A trip to a great museum can be a profoundly moving and even vitally important experience for many people. Fortunately, there are many great museums to visit throughout the United States. Here are just a few of the best places to visit if you’re an art lover and why so many people make a point of setting aside time for museum visits on vacations.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

As an artistic city, Boston doesn’t get quite the same amount of attention as New York or Los Angeles. But a visit to the city’s Museum of Fine Arts can be a life-changing experience. Set near the equally excellent Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in the Fenway District, the MFA has everything that a true art lover could want: Here, you’ll find glorious Ancient Greek and Roman sculptures and fantastic works by Impressionist masters. If you’re in New England, a visit here is a must.

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City

As perhaps the greatest museum in the United States, the Met has been wowing visitors for generations with its stunning holdings by some of the world’s greatest artistic masters. The Met’s holdings are so extensive that many visitors opt to make repeat visits during a vacation; certainly, taking everything in on one visit can make a trip here feel rushed. If you’re passionate about the history of art, you’ll need to make a pilgrimage to the Metropolitan Museum at some point.

The Getty Center, Los Angeles

Sprawling atop a pristine hill in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, the Getty Center is contemporary America’s shrine to art. The $1 billion+ complex is home to some of the world’s greatest artworks; it’s easy to spend entire days amid the museum’s truly wonderful holdings. Simply put, the Getty Center is one of the West Coast’s greatest treasures.

The Museum of Modern Art, New York City

The Museum of Modern Art isn’t to everyone’s taste; however, people who love the direction that high art took post-WWI will get a real kick out of MoMA’s holdings. As its name would suggest, the museum’s exhibits are centered around modernist artworks. You’ll find Warhols and Pollocks on display; just don’t come here looking for Ancient Greek statues or works by Renaissance masters! For lovers of artistic experimentation, however, it is hard to beat MoMA.