10457 Best Sights in USA

What was once a funky—in some places even seedy—part of town is now a 20-acre historic district with restored structures containing waterfront restaurants, open-air bars, museums, clothing stores, and water-sports concessions. It's all linked by the 2-mile waterfront Harborwalk, which runs between Front and Grinnell Streets, passing big ships, schooners, sunset cruises, fishing charters, and glass-bottom boats. This is where the locals go for great music and good drinks.

Housed in the oldest section of three-story Entler Hotel (1786), the museum displays muzzle-loading rifles, locks, quilts, and various antiques. There's also an archive with more than 200 years' worth of town documents, which is used primarily for genealogical and historical research. The small bookshop stocks reprints of hard-to-find books on Shepherdstown and its history. The museum also runs a boathouse containing the results of the 1987 “Rumseian Experiment,” in which a local resident tried to re-create a working replica of a mechanical steamboat that was exhibited by inventor James Rumsey in the late 18th century.

Consisting of three docked vessels and a restored lighthouse, this museum gives a good sense of Baltimore's maritime heritage as well as American naval power. On the west side of the pier, the submarine USS Torsk, the "Galloping Ghost of the Japanese Coast," is credited with sinking the last two Japanese warships in World War II. The lightship Chesapeake, built as a floating lighthouse in 1930 and now out of commission, remains fully operational. The Taney is a Coast Guard cutter that saw action at Pearl Harbor. The USS Constellation, launched in 1854, made antislavery patrols during the Civil War. Built in 1856 the Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse marked the entrance to Baltimore Harbor from the Chesapeake Bay for 133 years before its move to the museum.

Almost a century before Virginia Tech's founding in 1872, the Historic Smithfield plantation was built in what was then the frontier wilds. Aristocratic colonist and Revolutionary War patriot William Preston moved his family to the estate in 1774, a year before the war began. Among his descendants were three Virginia governors and four U.S. senators. Today costumed interpreters, authentic period furniture, and Native American artifacts reveal how different life in the New River valley was more than two centuries ago.

This enclave of restaurants and shops (or shoppes, as they prefer) is centered on the Historic Smithville Inn. Car shows, parades, drum and fife performances, and other special events descend upon the quaint brick streets throughout the year. To get here from Atlantic City, take the Atlantic City Expressway to northbound U.S. 9.

When you visit the 800-plus acres here, with a liberal arts college serving at the cultural center, don't expect Colonial Williamsburg. St. Mary's is an ongoing archaeological dig and a work in progress. In 1934, in commemoration of the 300th anniversary of Maryland, the colony's imposing State House, originally built in 1676, was reconstructed. In the early 1970s a vast archaeological-reconstruction program began in earnest, a project that has revealed nearly 200 individual sites. In 2009 St. Mary's marked its 375th anniversary of the founding of Maryland. A living history museum of sorts, the historic town includes several notable reconstructions and reproductions of buildings. The State House of 1676, like its larger and grander counterpart in Williamsburg, has an upper and a lower chamber for the Council and General Assembly. This 1934 reproduction is based on court documents from the period; the original was dismantled in 1829, with many of the bricks used for Trinity Church nearby. The square-rigged ship Maryland Dove, docked behind the State House, represents the smaller of the two vessels that conveyed the original settlers from England. The Godiah Spray Tobacco Plantation depicts life on a 17th-century tobacco farm in the Maryland wilderness, with interpreters portraying the Spray family—the real family lived about 20 mi away—and its indentured servants, enlisting visitors in such household chores as cooking and gardening or in working the tobacco field. The buildings, including the main dwelling house and outbuildings, were built with period tools and techniques.

Other sites to see in town are the town center, the location of the first Catholic church in the English Colonies, a "victualing" and lodging house, and the Woodland Indian Hamlet. Historic interpreters in costume—some in character—add realism to the experience. Admission is about a third of the price for kids.

Owned by the Bennehan and Cameron families, Stagville was one of the largest plantations in antebellum North Carolina, at 30,000 acres. More than 900 people were enslaved here, and the story of their struggle for freedom and independence, even after Emancipation, is told through exhibits that include four original two-story slave cabins. The plantation today sits on 71 acres and has many original buildings, including the Bennehans' two-story wood-frame home, built in the late 1700s; the Great Barn, built by enslaved workers; and the family cemetery. Call for guided tour times.

