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For a portfolio of munis up to about $100,000, the most cost-effective route to safety and diversification is a well-run, low-cost mutual fund. Some good choices are in the box at left. For bigger portfolios, it pays to buy (and therefore control) your muni bonds directly. Your best bet is to work through a financial adviser.
Finally, a word on munis for the growing ranks of investors who must pay the hated alternative minimum tax (AMT): income from "private use" bonds, like those used to fund many stadiums and airports, becomes taxable under the AMT. Muni-bond funds will tell you their AMT exposure if you ask, and any good personal portfolio adviser should watch out for them as well.