The Smithsonian’s The Value of Money earns eighth for treating currency as evidence of culture and political change. More than 300 objects include a 1934 $100,000 banknote. It beats Chicago on historical breadth, while Tokyo offers the more focused currency-history narrative.
This is a gallery in the National Museum of American History, not a separate money museum. Admission is free, with no tickets required. Find the exhibition on the museum map and leave time to read labels: a dramatic denomination is a starting point for a question, not the whole story.
Sources: Official guide 1 · Official guide 2.
