10457 Best Sights in USA

One of the best-known dive sites in Puget Sound, Edmonds Underwater Park is immediately north of the ferry landing and offers 27 acres of sunken vessels, man-made reefs, and developed dive trails at no charge. Adjacent Brackett's Landing Park—where there's parking—has trails, picnic areas, and restrooms.

In 1825, Charles Edmondston designed this house in the Federal style on Charleston's High Battery; it was built by the labor of enslaved people, who also lived and worked on the property. About 13 years later, second owner Charles Alston began transforming it into the Greek Revival structure seen today, also by using the labor of enslaved people. The home is furnished with family antiques, portraits, silver, and fine china; the stories of the enslaved people who lived here are intertwined with many of the exhibits.

Edness Kimball Wilkins State Park is a day-use area with picnicking, swimming, fishing, and a 3-mile walking path. This park is along a migratory flyway, with more than 100 different species of birds frequenting the area. For this reason, Edness Kimball State Park has been designated one of Audubon Wyoming’s important bird areas.

Ford's son Edsel built the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House, a 60-room Cotswold-style residence on 87 acres. Albert Kahn designed the 1929 home, which boasts a large collection of original antiques and art as well as extensive gardens.

With more than 90,000 square feet for climbing, exploring, painting, playing, building—oh, and learning, too—this museum is a full day of hands-on fun. Eddie, a 40-foot-tall statue of a boy that can be climbed on (and in) by children and adults, is the centerpiece. Each of nine galleries has a theme, such as My Backyard, World of Work, and the Aha Factory Maker Space. Kids can shop in their own grocery store, act as firefighters in a full-size fire truck, and pretend to be newscasters.

Explore the eccentric artwork and offbeat humor of the late acclaimed artist and illustrator. Regularly changing exhibitions, arranged in the downstairs rooms of Gorey's former home, include drawings of his oddball characters and reveal the mysterious psyche of the sometimes dark but always playful illustrator.

Located adjacent to the JFK Library and Museum, the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate offers another view of the workings of the U.S. government, this one through the lens of the Senate and one of its most influential members. Interactive exhibits take visitors through a day in the life of a senator, and the highlight is the stunning full-scale representation of the Senate Chamber. In addition, there’s an exact reproduction of Senator Kennedy’s office, complete with photos of his family, model ships, and letters from his mother. It's definitely worth planning to visit both Kennedy attractions.

Just outside of Oak Glen, this museum features late 16th to early 19th century European, Indian, and Asian works of art. Founder Dean Stout designed the interior to resemble a home with seven historic rooms including a library with over 2,700 books from the 17th to the 19th centuries. After visiting the museum, stroll the grounds to enjoy the koi pond, garden maze, and the popular Legacy Rose Garden.

More than 48,000 acres of coastal habitats—including nearly 5,000 acres of woodland—are protected in this refuge. Peregrine falcons and bald eagles are among the winged visitors. There are numerous trails to explore like the 8-mile self-guided wildlife drive; the 3-mile dog-friendly Bristow Trail, which is a great place to see migratory songbirds; or the Akers Woodland Trail, an easy ¼-mile jaunt that's wheelchair and kid-friendly. To get here from Atlantic City, head west on U.S. 30, then right on U.S. 9. After about 5 miles, make a right onto Great Creek Road.

Dedicated to the 19th-century miner turned environmentalist who helped create Denver's Museum of Nature and Science, this museum hosts realistic stuffed animals and interactive exhibits like the hands-on taxidermy workbench.

The impressive stable of 20th-century photographers represented and shown here includes Sally Mann, Robert Polidori, Bill Brandt, Lalla Essaydi, Herb Ritts, Mona Kuhn, and Elliott Erwitt. The gallery also has prints by masters Dorothea Lange and Diane Arbus. Along with focusing on vintage photographs from 1917 to 1939, the gallery has extended to featuring an exclusive circle of contemporary photographers such as Annie Leibovitz.

Some of the 250,000 acres of the Eglin reservation are conditionally open to the public for hiking, mountain biking, swimming, canoeing, and fishing. To gain access, you must obtain a permit from the Natural Resource Division (also known locally as the Jackson Guard). The reservation has 21 ponds and plenty of challenging, twisting, wooded trails.

