3966 Best Sights in USA

If you click through the turnstile just before 9 am with young children in tow, wait at the entrance before crossing beneath the station. In a few moments, you'll hear a whistle in the distance and see the day's first steam-driven train arrive. For a great overview of the whole Magic Kingdom, step right up to the elevated platform above the Magic Kingdom's entrance for a ride into living history. Some of the locomotives date from 1928, the same year Mickey Mouse was created. Disney scouts tracked down these vintage carriers in Mexico (where they transported sugarcane in the Yucatán), brought them back, and overhauled them. They're splendid, with striped awnings, brightly painted benches, authoritative "choo-choo" sounds, and hissing plumes of steam.

The 1½-mile track runs along the perimeter of the Magic Kingdom, with much of the trip through the woods, and stops in Frontierland and Fantasyland. The four trains run at five- to seven-minute intervals. Note that you can't load bulky strollers—like those Disney rents. Go midafternoon to enjoy a leisurely circuit of the Kingdom while you rest. Since you are never forced to exit, it's a good chance for little ones to nap. For people with disabilities: You can remain in a standard wheelchair or transfer to one if you're in an ECV. Trains are equipped for handheld-captioning. The ride is a good introduction to the layout of the park; it's also great as relief for tired feet.

Originally seen at New York's 1964–65 World's Fair, this revolving theater traces the impact of technological progress on the daily lives of Americans from the turn of the 20th century into the near future. Representing each generation, an Audio-Animatronics family sings the praises of modern-day gadgets that technology has wrought. For people with disabilities: Wheelchair accessible; equipped for assisted-listening, handheld-captioning, audio-description, and video-captioning devices. Skip this on a first-time visit unless you adore nostalgia. Also, it might close early or entirely in low season.

The latest version of Disney's first Audio-Animatronics attraction brings back the original show, Tropical Serenade. Winged hosts Jose, Fritz, Pierre, Michael, and the boys take you on a tour of the attraction while cracking lots of jokes. The original ditty "In the Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room" is second only to "it's a small world" as the Disney song you most love to hate. Many people do hate this attraction, finding the talking birds obnoxious and the music too loud and peppy. But you can also hear old-timers singing along to "Let's All Sing Like the Birdies Sing," tweet, tweet tweet, tweet, tweet. Plus, it's a haven of cool in the summer heat. For people with disabilities: Accessible for those in standard wheelchairs; equipped for handheld-captioning, audio-description, and assisted-listening devices. Go when you need to sit down with air-conditioning.

Boardwalks and hiking, biking, and canoe trails weave through this lovely 600-acre park lorded over by ancient cypress and tupelo trees. One of the paths traces the colonial-era Charleston-to-Savannah Stagecoach Road, where you can still see the cypress remnants of historic bridges. It's a Southern swamp that forms the headwaters of the ACE Basin's Ashepoo River, so douse yourself with insect repellent and be on alert for reptiles.

Encompassing 3,000 acres of estuaries, woodlands, salt marshes, and barrier beaches, this research reserve is a good place for walking, fishing, and birding. On the grounds, check out the Wampanoag wetu (summer dwelling); indoors, a Discovery Room offers nature exhibits for kids. South Cape Beach State Park is part of the reserve; you can lie out on the sand or join one of the interpretive walks. Flat Pond Trail runs through several different habitats, including fresh- and saltwater marshes. You can reach Washburn Island on your own by boat; it offers 330 acres of pine barrens and trails, and swimming.

In the quiet desert south of Ely, this row of six beehive-shaped, 30-foot-tall ovens used to process 35 cords of wood at once. From 1876 to 1879, the ovens turned vast forests of pinyon, juniper, and mountain mahogany into charcoal, which was used for refining local silver and copper ore. It's a well-preserved piece of unique mining history, and the park includes a campground, hiking trails, and a creek good for fishing.

This 350-acre park three miles northeast of the University District is mainly used by locals, who come here to jog on the trails, launch boats onto Lake Washington, and let their dogs run free in Seattle’s largest off-leash area. Several unique characteristics can make it worth a visit. From the 1920s through the ‘70s, the park was a naval air base; if you’re interested in aeronautics history or architecture, check out the historic district, where the base’s art deco and Colonial Revival buildings from the ‘30s and ‘40s remain (now repurposed in various ways, including a roller derby arena). If you’re a dog lover, you can find joy watching happy pups swim at the off-leash dog beach. And grunge rock fans like to make a pilgrimage to the park’s northern corner, where, when the breeze is blowing in the right direction, you can hear the Sound Garden that inspired the iconic Seattle band’s name. (The instillation is part of a neighboring NOAA facility that’s not open to the public.)

