490 Best Sights in USA

Peer into the life of the Victorian elite during a 45-minute tour of the 18-room mansion built in 1879 for Emlen Physick, a nonpracticing physician (courtesy of a family inheritance) who lived with his mother and maiden aunt. The mansion's timber-outline exterior is in Stick Style, avant-garde for its day. Guides point out original furnishings and discuss period customs and clothing. Most tours can be combined with trolley rides through Cape May's Historic District and, on Fridays, tours have a family focus. Take time for afternoon tea or a light lunch at the Twining's Tearoom, in the estate's carriage house. Entrance to the adjacent Carriage House Gallery is included in the tour price.

The widow Amélie Miltenberger built this row of three picturesque brick town houses in the 1830s for her three sons. Her daughter Alice Heine became famous for wedding Prince Albert of Monaco. Although the marriage ended childless and in divorce, Princess Alice was a sensation in New Orleans.

Commissioned in 1895 as the private home of French priest Jean-Baptiste Francolon, this magnificent architectural hodgepodge and museum in Manitou Springs is still decorated, in part, as if a family lived here. More than 30 rooms in this 14,000-square-foot space offer a wide variety of displays and furnishings primarily from the Victorian era, while the building itself includes a Gothic front door, medieval battlements, and nine styles of architecture. You can also have lunch or high tea in the Queen's Parlour Tea Room (reservations required).

This Victorian celebrates the life and times of the scandalous "Unsinkable" Molly Brown. The heroine of the Titanic courageously saved several lives and continued to provide assistance to survivors back on terra firma. Costumed guides and period furnishings in the museum, including flamboyant gilt-edge wallpaper, lace curtains, tile fireplaces, and tapestries, evoke bygone days. The museum collects and displays artifacts that belonged to Brown, as well as period items dating to 1894–1912, when the Browns lived in the house. Tours run every half hour; you won't need much more than that to see the whole place. A bit of trivia: Margaret Tobin Brown was known as Maggie, not Molly—allegedly a Hollywood invention that Brown did not like—during her lifetime.

This 23-room mansion, once the Livingston family estate, sits on 434 acres along the Hudson River north of Rhinebeck. Built in the Federal style, the mansion was remodeled in the mid-19th century by noted American architect Andrew Jackson Davis, who applied a classical revival style. The well-maintained house is closed for restoration, but the grounds alone are worth seeing; they encompass orchards, flower gardens, and ancient trees, and offer plenty of picnic-perfect spots.

Just outside Orange is the lifelong residence of James Madison (1751–1836), the fourth president of the United States. He grew up here, lived here with his wife, Dolley, and retired here after his presidency. A massive renovation was completed in 2008, removing parts of the mansion added by its 20th-century owners, the duPont family. In her will, Marion duPont Scott left the estate to the National Trust for Historic Preservation with the stipulation that it be returned to its original state. The mansion is now restored to its early 19th century Madisonian state, a project that totaled $24 million. Some of the Madisons' possessions, as well as a tribute to the "Father of the Constitution," have been set up in an Education Center on the grounds. The walking tour includes a stop at the cemetery where James and his wife, Dolley, are buried. Exotic conifers planted by the duPonts dot the meadowlike grounds, and a walking path wanders amid an old-growth forest. The annual Montpelier Hunt Races, a steeplechase, have been held here since 1934 on the first Saturday in November.

On 70 acres of parkland, Montpelier Mansion is a masterpiece of Georgian architecture that George Washington used as a guesthouse on the way to and from the Constitutional Convention. It was built and owned by the Snowdens, who earned their wealth through farming and an iron foundry. Interesting features include a 35- by 16-foot reproduction of a hand-painted canvas floor cloth and an offset central hall staircase. Also on the property is an 18th-century summerhouse where ladies took their tea, boxwood gardens, an herb-and-flower garden with plants grown in the 1800s, and a cultural arts center with three galleries and artists' studios.

Moody Mansion, the residence of generations of one of Texas's most powerful families, was completed in 1895. Tour its interiors of exotic woods and gilded trim, filled with family heirlooms and personal effects.