In the middle of the mouth of Tampa Bay lies the small (350 acres), largely unspoiled but critically eroding island Egmont Key, now a state park, national wildlife refuge, national historic site, and bird sanctuary. On the island are the ruins of Ft. De Soto's sister fortification, Ft. Dade, built during the Spanish-American War to protect Tampa Bay. The primary inhabitants of the less-than-2-mile-long island are the threatened gopher tortoise and box turtles.

The only way to get here is by boat, and you can catch a ferry from Ft. De Soto, among other places; area operators include Hubbard's Marina, Dolphin Landings, and Island Boat Adventures. It's well worth the trip—the beach here is excellent for shelling, secluded beach bathing, wildlife viewing, and snorkeling.

What sets Ehukai apart is the view of the famous Banzai Pipeline, where the winter waves curl into magnificent tubes, making it an experienced wave-rider's dream. It's also an inexperienced swimmer's nightmare. Spring and summer waves, on the other hand, are more accommodating to the average person, and there's good snorkeling. Except when the surf contests are happening, there's no reason to stay on the central strip. Travel in either direction from the center, and the conditions remain the same but the population thins out, leaving you with a magnificent stretch of sand all to yourself. Amenities: lifeguards; parking (no fee); showers; toilets. Best for: snorkeling; surfing.

Thirty years ago, engineers in Paris discovered hairline fractures in the Eiffel Tower supports. To lighten the load, they removed the restaurant on the second platform. New Orleans auto dealer McDonald Stephens bought that restaurant, which was disassembled into 11,062 pieces for shipping. Stephens hired New Orleans architect Steven Bingler to build a "jewel box" out of the pieces for his four beloved daughters. Bingler's vision, assembled on St. Charles Avenue in 1986, incorporated scattered pieces from the original restaurant into a structure meant to resemble the Eiffel Tower. The building has gone through many incarnations; today it is a private work and event space.

The farm residence of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who bought it in 1950, was a weekend retreat and a meeting place for world leaders. The property adjoins the battlefield and the brick-and-stone farmhouse is preserved in 1950s style. Free home tours are conducted Thursday through Sunday, and seasonal walking tours of the farm are offered once a week.

Advertising is demystified through the museum's exhibits on psychographics, campaign development, and the impact of advertising on popular culture (and vice versa). The museum is in the Third Ward, a few blocks south of Downtown proper.

If you think you know the West, a browse through this phenomenal museum will have you thinking anew. Its blending and juxtaposition of both Western and Native American art, culture and history adds depth and perspective to any stereotypes. Exhibits include artwork that depicts idyllic scenes of cowboys on horseback, modern abstractions, Native American pottery and woodcraft, and more. Some of its most beloved holdings are works by artists from the famed Taos Society of Artists, as well as Georgia O'Keeffe, Kay WalkingStick, and Andy Warhol.

Now a peaceful stop for visitors to Old Town, the old adobe-wall cemetery established in 1849 was, until 1880, the burial place for many members of Old Town's founding families—as well as for some gamblers and bandits who passed through town. Antonio Garra, a chief who led an uprising of the San Luis Rey Indians, was executed at El Campo Santo in front of the open grave he had been forced to dig for himself. Most of the markers give only approximations of where the people named on them are buried; some of the early settlers laid to rest at El Campo Santo actually reside under San Diego Avenue, thanks to the streetcar line that was built through the graveyard in 1894.

Rising 3,593 feet—more than 350 stories—above the valley, El Capitan is the largest exposed-granite monolith in the world. Since 1958, people have been climbing its entire face, including the famous "nose." You can spot adventurers with your binoculars by scanning the smooth and nearly vertical cliff for specks of color.

The best known of the large natural caverns that pockmark northern Prince of Wales Island has one of the deepest pits in the United States. Paleontologists have found a wealth of black bear, brown bear, and other mammal fossils in the cave's 13,000 feet of passageways, including some that date back more than 12,000 years. The Forest Service leads free, two-hour tours of El Capitan Cave several times a week in summer. It takes some work to get to the cave's mouth, but if you're up for a 1,100-foot hike up a 367-step stairway, it's well worth the effort. The rangers pause along the way to give visitors time to catch their breath. Reservations are required at least two days ahead, and no children under age seven are permitted. Bring a flashlight and wear hiking or rubber boots. A light jacket is also helpful, as the cave gets quite cool.

