10457 Best Sights in USA

Built by Charles and Henry Greene in 1908, this American Arts and Crafts bungalow illustrates the incredible craftsmanship that went into early L.A. architecture. The term "bungalow" can be misleading, since the Gamble House is a huge three-story home. To wealthy Easterners such as the Gambles (as in Procter & Gamble), this type of vacation home seemed informal compared with their mansions back home. Admirers swoon over the teak staircase and cabinetry, the Greene and Greene–designed furniture, and an Emil Lange glass door. The dark exterior has broad eaves, with sleeping porches on the second floor. An hour-long, docent-led tour of the Gamble's interior will draw your eye to the exquisite details; specialty tours are available for those who crave more. For those who want to see more of the Greene and Greene homes, there are guided walks around the historic Arroyo Terrace neighborhood. Advance tickets are highly recommended. Film buffs might recognize this as Doc Brown's house from Back to the Future.

Despite being listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this replica of a modest 1872 pioneer cabin is only borderline historical. The structure, which was moved and rebuilt several times over the years, once served as U.S. Cavalry storage space and, in the early 20th century, a ranger station. It's along the Grant Grove Trail.

A retractable window and three sidewalk stools under a wooden slab telegraph the informal inclinations of this tasting room for Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc. The jovial co-owner and winemaker, Adam McClary, is often on hand dispensing pours and stories about his wines and the industry. Chenin Blanc's aromatics and depth of character enchant McClary, who lauds Cabernet Franc as elegant and "just plain pretty.”  This is a good stop for first-timers and fans of small, family-owned wineries.

Families who scale Mount Mayday have to haul their raft to the peak before the adventure begins. Upon takeoff, a 6½-foot-long inflated raft plunges down the slide with impressive speed, with things getting bumpy at times along the 300-foot river. It's a pleasant ride for families—not too scary for kids, and not too dull for adults. Those who are pregnant or have heart, back, or neck problems should sit this one out.

The inner tubes are heavy, so have at least two willing carriers. Also be prepared to ride with two to four riders (five if some are smaller kids).

One of the last stretches of the Hudson River Park to be transformed from wasteland to a verdant well-manicured oasis, Gansevoort Peninsula opened in fall 2023. The main attraction is a sandy beach on the Hudson, complete with Adirondack chairs and beach umbrellas to take in the view. The 5.5 acre pierlike space just south of Little Island also boasts a soccer field, picnic tables, and large patches of lawn for frolicking.

Mosey down to this 12-acre waterfront park for sweeping views of Midtown Manhattan across the East River. The atmospheric stretch comes with piers, manicured lawns, Adirondack chairs, and well-designed benches. It also has interesting relics that nod to Long Island City's industrial past, including towering, restored old gantries (once used as shipping lifts between barges and rail cars) that fringe the river and a massive bright red Pepsi-Cola sign that once stood atop a factory here. There are often food trucks lined along Center Boulevard, the road directly next to the park.

Horry County's southernmost beachfront is backed by a causeway that crosses creeks and tributaries feeding into Murrells Inlet. The coastline is a curious collection of a few high-rise hotels, older condo buildings, and cute, stilted beach houses. Beachfront disappears at high tide farther south—so much so that it slaps up against the pilings and sea wall. The Garden City Pier is a must for fishing ($10), strolling (free), playing arcade games, or dancing to live music at the partially covered bar perched at the very end. Other beach activities include kayaking, Jet Skiing, kiteboarding, parasailing, banana-boat rides, and boogie boarding. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards (sometimes); parking (no fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: sunrise; surfing; swimming; walking.

You might not expect to find a Buddhist temple in the middle of the Flathead Reservation, but if you find yourself in or near Arlee, about 27 miles north of Missoula, this shrine is worth a stop. It provides a magnificent photo op of 1,000 Buddha statues in a beautiful, picturesque public garden attached to the Ewan Buddhist Institute. While the garden is open year-round, tours are offered only from April through October. A Peace Festival and a separate Tibetan Cultural Festival are held every year.

An abrupt and jagged wall of rock juts above the road and is visible for about 10 miles as it follows Logan Creek from just past Avalanche Creek Campground to Logan Pass.

This cupcake festival began in 2008 and attracts more cupcake enthusiasts every year with more than a dozen vendors, an amateur baking contest, helicopter rides, and even a 5K race for those who wish to burn some calories before binging on tasty Hudson Valley baked goods.

