Last month we talked about heirloom guns and how to best take care of your firearms that have special memories or meaning attached to them. Now we’re going to list the places that are experts at it. This is not a comprehensive list of the best gun museums. There’s at least one in virtually every state. But this gun museum list is a good place to start if you’re interested in learning more about antique firearms or the history of guns in general. As always, we encourage you to explore our handcrafted, USA-made gun cabinets to store your arms.
- National Firearms Museum (The NRA National Firearms Museum)
The National Firearms Museum also called the NRA Museum, is located at the NRA Headquarters Building in Fairfax County, Virginia. You can see 3,000 firearms in a 15,000 square foot facility.
The Robert E. Petersen Gallery, named after the publishing magnate (Hot Rod and Motor Trend magazines), spotlights firearms engravings, British double rifles and shotguns, and a large collection of Gatling guns. The William Ruger Gallery features 120 guns used in movies and television for more than eight decades.
The NRA Firearms Museum is slated to open July 4, with social distancing and COVID-related safety measures in place. We recommend you call ahead of time to confirm the gun museum’s hours of operation and any special requirements due to the pandemic (703-267-1600). Normal business hours are daily, from 9:30 AM to 5 PM. Admission is free.
The NRA National Firearms Museum has its own YouTube Channel where curator Merwin Hulbert hosts other firearms experts and shares the historical relevance of guns in the museum’s expansive collection. Read about all the NRA Museums, including the NRA National Sporting Arms Museum and the Frank Brownwell Museum of the Southwest.
- Winchester Gun Museum
The Winchester Gun Museum is also known as the American Firearms Museum and it’s housed in the Winchester Mansion in San Jose, California. It was once the personal residence of Sarah Winchester, widow of firearm magnate William Wirt Winchester and heiress to part of the Winchester® Repeating Arms fortune.
This mansion is more focused on the tales of Sarah’s sorrow and rumored hauntings rather than displays of historical firearms and the “gun that won the West.”
Still, those who collect firearms may find the stories related to Winchester fascinating. Normal business hours are Friday-Sunday 10 AM-4 PM. We recommend you contact the museum ahead of time for updates regarding any coronavirus pandemic mitigation procedures and requirements. The cost of the house tour is just under $9.
- Cody Firearms Museum
This gun museum is one of five museums under one roof. The complex is known as the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming. The Cody Firearms Museum includes more than 10,000 firearms and related artifacts. It’s said to be the most comprehensive firearms museum in the United States. General admission (which gets you into all five museums) ranges from $19.25 and under. Call ahead to confirm admission, business hours, and to learn of any COVID-19 related protocols (1-307-587-4771).
- Will Rogers Memorial and J.M. Davis Gun Museum
The John Monroe Davis Gun Museum (Claremore Gun Museum) of Claremore, Oklahoma, houses a large collection of rifles, handguns, and firearms from some of the most infamous criminals, including Bonnie and Clyde and Pretty Boy Floyd. It is said to be the world’s largest privately held gun collection. Phone 918-341-5707 to verify hours and to get updates regarding any social distancing requirements. The Will Rogers Memorial Museum is located nearby.
The J.M. Davis Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 AM to 5 PM. Admission is free, but donations are suggested. Call 918-341-5707 to verify business hours and to learn of any COVID-19 related updates.
- The Frazier Historical Arms Museum
In the permanent exhibit of this arms museum in Louisville, Kentucky, visitors can see Teddy Roosevelt’s “Big Stick,” Geronimo’s bow and arrows, a 5-foot-long, .44-caliber, Pennsylvania-style flintlock hunting rifle owned by U.S. President George Washington, and other notable historic items.
Admission ranges from $8-$12. The arms museum is open Thursday through Saturday, 10 AM to 5 PM, and Sundays Noon to 5 PM, but we recommend you call ahead of time to confirm these hours, admission prices, and to learn of COVID-19 related protocols (502-753-1699).
- Gettysburg National Military Park Museum
Located in historic Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, this national museum includes a large collection of Civil War-era martial arms from both the Union and Confederate armies. Fees for the museum experience only range from $6 to $9. The museum normally operates Thursdays through Mondays (closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays) from 9 AM to 4 PM. Due to COVID-19, we recommend you call ahead to verify prices, hours, and to learn of any special social distancing requirements (717-334-1891).
- The Colt Firearms Museum
Samuel Colt was an American inventor, industrialist, and businessman. He founded the Colt’s Patent Fire-Arms Manufacturing Company, which mass-produced revolvers. Located in the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, the Colt Museum includes Samuel Colt’s collection of firearms, edged weapons, and armor, including prototype weapons and historic pieces. Located in Hartford, Connecticut, the museum is currently closed due to COVID-19 but you can explore it in 3D. General admission is $15 and under. You can find COVID-19 updates regarding the Colt Firearms Museum online.
- The Rock Island Arsenal Museum
This museum on Rock Island, Illinois, features more than 1,200 firearms and significant artifacts, including serial number 1 of the Model 1903 rifle and four weapons used by the Sioux or Cheyenne at the Battle of Little Bighorn. The museum is open Tuesday-Saturday, Noon-4PM, and admission is free. Call 309-782-5021 to verify hours of operation and to learn of any COVID-19 related updates.
The Ohio Gun Collectors Association provides a more comprehensive list of firearms museums at https://www.ogca.com/Museums.pdf.
