10457 Best Sights in USA

This condo-laden, chain restaurant–lined development is a good place to grab brunch, walk, or ride bikes along the waterfront. A number of places, such as Hornblower Cruises and Events in Fisherman's Village, rent boats for romantic dinner or party cruises around the marina. There are a few man-made beaches, but you're better off hitting the larger (and cleaner) beaches up the coast.

This hospital for distressed, sick, and injured marine animals is a leading center for ocean conservancy in the Bay Area and the largest rehabilitation center of its kind in the world. Dedicated to pioneering education, rehabilitation, and research, the center is free and open to the public. Tour the facilities and see how elephant seals, sea lions, and pups are cared for and meet the scientists who care for them. Bonus: you'll catch some of the best views of the Marin Headlands and San Francisco Bay along the way.

This wide expanse of white sand is famous for bodysurfing due to its powerful shorebreak, but it also teems with sunbathers, swimmers, walkers, joggers, and folks just out for the incredible views. The sand is soft and fluffy and feels wonderful as it squishes through your toes. Swimmers need to beware; waves break in extremely shallow water and you need to watch out for riptides. The beach sits just between Children's Pool Beach to the north and Windansea Beach to the south. There are no amenities at the beach, but picnic tables, showers, and toilets are available at the nearby cove. Amenities: lifeguards. Best for: solitude; swimming; walking.

For picnics, bird-watching, or launching kayaks and canoes, visit Mariners Memorial Park, overlooking secluded Long Cove. There is a half-mile walking loop and a small garden maintained by the Evergreen Garden Club. Educational events (including scavenger hunts for kids) are regularly offered in the summer.

Of Yosemite's three sequoia groves—the others being Merced and Tuolumne, both near Crane Flat and Hetch Hetchy well to the north—Mariposa is by far the largest and easiest to walk around. Grizzly Giant, whose base measures 96 feet around, has been estimated to be one of the world's largest. Perhaps more astoundingly, it's about 1,800 years old. Park at the grove's welcome plaza, and ride the free shuttle (required most of the year). Summer weekends are crowded.

You can play instruments or try on costumes from around the world and indulge your cultural curiosity at this nonprofit museum dedicated to hands-on exploration of international folk art. The three-floor museum is housed inside a historic Baptist church, across from the Universalist church in the heart of town. The museum hosts workshops and presentations on dance and arts and crafts.

You'll leave this small museum feeling like you just found your own gold nugget. Detailed exhibits, both indoors and out, tell the history of Mariposa County. Visit a replica of a typical miner's cabin; see a working stamp mill; tour the blacksmith shop. Artifacts, photographs, and maps, along with the knowledgeable staff, will capture your imagination and transport you back to 1849.

Hard-working men and women once coaxed cinnabar, or mercury ore, from the Mariscal Mine, located at the north end of Mariscal Mountain, in the southern reaches of the park. The mines and surrounding stone buildings were abandoned in the 1940s. If you visit, take care not to touch the timeworn stones, as they may contain poisonous mercury residue. You need a high-clearance, four-wheel-drive vehicle to drive the 20-mile road, which begins 5 miles west of Rio Grande Village; check with park rangers for current road conditions, and allow a half-day for this fascinating but remote adventure.

This museum on the University of Nevada Las Vegas campus has a growing collection of works by artists with ties to Southern Nevada. The emphasis is on rotating exhibits, largely held in one cavernous space, with an adjacent auditorium hosting lectures focused on art. The Xeric Garden in front of the museum, which dates to 1988, was the first in town. It also provides a good excuse to wander the scenic UNLV campus.  The Barrick Museum closes completely for several weeks at a time when new exhibits are installed, two or three times a year.

One of America's most cherished authors found inspiration in this out-of-the-way hamlet about 20 miles outside of Gainesville. The 90-acre park, set amid aromatic citrus groves, has a playground for kids and short hiking trails, where you might see owls, deer, or Rawlings' beloved "red birds." But the main attraction is the restored Florida Cracker–style home, where Rawlings wrote classics such as The Yearling and Cross Creek and entertained the likes of poet Robert Frost, author Thornton Wilder, and actor Gregory Peck. The house is guarded closely by spirited roosters, and access to its interior is only available by guided tours.

Twain wrote The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer in this study built for him by his sister-in-law and her husband. The octagonal shape was inspired by a Mississippi riverboat pilothouse. The study was moved to the Elmira College campus in the 1950s and is part of the school's Center for Mark Twain Studies. Cross the street to visit the (free) Mark Twain Exhibit to learn more about Twain's connection to Elmira or to buy books in the gift shop.

