10457 Best Sights in USA

For more information on Jackson, call the Jackson/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau, open weekdays 8:30–4:30.

Enjoy the waves at one of the region's busier beaches, which stretches along the coast for 4 miles. A boardwalk and a bevy of beachfront restaurants and shops are also draws, so expect crowds, especially during spring and summer school breaks. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards (seasonal); parking; showers; toilets. Best for: partiers; sunrise; surfing; swimming.

Take the plunge at one of three swimming pools: an eight-lane, 25-meter lap pool with two diving boards; a 3- to 4-foot-deep pool accessible to people with mobility challenges; and an interactive children's play pool with a waterslide, pirate ship, waterfall, and sloping zero-entry instead of steps. Because so few of the motels in Key Largo have pools, it remains a popular destination for visiting families. 

Get an insider's view of a magnificent retro ball park, a model for many of the baseball stadiums built since its 1994 opening. Tour stops include the visitor's clubhouse, batting cages, bullpen, press box, and the Indians' dugout. Tours last 90 minutes and are available May–September, excluding days when there are day games and Saturday home games.

Atop Lighthouse Hill sits this replica of a tranquil Tibetan monastery so impressive, it's listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Founded by an American collector of Tibetan art, it's partly a museum comprising a temple and a garden, holding her formidable collection of Tibetan and Himalayan sculpture, paintings, and artifacts. It's also an active community center for visitors to mediate, practice yoga or tai chi, or attend other events posted on their website's calendar. Views from their terrace truly transport you to another place, far from an urban center.

For something really down to earth, visit Jae’s Gem Mine to learn about the minerals, fossils, and gemstones native to Tennessee and beyond. Their mission is more scientific than metaphysical, though they do sell crystals—as well as gems and minerals presented through an interactive simulated mining experience. In addition to retail, they’re a full-service rock shop, offering everything from lapidary services (cutting and polishing stones) and geode cracking to rockhounding classes and trips that take you into nature to find geological treasures of your own. While you’re there, be sure to say hello to the shop dog, whose name is (obviously) Rocky.

Prisoners were chained to this now 200-year-old mesquite tree on the northeast corner of Wickenburg Way and Tegner Street. The desert heat sometimes finished them off before their sentences were served.

Standing for joy, art, and music, JAM NOLA is a series of immersive and colorful exhibits showcasing the works of some 30 local artists. The space is chock full of murals and installations, with plenty of fun photo opportunities. Tickets must be purchased in advance online. JAM NOLA is scheduled to move to Frenchmen Street by December 2024; check the website for updated information before you go.

Part of Boston's Emerald Necklace, Jamaica Pond is a delightful way to escape from the city and enjoy nature. A 1.5-mile paved path running entirely around the large pond—which is actually a glacial kettle hole—is a big draw for walkers and joggers. The pond is stocked with trout and salmon each year and those with a permit can fish. From May to October, Courageous Sailing operates out of the Boat House and provides lessons and equipment for rowing and sailing, except when youth classes are in session; call ahead to confirm. One-hour kayak and paddleboard rentals are $20; rowboats are $35; and sailboats are $45.

Named for the late best-selling novelist and Doylestown native, this museum, across the street from the Mercer Museum, has a permanent collection and changing exhibitions that focus on 19th- and 20th-century American art, especially those by Bucks County artists. It's known for its collection of early-20th-century Pennsylvania impressionists, representing such artists as Edward Redfield and Daniel Garber. The museum occupies the buildings and grounds of the former Bucks County jail, which dates from 1884. A 23-foot-high fieldstone wall surrounds seven galleries, an outdoor sculpture garden, and a Gothic-style warden's house. There's also a re-creation of Michener's Doylestown study. A relatively new gallery accommodates larger traveling exhibits, included in the price of admission.

At James Anderson's Blacksmith Shop, smiths forge the nails, tools, and other iron hardware used in construction throughout the town. The shop itself was reconstructed by carpenters using 18th-century tools and techniques.

Farmers once worked these 150 acres, but today the wild open spaces feature bayberry, sassafras, salt marsh, and all manner of plants under a hardwood canopy. Fall brings various migratory birds. Visitors can traverse more than 3 miles of marked hiking trails, and there are three observation platforms and wildflower gardens. The site also has an amphitheater, an informational kiosk, and rest areas.