Several trails combine to form a popular loop through the low desert. El Capitan skirts the base of El Capitan peak for about 3.5 miles, leading to a junction with Salt Basin Overlook. The 4.7-mile Salt Basin Overlook trail begins at the Pine Springs Trailhead and has views of the stark white salt flat below and loops back onto the El Capitan Trail. The 11.3-mile round-trip is not recommended during the intense heat of summer, because there is absolutely no shade. Difficult.

Traveling west on Interstate 40, along the south side of the freeway in the last 10 miles or so before you hit Grants, you'll catch your first glimpse of the stark, volcanic-rock-strewn El Malpais National Monument and Conservation Area. Take Exit 89, on the east edge of the flow, and travel south on NM 117 about 18 miles to La Ventana, New Mexico's largest natural arch. Before you get to that sandstone wonder, you might pull off at the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) El Malpais Ranger Station (it's about 9 miles from the exit) for maps and information about the conservation area's miles of hiking trails; the nearby Sandstone Bluffs overlook offers a grand view across El Malpais ("the Badlands"). Alternatively, proceed into Grants, stopping at the comprehensive Northwest New Mexico Visitor Center (Exit 85 505/876–2783) for maps and info, then continue west on Interstate 40 to Exit 81, then southwest on NM 53 to the monument area, which is administered by the National Park Service (NPS) and has an information center about 23 miles to the south. El Malpais is not much of an attraction for the just-passing-through visitor, but it's well worth spending a full day or two exploring the park in depth. Popular for hiking as well as caving in the miles of lava tubes—but it's best to venture forth with extremely sturdy soles and lots of water—its some 40 volcanoes dot 114,000 acres. (A quick snapshot of the volcanic landscape may be gained from the Ice Cave and Bandera Crater.) BLM's Joe Skeen Campground has 10 basic sites and a vault toilet; backcountry camping permits are available at the NPS visitor center, though camping is very primitive—no facilities exist.

The 1928 El Morro Theatre is a shining example of a unique regional building style, Pueblo Deco. El Morro tends to be open sporadically for events and the occasional film fest; on Saturdays it offers a kids matinee—call to find out what's on the schedule. Walk one block south of Route 66 to have a look (while the interior has been refurbished, only the exterior reflects its period glory).

Also operating as a community gathering space with lectures and classes, the 31,000-square-foot El Museo celebrates New Mexico's rich Hispanic heritage with a wide range of events, from children's theater to musical concerts. It also hosts the Antique American Indian Art Show, during which dozens of craftspersons and artists exhibit their work in early August along with the Mercado, held on weekends from late September through late May and featuring a varied array of vendors selling folk, tribal, and Western art and memorabilia. A small gallery shows contemporary art by Hispanic artists.

El barrio, Spanish for \"the neighborhood,\" is the nickname for East Harlem, a largely Spanish-speaking community; the museum, on the edge of this neighborhood, focuses on Latin American, Latino, and Caribbean art. Founded in 1969, the museum's permanent collection of more than 8,500 objects is highlighted through evolving themes, including women, African and Indigenous artists, Latinx representation and more. Art and crafts from Latin America are prominent. One highlight is the over 300 santos, carved wooden folk-art figures from Puerto Rico. El Teatro, formerly the Heckscher Children's Theater, has stunning 30-foot murals and stained-glass roundels. The museum's events include lectures, films, festivals and parties for Latin and Caribbean holidays, including a Three Kings Day parade.

Founded in 1782, El Presidio was one of four military strongholds established by the Spanish along the coast of California. The park encompasses much of the original site in the heart of downtown. El Cuartel, the adobe guardhouse, is the oldest building in Santa Barbara and the second oldest in California.

A nicely designed repository for the city's history, El Pueblo History Museum extends its scope to chronicle life on the plains dating back before Colorado statehood. It tells of Pueblo's role as a cultural and geographic crossroads, beginning when it was a trading post in the 1840s. Hands-on features—a giant teepee where guests can go inside and play historic drum replicas; a dress-up chest full of pioneer clothing and hats; and a covered wagon that is just the right height for small hands to discover the trinkets on board—make this museum fun for the whole family. Remnants of the original trading post are now an archaeological dig enclosed in a pavilion next to the museum.