10457 Best Sights in USA

This complex occupies the site where Union general William T. Sherman orchestrated the Battle of Atlanta (1864). The museum and archives detail the political career of former president Jimmy Carter. The adjacent Carter Center, which is not open to the public, focuses on conflict resolution and human-rights issues. Outside, the Japanese-style garden is a serene spot to unwind.

Enjoy the fishing pier's "front-porch" swings, stroll along the waterside path, or relax in the gardens overlooking Charleston Harbor. The expansive lawn is perfect for picnics and family playtime. Two fountains can be found here: the oft-photographed Pineapple Fountain and the Vendue Fountain, which children love to run through on hot days.

Dating to 1769, the oldest dwelling in Raleigh was the home of Joel Lane, known as the "Father of Raleigh" because he sold 1,000 acres of his property to the state of North Carolina on which the beginnings of the capital city were built. Costumed docents lead tours of the restored house and beautiful period gardens. The last tour starts an hour before closing: 1 pm Wednesday through Friday, and 3 on Saturday.

This tranquil, seaside, county park rests among the rolling dunes on Okaloosa Island. Two dune walkovers lead to the beach, where there are a dozen covered picnic tables, pavilions, changing rooms, and freshwater showers—plus lifeguards in summer. The city's hottest nightlife is just down the road, but families can enjoy the scenic beauty. There is also an emphasis on wheelchair beach access. Amenities: lifeguards (seasonal); parking; showers; toilets. Best for: sunset; swimming; walking.

The park sits along the Helderberg Escarpment, one of the most fossil-rich formations in the world and the most dramatic natural feature of the regional landscape. From the escarpment ledge you can take in panoramic views of the Hudson-Mohawk Valley, with the Adirondack foothills and the western mountain ranges of Massachusetts and Vermont off in the distance. The park is the ending point for the Long Path, a 349-mi hiking trail that starts in Fort Lee, New Jersey, and crosses public and private land. Within the park you can hike the Indian Ladder Trail, which runs along the Helderberg cliff. The trail, open from May to mid-November, is furnished with interpretive signs, and guided hikes are available. Another 12 mi of trails are open all year. In warm weather the trails are used for hiking, biking, and nature walks; cross-country skiing (on groomed and ungroomed trails) and snowshoeing are available in winter. Facilities include an Olympic-size pool ($2 in season) and picnicking sites.

Abolitionist John Brown lived for a short time on this 244-acre farm. In October 1859, Brown and his followers attempted to spark a slave revolt by taking over the federal arsenal at Harper's Ferry, West Virginia. His two sons and several of his followers were killed, and Brown was tried and executed. His body was brought back and buried here. A cross-country ski trail, a nature trail, and a picnic area are on the grounds, which are open all year.

Rhode Island's most famous 18th-century home was the stately residence of John Brown, a wealthy businessman, slave trader, politician, and China trade merchant. John Quincy Adams called the home, designed in late-Georgian, early-Federal style and the first mansion built in Providence, "the most magnificent and elegant private mansion that I have ever seen on this continent." An ardent patriot, Brown was a noteworthy participant in the defiant burning of the British customs ship Gaspee in 1772—which, Rhode Islanders will remind you, took place 18 months before the Boston Tea Party. Tours are by reservation.

Acres of fields, a small stone gravesite, and mountain views on the outskirts of Roxbury are the perfect memorial to John Burroughs, an early environmentalist whose books changed the way many Americans looked at the natural world. En route to the memorial you'll pass Woodchuck Lodge, a rustic summer home with quarter moons carved into closed shutters that Burroughs built in 1908 for his retirement years. You can stand on the front porch where Burroughs slept, and take in the vistas that inspired him.

This was home to John Dickinson, one of America's founders, and his former dwelling gives visitors a glimpse of 18th-century plantation life in Delaware's Kent County. Tour guides in costume depict characters from the era, enabling visitors to understand the contrasting lifestyles of the wealthy Dickinson family and those of their tenants, poor whites, slaves, and free blacks during the 1700s and early 1800s.

In Main Street's Old Town Hall, this museum explores JFK's Cape years (1934–63) through enlarged and annotated photographs culled from the archives of the JFK Library near Boston, as well as a seven-minute video narrated by Walter Cronkite. Changing exhibits focus on various members of the family at different stages of their life and career. Events include lectures, book signings, a summer author series, and speaking engagements by those with close connections to the family, both past and present. Guided walking tours of Hyannis include stops at ancient cemeteries and public art to reflect on local history. 