The last owner of this 1790s Georgian-style house was American artist Gari Melchers, who chaired the Smithsonian Commission to establish the National Gallery of Art in Washington. His wife, Corinne, deeded the 27-acre estate and its collections to Virginia. The home is now a public museum and a Virginia National Historic Landmark administered by the University of Mary Washington. You can take a one-hour tour of the spacious house, which is furnished with a rich collection of the owners' antiques. Galleries in the stone studio, built by the Melchers in 1924, house the largest repository of the artist's work. An orientation movie is shown in the reception area, which was once the carriage house.

Hiking trails stretch across much of this park's 4,500 acres of meadows, forested hillsides, and creeks.

The mine, started in 1878, is one of the largest garnet mines in the world. Guided tours, which include a walk through an open-pit mine, leave from the Gore Mountain Mineral Shop; you follow the guide in your car to the actual mines, at the base of Gore Mountain.

Originally built in 1893 by Stanford White for Robert Garrett, the president of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, this mansion was the largest and most expensive ever constructed in Baltimore (the neighbors objected to its size). After Garrett died in 1896, his widow, Mary, and her second husband, Dr. Henry Barton Jacobs, had John Russell Pope build an extension of equal size. A spectacular stained glass dome, designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany, is one highlight. Call ahead to book a tour.

The oldest wooden house in San Diego houses the Gaslamp Quarter Historical Foundation, the district's curator. Before developer Alonzo Horton came to town, Davis, a prominent San Franciscan, had made an unsuccessful attempt to develop the waterfront area. In 1850 he had this prefab saltbox-style house, built in Maine, shipped around Cape Horn and assembled in San Diego (it originally stood at State and Market streets). Pre-booked private tours of the home are available on Tuesdays (starting at $20) and general admission runs Wednesday through Sunday (starting at $8). Walking tours ($25) of the historic district leave from the house on Thursday at 3 pm and Saturday at 11 am, and themed tours are also available depending on the season, such as a 30-minute "Strange & Spooky" tour in fall.

This museum preserves a little-known part of the region's history. Between 1912 and 1968, the gatekeeper who lived on this site was responsible for monitoring the lake level, using a winch system (still used today and visible just outside the museum) to keep the water at the correct height. Also here, the Marion Steinbach Indian Basket Museum displays intricate baskets from 85 tribes.

The most northern of national parks, in the central Brooks Range, Gates of the Arctic encompasses 8.4 million acres and six National Wild and Scenic Rivers: the Alatna, John, Kobuk, Noatak, North Fork Koyukuk, and Tinayguk. To the north are both Arctic foothills, with colorful tilted sediments and pale-green tundra, and tundra mountain terrain that cups lovely, albeit buggy, lakes. Wherever you go, prepare for dense vegetation, tussocks, boggy ground, and frequent stream and river crossings that significantly slow your progress. Experienced hikers consider 6 miles a good day.

People have lived in relationship with this landscape for thousands of years. Private and Native Corporation lands within the park, along with cairns and other signs of prior inhabitants, demonstrate how much life still thrives in the area. Once you get into the park, you will understand why the landscape caught the attention of Robert Marshall in the 1930s. Known as an early conservationist, Marshall explored much of the region with local guides, and he gave Western names to many of its features, including Frigid Crag and Boreal Mountain, two peaks on either side of the North Fork Koyukuk River. These were the original "gates" for which the park is named.

The park nourishes wildlife like caribou, grizzlies, wolves, musk oxen, moose, Dall sheep, wolverines, and smaller mammals and birds. The communities of Anaktuvuk Pass, Bettles, and Coldfoot are access points for Gates of the Arctic. Park rangers stationed in these communities can provide information and guidance for those going into the park, including the mandatory orientation films and bear-resistant canisters.

This 4-mile roadway runs just north of Gatlinburg toward Pigeon Forge. It tracks around the side of Mt. Harrison. Take this route to avoid the stop-and-go traffic of downtown Gatlinburg when leaving or entering the park. The second overlook when headed out of the park toward Pigeon Forge has the best views of Gatlinburg and Mt. LeConte.

This is one of only two trails in the park where dogs and bicycles are permitted (the other one is Oconaluftee River Trail on the North Carolina side). Dogs must be on leashes. The 1.9-mile trail starts at Sugarlands Visitor Center and follows the Little Pigeon River. Easy.

This well-organized hospitality center operated by the Visitors Bureau will help you customize an itinerary to make the best use of your time and money in the Gatlinburg area, including info on the best hikes for your fitness level and hours available. Pick up a trolley map, buy a National Park parking pass, and browse the "Made in Gatlinburg" store.

