10451 Best Sights in USA

The living-history Nevada City Old Town down the road from Virginia City, preserves the town as it was at the turn of the 20th century, with restored buildings, thousands of artifacts from the gold rush era, and weekend demonstrations. Included in the collection is the Depuis House, from the PBS television series Frontier House. Saturdays and Sundays during the summer, the ghost town comes to life as actors dress up in period wear to engage with guests and give them a taste of life during the gold rush era.

The area's oldest operating winery, established in 1980, pours its wines, many from Sierra Foothills grapes, in a tasting room whose back patio perches over the wine-making facility. Chardonnay is a best seller, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Rhône and Italian reds among the other specialties.

Climb Mist Trail from Happy Isles for an up-close view of this 594-foot cascading beauty. If you don't want to hike (the trail's final approach is quite taxing), you can see it—albeit distantly—from Glacier Point. Stay safely on the trail, as there have been fatalities in recent years after visitors have fallen and been swept away by the water.

A dramatic four-level structure designed by Will Bruder houses this splendid museum's collection, which focuses on themes such as the Sierra Nevada/Great Basin and altered-landscape photography. The exterior's torqued walls are sided with a black zinc-based material that has been fabricated to resemble textures found in the Black Rock Desert.

The museum pavilion is open daily and features early-20th-century locomotives to check out as well as an elaborate indoor model train exhibit. You can ride the rails aboard the Nevada Southern Railway excursion train, which departs Nevada State Railroad Museum four times a day on weekends for a scenic 35-minute ride through the desert landscape surrounding Boulder City. Some train cars are open-air, allowing you to feel the breeze as you take in the countryside views.

New Belgium's beautiful expansive deck overlooks the French Broad River, making it a major draw for afternoon libations. Excellent 45-minute tours of this state-of-the-art brewery are free every day at 1:30 and 4:30. Tastings of several beers are included.

Although it's known as the "New Capitol," the 22-story skyscraper flanked by lower-slung House and Senate offices actually dates from the 1970s. In the 1960s, when there was talk of relocating the state's seat of government to a more central location like Orlando, Panhandle legislators quickly approved the construction of a sorely needed new complex that would keep the capital in Tallahassee. This New Capitol is prominently placed at the crest of a hill directly behind the classical-style historic capitol.

After going through security, pick up a self-guided-tour brochure at the plaza-level Florida Visitor Center. The governor's office is on the first floor, as is the Florida Artists Hall of Fame, where plaques honor native Floridians and other notable figures associated with the state such as Ray Charles, Burt Reynolds, Tennessee Williams, Ernest Hemingway, and Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. The Italian marble–lined rotunda is abuzz when the legislature is in session (January and February in even years, March through April in odd years) and the head-count goes from 1,500 to 5,000 people. You can watch lawmaking in action from galleries overlooking the fifth-floor House and Senate chambers. For a few contemplative moments away from the crowds, visit the Heritage Chapel, featuring coquina, cypress, and other construction materials typically used in Florida.

Delaware's colonial capital until 1777 is a pristine museum of state history, its three brick wings topped by a white cupola and spire. Tours and interpretive programs highlight colonial and state history and early governmental systems.

The organization is the launching point for various guided and self-guided tours of the historic district, including a garden and haunted tours, and visiting the society's three museums that trace New Castle history from 17th-century Dutch settlers to modern-day efforts to preserve the past. Dutch House features Dutch colonial artifacts related to early port activities. The Georgian-style Amstel House, circa 1730, is considered Delaware's first grand mansion and hosted George Washington and signers of the Declaration of Independence. Old Library Museum, built in 1892, is a hexagonal brick structure designed by noted architect Frank Furness of Philadelphia.

History converges in fascinating ways at this winery and vineyard, whose tale involves pioneer-rancher Peter Lassen (Mt. Lassen is named for him), railroad baron Leland Stanford, newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, the Napa Valley's five-generation Nichelini wine-making family, and current owners the Trappist-Cistercian monks. In the 1890s, the rambling redbrick tasting room, erected by Stanford, stored 2 million gallons of wine. These days the hosts pour Albariño, Viognier, Tempranillo, Barbera, Syrah, and other small-lot bottlings from grapes mostly grown nearby. The on-site chapel (the Hearst connection) has a convoluted story all its own. A second tasting room in downtown Redding was scheduled to open before the end of 2023.