This was the home of the 35th president from his birth on May 29, 1917, until 1921, when the family moved to nearby Naples and Abbottsford streets. Rose Kennedy provided the furnishings for the restored 2½-story, wood-frame structure. You can pick up a brochure for a walking tour of Kennedy's school, church, and neighborhood. To get here, take the MBTA Green Line to Coolidge Corner and walk north on Harvard Street four blocks. The house is open seasonally (usually beginning in June) and by appointment. Ongoing renovations mean parts of the home may be closed. Call in advance to confirm hours.

Built in 1910 and named for Abraham Lincoln's secretary, "the Hay" houses Brown University Library's collections of rare books and manuscripts. World-class collections of Lincoln-related items, H. P. Lovecraft letters, Napoléon's death mask, Walt Whitman's personal copy of Leaves of Grass, and 6,000 toy soldiers are of particular interest. The library is open to the public from 9 am to 5 pm, but you need a photo ID to enter.

A small but lively museum, on a site that holds the first American home of Haitian-born artist and naturalist John James Audubon (1785–1851), captures the wonders of the avian world and the need to protect it, as well as Audubon's mission to paint North America's birds. Kid-friendly interactive exhibits explore nests, birdsongs, feathers, and more; exhibits about Audubon's artistic process (with a copy of his massive Birds of America) will appeal to older children and adults. Outside, there's a bird-themed outdoor play space. Admission includes a tour (sign up at center for the one tour, at 1 pm) of Mill Grove, Audubon's stone farmhouse, built in 1762 and filled with displays relating to Audubon. Managed by the National Audubon Society, this site 2 miles north of Valley Forge National Historical Park is within the 200-acre Mill Grove estate and has 5 miles of marked walking trails. The center also offers birding sessions and other outdoor programs.

Believe it or not, the public is welcomed in for a visit to this architectural wonder and federal house of justice. Galleries across the courthouse feature rotating exhibitions on a variety of themes, from maritime history to the judicial system. Don't miss Ellsworth Kelly's permanent installation The Boston Panels in the courthouse's rotunda. It's not uncommon to see a tall ship or a charter vessel docked outside, in season. Book a free tour through the website.

Built and maintained by the forced labor of enslaved people, this 1805 Federal-style mansion has been restored and furnished as it would have been prior to a visit by Marquis de Lafayette in 1825. It was the headquarters for Union forces during the Civil War. The house museum also features historical photographs, a diorama of Bay Street in 1863, and an exhibit about the remarkable Beaufort-born Robert Smalls, who during the Civil War famously commandeered a Confederate ship to escape from slavery with his family. Run by Historic Beaufort Foundation, the museum offers docent-guided tours every half hour.

John Marshall (1755–1835) was chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court for 34 years—longer than any other. Appointed to the court by President John Adams, Marshall also served as secretary of state and ambassador to France. The Federal-style red brick house, built in 1790, is fully restored and furnished, with a mix of period pieces and heirlooms.

New York architect James Gamble Rogers designed this three-story granite structure as a post office and court building in 1909. It opened in 1915, but by the 1960s, the post office had moved to larger digs, leaving it open for McDonogh No. 35 High School to find refuge after Hurricane Betsy in 1965. Today, the Italian Renaissance Revival building houses the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in an elaborately paneled and ornamented series of three courtrooms, one of which, the En Banc courtroom, boasts a bronze glazed ceiling. The Great Hall's plaster ceiling has been restored to its original appearance and color, a light gray. As you enter the building and pass security, turn left and continue around the corner to find the library, where you can pick up information on the courthouse. Outside, a repeating sculpture of four women stands atop each corner of the building's penthouse level: the four ladies represent History, Agriculture, Industry, and the Arts. The building is named for Judge John Minor Wisdom, the New Orleans native who was instrumental in dismantling the segregation laws of the south. Judge Wisdom received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1993.

Revolutionary War hero John Paul Jones lived at this boardinghouse while he supervised construction of the USS America for the Continental Navy. The 1758 hip-roof building displays furniture, costumes, glass, guns, portraits, and documents from the late 18th century. The collection's specialty is textiles, among them some extraordinary early-19th-century embroidery samplers.

