3966 Best Sights in USA

Ride the concrete waves or watch others display a wide range of ability levels as they careen around this universally beloved skatepark, situated between the beach and the boardwalk in Venice. There's also an impressive crew of disco roller skaters, and drum circles that gravitate toward the middle of the boardwalk. Lessons are offered frequently, and there is an abundance of skate shops nearby if you are infected with the sudden need to hit the half pipe.

Next to Quechee Gorge, this science center has more than 40 raptor ambassadors, including bald eagles, peregrine falcons, and owls. All caged birds were found injured and are unable to survive in the wild. In summer, experience "Raptors Up Close," a 30-minute live bird program that happens three times a day. An ADA-accessible Forest Canopy Walk gives visitors a bird's-eye view as it reaches 100 feet above the forest floor.

On the 30-minute tour of this fun-filled factory you'll hear more puns than you ever thought possible, while learning how a few homemade bears sold from a cart on Church Street turned into a multimillion-dollar business. Parents and children can relax, eat, and play under a large canvas tent in summer, or wander the beautiful 57-acre property.

Fern-covered black rocks frame this 317-foot fall, and rainbows play in the spray at its base. You can get a distant view from Glacier Point, or hike to see it close up. You'll get wet, but the view is worth it. Access is via the Mist Trail from the nature center at Happy Isles

This 38-room estate was completed in 1929, a precise copy of a 1,200-year-old Viking castle. Its original owner, Lora Knight, furnished it with Scandinavian antiques and hired artisans to build period reproductions. The sod roof sprouts wildflowers each spring. A steep 1-mile-long trail from the Emerald Bay lookout leads down to Vikingsholm. The hike back up is challenging, especially for those not acclimated to the elevation, although there are benches and stone culverts to rest on. (Avoid the hike by taking a cruise; check the website for vendor information.)

At the 150-foot peak of Fannette Island are the ruins of a stone structure called the Tea House, built for Knight's guests to enjoy refreshments. The island is off-limits from February through mid-June to protect nesting Canada geese. The rest of the year, it's open for day use.

This beach, just 2 miles north of St. Augustine, is sandwiched between the Tolomato River and the Atlantic. In the 1920s, it was home to the Grand Vilano Casino, which was destroyed by a hurricane in 1937. Until recently, Vilano Beach had deteriorated into a small, somewhat run-down area, though with a laid-back, '60s, surf vibe. Now, however, it's home to stores and restaurants, the Vilano Beach Fishing Pier, and other community improvements. A Hampton Inn & Suites is within a few minutes' walk. The beach has some nice breakers for surfing—skimboarding is also popular—but strong currents sometimes make it dangerous for swimming. It's also one of the few beaches on which you can still drive a car. Amenities: lifeguards (seasonal); showers; toilets. Best for: solitude; surfing; walking.

This former home of San Antonio preservationist and collector Walter Mathis (who is widely recognized as the catalyst for the King William neighborhood revitalization in the late 1960s) is not only a National Trust for Historic Preservation site but also a San Antonio treasure. Villa Finale is home to more than 13,000 pieces of fine and decorative art, including what is believed to be one of the most complete collections of Napoleonic materials. Museum admission includes a self-guided tour, and staff are available to answer questions. There is no fee to see the gardens.

This huge complex of shops, restaurants, and luxury accommodations is the town's tourist center, and the venue for many special events—check the website for the weekly schedule. The complex is also the transfer hub for the free public transit system, with fixed routes throughout the Mammoth Lakes area. In winter, the free village gondola starts here and travels up the mountain to Canyon Lodge and back.  Unless you're staying in the village and have access to the on-site lots, parking can be very difficult here.

The centerpiece of Olympic Valley is a pedestrian mall at the base of several four-story ersatz Bavarian stone-and-timber buildings, where you'll find restaurants, high-end condo rentals, boutiques, and cafés.

You can see a blacksmith at work using traditional, antique tools at this historic shop behind the old schoolhouse in the center of town, and the artisan on site is enthusiastic about answering questions about his craft and the history of blacksmithing in Greenport. Housed in an old East Marion onion shack, the building is a replica of the original, destroyed by a nor'easter in 1992. You can purchase small, handmade items made here including wall hooks, and the proceeds help fund the site, which is part of the East End Seaport Museum.

The sea is the subject at the popular Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center, a massive facility with more than 200 exhibits. This is no place for passive museumgoers; many exhibits require participation. You can use computers to predict the weather and solve the pollution crisis, watch the birds in the salt marsh through telescopes on a deck, handle horseshoe crabs, take a simulated journey to the bottom of the sea in a submarine, and study fish up close in tanks that re-create underwater environments. The museum is almost 2 miles inland from Rudee Inlet at the southern end of Virginia Beach. The Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center has a nature trail—well worth it, but be sure to wear comfortable shoes.

