Stark, white walls, the speechless shuffle of designer shoes, docents following you with sharp, untrusting eyes - there's a lot to dislike about museums. If the stuffy, self-important atmosphere didn't work for you on your seventh-grade field trip, chances are good it won't much work for you now.

But that's certainly not how it has to be anymore. American museums have come a long way, as have the crowds that walk their halls. The trick is knowing which museums have learned how to inject a little unexpected fun in to the experience, and perhaps in reassessing just what it is that you call a museum.

Take a journey to some of our favorites. Here we'll look at six museums in six cities that go beyond the norm, some traditional and some not, and we'll also make hotel recommendations for your stay in each location.

Freedom Trail - Boston, Massachusetts

Boston kicks the museum tour off with a non-traditional start. In fact, one of the best things about Beantown is that the whole city is practically a museum. Historic structures, unmistakable landmarks, and breathtaking glimpses into the storied history of Colonial America literally line the streets, and the best way to see as much of it as you can is to venture the Freedom Trail.

Although it's free to walk, the Freedom Trail is officially recognized by the city, which even went so far as to mark the full two and a half miles of the tour with a path of red brick and paint. Beginning at Boston Common, the oldest city park in the U.S., the Freedom Trail will lead you to a total of 16 of the most popular tourist landmarks including the State House, King's Chapel, Faneuil Hall, the USS Constitution and the Bunker Hill Monument. You can find free Trail documentation for a little extra information on each site if you're looking to keep the experience costless (and who isn't).

However, if you are hoping to enhance the walk then look into a guided tour. You can find regular guided tours by expert docents or you can find costumed tours, where you are lead by appropriate historical figures such as Benjamin Franklin and Betsy Ross. Either way you are sure to get a lot of knowledge, fun, and even exercise out of Boston's charming Freedom Trail.

For a choice in hotels near Boston Logan Airport, try the Embassy Suites Boston at Logan Airport hotel.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum - Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland's most exciting museum is also its preeminent attraction. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the most popular hall of fame in the country by annual attendance, stands out from typical museums for its eye-catching subject matter and at times whimsical sense of humor. Of course, with personalities as outrageous as the past's biggest rock stars to document, how could it not?

The opening galleries detail and respect the significance of various movements throughout the history of rock and roll music. From the explosion of Motown music in Detroit in the 1960's to the early-to-mid 90's grunge revolution of Seattle, the range of the museum is deep and fascinating. On the third floor lies the soul of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Hall of Inductees. Along with etched glass signatures of every inductee and a virtual jukebox with thousands upon thousands of songs from past artists, the Hall contains in-depth exhibits on the current year's inductees. For instance, in 2008 you could see displays on The Dave Clark Five, Madonna, John Mellancamp, Leonard Cohen, and The Ventures.

If you time it right, you can possibly catch one of the Rock Hall's film presentations. The Hall is dedicated to searching out and presenting classic rock and roll movies, be they concert features, documentaries, or any film considered to be irreplaceable in the pantheon of rock.

For a choice in Cleveland hotels near the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, try the Embassy Suites Cleveland-Rockside.

National Underground Railroad Freedom Center - Cincinnati, Ohio

In Cincinnati our museum tour takes a somber but no less impacting turn. Billed as a "museum of conscience", a term often applied to tolerance and holocaust museums, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center is a stirring and frankly awe-inspiring museum dedicated to revealing the incredible struggle for freedom among all people in the United States and throughout the world.

While the reach of many exhibits are wide enough to include the ongoing problems of today, the Center's most disquieting exhibits concern the 19^th-century Underground Railroad. As a once vital thoroughfare for escapees crossing the Ohio River, Cincinnati proves the perfect home for such a museum. The central permanent exhibit is the Slave Pen, a two-story log cabin that was used to house slaves before auction in the early 1800's. The pen was discovered and restored in Mason County, Kentucky, not far at all from modern day Cincinnati.

Despite the quality of the museum and the profound nature of its subject matter, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center has fallen into some hard financial times. While we humbly wish for the best, we encourage you to not delay as the museum simply might not be here in ten, even five years.

