10457 Best Sights in USA

When Donn and Molly Chappellet established their renowned Pritchard Hill winery in 1967, they chose a rocky, tree-studded, now 640-acre property for its potential as a Cabernet Sauvignon growing site, but the vistas north to Lake Hennessey and Mt. St. Helena undoubtedly played a role, too. The vice president of wine making has worked here for three-plus decades, and with the family's second generation in charge, a sense of purpose and continuity prevails. Relaxed tastings of wines that might also include a Chenin Blanc and a Cabernet Franc take place in the cavernous original winery amid rows of stacked oak barrels. Book the April–October Pritchard Hill ATV tour for an exciting spin through the grounds.

The Charles H. Wright Museum of African-American History, the largest museum of its kind in the world, tells the story of the black experience in America through exhibits and audiovisual presentations; there's also a theater, research library, and store.

The world's most comprehensive and important collection of works by Louis Comfort Tiffany—including immense stained-glass windows, lamps, watercolors, jewelry, and desk sets—is in this museum, which also contains American decorative art and paintings from the mid-19th to the early 20th century. Among the draws is the 1,082-square-foot Tiffany Chapel, originally built for the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago. It took craftsmen 2½ years to painstakingly reassemble the chapel here.

Many of the works were rescued from Tiffany's Long Island estate, Laurelton Hall, after a 1957 fire destroyed much of the property. The 12,000-square-foot Laurelton Hall wing allows for much more of the estate's collection to be displayed at one time, including architectural and decorative elements from the dining room, living room, and Fountain Court reception hall. There's also a re-creation of the striking Daffodil Terrace, so named for the glass daffodils that festoon the capitals of the terrace's marble columns. Admission is free on Friday after 4 pm from November through April.

Fans of Snoopy and Charlie Brown will love this museum dedicated to the late Charles M. Schulz, who lived his last three decades in Santa Rosa. Permanent installations include a re-creation of the cartoonist's studio, and temporary exhibits often focus on a particular theme in his work. Children and adults can take a stab at creating cartoons in the Education Room.

In keeping with the historic character of the area, Charles Street is void of neon signs, but you will see bricks aplenty in Beacon Hill's most popular—and only—commercial development. Spend the day shopping at locally owned clothing, antiques, and gift boutiques. Make sure to stop for lunch at one of the local cafés or the legendary Sevens bar. Charles Street sparkles at dusk from gas-fueled street lamps, making it a romantic place for an evening stroll.

This off-the-radar gem of a park (and zoo) marks the site of the original 1670 settlement of Charles Towne, the first permanent European settlement in South Carolina. Begin with the visitor center's 12-room, interactive museum and exhibit hall that tells the history of the early settlers and their relationship with the Kiawah people, who were here when they arrived. Be sure to visit the exhibits about the enslaved people and indentured servants who also arrived with the English. Kids will make a beeline for the Adventure, a full-size replica of the colonists' 17th-century tall ship that's docked on the creek running alongside the park. The grounds are threaded with 6 miles of paths through forest and marsh, including the Animal Forest zoo, where you can see otters, black bears, bobcats, pumas, deer, and bison. All in all, there are 664 acres of gardens and forest, including an elegant live oak alley. Leashed dogs are allowed (although not in the Animal Forest), and rental bikes are available for $5 an hour.

Most of the buildings that make up this popular attraction were constructed between 1804 and the 1830s to serve as the city's meat, fish, and produce market. These days you'll find the open-air portion packed with stalls selling handmade jewelry, crafts, clothing, jams and jellies, and regional souvenirs. The market's indoor section is a beautiful backdrop for 20 stores and eateries. Local craftspeople are on hand, weaving sweetgrass baskets—a skill passed down through generations from their African ancestors. Each month except January and February, a night market on Friday and Saturday hosts local artists and food vendors.

The National Basketball Association's Golden State Warriors are the headliners of this spectacular arena and the city's marquee indoor entertainment complex. In just six years since it opened, Chase Center has already become a San Francisco institution for more than just sports. It is also a major stop for entertainers like Jerry Seinfeld, Madonna, and Katy Perry. Don't miss a walk around the beautiful grounds; a highlight is Olafur Eliasson's stunning Seeing Spheres installation on the bay side of the arena. Across the street from that outdoor art is Bayfront Park, unveiled in 2024 after years of construction. At just over 5 acres, it features excellent views from its grassy hills, basketball courts, and steel design elements made from the old Bay Bridge eastern span.