This 22,000-acre preserve is 3 miles from Heber City and provides for a number of activities, ranging from serene hikes along winding mountain trails to golfing at one of the four 18-hole courses. Children have their own fishing pond near the visitor center. In winter, hiking turns to snowshoeing and cross-country or backcountry skiing along the Dutch Hollow, Snake Creek, or Pine Creek Trails winding up through stands of Gambel oak, aspen, and maple.

From April 1782 to August 1783, General George Washington made his military headquarters and home in this Dutch fieldstone house, where he attended to the final years of Revolutionary War activity. Guided tours show how Washington, his wife, Martha, and his aides-de-camp lived and worked here as the war drew to a close. Filled with period furniture and reproductions, the house opened to the public in 1850, becoming the first official historic site in the United States. A monument to peace, the Tower of Victory, was erected here in the late 1880s. Adjacent to the house is a small museum containing artifacts collected since the mid-1880s. Lectures, live music, military and crafts demonstrations, and family programs honor Washington's birthday during a three-day extravaganza over Presidents' Day weekend.

For a dramatic view of Springdale and a great introduction to the park's landscape, including lower Zion Creek Canyon and Towers of the Virgin, this moderately taxing adventure begins on a service road east of Watchman Campground. Some springs seep out of the sandstone, nourishing the hanging gardens and attracting wildlife. There are a few sheer cliff edges, so supervise children carefully. Plan on two hours to complete this nearly 3½-mile round-trip hike with a 368-foot elevation change. Moderate.

The nearly 45 acres of pools, children's play areas, lazy rivers, and water rides have a colorful 1950s and surf theme. Blast down Rock 'n' Roll Island's nearly 600 feet of body slides, ride the 700-foot lazy river, or soak in the 9,000-square-foot pool. Or you can enjoy relaxing by Virginia's largest wave pool in a lounge chair or a private cabana. There is also live entertainment, shopping, and restaurants.

The newly opened Waterfront Park—a 20-acre space stretching from Belltown to Pioneer Square—was completed in the summer of 2025, bringing a sense of unity and community to Downtown Seattle's formerly fragmented waterfront. Bike lanes, playgrounds, and native plants are all part of the new Waterfront Park, which provides a community space along the piers for events, social gatherings, walking along the water, and simply catching the sunset over the Olympic Mountains and Elliott Bay.

A flat and easy 3-mile trail winds along this pretty city park on the banks of the Wenatchee River, down the hill from downtown Leavenworth. The trail crosses Blackbird Island and has several patches of beach that are ideal for a dip on a hot summer day. It's a wonderful park and trail for wildlife watching.

Venetian-style footbridges, cobblestone walkways, and an amphitheater encircling a tidal basin set the tone at this 4-acre park along the Woonasquatucket River near where it joins the Moshassuck River to form the Providence River. In summer and fall, it's the site of WaterFire, a multisensory installation featuring music, performances, and 80 wood-fired braziers permanently placed in the middle of the river and set alight between dusk and midnight on some nights. WaterFire attracts nearly 1 million visitors annually. Gondola and riverboat tours of the park and rivers are offered seasonally during special events.

You don't have to walk the 1.2-mile round-trip trail to the summit of Waterrock Knob for a view—the vistas from the visitor center are also wonderful—but a trip to the top for sunrise or sunset can be stunning. Heading northeast from Cherokee on the Parkway, this is the first trail and notable summit. 

Although the holding tanks of a 100-year-old water-treatment plant might not seem like the best location for fine art, the 10,000-square-foot WaterWorks Art Museum is actually very attractive. Overlooking the Yellowstone River, this permanent exhibit reflects the town's Western heritage and features both regional and national exhibits and features. The museum store features a variety of original artwork, reproductions, ceramics, and a good selection of Western U.S. history books.

This Historic New England--operated farm on Narragansett Bay, in existence since 1789, is still a working farm. The farmers use sustainable practices to raise heritage-breed cows and sheep and to produce wool blankets for local markets. They also host educational programs; for example, during the annual Sheep Shearing Day in May you can visit the baby lambs, see the flock being shorn by local shearers, and watch spinning and weaving demonstrations. You can also stroll more than 2 miles of trails and view seasonal farm activities on this 265-acre property.

In the shadow of Krakatau, the volcano that looms over the park, is this wide beach with chairs by the hundreds. Arrive early to claim the best spot, or upgrade by renting a premium seat that includes a sun canopy. Park yourself in a chair and do absolutely nothing, or venture into the water, where, every so often, a set of waves washes across the bay. So the choice is yours: swim and splash, or rest and relax. Or maybe a little of both. For people with disabilities: A sloped entry makes it easier for guests using wheelchairs to enter the pool unassisted or with the help from someone in their party.

This statue at River Street and East Broad Ramp is a beloved symbol of Savannah's Southern hospitality. It commemorates Florence Martus, a sister to the lighthouse keeper, who waved to ships as they came into Savannah's port for more than 44 years. She would wave a white towel and, when young, always had her dog by her side. Late in her life, locals threw her a huge birthday party at Fort Pulaski with more than 5,000 guests. Despite having welcomed so many sailors to port, she died without ever having been wed.

