10457 Best Sights in USA

Pack a picnic and your fishing poles, or hit the hiking, biking, horseback-riding, and motorbike trails in 250,000 acres of swamps, lakes, oaks, and pines. Bring a canoe to explore the peaceful black water of the Wambaw Creek Wilderness Canoe Trail, hike the Swamp Fox Passage of the Palmetto Trail, or pitch a tent at one of the campgrounds within the forest.

Former Disney film and television executive Rich Frank founded his namesake winery in 1992, but the wine-making history here dates to the 19th century—portions of an original 1884 structure, reclad in stone in 1906, remain standing today. Frank Family makes sparkling wines, as did Hanns Kornell on this site for nearly four decades. The high-profile wines, though, are the Carneros Chardonnay and several Cabernet Sauvignons, particularly the RHF and Winston Hill blends. Tastings, some held in the glass-walled vineyard's-edge Miller House hospitality barn, are sit-down affairs.

Built in 1888 as the home of the Franklin Company, one of the largest printers at the time, this building has intricate decoration. The tile work on the facade leads up to The First Impression—a medieval scene illustrating the first application of the printer's craft. Above the entryway is a motto: "The excellence of every art must consist in the complete accomplishment of its purpose." The building was turned into condos in 1989.

Here you'll find numerous items illustrating local history, including Native American artifacts. Revolving exhibits have featured the Lewis and Clark expedition, the railroad, World War II, agriculture, and aviation.

With a walking and biking path extending from Fort Wadsworth 2½ miles southwest to Miller Field, this Atlantic Ocean–facing city park is one of New York City’s four spacious beachfront areas. Not just for sunbathing or a dip in the ocean on a hot summer day, it also has a skate park, a seasonal snack stand, a fishing pier, and numerous sports fields. About three-quarters of the way down—easily accessible by seasonal bike rental—the Turtle Fountain at Midland Beach is a fun stop for photos.

Designed by Louis Kahn, this triangular-shaped park, at Roosevelt Island's southernmost tip, is a public memorial to FDR and honors his 1941 State of the Union address emphasizing the universal freedoms of speech, worship, and freedom from want and fear. A large stone inscribed with this portion of his speech and a bronze bust of the president by sculptor Jo Davidson are on view here. Venture up a 100-foot-wide staircase or along the linden-tree aligned paved walkways going toward a three-sided open-air chamber. Here, the skyline views of Manhattan and Queens's Long Island City neighborhood are rewardingly photogenic.

This 7½-acre memorial to the 32nd president, on the west side of the Tidal Basin, includes waterfalls and reflecting pools, four outdoor gallery rooms—one for each of Roosevelt's presidential terms (1933 to 1945)—and 10 bronze sculptures. You can find some of Roosevelt's famous statements, including "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself," engraved on the granite megaliths connecting the galleries. A bronze statue of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt stands in front of the United Nations symbol in the fourth room. She was a vocal spokesperson for human rights and one of the most influential women of her time. Considering Roosevelt's disability, this was the first memorial designed to be wheelchair-accessible, and several pillars include Braille lettering. The memorial was dedicated in 1997, but it wasn't until 2001 that a statue of a wheelchair-bound Roosevelt was added near the entrance after years of debate about whether to portray Roosevelt realistically or to honor his desire not to display his disability, as had been done throughout his presidency.

Frederick Law Olmsted is best known as the designer of New York’s Central Park, and his sons followed in their father’s footsteps in founding the Olmsted Brothers firm, which created this high-profile park in deep South Philly. Originally called League Island Park, when it was designed in the decade leading up to the 1926 Sesquicentennial Exposition, it’s now colloquially known as “The Lakes” for its network of channels and lagoons. The park contains numerous historical structures, including a soaring granite gazebo ringed in Doric columns, the dramatically arched boathouse, and the castlelike American Swedish Historical Museum. April through October, it's also home to the Southeast Asian Market ( www.fdrseamarket.com), where talented cooks from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, and more cook street food from their cultures' cuisines.

In the middle of a 90-acre urban park about 2 mi east of Downtown, this elegant glass conservatory shelters desert, rain forest, mountain, and tropical island plant habitats. Built in 1895 and styled after London's Crystal Palace, the conservatory is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Outside, hardy bamboo and Japanese maples in the Japanese garden are part of a 28-acre botanical garden. Franklin Park Conservatory is the only public garden to have a permanent glass exhibit by artist Dale Chihuly.

