Fruitlands ranks near top in nationwide rating of history museums

Fruitlands Museum has been named one of the best history museums in the country, according to a ranking compiled by USA Today. The Trustees of Reservations announced Monday that the Harvard museum, which has been a Trustees’ property since 2016, stands second on a nationwide list of popular history museums.

An initial list of 20 history museums was compiled by editors from USA Today and 10Best.com as well as other experts. Then online voting was opened to the public for four weeks to rank the top 10 museums. Michael Busack, director of Fruitlands Museum, said he was immensely grateful for the community support from area residents in the voting.

“It’s truly amazing for Fruitlands to be getting this kind of national recognition and in the company of such prestigious institutions,” said Busack. “Between its rich history, overwhelming natural beauty, and of course the diverse and meticulously curated collections of art and material culture, we hope this honor will allow us to share the magic of this special place with even more people.”

First place on USA Today’s rankings went to the National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center in Columbus, Georgia. Massachusetts was the only state with two museums in the top 10—Fruitlands and the USS Constitution Museum in Boston. Other top vote-getters ranged from the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Ohio to the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine in West Virginia and the Mob Museum in Nevada.

With its blend of historical traditions that includes the Transcendentalists, the Shakers, Native Americans, and Hudson River School artists, Fruitlands may be the most eclectic among the high-ranked museums. It may also be one of the most tranquil, offering acres of walking trails in woods and meadows instead of the Infantry Museum’s giant screen theater and combat simulator or the Mob Museum’s speakeasy, crime lab, and firearms training simulator.