Examples of Federal, Dutch, Gothic, Victorian, and Greek Revival architecture are found among the homes and churches here, which date from 1690 to 1930. The Stockade is one of the oldest continuously occupied neighborhoods in the nation. (George Washington slept here.) In warm weather you see people running and relaxing in tiny Riverside Park, along the Mohawk River. Residents open their homes to the public for guided tours during Walkabout Weekend, held in September. At the Stockade Villagers Art Show, also in September, painters set up easels and tents to display their works.

The city's oldest surviving structure was once home to businessman Frank Stranahan, who arrived from Ohio in 1892. With his wife, Ivy, the city's first schoolteacher, he befriended and traded with the Seminole tribe. In 1901 he built a store that would later become his home after serving as a post office, a general store, and a restaurant. The couple's tale is filled with ups and downs. Their home remains Fort Lauderdale's principal link to its brief history and has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1973. Guided tours are about an hour long and are offered a few times a day; however, calling ahead for availability is a good idea. Self-guided tours of the museum are not allowed.

Seen on a guided tour focused on the mansion's history and its furnishings, the largest of Fairmount Park's historic houses has antiques, art, and furniture from the Federal and Empire period. On display is rare Tucker and Hemphill porcelain, and the house also showcases antique dolls and toys. Rooms have been decorated by different groups, some in Colonial Revival style. The house was originally built around 1783–93 by Judge William Lewis, an abolitionist lawyer. The Committee of 1926, the stewardship group that operates the mansion, has events for the 2026 Semiquincentennial celebrations including a summer art exhibition featuring contemporary local artists and a look at the legacy of the city's 1926 Sesquicentennial Exposition.

This once-flourishing coal town along the Chesapeake and Ohio rail line is now little more than a memory, but restored buildings, including retail stores and a bank, allow your imagination to bring this town to life. Start at the Thurmond Depot (now a seasonal visitor center), then stroll the once-bustling commercial district, which met its demise when the swanky Lafayette Hotel burned down in 1963.

This famous Michigan Avenue structure, designed by William W. Boyington (who also designed the Pumping Station to the East) and completed in 1869, was originally built to house a 135-foot iron standpipe that equalized the pressure of the water pumped by the similar pumping station across the street. Oscar Wilde uncharitably called it "a castellated monstrosity" studded with pepper shakers. One of the few buildings that survived the Great Chicago Fire, it remains a civic landmark and a symbol of the city's spirit. The small gallery inside hosts rotating art exhibitions of local interest.

The Historical Association of Lewiston, Inc. has information about events and attractions.

Fort Missoula, at the western edge of town, was established in 1877 at the height of the U.S. Army's conflict with the Nez Perce, led by Chief Joseph. The museum's indoor and outdoor exhibits, including 13 historic structures relocated from nearby sites, depict and explain the early development of Missoula County. The black 25th Infantry of bicycle soldiers arrived in 1888 to test bicycles for military use; near-life-size photos depict the soldiers during an expedition to Yellowstone National Park's Mammoth Terraces. Uniforms and artifacts are also on display. They ultimately rode one-speed bicycles from Missoula to St. Louis. Guided tours are available by appointment. Sadly, there is very little material about the Native Americans who lived here before the fort was established.

This endearingly cluttered museum documents the town's history with photographs, soapstone displays, quilts, musical instruments, furniture, tools, and other artifacts. It's officially open on weekends during the summer but if you're driving by, stop in...you might get lucky and get to visit.

Crowds gather outside the Italianate Canfield Casino, a former gambling hall within the park, to watch the tuxedo set enter one of the August balls. The 1870s building also houses the where exhibits of Victorian furnishings, paintings, original gambling paraphernalia, and historic documents bring the city's history alive. From Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, the museum is open Monday through Saturday 10–4 and Sunday 1–4; the rest of the year it's closed Monday and Tuesday.

home of the Historical Society of Kent County, is a splendid Federal-style home containing 18th-century furniture and an impressive teapot collection, a historical library, and a shop. It's a good place to begin a visit to Chestertown.