One of five squares William Penn placed in his original design, this park is now a family-friendly destination. In addition to the water-dancing fountain, there’s a modern playground and carousel; a food stand with burgers, fries, and shakes; and an 18-hole miniature golf course boasting scale models of Independence Hall, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Ben Franklin Bridge, and other local landmarks. The park also plays host to numerous events throughout the year, including the Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival and Winter in Franklin Park.

Located right on the main highway between Portland and wine country, Fratelli Ponzi Fine Food and Wine Bar offers the opportunity to sample wines from both the Ponzi Winery and small local producers without straying far from the beaten path. It's a good place to stop to sample current releases of Ponzi wines and locally produced wines by the glass.

This still-operating tavern, where General George Washington celebrated the end of the Revolutionary War in 1783, is today a museum and national historic site. Here, in his prepresidential days, Washington bid an emotional farewell to his officers upon the British evacuation of New York. Today, this historic landmark has two fully furnished period rooms—including the Long Room, site of Washington's address—and other modest displays of 18th- and 19th-century American history, as well as temporary exhibits. You won't find revolutionaries in the tavern and restaurant these days, but you will enjoy a cozy colonial atmosphere and well-made lunches and dinners of classic American dishes. There's also a piano bar upstairs with live music most nights.

One of the earliest brick houses in the Cuyahoga Valley, this Federal-style home built in 1827 on the banks of the Cuyahoga River belonged to Stephen and Mehitable Frazee, successful farmers who raised seven children in the home. The house, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was constructed with clay from the back yard and lumber from the property's walnut, chestnut, and oak trees. Historical documents show that after the Ohio & Erie Canal opened in 1827, the home likely served as an inn and tavern for travelers passing through along the canal.

Just before the start of the one-way section of the loop road, this serene spot has views across to Winter Harbor and out to nearby islands. Open year-round, it has 26 picnic sites and a wheelchair-accessible pier where you can fish, launch your canoe or kayak, or simply soak up the view. In the warm months, a float dock is attached to the pier.

Along with a picnic area and wonderful views of Frenchman Bay, Acadia National Park's only boating and fishing pier is here. It's used by kayakers and canoeists to get on Frenchman Bay.

This state park's original name, Starvation State Park, was most likely in recognition of the early homesteaders and cattlemen who battled bitter winters, short growing seasons, and other hardships in the area. In 2019, it was renamed in memory of a beloved director of the Utah Division of Parks and Recreation. Boaters and anglers come to cast for walleye, yellow perch, and smallmouth bass in the park's 3,500-acre reservoir. There are six campgrounds within the park, two of which are developed. Bring sunscreen, as there is little natural shade on site. Note that dogs must be on a leash at all times.

It comes in two parts: a shady mainland picnic area with barbecues and a white-sand beach island. The causeway is a popular hangout for windsurfers, and the entire area is great for birding. The beach itself is very relaxed and family-friendly, and you can find kayak rentals on the island's eastern side. Amenities: parking (fee); showers; toilets. Best for: sunset; swimming; windsurfing.

Antiques dealer Fred J. Johnston rescued this 1812 Federal mansion from the wrecking ball in the 1930s; the Friends of Historic Kingston inherited the house in 1993 through Johnston's will. His collection of 18th- and 19th-century Hudson Valley furniture and decorative arts is on display as well as a Friends of Historic Kingston gallery that features different local history exhibits which change every year.

Fells Point was once a busy shipyard that employed thousands of people—including Civil War statesman and abolitionist, Frederick Douglass. This small, carefully curated museum tells the story of Douglass’s life in Baltimore: first building ships as a slave, then escaping to freedom by dressing as a sailor and boarding a train to Philadelphia. Isaac Meyers, a free black born in 1835, was another important player in Baltimore’s maritime history. Hands-on student and family programs let children caulk and build boats. Waterfront Kitchen, located on the first level, has partnered with area nonprofit Living Classrooms to employ at-risk inner-city teens to teach grade schoolers about gardening and nutrition. Self-guided tours are available as well as 45-minute guided group tours by appointment.

Frederick Law Olmsted (1822–1903) is considered the nation's preeminent creator of parks. In 1883, while immersed in planning Boston's Emerald Necklace of parks, Olmsted set up his first permanent office at Fairsted, an 18-room farmhouse dating from 1810, to which he added another 18 rooms for his design offices. Plans and drawings on display include the U.S. Capitol grounds, Stanford University, and Mount Royal Park in Montréal. You can also tour the design rooms (some now in use as an archive library) where Olmsted and staff drew up their plans; highlights include a 1904 "electric blueprint machine," a kind of primitive photocopier.