Market Square is the heart of Roanoke, with Virginia's oldest continuous farmers' market, a multiethnic food court inside the restored City Market Building, and several restaurants, shops, and bars. Open year-round, visitors will find local produce, meats, cheeses, plants, flowers and baked goods at market stalls and a variety of gifts and local products at specialty stores.

An open green between Queen and Palace Streets along Duke of Gloucester, Market Square was the site where cattle, seafood, dairy products, fruit, and vegetables were all sold—as were slaves. Market auctions are sometimes reenacted. Recently reconstructed, it now serves for historical interpretation and retail sales. Shop like you stepped back to the 18th century, including fruits, hams, soaps, candles, ceramics, and clothing. Children and families are invited to join the games and role-play with the toys for sale.

The street, which bisects the city at an angle, has consistently challenged San Francisco's architects. One of the most intriguing responses sits diagonally across Market Street from the Palace Hotel: the tower of the Hobart Building (No. 582) combines a flat facade and oval sides and is considered one of Willis Polk's best works. East on Market Street is Charles Havens's triangular Flatiron Building (Nos. 540–548), another classic solution. At Bush Street, the Mechanics Monument, in recognition of the Donahue brothers who industrialized the city, holds its own against the skyscrapers that tower over the intersection. This homage to waterfront mechanics, which survived the 1906 earthquake (a famous photograph shows Market Street in ruins around the sculpture), was designed by Douglas Tilden, a noted California sculptor. The plaque in the sidewalk next to the monument marks the spot as the location of the San Francisco Bay shoreline in 1848. Telltale nautical details, such as anchors, ropes, and shells, adorn the gracefully detailed Matson Building (No. 215), built in the 1920s for the shipping line Matson Navigation.

A unique assortment of historic buildings, stylish boutiques, coffee shops, antique stores, and restaurants make Wailuku's Market Street a delightful place for a stroll. Brown-Kobayashi and the Bird of Paradise Unique Antiques are the best shops for interesting collectibles and furnishings. Brown Eyed Bella has stylish bikinis and island wear. Wailuku Coffee Company has works by local artists and occasionally offers live entertainment in the evening.

Located right in the center of the city, Marktplatz is a park that wraps around the Vereins Kirche Museum, an octagonal building that was the site of the first church and the first school in Fredericksburg. It boasts picnic areas, play spaces, and a winter ice skating rink and also hosts various events and festivals throughout the year.

The gallery has an international reputation, representing modern artists such as Magdalena Abakanowicz, Beverly Pepper, and Red Grooms; architect Santiago Calatrava; and photo-realist Richard Estes. Look for sculptures by Tom Otterness, whose whimsical bronzes are found in several subway stations. A Chelsea branch specializes in contemporary art.

Like a slipcover over a sofa, the clean, geometric facade of this 1895 building expresses what lies beneath: in this case, a structural steel frame. Sure, the base is marked with roughly cut stone and a fancy cornice crowns the top, but the bulk of the Marquette Building mirrors the cage around which it is built. Inside is another story. The intimate lobby is a jewel box of a space, where a single Doric column stands surrounded by a Tiffany glass mosaic depicting the exploits of French Jesuit missionary Jacques Marquette, an early explorer of Illinois and the Upper Midwest. From its steel skeleton to the terra-cotta ornamentation, this Holabird & Roche structure is a clear example of the Chicago style.

Founded in 1881, Marquette University provides a Jesuit-based urban education for more than 10,000 students per year. The school's 59 campus buildings are concentrated on the western border of Downtown, and the St. Joan of Arc Chapel is on campus. Marquette is also the home of Jesu Church, a Milwaukee landmark. Marquette Hall's 48-bell carillon is near the center of campus.

As you drive toward Edisto Beach on SC Highway 174, look out for a roadside shack emblazoned with "Marsh Hen Mill & Market." Drop in to purchase homegrown, housemade stone-ground cornmeal and grits. These same grits are served in many a fine Charleston restaurant, including mill owner Greg Johnsman's own King Street breakfast joint, Millers All Day. A 1945 grits separator presides over one side of the store; ask for a demo if you'd like to see it in action. Don't leave without some fresh produce from the family farm and homemade cornmeal donuts. Crafts by area artists, cookbooks, and other gifts round out the offerings.