The Society maintains a small museum of local history and manages Tharpe Antiques. Housed in a three-story Federal brick house restored by a Quaker cabinetmaker in 1810, the society also operates Three Centuries Tours, a one-hour overview of authentically furnished homes of the 17th through 19th centuries.

Across the street from the old Spanish mission, the center presents exhibits that explore topics such as Native American life in the county, the California ranchos, and the impact of railroads. On the center's website are links to free downloadable video-podcast walking tours of historic San Luis Obispo.

The three-story, interactive History Colorado Center serves as the state's de facto historical society. Rotating lobby exhibits welcome visitors with hands-on, offbeat snippets of state history. In addition to revamped versions of the previous collections depicting state history from 1800 to the present, current exhibitions combine technology, artifacts, and multimedia presentations. Milk a life-size replica of a cow, drive a Model T Ford on the plains, or try a virtual ski jump, and then see what you would have looked like in a classroom in the late 1800s.

Interactive exhibits and special collections of antique silver, weapons, and more tell the 300-year history of Mobile. The Southern Market/Old City Hall, an 1857 National Historic Landmark Italianate building, houses the museum. A Civil War cannon, miniature houses, and souvenirs from Mobile's oldest mystic societies, the secretive social groups that stage the city’s Mardi Gras celebrations, are on display.

At 2,100 acres and three times the size of New York's Central Park, this is one of the largest urban forests in the country and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It's a popular horseback-riding destination, but the double-track trails are also pleasant for hiking and jogging. Make use of the maps available at the entrances because it's easy to get lost. Note that there are seven entrances to the woods; the ones with the best parking are at 2180 Dibble Road Southwest and 430 South Boundary Road.

Built between 1890 and 1930, this restored log cabin shows a popular and relaxed mountain summertime lifestyle. The museum, which includes three other buildings, has an exceptional collection of Southwestern Indian artifacts, and there's a short trail around the pretty property's 4 acres.

This 2.2-mile round-trip route takes you to Lake George. You can also walk on the paved Oak Savannah Bike Trail from the same trailhead for an easy 4-mile, in-and-out hike. This park segment (Hobart Prairie Grove) includes one of the largest remaining oak savannas in the Midwest and more than 300 different plant species in all. Easy.

This historic landmark was once the vast estate of the late Wall Street financier Bernard M. Baruch. Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill came here to confer with him. A small interpretive center has exhibits on coastal ecology and history, with special emphasis on the Baruch family. There are aquariums, touch tanks, video presentations, and guided two-hour tours of the 16,000-acre wildlife refuge.

Nature lovers seeking to get as far as possible from the madding crowds will feel at peace at this refuge managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. It's a haven for people who want some quiet while they walk around and photograph the gorgeous coastal sand dunes, where turtles nest and shells often wash ashore. You can't actually venture within most of the 735 protected acres, so if hiking piques your interest, head to nearby Jonathan Dickinson State Park. Amenities: parking (fee); toilets. Best for: solitude; surfing; walking.

Housed in a renovated, turn-of-the-20th-century Carnegie library building, the Hockaday Museum of Art presents contemporary art exhibits focusing on Montana artists and the art and culture of Glacier National Park.

The 240-acre Hofstra campus includes the Hofstra Arboretum, which basically is spread throughout the entire campus. It counts more than 8,000 trees of 425 varieties, 50 outdoor sculptures, a 2-acre bird sanctuary, and a 40-foot stone labyrinth for meditation.

The Hofstra Museum has three main spaces in which it shows paintings, drawings, photographs, sculptures, decorative arts, African and Asian artifacts, and other objects from its permanent collection: the Emily Lowe Gallery (Jun.–July, Mon.–Thurs. 10–4; rest of year, Tues.–Fri. 10–5 and weekends 1–5), in Emily Lowe Hall, and the Rochelle and Irwin A. Lowenfeld Conference and Exhibition Hall and the David Filderman Gallery, both in the main library. Temporary exhibits have covered a range of subjects from Web design to Long Island history.

The 240-acre Hofstra campus includes the Hofstra Arboretum, which basically is spread throughout the entire campus. It counts more than 8,000 trees of 425 varieties, 50 outdoor sculptures, a 2-acre bird sanctuary, and a 40-foot stone labyrinth for meditation. 516/463–6623.