The 1¾-acre site incorporates many trademark Olmstedian designs, including areas of meadow, wild garden, and woodland; Olmsted believed body and spirit could be healed through close association with nature. The site became part of the National Park Service in 1980; Olmsted's office played an influential role in the creation of this federal agency. Call ahead to inquire about house tour hours, which change with the seasons, though the grounds are open year-round.

After more than three decades in a previous location, a new Frederick Visitor Center is expected to open in early 2011 near the new I–70 interchange on East Street. The Tourism Council of Frederick County is renovating the circa-1899 industrial warehouse; as of this writing, construction was well underway. In addition to maps, brochures, and displays highlighting regional attractions and amenities, the new center will boast a 2,200-square foot exhibit area, an orientation film about Frederick County, and expanded restroom facilities. Guided 90-minute walking tours will leave from the center on weekends (Saturday at 11 am; Sunday at 1:30 pm), from May through October.

Just a short jaunt from downtown Fredericksburg is this magical little herb farm churning out an endless variety of fresh herbs and serving guests culinary creations inspired by an edible garden. Fredericksburg Herb Farm offers blissful relaxation in its cozy B&B and spa and has created a vast array of heavenly scented candles, toiletries, cooking oils, and herbal rubs and marinades for cooking. One of the gardens is artfully designed in the shape of a star with an old windmill in the center. Each arm of the star represents herbs for specific purposes—medicinal, cosmetic, culinary, crafting, or ornamental.

Beyond the usual booklets, pamphlets, and maps, this visitor center offers a money-saving pass to city attractions ($32 for entry to nine sights including Washington's boyhood home, more than a 40% discount over individual admission prices). Before your tour, you may want to see the center's 10-minute orientation slide show. The center building itself was constructed in 1824 as a residence and confectionery; during the Civil War it was used as a prison.

The 9,000-acre park includes four battlefields and four historic buildings. At the Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville visitor centers you can learn about the area's role in the Civil War by watching a 22-minute film ($2) and viewing displays of soldiers' art and battlefield relics. In season, park rangers lead walking tours. The centers offer recorded tours ($4.95 rental, $7.50 purchase) and maps showing how to reach the Chancellorsville battlefield (where General Stonewall Jackson was mistakenly shot by his own troops), and the Spotsylvania Court House battlefield—all within 15 miles of Fredericksburg.

Just outside the Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center is Sunken Road, where on December 13, 1862, the Confederates achieved a resounding victory over Union forces attacking across the Rappahannock (there were 18,000 casualties on both sides). Much of the stone wall that protected Lee's infantrymen is now a re-creation, but 100 yards from the visitor center, part of the original wall overlooks the statue The Angel of Marye's Heights by Felix de Weldon (sculptor of the famous Marine Corps War Memorial statue in Arlington). This memorial honors Sergeant Richard Kirkland, a South Carolinian who risked his life to bring water to wounded foes; he later died at the Battle of Chickamauga.

Founded in the early 1990s by the Meijer family, whose name graces a Midwestern grocery–department-store chain, this indoor–outdoor gallery, on 132 acres of landscaped grounds, has achieved international importance. A permanent collection of 200 works includes established artists and emerging talent, and outdoor exhibits are displayed in delightful natural settings, linked by walking trails with benches for quiet contemplation. Temporary exhibitions are also staged. Themed gardens include a children's garden, Japanese garden, and 1930s farm garden, and a five-story tropical conservatory houses exotic plants from around the world, including a 3,500-strong orchid collection. Hungry or not, visit the café to see the ceiling of glass sculptures by Dale Chihuly.

The gallery of this longtime figure in the Miami arts scene highlights emerging and mid-career artists, providing them that tipping point needed for national and international exposure and recognition. It maintains its warehouse roots, letting the art speak for itself amid the raw walls and ample natural light. Though a commercial gallery, the selection is highly curated. Rotating monthly exhibitions are usually thematic, with works by one of its represented artists, including Hernan Bas, Alice Aycock, Enrique Martínez Celaya, and Jon Pylypchuk. For the art novice, the team, including Snitzer himself, is readily available and willing to share their knowledge.

This small exotic-bird aviary near the Del Mar Fairgrounds houses a collection of parrots and other exotic birds—a guaranteed child pleaser. Visits are by reservation only.

Long before the Civil War, free people of color lived alongside enslaved African Americans in New Orleans, making up the largest population of free blacks in the south and becoming an important part of the city’s cultural identity. Founded by the McKenna Family (descendants of free people of color who also run the McKenna Museum of African American Art in Central City), this museum provides a well-informed narrative into a crucial area of New Orleans history. Visits are by guided tour only, which must be scheduled in advance. From January through June, on every third Wednesday of the month, a moonlight tour is offered from 6 to 7:30 pm.