Manhattan's oldest surviving house was built in 1765 for the Morris family, on the ancestral homeland of the Lenape people, and if walls could talk, this house would have stories. In fact, it has songs: Lin Manuel-Miranda composed part of Hamilton here. This National Historic Landmark once served as headquarters to General George Washington and then the British military and Hessian troops during the American Revolutionary War. It survived the Battle of Harlem Heights in 1776 and a few months later, its barn held American prisoners after the Battle of Fort Washington. At war's end, the house was confiscated, and for a while it lived a life as a tavern and rest stop for travelers. In the early 1800s, the house was owned by wealthy French merchant Stephen Jumel, who spent time restoring the house while living out of wedlock for several years before marrying a woman of no station who spent a lot of money trying to be accepted by New York society. The home welcomed such notable figures as Louis Philippe (King of France), Joseph Bonaparte (elder brother of Napoléon Bonaparte), and Henry Clay. When Jumel died and left everything to his wife, she married Aaron Burr. Yes, that Aaron Burr. She divorced him after four months after he made a dent in her bank account. Today the house is a museum with eight period rooms on display, fine furnishings and portraits, beautiful architecture, and all those stories to tell.  Call ahead to confirm access while the building undergoes exterior restoration work and accessibility upgrades throughout 2025 and 2026.

Within the 1,200 acres that make up Morven Park are the Morven Park International Equestrian Institute (a private riding school), formal English gardens, and two museums. The Winmill Carriage Museum houses more than 40 historic vehicles, including one belonging to Grace Kelly and another belonging to Tom Thumb, and the Museum of Hounds and Hunting features artifacts and displays about the sport. The elegant mansion was originally a fieldstone farmhouse built in 1781. It evolved into a Greek Revival building that bears a striking resemblance to the White House (completed in 1800). Scenes from the Civil War film Gods and Generals and other movies were filmed here. In fact, the land was once a Confederate camp, remnants of which they are still finding today. Two governors have also lived here. Guided tours of the mansion are available; the Winmill Carriage Museum and Museum of Hounds and Hunting are self-guided.

The Federal redbrick Moses Myers House, built by its namesake between 1792 and 1796, is exceptional, and not just for its elegance. The furnishings, 70% of them original, include family portraits by Gilbert Stuart and Thomas Sully. A transplanted New Yorker as well as Norfolk's first Jewish resident, Myers made his fortune in Norfolk in shipping, then served as a diplomat and a customs officer. His grandson married James Madison’s grandniece; the home passed down through several generations of the family and eventually to Norfolk mayor Barton Myers, who carried out early architectural restoration in 1892. Exhibits throughout the house feature letters and other artifacts from several generations of the Myers family.

Dutch architect Henry Hardenbergh, who worked on the original Waldorf-Astoria and Plaza hotels in New York City, designed this house in 1903 for businessman P.B. Moss. The mansion, which Montana's paranormal society has deemed haunted, still contains many of the elaborate original furnishings, ranging in style from Moorish to art nouveau. Don't miss the gem of a gift shop in the mansion's basement. Admission prices increase by a few dollars during the holiday season.

One of the oldest houses in Baltimore, this elegant mansion was begun in 1754. It was the home of Charles Carroll, author of the Maryland Declaration of Independence, member of the Continental Congress, and one of Maryland's major landowners. The state's first historic museum house has been carefully restored to its Georgian elegance; more than 80% of the 18th-century furniture and artifacts, including rare pieces of Chippendale and Hepplewhite silver, crystal, and Chinese export porcelain, were owned and used by the Carroll family. Washington, Lafayette, and John Adams were all guests here. The greenhouses are famous in their own right: they provided rare trees and plants for Mount Vernon.

These two buildings provide a look at a crucial period in the nation's history. The museum (a good place to start) has elaborate permanent exhibitions on the Civil War era. The "world's largest collection of Confederate memorabilia" includes such artifacts as the sword Robert E. Lee wore to the surrender at Appomattox. Next door, the "White House" has in fact always been painted gray. Made of brick in 1818, the building was stuccoed to give the appearance of large stone blocks. Preservationists have painstakingly re-created the interior as it was during the Civil War, when Jefferson Davis lived in the house.