For an affordable Cincinnati hotel, try the Hilton Cincinnati Airport.

The Miller Brewing Company - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Milwaukee is certainly home to a number of excellent arts and sciences museum, but for a move to the less traditional and much more exciting, it's hard to beat a tour of the Miller Brewing Company. In fact, it's not only loads of fun - in a town like Milwaukee it's altogether appropriate.

Although the number of major breweries has dwindled in recent years with the Miller Brewery far-and-away the largest, Milwaukee remains a vibrant beer town with several excellent brewpubs within the city. It's not just a tasty beverage, it's a way of life and significant economic player in town. The Miller Brewery is the oldest still-functioning brewery in the country, and it hosts regular (and free) guided tours.

After leaving the Visitor's Center you'll travel deep into the brew-house where you'll see some of America's favorite beers get made step-by-step. Along the way, your guide will interject with interesting history asides about the company and its products. At the conclusion, you can take a seat in charming Miller Inn for a free frosty sample, provided you are over 21. If you happen to be in the area, there's another Miller Brewing Company tour location in Golden, Colorado.

For a convenient Milwaukee hotel, try the Doubletree Milwaukee Hotel / Brookfield.

The Henry Ford - Detroit, Michigan

Arguably one of the problems with art museums is that there is something vaguely intangible about them. As nothing but collections of flat images, the experience can lack definition and a sense of "place", especially in the U.S. where the bulk of our displayed art hails from other countries. At the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village in Detroit, Michigan, you'll experience no such detachment.

Named for the incomparable automobile industrialist who founded it and declaring itself the "largest indoor-outdoor history museum complex" in the nation, The Henry Ford is dedicated to the preservation and celebration of the American past, most notably the industrial revolution, and it drives its message home with an unrivaled collection of priceless artifacts. Throughout the grounds of The Henry Ford you'll find yourself in the presence of such awesome sights as John F. Kennedy's presidential limousine, Abraham Lincoln's chair from the Ford Theatre where he was fatally wounded, Thomas Edison's laboratory, the Wright Brothers' bicycle shop, and even the actual Rosa Parks bus, the site of the simple act of defiance that ignited the Civil Rights movement.

If you're wondering how the museum can contain Thomas Edison's entire laboratory, believe that it was no small feat. Over 100 historic or significant buildings were relocated and carefully arranged in the contained Greenfield Village, an incredible outdoor attraction designed to recreate life in the United States since the nation's founding.

For Detroit area hotels, try the Doubletree Detroit Hotel / Novi.

The Columbus Zoo - Columbus, Ohio

What is a zoo but a living museum with animals, and the famed Columbus Zoo is a must for any zoo-goers lifetime scorecard. Thanks in no small part to the efforts of famed animal lover, conservationist, and now-director emeritus, Jack Hanna, the Columbus Zoo enjoys worldwide acclaim with over 6,000 animals and 700 different species including an unrivaled number of endangered and recovering species.

While the Zoo opened in 1927, you wouldn't know it thanks to consistent and considerable updates to the grounds over the years representing the latest in zoological and humane thought. The exhibits are broken up into eight main regions (although the Zoo is currently expanding to ten). The oldest and still largest region is North America, which is home to exhibits featuring brown and black bears, bison, mountain lions, wolverines and river otters. The African Forest is a particularly significant region as it is home to an extended family of Western Lowland Gorillas, the Zoo's most famous animals.

There are currently Polar Frontier and African Savannah regions under construction. While this article is dedicated to more museum-like attractions, it should be noted that the Columbus Zoo is also home to Zoombezi Bay and Jungle Jack's Landing, the on-site water park and traditional ride park respectively. No shame in adding a little roller coaster action to a fun day at the Columbus Zoo.

For Columbus, Ohio hotels, try the Embassy Suites Columbus-Dublin.

Let this be no act against traditional art museums, which are fantastic institutions that deserve every bit of cultural recognition that they've received. Let this be a guide, however, for those that simply "don't get" art museums. It's no reason to be ashamed, but it's also no reason to avoid a little education on your vacation. Be on the lookout for non-traditional museum attractions in your city of choice and a fun, fresh and fascinating trip is never far behind.

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