Your Trip to Greenville: The Complete Guide SEE FULL GUIDE prev next Where to Go Shopping Top Hikes 48-Hour Itinerary Best Restaurants Nightlife Guide Weather & Climate Best Time to Visit Greenville Spartanburg International Airport Guide Best Hotels Top Things to Do Best Parks Best Museums Your Trip to Greenville: The Complete Guide close Overview United States South Carolina The 10 Best Museums in Greenville By Laura Scholz Laura Scholz Instagram Twitter Laura Scholz is an Atlanta-based freelance writer and editor who has called Atlanta home since 2000. She has written about the city for TripSavvy since 2018. TripSavvy's editorial guidelines Published on 07/06/21 Share Pin Email Greenville Center for Creative Arts. Courtesy of Greenville Center for Creative Arts Located in South Carolina's Upstate in the shadow of the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains, Greenville is a year-round destination known for its stunning parks and wealth of recreational activities, celebrated restaurants, walkable downtown, and overall family-friendly vibe. The city also has several must-see museums, many of them offering free admission. You'll find a cluster of museums dedicated to fine art, musical instruments, and children's discovery clustered on the Heritage Green arts and cultural campus downtown, while those venturing further out can experience a world-class science center and planetarium, art galleries, and more. Use this guide to plan your trip to Greenville's top museums. 01 of 10 Roper Mountain Science Center Courtesy of Roper Mountain Science Center View Map Address 402 Roper Mountain Rd, Greenville, SC 29615, USA Get directions Phone +1 864-355-8900 Web Visit website This science academy is part of the Greenville County School District but has many programs available to the general public. The most popular of these is the "Friday Starry Nights" show at the T.C. Hooper Planetarium, with two separate viewings and presentations dedicated to astronomy and space exploration in a 360-degree, full immersion dome. Admission also includes access to the Charles E. Daniel Observatory, with a historic 23-inch refractor telescope—the eighth largest in the world. The Roper Mountain property also has a 1-mile nature trail, butterfly garden, and living history farm, making it an ideal destination for families. 02 of 10 Greenville Center for Creative Arts Courtesy of Greenville Center for Creative Arts View Map Address 101 Abney St, Greenville, SC 29611, USA Get directions Phone +1 864-735-3948 Web Visit website Housed in the historic Brandon Mill in the Village of West Greenville, this community art space includes galleries dedicated to resident artists as well as local, regional, and international visual artists. Both the main and community galleries and accompanying exhibits are free and open to the public every Tuesday through Saturday. The center also hosts touring exhibits, summer camps, and art classes in photography, clay, jewelry, and other mediums. Come on the first Friday of each month to meet in-studio artists between 5 to 8 p.m. or book an appointment to tour their studios during off-hours. 03 of 10 Greenville County Museum of Art Mira Photographs/Michelle Mogavero View Map Address 420 College St, Greenville, SC 29601-2017, USA Get directions Phone +1 864-271-7570 Web Visit website Located on the Heritage Green cultural campus downtown, this free museum is home to the world's largest public collection of Andrew Wyeth watercolors. The museum's permanent collection also includes a significant number of paintings and prints by South Carolina contemporary artist Jasper Johns, a substantial pottery collection by David Drake, and one of the largest collections of works by South Carolina-born artist William H. Johnson. Additional highlights include a large Southern collection with works ranging from early colonial-era pastel portraits to American impressionism and abstract expressionism. The Greenville County Museum of Art is currently closed for construction and is scheduled to reopen in Fall 2021. 04 of 10 Children's Museum of the Upstate Courtesy of The Children's Museum of the Upstate View Map Address 300 College St, Greenville, SC 29601, USA Get directions Phone +1 864-233-7755 Web Visit website Also part of the Heritage Green area downtown, the Children's Museum of the Upstate is an affordable, fun activity for families. Explore three floors of interactive exhibits ranging from playing with sound and instruments to discovering indigenous wildlife and natural resources to building miniature dams and learning about the area's water systems. The Children's Museum also has an outdoor recreation area, an on-site cafe, a play pond for toddlers, a rock climbing wall, and a nine-hole putt-putt course. Continue to 5 of 10 below. 