Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit

The most famous features of the fifth-largest fine arts museum in the United States are the Diego Rivera murals, starkly depicting the artist's view of world history, the industrial revolution and the automobile. They are the gritty, spiritually uplifting center of this vast but manageable museum, whose 100 galleries include more than 60,000 paintings, sculptures and other art objects. Auguste Rodin's famed sculpture "The Thinker" is near the entrance. Impressive permanent collections of Pre-Columbian, Islamic, Flemish, Dutch, African, European, American and Asian art are supplemented by top-notch exhibitions. The museum was renovated and re-opened in 2007, expanding its size by 31,000 square feet. The DIA is an impressive building and a place of both grandeur and contemplation.