The area around Chase Center is called Thrive City, a nod to sponsor Kaiser Permanente's (a local health-care provider) slogan. Some locals call it "Contrived City" since it's a glossy made-up neighborhood within a neighborhood. Regardless of opinions on the naming, the focal point of Thrive City is the impressive plaza on the Third Street side of Chase Center. It's where fans from all over the Bay Area gather to celebrate Warriors wins. There is a popular bleacher-like seating amphitheater facing the plaza that includes a statue of the late former mayor Ed Lee, who helped bring the Warriors from Oakland to San Francisco in the 2010s. The other main highlight of Thrive City is dining. A few popular San Francisco establishments have restaurant or bar concepts here, including Gott's Roadside, Dumpling Time, Harmonic Brewing, Che Fico, Señor Sisig, and Burma Love, plus GluGlu wine bar by Dogpatch's Ungrafted restaurant and the massive Splash Sports Bar from the Pacific Cocktail Haven team.

Built in 1852 for William Shepard Wetmore, a merchant in the China Trade, the palatial Chateau-sur-Mer, a stunning example of High Victorian architecture, was Newport's first grand residence. In 1857, Wetmore threw an extravagant, unprecedented "country picnic" for more than 2,000 people, ushering in the Gilded Age in Newport. The house is a treasure trove of Victorian architecture, furniture, wallpapers, ceramics, and stenciling; see hand-carved Italian woodwork, Chinese porcelains, and Japanese and Egyptian Revival wallpapers. The grounds contain rare trees from as far away as Mongolia. Chateau-sur-Mer, along with several other Newport mansions, is among the stars of HBO's series, The Gilded Age.

For some of Boulder's prettiest views, follow Baseline Road west from Broadway to Chautauqua Park, nestled at the base of the Flatirons. Grab a picnic or ice cream cone at the General Store and relax on the lawn, or use the park as a launching point to 40 miles of hiking trails. Historic Chautauqua is also home to a tasty restaurant, the historic Chautauqua Dining Hall, open year-round for brunch and dinner. Or attend a lecture, silent film, or concert at the auditorium, which hosts the Colorado Music Festival and internationally renowned concerts every year. For a bird's-eye view of Boulder, keep going west on Baseline (which turns into Flagstaff Road) 1 mile to Panorama Point, and then 3½ miles to Realization Point.

This former Nabisco plant—where the first Oreos were baked in 1912—now houses more than 50 shops, food vendors, and sit-down restaurants. Probably the biggest draw are the food kiosks (some with counter seating), including favorite taco spot Los Tacos No. 1, Israeli-based sandwich spot Miznon, Amy's Bread, Berlin Currywurst, Ninth Street Espresso, and so much more. Also look for an Anthropologie store, an outpost of Pearl River Mart, a wine bar, upscale groceries, teas, spices, gift baskets, kitchen supplies, and one of New York City's last independent bookstores (Posman Books). The market's funky industrial design—a tangle of glass and metal for an awning, a factory pipe converted into an indoor waterfall—complements the eclectic assortment of shops, but the narrow space can get very crowded. A downstairs level has a few additional food stands as well as bathrooms. There is some seating inside and outside along West 15th Street, but if the weather's nice, take your goodies to the High Line.

Distinguished producers like Kosta Browne make wines from grapes farmed by the Chenoweth family, whose ancestors settled in the redwood-studded hills northwest of Sebastopol in the mid-1800s. Charlie Chenoweth, who converted apple orchards to vineyards, reserves fruit for his wife, Amy, to craft the namesake Pinot Noirs, a Chardonnay, and a Grenache rosé. Her wines alone warrant a visit (by appointment only) to the several hundred–acre property, but the lofty Russian River Valley perspectives and hardworking but fun-loving family vibe elevate the experience exponentially. Seasonal UTV tours, sometimes conducted by the gregarious Amy herself, include a rollicking ride to sip Pinots where their grapes were grown. Other tastings take place in the woodsy Wine Shack.  Region wine bar in Sebastopol pours two Chenoweth wines year-round.

Many motorists swear that this 43-mile National Scenic Byway rivals the beauty of any comparable stretch on the Blue Ridge Parkway. You're unlikely to encounter traffic, and the solitude found on short hikes to peaks like Huckleberry Knob, a bald with 360-degree views, may be the highlight of your trip. 

The gardens' greenhouse conservatory—several stories high—looks like a cathedral of plants and feels like a tropical oasis. It makes for an especially wonderful escape on winter days. The lush banana plants are the big star here; also look for cacti, bonsai, and perennial and annual plants. Kiddos will enjoy seeing the city through the periscope located at the top of the building (only open certain days), as well as exploring the whimsy of the Paul Smith Children's Village across the parking lot from the conservatory. The grounds are open daily from dusk to dawn.

This spacious museum within Frontier Park houses some 400,000 artifacts related to rodeos, ranching, and the city's blockbuster of an annual event, Cheyenne Frontier Days. The museum's "rolling collection" of more than 160 carriages is the largest fleet of horse-drawn vehicles in the world (with many that still go on parade). In July, the carriages are swapped out for the Frontier Days Western Art Show & Sale, with works by top Western wildlife and landscape artists from across the country. Every spring, the Western Spirit Art Show & Sale features pieces that celebrate the heritage and heart of the American West. For young visitors, there's a children's room with hands-on exhibits open year-round, plus camps in the summer.