If you're traveling with kids, or you simply have an appreciation for seaside kitsch, drop by this quirky museum and bric-a-brac emporium that has been around since 1921 and is best known for "Jake the Alligator Man," a mummified half-man, half-alligator. 

Vermont's only national park is the nation's first to focus on conserving natural resources. The pristine 555-acre spread includes the mansion, gardens, and carriage roads of Frederick H. Billings (1823–90), a financier and the president of the Northern Pacific Railway. The entire property was the gift of Laurance S. Rockefeller (1910–2004) and his wife, Mary French Rockefeller (Billings' granddaughter, 1910–97). You can learn more at the visitor center, tour the residential complex with a guide every hour on the hour, and explore the 20 miles of trails and old carriage roads that climb Mt. Tom.

Regular events at this planetarium include Saturday films in the full-dome theater, aired episodes of Carl Sagan's Cosmos on Wednesday evenings, and live shows presented by staff or members of the Arrowhead Astronomical Society. These shows cover niche topics like NASA projects or "astronomy lessons" from Star Wars movies. Dark-sky shows are a highlight as they simulate the sky conditions that early Native Americans would once have seen.

San Diego pioneer and philanthropist George W. Marston (1850–1946) who financed the architectural landscaping of Balboa Park—among his myriad other San Diego civic projects—lived in this 16-room home at the northwest edge of the park. Designed in 1905 by San Diego architects Irving Gill and William Hebbard, it's a classic example of the American Arts and Crafts style, which emphasizes simplicity and functionality of form. On the 5-acre grounds is a lovely, romantic English garden, as interpreted in California. The house may only be visited by guided tour Friday through Sunday; tours are offered every hour and last 40–45 minutes and the last tour is 4 pm. Call for information about specialty tours of the gardens, historic 7th Avenue, and the Bankers Hill neighborhood.

This massive art deco building takes up nearly two square blocks and was the world's largest building when it opened in 1930. These days the neighborhood landmark is known as ground zero for home-design shopping, with the first floor given over to LuxeHome, a vast collection of high-end kitchen, bath, and building showrooms open to the public. The upper floors are lined with trade-only showrooms.

Once a roadside farm stand, the winery founded by the Entenmann family and named for their matriarch, Martha Clara, now has a large, barn-style summer tasting room with patio and has become quite popular for its large-scale events. Off-season, a winter tasting room gives a more intimate feel, although it's becoming increasingly busy. Original old barns serve as art galleries and event spaces; pet goats, live music, and antique-carriage tours pulled by resident Clydesdales add to the down-on-the-farm feel. Making waves in the wine world is the 2010 Norseville Red, and the Rieslings are always a popular choice.

Perched on 1 acre overlooking the Lagoon Pond and outer Vineyard Haven harbor, the museum is located in the formerly shuttered 1895 Marine Hospital, which the nonprofit organization purchased in 2011, renovated, and made its home in 2019. The expansive property includes 14 exhibition areas, a classroom, program room, research library, gift shop, and small café. Exhibits include “One Island, Many Stories,” which explores the history of the island; “Challenges of the Sea,” which gives an overview of island shipwrecks, navigation, and more; and “Flashes of Brilliance,” with an 1854 Fresnel lens from the Gay Head Light.

Born in Kinderhook, Martin Van Buren (1782–1862)—the eighth president of the United States—decided to retire to this estate, which he purchased during his presidency and called Lindenwald. Built in the Federal style in 1797, the house took on Gothic and Italianate features following a revamp in the mid-1800s. The graceful building can only be visited as part of a guided tour.

Martin's Fantasy Island has more then 100 rides, including a wooden roller coaster, a 140-foot-tall swing ride, and a petting zoo, and a water-park area with a wave pool, swirling slides and chutes, and a log-flume ride.

In a century-old hop barn with the telltale triple towers, Martinelli's tasting room has the feel of a country store. The winery's reputation rests on complex Pinot Noirs, Syrahs, and Zinfandels, including the Jackass Hill Vineyard Zin, made with grapes from vines planted mainly in the 1880s by the current owners' ancestors. Noted winemaker Helen Turley set the Martinelli style in the 1990s—fruit-forward, easy on the oak, reined-in tannins—and the 21st-century team continues this approach. All visits are by appointment; some tastings unfold on a vineyard's-edge terrace in good weather. Serious wine drinkers gravitate to the Collector's Flight of top-drawer Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, and Zinfandels.