The Virginia Discovery Museum at the east end of the downtown mall is full of hands-on exhibits. Children can step inside a giant kaleidoscope, explore a reconstructed log cabin, or watch bees in action in a working hive.

At the Virginia Living Museum, visitors are transported to a steamy cypress swamp and cool mountain cove, the underwater world of the Chesapeake Bay and the underground realm of a limestone cave, all with living exhibits and hands-on activities. Outdoors, a ¾-mile boardwalk features animals native to Virginia in naturalized habitats and wildflower gardens. Check out the evening laser shows the second Saturday of the month at the planetarium.

Near Market Square, just a short stroll along the Railwalk, the Virginia Museum of Transportation has the largest collection of diesel and steam locomotives in the country—not surprising, considering that Roanoke got its start as a railroad town and was once the headquarters of the Norfolk and Western railroad. The dozens of original train cars and engines, some of which can be boarded and many built here in town, include a massive nickel-plate locomotive—just one of the many holdings that constitute an unabashed display of civic pride. The sprawling model-train and miniature-circus displays please young and old alike.

The largest in the state, Virginia Zoological Park has more than 400 animals in 100 species living on 55 acres—including rhinos, ostriches, African elephants, and Siberian tigers as well as such domesticated animals as sheep. In the Africa exhibit, elephant demonstrations are scheduled regularly in summer, and nine new species have been added in an expansion, including zebra, lion, giraffe, red river hog, and meerkat. With the assistance of docents, children can handle some of the animals.

This 45-acre expanse, sitting at highest point of Capitol Hill, is Seattle's most elegant park. Famed landscape architects the Olmsted Brothers contributed to the 1904 design, and you can feel their influence in everything from the flowerbeds to the lily ponds to the old-school streetlights—and, more than anything, in the sweeping, carefully framed view to the west, which takes in the cityscape, Elliott Bay, and the Olympic Mountains. 

The park is a great place to stroll or jog, have a picnic, let the kids loose on the playground, or take in a summer concert at the amphitheater. For the fullest experience, plan on going into the park's three distinctive structures. The most prominent is the Seattle Asian Art Museum. Nearby, you can climb inside a 75-foot-tall brick water tower, dating from 1906. Views from its observation deck are even better than those from the ground. The third building, the Victorian-style Volunteer Park Conservatory, also merits an extended visit. Its magnificent collection of tropical plants is divided into five adjoining greenhouses: the Bromeliad House, the Palm House, the Fern House, the Seasonal Display House, and the Cactus House. If you're in Seattle on a dreary winter day, this is the place to go to beat the doldrums.

This informative and visually stunning observatory on the top of the Four Seasons Hotel offers and indoor and outdoor observation decks overlooking the river. An art-filled gallery of touch screens deliver stories of New Orleans music, food, and Mardi Gras history, as well as original films that touch on Civil Rights history, the Mississippi River, and Hurricane Katrina.

A favorite for local surfboarding teens and the families at the nearby Disney's Vero Beach Resort, the park is nestled in a residential area at the end of Wabasso Road, about 8 miles up from the action on Ocean Drive and 8 miles below the Sebastian Inlet. Aside from regular amenities like picnic tables, restrooms, and a dedicated parking lot (which really is the "park" here—there's not much green space—and it's quite small, so arrive early), the Disney crowd walks there for its lifeguards (the strip directly in front of the hotel is unguarded), and the local crowd appreciates its conveniences, like a pizzeria and a store that sells sundries, snacks, and beach supplies. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (no fee); showers; toilets. Best for: surfing; swimming.

At this 139-acre property across from Emery Farm and operated by the town of Durham as a public park, you can stroll along scenic trails from the farmhouse to the old farm wagon and through the woods to the picnic area overlooking the Oyster River. There's sledding and cross-country skiing in winter.

Slightly after the town of Huelo, the Hana Highway enters the Koolau Forest Reserve. Vines wrap around street signs, and waterfalls are so abundant that you don't know which direction to look. A good start is between mile markers 9 and 10, where the Waikamoi Nature Trail sign beckons you to stretch your car-weary limbs. A short (if muddy) trail leads through tall eucalyptus trees to a coastal vantage point with a picnic table. Awapuhi, or Hawaiian shampoo ginger, sends up fragrant shoots along the trail. Signage with messages such as "Quiet, Trees at Work" and "Bamboo Picking Permit Required" keeps you, figuratively speaking, on the straight and narrow.

This small yet fun attraction harbors more than 3,500 organisms and 500 species of Hawaiian and South Pacific marine life, including an endangered Hawaiian monk seal and a zebra shark. The Living Reef exhibit showcases diverse corals and fascinating reef environments found along Hawaii's shorelines. Check out exhibits on the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (explaining the formation of the island chain) and Ocean Drifters (about various types of jellyfish). A 60-foot exhibit houses sea horses, sea dragons, and pipefish. A free, self-guided mobile audio tour is available via your own smartphone. The aquarium offers activities of interest to adults and children alike, with a focus on the importance of being eco-friendly and keeping our oceans clean.