Bringing together fine and decorative art collections and multimedia presentations, the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley reflects the region's cultural history. Designed by renowned architect Michael Graves, the museum's modern exterior belies the four centuries of historical artifacts, fine arts, and decorative arts on display inside its mammoth 50,000 square foot space. In contrast, the Glen Burnie House and gardens, adjacent to the museum, are a gracious walk through the 18th and 19th centuries. The 1736 Georgian country estate that was the home of Winchester's founder, Colonel James Wood, is surrounded by 25 acres of formal gardens. Collections within it include a gallery with furniture, fine arts, and decorative objects gathered by the last family member to live in the house, Julian Wood Glass Jr., who died in 1992. Another gallery assembles shadow-box rooms and miniature furnished houses.

This Italianate house was built by impressionist Edgar Degas's maternal uncle, Michel Musson—a rare Creole inhabitant of the predominantly American Garden District. Musson had moved to his Esplanade Street residence before Degas visited New Orleans, so it's unlikely the artist ever stayed at this address. A subsequent owner added the famous "lace" iron galleries.

A 110-foot gallery with Wedgwood-blue cast-iron grillwork creates a lovely atmosphere for The Myrtles. The house, built around 1796, has elegant formal parlors with rich molding and faux-marble paneling. Because the upper floor is used as a bed-and-breakfast, the scope of the daytime guided tour is limited. Consider booking one of the 45-minute history tours offered several times per day; free self-guided tours are also available. If you're interested in haunted happenings, then join a popular mystery tour that is offered each evening (and multiple times on Friday and Saturday nights)---the tour sells out, so it is recommended that you book in advance.

At the foot of South Mountain lies a curious dwelling built from desert rocks by Boyce Gulley, who came to Arizona to cure his tuberculosis. Full of fascinating oddities, the castle has 18 rooms with 13 fireplaces, a downstairs grotto tavern, and a quirky collection of Southwestern antiques. The pump organ belonged to Elsie, the "Widow of Tombstone," who buried six husbands under suspicious circumstances.

The mansion, once a stop on the Underground Railroad, was the home of Civil War general Neal Dow, who became known as the "Father of Prohibition." He was responsible for Maine's adoption of the anti-alcohol bill in 1851, which spurred a nationwide temperance movement. Now a museum, this majestic 1829 Federal-style home is open for guided tours that start on the hour.

For a look at how the uber wealthy lived in the early 20th century, visit Nemours, an estate on 200 acres with impressive gardens and a 47,000-square-foot mansion built for Alfred I. du Pont in 1910 by noted architectural firm Carrère and Hastings, complete with the latest in technology. This modified Louis XVI château showcases more than 30 (of 77 in all) rooms of European and American furnishings, rare rugs, tapestries, and art from different eras. Despite its splendor, the mansion feels homey and personal, and it's fun to explore on your own and ask the pleasant interpretive staff questions. The formal French-style gardens, reminiscent of those at Versailles, are landscaped with fountains, pools, and statuary; garden tours are offered April through October. Vintage cars from Rolls-Royces to Cadillacs are on display in the Chauffeur's Garage. Tickets can be purchased by the parking lot.   No food is sold on-site, but picnicking on the lawn is permitted.

The organization is the launching point for various guided and self-guided tours of the historic district, including a garden and haunted tours, and visiting the society's three museums that trace New Castle history from 17th-century Dutch settlers to modern-day efforts to preserve the past. Dutch House features Dutch colonial artifacts related to early port activities. The Georgian-style Amstel House, circa 1730, is considered Delaware's first grand mansion and hosted George Washington and signers of the Declaration of Independence. Old Library Museum, built in 1892, is a hexagonal brick structure designed by noted architect Frank Furness of Philadelphia.

Wraparound porches, a balconied gable, and turrets provide evidence of the 1856 building's progression of architectural phases, from Italianate to Second Empire and finally Queen Anne. The mansion has served as the official residence of New York's governors since 1875. To see the interior, you must take one of the guided tours, which last about an hour; because visiting times are so limited, reserve at least two weeks in advance.