After more than 25 years flying under the radar inside the Railway Exchange Building a few blocks south, the Chicago Architecture Foundation opened this sparkling new home in 2018. The 20,000-square-foot facility features interactive exhibits about the city's built environment, and it sits right above the dock where the center's indispensable river cruise tours board. Tours by bus and on foot also depart from the facility, which houses a terrific gift shop as well.

Among the 28 different gardens here are the three-island Malott Japanese Garden, the five-acre Evening Island, and the Grunsfeld Children's Growing Garden. Three big greenhouses showcase desert, tropical, and semitropical climates where beautiful and fragrant flowers bloom year-round. Weather permitting, 35-minute tram tours are offered daily and are free with admission from late April through late October. Special summer exhibitions include the 7,500-square-foot Model Railroad Garden with 17 garden-scale trains traveling around nearly 50 models of American landmarks, all made from natural materials. Butterflies & Blooms, a 2,800-square-foot white mesh enclosure, is filled with hundreds of colorful butterflies interacting with plant life; both are free with admission.

"Hands-on" is the operative concept at this brightly colored Navy Pier anchor. Kids can tinker with tools, climb through three stories of tunnels, play at being a firefighter, dig for dinosaur fossils, and create a masterpiece in the Art Studio.

Built in 1897 as the city's original public library, this huge building houses the Chicago Office of Tourism Visitor Information Center, as well as a gift shop, galleries, and a concert hall. Designed by the Boston firm Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge—the team behind the Art Institute of Chicago—it's a palatial affair notable for its Carrara marble, mosaics, gold leaf, and the world's largest Tiffany glass dome.

Seeking to bring Chicago's often complicated history to life, this museum has several strong permanent exhibits, including Chicago: Crossroads of America, which celebrates homegrown cultural contributions from urban blues to the skyscraper and demystifies tragedies like the Haymarket Affair, in which a bomb thrown during a labor rally in 1884 led to eight anarchists being convicted of conspiracy. In Sensing Chicago, kids can take a spin on a penny-farthing bicycle or dress up like a Chicago-style hot dog. Don't miss City on Fire: Chicago 1871, which immerses visitors in the destruction and aftermath of the notorious inferno that displaced one-third of the city’s residents in just two days. Like most of the exhibits here, it's presented in a way that's comprehensible to kids, but substantive enough for adults. 

The cultural center of the Barrio Logan neighborhood, Chicano Park—designated a National Historic Landmark in 2016—was born in 1970 from the activism of local residents who occupied the space after the state rescinded its promise to designate the land a park. Signed into law a year later, the park is now a protected area that brings together families and locals for both public and private events, a welcoming gathering space as well as an outdoor gallery featuring large murals documenting Mexican-American history and Chicano activism. Every year Chicano Park Day is held on the Saturday nearest April 22, filling the park with the sights and sounds of music, dancers, vintage cars, and food and clothing vendors.

A visit to this 9,000-acre military park could easily take all day—or multiple days. The park spans the borders of Georgia and Tennessee, with major sites at Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain, Moccasin Bend, Missionary Ridge, Orchard Knob, and Signal Point. Overall, there are more than 1,400 commemorative features throughout the park including monuments, markers, and tablets placed by veterans and by states whose citizens saw combat here. Start at Chickamauga Battlefield, the park's headquarters, which makes up the largest part of the park. It was here on September 19–20, 1863, that the Battle of Chickamauga was fought. The excellent visitor center and museum offers a film and exhibits about the battle. There's also a 7-mile self-guided auto tour through the park, and on weekends during the spring and fall, you can join a free two-hour auto caravan, led by a park ranger. During the summer, rangers offer the tours daily. The rest of the park lies about 30 minutes north of Chickamauga: Lookout Mountain Battlefield and Point Park, a memorial park that overlooks the city of Chattanooga.

In 1877 a few members of the Nez Perce tribe killed some white settlers in Idaho as retribution for earlier killings by whites. Fearing that the U.S. Army would punish the guilty and innocent alike, hundreds of Nez Perce fled on a five-month journey toward Canada along what came to be known as the Nez Perce Trail. On the way they passed through what is now Yellowstone National Park, across the Sunlight Basin area north of Cody, and along the Clarks Fork of the Shoshone River before turning north into Montana. To see the rugged mountain area they traveled through, follow Highway 120 north 17 miles to Highway 296, the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway. The highway twists and turns for 46 miles, ending at similarly stunning U.S. 212, the Beartooth Scenic Highway, which leads west to the pretty hamlet of Cooke City, Montana and then the Northeast Entrance of Yellowstone, or east to the small ski and hiking hub of Red Lodge. Along the way you'll see open meadows, pine forests, and a sweeping vista of the region from the top of Dead Indian Pass.