At Gator Park, you can really get to know alligators and even touch a baby gator during the park's wildlife show. You can also meet turtles, macaws, and peacocks. Native snakes also reside nearby, including the black pine snake, brooks king snake, Florida king snake, and red rat snake. The park, open rain or shine, also provides educational airboat tours through Everglades National Park, as well as a gift shop and restaurant serving swamp fare like burgers, gator tail, and sausage. Tickets include admission, a group airboat ride, and an alligator wrestling show. Private tours are available.  Gator Park is authorized by the National Park Service to give airboat rides inside Everglades National Park.

The cherubs featured in the effusive ironwork on this distinctive house stops people in the street. Built in 1856, this mansion and its service buildings were once the estate of businessman John Gauche, who lived there until 1882. Although the privately owned house is not open to the public, its exterior still merits a visit to snap a few photos.

This brick lighthouse (also called the Aquinnah Lighthouse) was successfully moved back from its precarious perch atop the rapidly eroding cliffs in spring 2015. Bad weather may affect its hours. Parking can be limited here, but views are outstanding.

A curved, one-block lane lined with small row houses, Gay Street was probably named after an early landowner and definitely had nothing to do with gay rights. In the 1930s, this tiny thoroughfare and nearby Christopher Street became famous nationwide after Ruth McKenney began to publish somewhat zany autobiographical stories based on what happened when she and her sister moved to No. 14 from Ohio. The stories, first published in the New Yorker, birthed many adaptations, including the 1953 Broadway musical Wonderful Town and the 1942 and 1955 movies My Sister Eileen.

Technically the Gaylord Opryland Resort is a hotel and convention center, but it’s worth a visit even if you aren’t staying the night. For one thing, there are 9 acres of gardens inside, all laced with walking paths, fountains, and rivers. These gardens feature more than 50,000 tropical plants, contained within a soaring glass ceiling that lets the sun shine through during the day and reflects a thousand warm twinkle lights at night (particularly at Christmas). Even the locals can’t resist an occasional walk through the immaculately tended branches and waterfalls of the Cascade Atrium—especially when you consider that you can do it with a beer, cocktail, or cup of gelato in hand. There are almost 20 restaurants to choose from if you get hungry, and plenty of kitschy shops if you’re in the market for souvenirs. To avoid the hefty parking fee, it’s recommended that you park next door at the mall and walk over.

Built in 1883 and formerly named Gazela Primeiro, this 177-foot square-rigger is the last of a Portuguese fleet of cod-fishing ships, retired from regular service in 1969. As the Port of Philadelphia's ambassador of goodwill, the Gazela sails from June to October to participate in harbor festivals and celebrations up and down the Atlantic coast. She’s also a ship school and a museum, and has been featured in movies like Interview with the Vampire. An all-volunteer crew works on maintenance while the vessel is in port. While here, you can also admire the tugboat, Jupiter, the oldest tugboat in existence, which was built in Philadelphia. 

The Geffen Contemporary is one of architect Frank Gehry's boldest creations. One of three MOCA branches, the 40,000 square feet of exhibition space was once used as a police car warehouse. The museum's permanent collection includes works from artists like Willem de Kooning, Franz Kline, Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Cindy Sherman.

Present your TAP metro card to get two-for-one admission.

Dominating the skyline here, the towering granite mausoleum (1897) is the final resting place of Civil War general and two-term U.S. president Ulysses S. Grant and his wife, Julia Dent Grant, who retired to NYC after the White House. The formal name is the General Grant National Memorial, but everybody except the National Park Service calls it Grant's Tomb. As the old joke goes, who's buried here? Nobody—they're entombed in a crypt beneath a domed rotunda, surrounded by photographs and Grant memorabilia. Once a more popular sight than the Statue of Liberty, this pillared Classical Revival edifice remains regal and timeless. The words engraved on the tomb, \"Let Us Have Peace,\" recall Grant's speech to the Republican convention upon his presidential nomination. Surrounding the memorial are the so-called rolling benches, covered with colorful mosaic tiles. Made in the 1970s as a public art project, they are now as beloved as they are incongruous with the grand memorial they surround. Stop by the visitor center (across the street from the tomb; check hours online) for a 20-minute film about Grant.

President Coolidge proclaimed this to be the "nation's Christmas tree," and, 30 years later, President Eisenhower designated it as a living shrine to all Americans who have died in wars. Bigger at its base than the General Sherman Tree, it tapers more quickly. It's estimated to be the world's third-largest sequoia by volume. A spur trail winds behind the tree, where scars from a long-ago fire remain visible.