The only Mt. Vernon Street home open to the public, the Nichols House was built in 1804, and its design is attributed to Charles Bulfinch. It became the lifelong home of Rose Standish Nichols (1872–1960), Beacon Hill eccentric, philanthropist, peace advocate, and one of the first female landscape architects. Nichols inherited the Victorian furnishings, but she added a number of Colonial-style pieces to the mix, and the result is a delightful mélange of styles. To see the house, you must take a guided tour, and space is limited.

This imposing white mansion on Main Street was built in 1807 by Captain William Nickels to show off the wealth he'd amassed in shipbuilding and international cargo shipping, which brought prosperity to Wiscasset in the early 19th century. The high Federal-style structure went on to become a hotel until it was bought and restored by the Sortwell family at the beginning of the 20th century. Furnished with fine period antiques, its beautifully carved woodwork and flying staircase are testament to the artistic skills of Captain Nickels' shipwrights.

This 18th-century farmhouse is the birthplace and childhood home of Noah Webster (1758–1843), the famed teacher, lawyer, early abolitionist, and author of the first American dictionary. Inside you'll find Webster memorabilia, period furnishings, and a one-room schoolhouse theater.

Touring the south's largest existing antebellum mansion will give you an appreciation of the grandeur of the area's plantation homes, but Nottoway is lacking in the information it provides about slavery's central role in the construction and maintenance of the estate, and is also falling into some disrepair. Built in 1859, Nottoway's mansion is Italianate in style, with 64 rooms, 22 columns, and 200 windows. The crowning achievement of architect Henry Howard, it was saved from destruction during the Civil War by a Northern officer (a former guest of the owners, Mr. and Mrs. John Randolph). An idiosyncratic, somewhat rambling layout reflects the individual tastes of the original owners and includes a grand ballroom, famed in these parts for its crystal chandeliers and hand-carved columns. You can stay at Nottaway overnight from Thursday through Sunday each week. A formal restaurant, which normally serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily, is currently closed for renovations. The plantation is 2 miles north of its namesake, the town of White Castle (you'll understand how the town got its name when you see this vast, white mansion, which looks like a castle).

This antebellum Greek Revival–style mansion, in the heart of historic Oakleigh Garden District, is Mobile's official period house. Costumed guides give tours of the home, built between 1833 and 1838. See fine period furniture, portraits, silver, jewelry, kitchen implements, toys, and more. Tickets include a tour of the garden, the cook's house, and the neighboring Cox–Deasy House, an 1850s cottage furnished with simple 19th-century pieces. All tours start on the hour.

This eight-sided home was built in 1861, its many walls purporting to provide health benefits through better airflow and more natural light. It sits across the street from its original site on Gough Street; it's one of two remaining octagonal houses in the city (the other is on Russian Hill), and the only one open to the public. White quoins accent each of the eight corners of the pretty blue-gray exterior, and a colonial-style garden completes the picture. Because it's the home of the California Society, the house is full of antique American furniture, decorative arts (paintings, silver, rugs), and documents from the 18th and 19th centuries. Note that the museum is only open on the second and fourth Sundays of each month.

Designed by Dr. William Thornton (original architect of the U.S. Capitol), the Octagon House was built by enslaved workers for John Tayloe III, a wealthy plantation owner, and completed in 1801. Thornton chose the unusual shape to conform to the acute angle formed by L'Enfant's intersection of New York Avenue and 18th Street. After the British burned the White House in 1814, Thornton convinced the Tayloes to allow James and Dolley Madison to stay in the Octagon. From September 1814 until March 1815, the Octagon became the temporary White House. In the second-floor study, the Treaty of Ghent, which ended the War of 1812, was ratified. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) established its national headquarters at the Octagon in 1898 and renovated the building as one of the country's first preservation projects. AIA stayed there for 70 years before moving into new modern headquarters directly behind. Self-guided tours take in historically furnished rooms; second-floor gallery spaces hold rotating exhibits on architecture, design, and history.

This Georgian-style house was built for Governor Huey P. Long in 1930, and eight other governors lived here thereafter until 1962. The story goes that Long instructed the architect to design his home to resemble the White House, representing Long's unrealized ambition to live in the real one. Notable features on the guided tour include Long's bedroom and a secret staircase. This historic house museum also serves as the headquarters for Preserve Louisiana and functions as a venue for special events.