CLEVELAND, OH—November 26, 2025—For the first time, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History has been nominated for USA TODAY’s 2026 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards in the category of Best New Museum, recognizing the completion of the Museum’s bold reimagining and decade-long transformation. The national competition invites the public to vote once per day through Monday, December 22, 2025 at noon ET, with winners announced on Friday, January 2, 2026.
Museum supporters are invited to vote on USA TODAY’s website.
USA TODAY’s 10Best Awards highlight the country’s most significant new museum openings and major transformations over the past two years—from art institutions and science centers to cultural heritage venues. Nominees are selected by an expert panel of editors and museum professionals, reflecting trend-setting innovation and impact.
“Being recognized alongside the nation’s top new cultural destinations is an extraordinary honor for our Museum and for Cleveland,” said Sonia Winner, President & CEO of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. “Our transformation was designed to foster curiosity and empower people to better understand their relationship with the planet. This nomination celebrates that vision—and will help enhance Cleveland’s legacy as an arts and culture hub.”
The Museum, now one of the most advanced and immersive natural history museums in the country, earned its nomination after unveiling a renewed visitor experience that features an expanded campus, sustainability-forward facilities whose cutting-edge design earned LEED Platinum recognition, and innovative galleries that connect visitors to the natural world in powerful new ways.
In the past year, the transformed Museum has been internationally recognized among the 2025 World’s Most Beautiful Museums List by Prix Versailles, honored for its striking design that blends natural inspiration with forward-thinking architecture. The Museum was also named Overall Winner of the Ohio 2030 District’s Green Building Challenge, reflecting its commitment to environmental stewardship and energy efficiency. Its excellence in the museum field earned the distinction of Institution of the Year by the Ohio Museums Association, while families across Northeast Ohio voted it Best Museum to Visit With Your Family through Northeast Ohio Parent magazine. These achievements have positioned the Museum as a model for how institutions across the globe can foster environmental awareness, scientific literacy, and community engagement.
Help the Museum become #1: Vote Daily!
“We built this Museum for our community—for families, students, and lifelong learners,” Winner added. “Now we invite Northeast Ohio to help showcase what makes this place so special.”
Supporters can help elevate the Museum to the national spotlight by voting once each day on USA Today’s 10Best website.
About the Cleveland Museum of Natural History
The Cleveland Museum of Natural History illuminates the world around us and inspires visitors to engage with the natural forces that shape their lives. Since its founding in 1920, the Museum has pioneered scientific research to advance knowledge across diverse fields of study and used its outstanding collections, which encompass millions of artifacts and specimens, to deepen the public’s understanding of the dynamic connections between humans and nature. Through its Natural Areas Program, the Museum stewards more than 12,500 acres of protected ecosystems across northern Ohio. A community gathering place, educational center, and research institution, the Museum is a vital resource that serves Cleveland and the nation. For more information, visit CMNH.org.
Media Contact
Samantha Guenther
Assistant Director of Marketing & Media Relations
Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Office: 216.231.4600 x3432
Mobile: 440.429.2902
sguenther@cmnh.org