This 3,150-foot-long pedestrian-only truss bridge crosses the Cumberland River and connects Downtown to East Nashville. Its iconic look and location offer up one of the best views of the city and the perfect photo op.

This popular green space that runs along the East River is undergoing large-scale renovations as the City of New York, in conjunction with the federal government, work on a project to reduce the risks of flooding from storms and sea-level rising. Sections of the park, with its spectacular views of Brooklyn and the Manhattan Bridge, will remain open, but check the website for changing access points. The NYC Ferry dock, located at Corlears Hook, will also remain accessible.

The legendary Man in Black has a dedicated space in Nashville. Performance costumes, handwritten lyrics, a wall of gold and platinum records—even a limestone wall from the home Cash shared with his beloved June—are among the items in this museum located between Broadway and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Interactive exhibits include presentations of Cash's music in formats ranging from 78rpm records to digital downloads. Clips of Cash's many appearances in films and on television are played in a small theater.

The inlet to Johns Hopkins cuts deep into the Fairweather Range, making it another of the lucky few glaciers that have remained stable in recent years. Although it is tidewater, it isn't visited as often as Margerie Glacier because it takes longer to travel down the inlet to it. Further, this inlet is closed to motorized traffic for the first half of the summer as it's a critical habitat for pupping harbor seals.

The school was founded in 1876 with funds donated by Johns Hopkins, director of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. Much of the neo-Colonial architecture of the Homewood campus dates from the early 1900s, when the present-day campus was laid out. Dominating the school's main quad is Gilman Hall, which was built in 1904 and named for the university's first president, Daniel Coit Gilman. Pathways lead through campus; maps throughout can help you find your way. The medical school and hospital are in East Baltimore.

After bringing visitors through the hidden back entrance of this 1768 home, guides retrace the experience of slaves who found a haven here when the Johnson House was a key station on the Underground Railroad. They weave the story of the Johnson family, Quakers who worked to abolish slavery, with that of Harriet Tubman, who was sheltered here with runaway slaves and later guided them to freedom. Visitors see hiding places, including the third-floor attic hatch that runaways used to hide on the roof when the sheriff came by, learn Underground Railroad code words, and view slavery artifacts, such as ankle shackles and collars. It is the stories contained within the home that are the most captivating, as opposed to the house itself. In 1777 the house was in the line of fire during the Battle of Germantown; the shutters still show the impact of the musket rounds. In the early 1900s it was saved from demolition when it became a women's club, along with what is now the Mennonite church behind it. 

Friday and Saturday tours are offered year-round by online appointment only.

The oldest of James Oglethorpe's original squares was laid out in 1733 and named for South Carolina governor Robert Johnson. A monument marks the grave of Nathanael Greene, a hero of the Revolutionary War and close friend of George Washington. The square has always been a popular gathering place: Savannahians came here to welcome President Monroe in 1819, to greet the Marquis de Lafayette in 1825, and to cheer for Georgia's secession in 1861. Locals call this Bank Square because of the plethora of nearby banks—perfect if you need an ATM.

The museum provides a fun and informative tribute to Delaware native Eldridge Reeves Johnson, who brought record-playing into American homes via the famous Victor Talking Machine Company he founded in 1901. Old Victrolas, phonographs, and decorative horns are displayed, and one section depicts a replica of a store that sold phonographs and records. In the music gallery, you can hear excerpts played from original discs on Victor machines.

This out-and-back 7-mile trail runs east-west along the South Unit's Jones Creek with close-up views of the vegetation on the badlands floor. For a longer trek (11 miles), head south on the Lower Talkington trail, from Jones Creek, to the Badlands Spur trail and then head northwest on the Lower Paddock Creek trail, which loops back to the park road on the west. Moderate.

Famous for its trout fishing and the Rim of the Gap Trail, which has views of Rainbow Falls, Jones Gap is 6 miles east of U.S. 276 and is part of the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area. Pick up a trail map and register before venturing into the wilderness; some of the trails are long and strenuous.

A dreamy 3¼-mile hike through the forest leads to 42-foot-tall cascading Jones Run Falls. As you close in on the falls, the trail rubs up against Jones Run. Continue past the main falls to reach smaller falls and cascades. As you proceed, you'll spy several swimming holes for a refreshing splash on a warm day. Retrace your steps to the parking area, but take it slow, it will be all uphill on the return. Hiking time is three hours. Moderate.