An opulent "hasheesh-dream decor" of Buddhas and elephant-type chairs made the erstwhile Oriental Theatre a popular spot for viewing first-run movies starting in 1926. Though listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, the building continued to crumble for some time after. In 1998 it was restored to its past splendor and since then has had a second life as a home to Broadway shows; it was rechristened for the late patriarch of the Nederlander family of theater producers in 2019.

The James Madison Museum presents a comprehensive exhibition on the Founding Father most responsible for the Constitution (Madison became president in 1809). The collection includes some of the china and glassware recovered from the White House before the British torched it during the War of 1812. The fourth president's tiny Campeachy chair, an 18th-century piece made for him by his friend Thomas Jefferson, shows how short he was.

This tiny one-story building on the site where James Monroe practiced law from 1787 to 1789 before becoming the fifth president of the United States, contains many of Monroe's possessions, collected and preserved by his family until present day. These include a mahogany dispatch box used during the negotiation of the Louisiana Purchase, and the desk on which the Monroe Doctrine was signed.

One of St. Petersburg’s newest museums has hundreds of paintings and sculptures that portray the history, culture, and lifestyles of the American West, Native Americans, and wildlife that spans the globe. Founded by philanthropists Tom and Mary James, the museum is divided into themed galleries—Early West, Native Life, Native Artists, Frontier, Wildlife and New West—in a cohesive and easy-to-navigate layout. Rotating special exhibits regularly bring new works to the museum.

A wood-shingled, circa-1850 barn holds a modern winery and tasting room; the feel is casual and friendly, with knowledgeable pourers willing to give extra attention. The Melange de Trois blend is their best-selling red, and the crisp Sauvignon Blanc is a highly accomplished expression of a grape that's gaining ground in this region. Jamesport Vineyards supports sustainable farming practices.

A working 1859 hand pumper and an 1894 horse-drawn steam pump are among the antique equipment at this informal firefighting equipment display in a garage that once housed the fire company. Inquire at the fire station next door if the place is locked; the town fire chief or whoever is on duty is usually happy to show visitors around.

This village on the beach near the mouth of the Dungeness River has been occupied by the Jamestown S'Klallam tribe for thousands of years. The tribe, whose name means "strong people," was driven to the Skokomish Reservation on Hood Canal after the signing of the Treaty of Point No Point in 1855. However, in 1874, tribal leader James Balch and some 130 S'Klallam collectively purchased 210 acres where the community is today, and S'Klallam members have lived here ever since. An excellent gallery, Northwest Native Expressions, sells tribal artwork, including baskets, jewelry, textiles, and totems. Less than a mile away on U.S. 101, the tribe operates 7 Cedars Casino and a market and deli. The tribe opened a 100-room hotel adjacent to the casino in late 2020.

This English-designed smock windmill built in 1787 ground corn for more than 100 years. One of the most photographed sights on the island, the structure, named for its resemblance to farmers' smocks of yore, still works. In summer and early fall, you can enter the three-story, octagonal structure and see the 18th-century technology. The windmill turns on Windmill Day in late July, when the sails are attached to catch the breeze on Windmill Hill. 

This gently terraced park surrounded by tony lofts, shops, and restaurants contains a soothing fountain that mimics nature. Rising water gushes over a stack of basalt blocks, gradually fills the open plaza, and then subsides. Colorful 30-foot tiki totems by pop artist Kenny Scharf stand along the park's west edge. There are tables and chairs in the park, and wading in the fountain is encouraged. The streetcar stops right at the park.

This mezzanine-level gallery represents some lofty artists. In addition to tapestries by modern masters like Joan Miró, Sonia Delaunay, and Alexander Calder, this gallery's specialties include works by late-19th- and early-20th-century modern artists like Fernand Leger and Marc Chagall. It is also one of the first gallery dealers for Pablo Picasso's ceramics in the United States. There's also an exhibition space in the neighborhood at  330 East 59th Street. Check the website for seasonal hours.

At this terrific nonprofit art space downtown, you can view rotating exhibits by some of the area's top artists; enjoy music, dance, and other performances in the 110-seat theater; and take classes (some of them lasting just a day) in everything from painting to ceramics. There's always something fun and engaging to do here for kids and adults.

