Top National Museums Outside D.C.: 5 Unique Collections to Visit Far Beyond the Beltway

JACKSON HOLE, Wyo., Feb. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- True, Washington, D.C.'s venerable array of museums has been much in the news of late with the capitol's recent status as red-hot travel destination; but you don't have to be Washington-bound to enjoy our country's national museums. A number of intriguing offerings lie well beyond the Beltway and enjoy extensive histories and collections of their own, including the National Museum of Wildlife Art, which perches on a Jackson Hole butte overlooking the National Elk Wildlife Refuge.

"Our location plays an integral role in our mission of connecting people with the natural world through fine art," explains National Museum of Wildlife Art Director of Marketing Zeenie Scholz. "There's an immeasurable benefit to seeing the art along with wildlife in its natural habitat on view from our terrace -- not to mention our proximity to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks -- that we couldn't provide even from a spot on the Washington Mall."

For Washington outsiders looking to share in a national vision for the arts closer to home -- or Washington insiders looking for a getaway -- these five museums ably represent unique U.S. collections from disparate spots across the country:

1. National Museum of Wildlife Art, Jackson, Wyo. Representing more than 5,000 works of international wildlife art from its slope-side perch amid real wildlife habitat. www.wildlifeart.org
2. National Quilt Museum (Museum of the American Quilter), Paducah, Ky. Honoring the quilt maker's art with exhibits from antique to contemporary and American to international. www.quiltmuseum.org
3. National Museum of Mexican Art, Chicago, Ill. Presenting a borderless view of Mexican arts and history from its culturally-grounded location in the vibrant Pilsen neighborhood. www.nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org
4. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City, Okla. Encompassing everything from Western art and firearms to John Wayne memorabilia and Native American arts from the heart of cattle country. www.nationalcowboymuseum.org
5. National Music Museum, Vermillion, S. Dak. World's most inclusive collection of some 14,000 instruments, from 16th-century European keyboards to great American guitars. www.usd.edu/smm

Media Contacts: Darla Worden, WordenGroup Strategic Public Relations, 307.734.5335, darla@wordenpr.com; Zeenie Scholz, National Museum of Wildlife Art, 307.732.5437, zscholz@wildlifeart.org