Honoring the history of the 19th-century Black community of Weeksville, one of the first communities of free Blacks in New York (founded by James Weeks), this Crown Heights museum with an industrial-modern building by Caples Jefferson Architects has rotating exhibitions, botanical gardens, and three preserved houses on gravely Hunterfly Road in the back, dating back to 1838. Tours inside these structures depicting life in the 1860s, 1900s, and 1930s can be booked through their website.

A half-mile round-trip, this is definitely a kid-friendly trail. Hop off the bus three stops from the north end of the park. The well-marked trail is shaded and has a steady incline that leads to steps as you approach the alcove. Although much of the trail is paved, the steepness and irregularity may make it difficult for strollers and wheelchairs. Amaze your kids when you tell them the water trickling down on them has taken more than 1,000 years to seep down and through Echo Canyon. Easy.

Weetamoo Woods takes its name from a formidable female sachem of the Pocasset Wampanoag tribe. There are more than 10 miles of walking trails within this 650-acre town-owned parcel and the adjacent 230-acre Pardon Gray Preserve, which encompass a coastal oak-holly forest, an Atlantic white cedar swamp, two grassland meadows, early-American cellar holes, and the remains of a mid-19th-century village sawmill. The main entrance to Weetamoo Woods, ¼-mile east of Tiverton Four Corners, has a parking area and a kiosk with maps.

Established in 1976, this museum moved in 2010 to a new, James Polshek–designed, contemporary building near Independence Hall. The 100,000-square-foot facility, via multimedia displays, historic objects, and ephemera, traces the history of American Jews from 1654 to the present. Highlights include "Only in America," a showcase of the accomplishments of famed Jewish Americans, including Jonas Salk, Barbra Streisand, and Irving Berlin; a three-level timeline covering immigration, the formation of Israel, and the civil rights movement; Seinfeld; a Contemporary Issues Forum, where you can share your views on Post-it-style notes that are electronically scanned and displayed; and "It's Your Story," where you can record clips about your family history. The museum's exterior offers two contrasting sculptures symbolizing how American Jewish history is intertwined with the nation's story: a 19th-century marble monument dubbed Religious Liberty and a sculpture by contemporary artist Deborah Kass.

This neon-and-incandescent sign in a median of Las Vegas Boulevard south of Mandalay Bay is one of Sin City's most enduring icons. The landmark dates back to 1959 and was approved for listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. Young Electric Sign Company leases the sign to Clark County, but the design itself was never copyrighted and currently exists in the public domain. (This, of course, explains why you see so many likenesses all over town.) The parking lot in the median just south of the sign was expanded in 2015. If you prefer to go on foot, expect a 10-minute walk from Mandalay Bay, plus waiting time for photo ops.

The northern end of a 2-mile stretch of golden sand, Wells Beach is popular with families and surfers, who line up in the swells and suit up on the boardwalk near the arcade and snack shop. The beach's northern tip is a bit quieter, with a long rock jetty perfect for strolling. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); toilets. Best for: surfing; walking.

Located in two connected early-1900s former government buildings, the city's well-designed history museum contains Native American and pioneer artifacts, exhibits on Washington's famed apple industry, and a display about the 1931 landing of the first-ever nonstop flight across the Pacific, which went from Japan to Wenatchee. Children enjoy the hands-on area and the model railway. The museum also displays works by Northwest artists.

Wendell Gilley (1904–83), master plumber–turned–renowned bird carver from Southwest Harbor, hunted ducks and game birds for recreation and food. Aspiring to preserve them through taxidermy he instead took up bird carving, producing some 10,000 works (mostly basswood). He sold the fine and to-scale carvings at his “Bird Shop,” a popular island tourist stop back in the day; his personal collection of 300-plus carvings—including ruffed grouse, upland sandpiper, American goldfinch, Atlantic puffin, and loon—is the foundation of the museum’s collection. On a large corner near downtown, with bird sculptures and placarding outside, it showcases Gilley's carvings and others' as well as avian art. One gallery has changing exhibits; you might catch a contemporary artist’s show. A resident carver is at his workbench, not only carving but answering questions and helping visitors give it a go. Check the website for special events, including one-day workshops. You can buy carving kits in the museum workshop.

Away from the hustle and bustle of Wolfeboro on pretty little Lake Wentworth, this simple park features a quiet beach with good fishing, picnic tables and grills, and ball fields. Amenities: parking (no fee); showers; toilets. Best for: swimming; walking.

The Werner Wildlife Museum, near the Casper College campus, has displays of birds and animals from Wyoming and around the world. There are more than 400 birds, fish, and animal species on display across 36 different exhibits.