Central Florida, Inc. and features fascinating permanent exhibits that explore the region’s natural environment, first people, aviation, and more. Visitors will enjoy testing out household items such as a butter churn at the Pioneer Cracker Home exhibit and learning about the role Walt Disney World played in making Orlando a tourist-centric community. This vibrant Center is full of hands-on history for all ages to enjoy. Getting in: Admission is separately ticketed and not included on the Go Orlando Card.

Orlando Museum of Art

This top quality art museum is a popular destination for tourists from all over the world. It features treasures in art and architecture spanning the globe from the 19th century to the present. Upon entry, you'll be fascinated by Dale Chihuly's glass Cobalt & Citron Tower standing 20-feet high, drawing your eye toward the glass skylight above... and that's just the beginning. The Orlando Museum of Art has the most comprehensive collection of African art and art of the ancient Americas in the entire Southeast. Visitors will enjoy the museum’s display of 20th century contemporary print collections with works from iconic artists such as Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Ed Ruscha, Bryan Hunt, Lesley Dill, Katherine Bowling, Jane Frielicher and more. Getting in: Admission is separately ticketed and not included on the Go Orlando Card.

Orlando Science Center

One of America’s top hands-on science centers, the Orlando Science Center inspires curiosity and exploration with fun, engaging exhibits for visitors of all ages. Become a meteorologist for the day at the Severe Weather Center or take to the air in the F1-11 and F-16 flight simulators. This innovative museum features a giant screen domed theater for films and planetarium shows, 4 floors of exhibits, an observatory, and much more. Insider tip: Visit the museum on a weekend to check out cool events, like Laser Light shows and The Science of Wine. Getting in: Admission is separately ticketed and not included on the Go Orlando Card.

The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art

This art museum is famous for housing the most comprehensive collection of work by Louis Comfort Tiffany, including Tiffany jewelry, pottery, paintings, art glass, leaded glass windows, the iconic lamps, the chapel interior he designed for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, and art and architectural objects from his Long Island country estate, Laurelton Hall. The museum’s galleries also hold major collections of American art from the 19th and 20th centuries. Educational and entertaining films, lectures, family programs, music performances, and temporary exhibitions are all regular features as well. Stop by the Museum Shop to pick up exclusive merchandise inspired by the works of Louis Comfort Tiffany. Getting in: Admission is separately ticketed and not included on the Go Orlando Card.

Museum of Science and Industry

The Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI), located in Tampa, is a non-profit educational resource dedicated to advancing public interest, knowledge, and understanding of science, industry, and technology. MOSI is home to more than 450 interactive S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) based, hands-on exhibits and programs that visitors of all ages will enjoy. Take your turn pedaling a bicycle on a one-inch cable suspended 30 feet in the air, lie on a bed of nails in the Kids in Charge! exhibit, fly drones in the MOSI's new Drone Zone, ride in a driver-less car, and more. Getting in: Museum of Science and Industry tickets are included on the Go Orlando Card All-Inclusive Pass.

Remember to Save on Museum Admission

We hope you'll add some of these world-renowned cultural institutions to your Orlando itinerary! Remember, a number of these options are included on the Go Orlando Card, where you can save up to 55% on combined admission vs paying at the gate.