This beautiful home with all the trappings of the wealthy planter lifestyle is fascinating because of the intermingling of cultures that took place here. Known as Diamond Hill, this historic site was home to a 1,000-acre plantation—the largest and most prosperous in Cherokee history. In 1804 James Vann, a Cherokee leader of mixed Scottish and Cherokee parentage, built the plantation’s stately redbrick mansion with the help of Moravian missionaries and enslaved workers. When Vann was murdered in 1809, his son Joseph took over the property until he was forcibly evicted in 1835. Diamond Hill and surrounding lands were then given away in a land lottery to white settlers, its Cherokee origins wiped away.

Start your visit in the visitor center where you can view a short film and browse exhibits about the site’s history. Rangers lead tours of the home at the top of each hour (last tour at 4 pm), but outdoor exhibits, such as a re-created Cherokee farmstead and plantation kitchen, are self-guided. The kitchen outbuilding also houses an exhibit focused on the daily lives of the 110 enslaved people who resided at Diamond Hill before Vann’s departure in 1835.

An electrifying 10,000-square-foot, Albert Alfonso–designed building is home to world-renowned glass sculptor Dale Chihuly's work. Here, impossibly vibrant, larger-than-life pieces such as Float Boat and Ruby Red Icicle sit next to some of the famed sculptor's smaller and more under-the-radar works. You can tour the museum independently or with one of its volunteer docents (no added cost; tours are given hourly on the half hour during the week).

Each display is perfectly lighted against a shade of gray paint handpicked by Chihuly himself, which adds to the drama of the designs. Check out the gift shop at the end if you'd like to take some of the magic home with you. Your admission includes access to the Morean Arts Center's glassblowing studio, where you can watch resident artists create a unique glass piece before your eyes.

This is one of the finest museums of its kind in North America, with constantly changing hands-on exhibits that engage children up to about age 10 in discovery. A three-and-a-half-story climbing structure soars through the center of the museum, complete with a bridge and gondola, along with a water area featuring geysers, pumps, and a 30-gallon structure that replicates a toilet flushing. Also among the 16 indoor playscapes and an outdoor area are a teaching kitchen where kids can cook real food; an art studio staffed by artists in residence; a grocery store; a veterinary office; and Fire Station No. 1, a real fire hall with a pole and kitchen. One of the biggest attractions is the Center for the Young Child, a 3,700-square-foot playscape aimed at newborns and toddlers and their caregivers; or little ones can enter Bubbles Playscape, where science and soap collide in kid-made bubbles up to 6 feet long.

The state’s best and largest museum for kiddos is set inside a LEED-certified 1920s armory with big windows overlooking downtown Dover's Henry Law Park and Cocheco River. In this bright and colorful space, well-designed interactive exhibits on submarines, river ecosystems, dinosaurs, and music are geared to kids up to around age 12, and storytelling sessions are offered regularly.  Across the street there's a great toy store, Noggin Factory, and candy and ice cream shop, Lickee's & Chewy's.

You're almost sure to see ravens drifting on thermal winds around the deep-red Mummy Cliff that rings the base of this loop trail that begins with a steep climb to a rim above dramatic Chimney Rock—from here you're treated to impressive vistas of the western ridge of the Waterpocket Fold. This 3.6-mile loop has a 590-foot elevation change and can be a bit strenuous in hot weather, as there's no shade. Allow three to four hours. Moderate–Difficult.

The whitewashed Cape Dutch–style structure erected by this winery's original owners, one South African, stands out against the craggy Stags Leap cliffs rising behind it. With 120 acres of vines devoted mainly to Cabernet Sauvignon, Chimney Rock’s reputation rests on several estate bottlings, some from specific vineyard blocks yielding wines with strikingly different personalities. Brazil-born Elizabeth Vianna, long an advocate of sustainable grape-growing practices, crafts the Chimney Rock wines in a smooth accessible style that sometimes belies their power. Two whites, Sauvignon Gris and the Elevage Blanc blend of the former and Sauvignon Blanc, hold their own at tastings (reservations recommended, but walk-ins possible) in several small salons and on a shaded patio.

Pant, wheeze, and gasp. This is a fairly short yet steep trail that will take a lot out of you, but it gives back a lot, too. The payoff for the difficult climb is one of the best views in the Smokies. In places the trail has loose rock (hiking poles are recommended), and the elevation gain is 1,350 feet. Some sections have steep stairs. A new observation deck was built roughly ¼ mile from the summit, with views of Mt. LeConte and the pinnacles. The total distance round-trip is 3.6 miles. Difficult.