You get an expansive view of Ajo's ugly gash of an open-pit mine, almost 2 miles wide, from the New Cornelia Open Pit Mine Lookout Point. Some of the abandoned equipment remains in the pit, and mining operations are diagrammed at the volunteer-run visitor center, where there's a 30-minute film about mining. The lookout point is always "open," but the visitor center's hours are sporadic. The mine is about a mile southwest of the plaza; take La Mina Road or Estrella Road to Indian Village Road.

One of the top spirits makers in Southeast Portland's Distillery Row, New Deal has become nationally regarded for its eponymous vodka, which also comes in several flavored varieties, including Hot Monkey Pepper and Mud Puddle Bitter Chocolate. Visitors to the tasting room can sample limited releases and seasonal products as well as other New Deal standards, like aromatic gin and coffee liqueur made with beans from nearby Water Avenue Coffee.

Made up of a dozen original and reconstructed buildings, this significant historic site allows visitors to explore the capital of the Cherokee nation on the land where the city once stood. It was here that the Treaty of 1835 was signed by a small group of Cherokee leaders, setting into motion the Trail of Tears. The only original building remaining is the Worcester House, a home and Presbyterian mission station. The Cherokee Council House and Supreme Court are reconstructions, as is the print house, where thousands of books translated in Cherokee and the weekly Cherokee Phoenix were published. Other buildings, including the 1805 Vann Tavern, were relocated to the site. A museum and film provide more insight on the rich history of the Cherokee in Georgia.

Located at the north end of Union Park, the Holocaust Memorial is the work of Stanley Saitowitz, whose design was selected through an international competition; the finished memorial was dedicated in 1995. During the day the six 50-foot-high glass-and-steel towers seem at odds with the 18th-century streetscape of Blackstone Square behind it; at night, they glow like ghosts while manufactured steam from grates in the granite base makes for a particularly haunting scene. Recollections by Holocaust survivors are set into the glass-and-granite walls; the upper levels of the towers are etched with 6 million numbers in random sequence, symbolizing the Jewish victims of the Nazi horror.

Maple syrup is Vermont's signature product, and this museum north of Rutland explains the history and process of turning sap into syrup. It's now owned by the sugar makers from Solar Sweet Maple Farm in Lincoln, Vermont; if you don't get a chance to visit a sugarhouse, this is a fine place to sample the different grades and pick up some souvenirs.

In the northern end of Savage River State Forest, this 455-acre park was established by German immigrants in the 19th century. The park contains stands of hemlocks and pines planted in the late 1950s and a 13-acre man-made lake. You can swim, fish, and boat here, although low water levels and a profusion of aquatic plants have made parts of the lake unusable. In winter the park's 8 mi of hiking trails are groomed for cross-country skiing. Picnic shelters, 39 campsites, and 11 rental cabins fully equipped for year-round use are also on-site along with a grand lake house that is suitable for weddings or meetings.

When it was originally built in 1791, this building housed the U.S. Department of War. Today’s reconstruction outlines early American military history and the formation of the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps. On display are Revolutionary uniforms, medals, and authentic weapons, including powder horns, swords, and a blunderbuss. Dioramas depict highlights from the Revolutionary War through the late 18th century, and there are several scale models of warships and frigates as well. This museum is typically open for special events and occasions only.

Steps from the state capitol, this museum is a great place to learn about the Concord coach, a popular mode of transportation before railroads. The Discovering New Hampshire exhibit delves into a number of facets of the state's heritage, from politics to commerce. Rotating shows might include locally made quilts or historical portraits of residents.

Lose yourself along magnolia-lined natural trails that wind through rose beds and dozens of varieties of shade-loving camellias on this 7-acre site, just across the water from Airlie Gardens. Relax in the Japanese teahouse, spend a moment of reflection by the water garden, or admire the native carnivorous plants like the Venus flytrap.

The Great Salt Pond has a culture all its own, centered on three marinas, several inns, a resort hotel, and restaurants clustered along its southern shore. The smaller of Block Island's two commercial areas is about a 20-minute walk from Old Harbor. Up to 2,000 boats create a forest of masts on summer weekends, drawn by sail races and fishing tournaments. Over on the quiet north and east shores, clammers and windsurfers claim the tidal flats. The Montauk ferry docks at Champlin's, the largest of the marinas.

Bordered on its west side by the Yale campus, the New Haven Green is a fine example of early urban planning. Village elders set aside the 16-acre plot as a town common as early as 1638. Three early-19th-century churches—the Gothic Revival-style Trinity Episcopal Church, the Federal-style Center Congregational Church, and United Church—have contributed to its present appeal. For a year, from September 1839 to August 1840, survivors of the slave ship Amistad were incarcerated in a jail on the east side of the green and were brought out of jail to exercise there. An Amistad memorial now resides at the site of the former jail. Besides being a pleasant urban park, the Green is also the venue for festivals and events throughout the year.