05 of 10 Sigal Music Museum Courtesy of Visit Greenville View Map Address 516 Buncombe St, Greenville, SC 29601, USA Get directions Phone +1 864-520-8807 Web Visit website The newest addition to Heritage Green, the Sigal is located in a historic building that was once a Coca-Cola Bottling Company and is home to one of the world's largest collections of musical instruments. In addition to hundreds of pieces in its permanent collection—which include a harpsichord played by Mozart, a 19th-century hurdy-gurdy, and a soprano recorder dating to 1710—the museum hosts visiting exhibits and regular concerts and performances by renowned local and international artists. 06 of 10 Upcountry History Museum -Furman University Courtesy of Upcountry History Museum View Map Address 540 Buncombe St, Greenville, SC 29601-1906, USA Get directions Phone +1 864-467-3100 Web Visit website Want to learn more about the history, art, and culture of the Upstate? Head to this family-friendly, two-story museum, with interactive exhibits, colorful murals, and video presentations dedicated to the region's history from the indigenous peoples to its role as a world textile powerhouse to the present day. The museum also hosts rotating exhibits, day camps for children, guest lectures, and book clubs and is open Tuesdays through Sundays, except on major holidays. 07 of 10 SE Center for Photography Courtesy of SE Center for Photography View Map Address 116 E Broad St, Greenville, SC 29601-2812, USA Get directions Phone +1 864-605-7400 Web Visit website Part gallery, part community hub, the SE Center in downtown features three gallery spaces with rotating exhibitions from local, national, and international photographers selected via juries and submission calls, plus a bookstore, lounge, and classroom space. The center also hosts workshops for artists of all abilities and special events including artist and author talks. 08 of 10 Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum and Baseball Library Courtesy of Shoeless Joe Museum View Map Address 356 Field St, Greenville, SC 29601-3541, USA Get directions Phone +1 864-346-4867 Web Visit website Located across the street from Fluor Field—home of the Greenville Drive, a minor league affiliate of the Boston Red Sox—this museum is dedicated to the life of the Upstate-born, Greenville-raised baseball legend Joe Jackson. While no longer on its original plot of land, the museum is housed in the former residence of Joe Jackson and his wife. Open on home game days as well as Saturdays, the museum has interactive exhibits dedicated to Jackson's life in the Textile League, his controversial career, and life post-baseball, as well as an on-site research library with over 2,000 books dedicated to the sport. Don't miss the life-sized bronze statue of Jackson next to the Greenville Drive Team Store at Fluor Field. Continue to 9 of 10 below. 09 of 10 Kilgore-Lewis House View Map Address 560 N Academy St, Greenville, SC 29601, USA Get directions Phone +1 864-232-3020 Web Visit website Built in 1838 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this Palladian-style home is the oldest surviving structure in Greenville County. While the original house was located near Buncombe Street United Methodist Church downtown, it was moved to North Academy Street in the 1970s and is now surrounded by a pond, restored spring, and extensive gardens and serves as the home of the Greenville Council of Garden Clubs, Inc. Take a free, docent-led tour on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. or explore the public gardens and arboretum, which are open daily from sunrise to sunset. 10 of 10 BMW Zentrum Museum Courtesy of BMW Group View Map Address 1400 SC-101, Greer, SC 29651-6799, USA Get directions Phone +1 888-868-7269 Web Visit website Car aficionados will want to visit the only BMW museum in North America, located on the campus of the automobile company's Greer plant. Open Monday through Friday for self-guided tours, the interactive museum has exhibits dedicated to the company's history and technology, as well as a large display of current and historic cars, including the Isetta Bubblecar, plus a gift shop and a small cafe. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Share Pin Email Tell us why! Submit