Downtown malls may be struggling, but the Japan Center is thriving. Cool and curious trinkets, noodle houses and sushi joints, a destination bookstore, and a peek at Japanese culture high and low await at this 5-acre complex designed in 1968 by noted American architect Minoru Yamasaki. The Japan Center includes the shop- and restaurant-filled Kintetsu Mall and Kinokuniya Building; the excellent Kabuki Springs & Spa; the Hotel Kabuki; and the AMC Kabuki cinema.

The Kinokuniya Bookstore, in the Kinokuniya Building, has an extensive selection of Japanese-language books, manga, English-language translations, books on Japanese topics, and fun gifts. Afterwards, enjoy a crepe with green tea gelato, red bean paste, and matcha from Sophie's Crepes. Just outside, on the bridge connecting the buildings, check out Asakichi and its tiny incense shop for wind chimes and teakettles. Continue into the Kintetsu Mall for a taiyaki (fish-shape) cone at Uji Time.

Between the West Mall and the East Mall are the 5-tier, 100-foot-tall Peace Pagoda and the Peace Plaza, where seasonal festivals are held. The pagoda, which draws on the 1,200-year-old tradition of miniature round pagodas dedicated to eternal peace, was designed in the late 1960s by Yoshirō Taniguchi to convey the "friendship and goodwill" of the Japanese people to the people of the United States.

Highlighting the best of Japanese art, food, and culture with a goal to nurture a deeper understanding of Japan in the world, Japan House is an oasis of serenity on frenetic Hollywood Boulevard. This two-floor, multiuse space, whose interior and exterior were designed by leading Japanese designers, is made up of a gallery, a store with beautiful Japanese wares for sale, a library, an event space, and a fine-dining restaurant serving a traditional Japanese kaiseki menu of seasonal dishes. The gallery hosts touring and original exhibitions focused on photography, architecture, manga, paper culture, and more. The library and reading nooks welcome further exploration.

The stylish, serene lobby of the Japan Society, renovated by renowned artist Hiroshi Sugimoto, features interior gardens with large bonsai trees and Sugimoto sculptures, all complemented by a second-floor waterfall. The 1971 building is a city landmark thanks to its Japanese modernist design by architect Junzo Yoshimura, and its second-floor gallery exhibits works by well-known Japanese artists. Past shows have celebrated contemporary masters including Takashi Murakami, Yoko Ono, and Daido Moriyama. The society's annual performing arts season shares works by established and emerging artists in dance, music, and theater. In July, the museum hosts a film festival, Japan Cuts, showcasing contemporary Japanese cinema.

Plenty of traditional and contemporary cultural events make this center well worth the trip. Founded in 1980, JACCC is home to a number of civic and arts organizations. Through the center's basement you reach the James Irvine Garden, a serene sunken space where local plants mix with bamboo, Japanese wisteria, and Japanese maples. The main floor of the museum houses the George J. Doizaki Gallery, which has 2,000 square feet of exhibition space and has housed everything from national treasures of Japan to the Bugaku costumes from the Kasuga Grand Shrine in Nara. An 880-seat theater is known for any number of performing arts shows including Bunraku Puppet Theater and the Grand Kabuki of Japan.

To build the mill, wharf, railways, and other infrastructure associated with the short-lived Maunalei Sugar Company, its owners employed mostly Japanese contract laborers (more than 600 of them at the peak of operation), who also planted and harvested the sugar cane. During the three years (1898–1901) of the mill’s existence, approximately 70 workers died of various causes. In 1932, the Lanai Hongwanji built a memorial to honor them. Look for signs on the coastal road in the Kahalepalaoa area.

Step into this lovely, lush, flowering oasis within Brackenridge Park that was originally a rock quarry. A man-made 60-foot waterfall is the focus, along with beautiful rock bridges and walkways over and around lily ponds with hundreds of koi fish. The entire place is Instagram-worthy. Dog-friendly with leashed pets welcome.The Jingu House café at the top of the garden offers light lunch, brunch, wine, beer, cocktails, and sake.

In this particularly striking section of Tom McCall Waterfront Park that's dotted with cherry trees that bloom brilliantly in early spring, take a moment to study the evocative figures cast into the bronze columns at the plaza's entrance. They show Japanese and Japanese-Americans before, during, and after World War II—living daily life, fighting in battle for the United States, and marching off to internment camps. Simple blocks of granite carved with haiku poems describing the war experience powerfully evoke this dark episode in American history.

Consider visiting the plaza in conjunction with the nearby—and related—Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center museum.