Pulled by an authentic steam locomotive or vintage diesel, this heritage passenger train makes a 9-mile, 45-minute (an hour in fall) scenic round-trip between New Hope and Lahaska, and standard trips are narrated. Among many special events are Halloween-theme trips, holiday excursions in December, and a Wine & Tapas train. Trips get pricey for a family and may be best for those who love old trains. Advance reservations are encouraged, and required for special events. Parking in the on-site lot is expensive, so find a spot on the street or in a town lot.

At New Market, the Confederates had a victory during the late date of 1864. Inside the Hall of Valor, in the 260-acre New Market Battlefield Historical Park, a stained-glass window mosaic commemorates the battle, in which 257 Virginia Military Institute cadets, some as young as 15, were mobilized to improve the odds against superior Union numbers; in the end, 10 were killed. This circular building contains a chronology of the war, and a short film deals with Stonewall Jackson's legendary campaign in the Shenandoah Valley. A farmhouse that figured in the fighting still stands on the premises. The battle is reenacted at the park each May.

This small but moving 1932-vintage storefront museum packs plenty of punch with its poignant exhibits that document genocide and persecution throughout history, with a special emphasis on the Holocaust and World War II. Exhibits also include The African American Experience and others touch on child slave labor.

In the center of sleepy downtown Grants, the small New Mexico Mining Museum shares quarters with the chamber of commerce right off the main drag, Santa Fe Avenue. On the ground level are charts, photos, gems, and minerals, and depictions of uranium-mining life in the region—this area is free. After paying admission, an elevator drops you down a few feet into the building's basement, where you can take a self-guided tour of an ersatz mine, and some real mining equipment and related exhibits.

The wonders at Albuquerque's most popular museum include the only Triassic exhibit in North America. Among some of the dinosaur rarities on display that were discovered right in New Mexico is the relatively youthful "Bisti Beast," a Cretaceous-period tyrannosaur found in the Four Corners area. A simulated volcano (with a river of bubbling hot lava visible through its glass floor) complements the geologic displays. Outer space gets its due here as well—changing exhibits have focused on Mars and the Perseverance lander—and the museum's planetarium is a state-of-the-art destination for dazzling constellation and other distant-space viewings, as well as the wildly popular First Friday Fractals show ($10; tickets available online only). The DynaTheater presents 3-D screenings on some stunning sea creatures and more.

The multistory structure that houses the New Mexico Museum of Space History gleams metallic gold when the sun hits it at certain angles. Its centerpiece is the International Space Hall of Fame, into which astronauts and other space-exploration celebrities are routinely inducted. A simulated red Mars landscape is among the indoor exhibits. Outside, the Stapp Air and Space Park displays a rocket sled from the 1950s and other space-related artifacts. The scenic Astronaut Memorial Garden has a view of White Sands National Monument. The Clyde W. Tombaugh IMAX Dome Theater and Planetarium screens films and presents planetarium and laser light shows. Weeklong annual space-shuttle camps for children take place from the first week in June through the first week in August.

The symbol of the Zía Pueblo, which represents the Circle of Life, was the inspiration for the state's capitol building, also known as the Roundhouse. Doorways at opposing sides of the 1966 structure symbolize the four times of day, the four directions, the four stages of life, and the four seasons. Take time to walk through the building to see the outstanding 600-work collection of the Capitol Art Foundation, historical and cultural displays, and handcrafted furniture—it's a superb and somewhat overlooked array of fine art. The Governor's Gallery hosts temporary exhibits. Six acres of imaginatively landscaped gardens shelter outstanding sculptures.

At New Mexico State University (NMSU), the home of the Aggies, museums have a decided focus on agriculture, although those on the arts and sciences also receive attention. The buildings themselves tend toward the uninspired, but there are still a few original structures from the 1907 campus design by Henry C. Trost.

Set in a historic villa surrounded by a lovely small park and gardens, this terrific museum offers a year-round calendar of events and exhibits that highlight African and African-diaspora art and artists. The building itself is a prime example of the West Indies–style French colonial architecture that used to fill much of the French Quarter. The house was built in 1829 by Simon Meilleur, a prosperous brick maker; the main house was constructed with Meilleur's bricks, and the brick patio behind it bears imprints identifying the original manufacturer. While the larger museum is currently undergoing a massive renovation, there are several exhibits set up across the street, at  1417 Governor Nicholls Street. The museum holds events and programming in the villa's gardens as well.