A road near the Grand Wailea resort takes you to Wailea Beach, a wide, sandy stretch with snorkeling and swimming. If you're not a guest at the Grand Wailea or Four Seasons, the cluster of private umbrellas and chaise lounges can be a little annoying, but the calm unclouded waters and soft white sand more than make up for this. From the parking lot, walk to the right to get to the main beach; to the left is another, smaller section that fronts the Four Seasons. There are picnic tables and grills away from the beach. Amenities: parking (free); showers; toilets. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

Past mile marker 18, enjoy some time at the concrete arches of the beautiful Waikani Stream Bridge before heading to the parking lot of this overlook near mile marker 20. From this perch, you can see Wailua Canyon in one direction and, in the other, Wailua Village, where 94% of the residents have at least partial Hawaiian blood. As you look down, note the village's landmark 1860 church, which was allegedly constructed of coral that washed ashore during a storm. Wailua asks that you respect the privacy of its residents by not entering the village. Note, too, that although you'll want to take photos of the scenery from the overlook, doing so using a drone flown over the populated area is strongly discouraged.

The first hotel built in Poipu in 1962 overlooked this beach, adjacent to Poipu Beach Park. Actually, there's little to distinguish where this one ends and the other begins, other than a crescent reef at the eastern end of Waiohai Beach. That crescent, however, is important. It creates a small protected bay—good for snorkeling and beginning surfers. However, when a summer swell kicks up, the near-shore conditions become dangerous; offshore, there's a splendid surf break for experienced surfers. The beach itself is narrow and, like its neighbor, gets very crowded in summer. Amenities: parking (no fee). Best for: snorkeling; sunset; surfing; swimming.

Fronting the Maui Sunset Resort, Waipuilani Park is a spectacular place to sunbathe, relax, or picnic on golf course–grade grass. You can swim here, but the water can be murky. A small beach hides behind the dunes, although it's usually speckled with seaweed and shells. This park often hosts local activities, such as volleyball and croquet, and it attracts many dog lovers. There are tennis courts, too. Although the park can be crowded, it's still a perfect place to watch the sunset. Amenities: parking (no fee); toilets. Best for: partiers; sunset.

This rare patch of green in Nashville's urban core features a walkway of stars commemorating many of the people who turned the city into Music City, USA. Visitors will find plaques with the names of iconic country stars like Johnny Cash, Reba McEntire, Loretta Lynn, Alan Jackson, and Dolly Parton alongside surprising names of stars with connections to Nashville from other genres such as Little Richard, Jimi Hendrix, Kid Rock, Steve Winwood, Peter Frampton, and the Fisk Jubilee Singers. It's "Music City," not just "Country Music City." 

NASA's Wallops Flight Facility Visitors Center fires the imagination with full-scale rockets, films on space and aeronautics, and displays on NASA projects. Although this was the site of early rocket launchings and NASA occasionally sends up satellites here, the facility now focuses primarily on atmospheric research.

This interactive museum is aimed at teaching young visitors about the ecosystems of northeastern Oregon through a mix of museum-style exhibits and special events. Highlights include a Discovery Room full of animal skulls and minerals, an exhibit dedicated to birds of prey, and an exhibit on the geology of the Wallowa Mountains. Check the Wallowology website for details on lectures and other special events.

This beautifully refurbished brick barracks is a tribute to the man behind Mickey Mouse, Disney Studios, and Disneyland. The smartly organized displays include hundreds of family photos, and well-chosen videos play throughout. Disney's legendary attention to detail is evident in the cels and footage of Fantasia, Sleeping Beauty, and other animation classics. Galleries tell the story of Disney's life from his youth in the Midwest to lesser-known bits of his professional history, like the films Walt Disney made for the U.S. military during World War II. The liveliest exhibit, and the largest gallery, documents the creation of Disneyland with a fun, detailed model of what Disney imagined the park would be. Teacups spin, the Matterhorn looms, and that world-famous castle leads the way to Fantasyland. You won't be the first to leave humming "It's a Small World." In the final gallery, a series of cartoons and quotes chronicle the world's reaction to Disney's sudden death. Worth checking for are periodic special exhibitions that take a deep dive into film themes or historical periods surrounding Disney's life.

A self-guided tour through a treasure trove of Walt Disney memorabilia follows his life from early boyhood, through the founding of his first studio, to Disneyland, and then to Disney World. After viewing the unique artifacts, catch a 15-minute documentary about the life of Walt Disney. For people with disabilities: Wheelchair and ECV accessible. Come in the afternoon, as this attraction is rarely busy.