10451 Best Sights in USA

See free demonstrations of printmaking, glassmaking and design, and metal alchemy in this restored, 1800s-era brick warehouse (with a whopping 25,000-square-foot interior). The studio offers group and individual classes. Call in advance to make reservations for hands-on instruction. A shop and gallery display and sell the finished products.

This is a great place to get in touch with the spiritual side of New Orleans. It's the product of an innovative collaboration of more than a dozen of New Orleans's most progressive (and intriguing) organizations. Visitors can check out everything from the Wild Lotus Yoga Studio to the New Orleans Food Co-Op, from the Café Istanbul Performance Hall to the Island of Salvation Botanica, the famous voodoo shop run by the renowned priestess Sallie Ann Glassman.

This homegrown museum may turn skeptics into believers. Voodoo isn't just something marketed to visitors; it lingers on in the lives of many New Orleanians, who still light candles for good luck or rely on a potion to find love. The large collection of artifacts on display here include portraits by and of voodoo legends, African artifacts believed to have influenced the development of the religion, and lots of gris-gris (African and Caribbean amulets). The gift shop sells customized gris-gris, potions, and handcrafted voodoo dolls. A psychic reader is on duty to divine your future.

One need not be a jazz fanatic to love the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. "Jazz Fest," as it's more commonly known, is a sprawling, rollicking celebration of Louisiana music, food, and culture held the last weekend in April and the first weekend in May. It takes place at the city's historic Fair Grounds Race Course, which reverberates with the sounds of rock, Cajun, zydeco, gospel, rhythm and blues, hip-hop, folk, world music, country, Latin, and, yes, traditional and modern jazz. Throw in world-class arts and crafts, exhibitions and lectures, and an astounding range of Louisiana-made food—which, for many, is the star of the show—and you've got a festival worthy of America's premier party town. Over the years, Jazz Fest lineups have come to include internationally known performers, but at its heart the festival is about the hundreds of Louisiana musicians who live, work, and cut their chops in the Crescent City. The festival is an important showcase for local musicians, introducing them to fans around the world.

In 1987 the U.S. Congress declared jazz a "national American treasure," and shortly thereafter the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park was created to educate people about the art form and to preserve its history. The park hosts free performances and educational events in two locations around the French Quarter: the Visitor Center and the Old U.S. Mint, which also houses the state's jazz collection. Some of the park's rangers are also working musicians; don't miss the chance to catch their lively and informative demonstrations exploring the full range of Louisiana's musical heritage.

This 3,030-foot-long steel arch bridge crosses the New River Gorge. As you drive onto the bridge, a sign proclaims that it's the "Western Hemisphere's Longest Arch Bridge." Completed in 1977, this impressive steel span structure reduced the drive between Fayetteville and Lansing, the towns on either side of the bridge, from 35 minutes to less than one minute.

This public beach extends 7 miles from the northernmost part of New Smyrna's barrier island south to the Canaveral National Seashore. It's mostly hard-packed white sand lined with heaps of sandy dunes; because they're endangered, it's against the law to walk on or play in them or to pick the sea grass, which helps to stabilize the dunes. From sunrise to sunset cars are allowed on certain sections of the beach (speed limit: 10 mph). In season there's a $20 beach-access fee for cars. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (some with fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: sunrise; surfing; swimming; walking.

In a handsome barnlike building on the outskirts of the small ski town of Eden, this acclaimed small-batch distillery offers tastings as well as (paid) tours, which include tastings. Known for bourbon, vodka, and barrel-conditioned gin, New World also makes a crisp tequila-like agave spirit and an agave liqueur flavored with Utah tart cherries. Tours are typically offered only on weekends, including some Sundays.

Noted American artist and sculptor Walter De Maria's 1977 avant-garde installation consists, quite simply, of 280,000 pounds of gently sculpted soil filling 3,600 square feet of a second-floor loft maintained by the Dia Art Foundation since 1980. You can't touch or walk on the dirt, nor can you take photos, but looking at it is quite peaceful. De Maria's equally odd and impressive work The Broken Kilometer, an 18.75-ton installation that consists of five columns of a total of 1,000 meter-long brass rods covering the wooden floors of an open loft space, is a few blocks away ( 393 W. Broadway) and is a good complement. The two installations have the same hours. 

At the northwestern edge of Flushing Meadows Corona Park, this museum has more than 400 hands-on exhibits that make science a playground for inquisitive minds of all ages. Learn about the science behind bubbles by playing with them at The Big Bubble Experiment. Immerse yourself in Maker Space, where activities like woodworking, 3-D printing, and building electronics rotate daily. The 3D Movie Theatre, Rocket Park Mini Golf, and Science Playground require extra fees.

Along the famed Willomeoc Creek—the birthplace of American fly-fishing—a half million brown trout are raised each year to stock the state's waterways. Visitors are welcomed year-round for guided tours; experts from the state Department of Environmental Conservation are glad to answer questions and explain all things fishy. Call for specific hours.

Wraparound porches, a balconied gable, and turrets provide evidence of the 1856 building's progression of architectural phases, from Italianate to Second Empire and finally Queen Anne. The mansion has served as the official residence of New York's governors since 1875. To see the interior, you must take one of the guided tours, which last about an hour; because visiting times are so limited, reserve at least two weeks in advance.

The museum explores the state's history, geography, nature, and art; exhibits include a re-created Iroquois village, a display about New York birds, and a working 1916 carousel (with horses from the 1890s). A display about the September 11 terrorist attacks documents, through photographs and artifacts, rescue efforts at the World Trade Center. In February the museum hosts the regional flower show, "New York in Bloom."

At this waterfront educational center you can attend a dinner hosted by a local winery, take wine or food workshop, watch guest chefs in action, get expert advice on the various wine trails, or peruse the gift shop for locally made honey, pottery, and other food- and wine-related items. The center has more than 400 classes each year for the general public, including wine basics, various types of wine pairing, and cooking classes that focus on local foods. Most are a few hours in length and you can often arrange same-day signups. Drop-in classes are always available on weekends. A tasting room offers wine and beer flights, and the on-site restaurant serves a seasonal menu highlighting local food and wine.

The mini-Manhattan skyline that forms the facade of this hotel is one of our favorite parts of the Strip—there are third-size to half-size renderings of the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, and the Chrysler Building, as well as the New York Public Library, Grand Central Terminal, and the Brooklyn Bridge. Inside, portions of the casino floor have been made to look like neighborhoods of the real New York City. The Little Italy/Greenwich Village area is such an accurate replica that many New Yorkers reportedly get momentarily confused. Without question, the big attraction is the Big Apple Coaster. A close second: Hershey's Chocolate World. Then, of course, there's The Park, which sits just north of the back side of the hotel and stretches from the Strip all the way to T-Mobile Arena.

The last time hot lava flowed from Newberry Volcano was about 13 centuries ago. The north end of the monument has several large basalt flows, as well as the 500-foot Lava Butte cinder cone—a coal-black and scorched-red, symmetrical mound thrust from the depths 7,000 years ago. The cone is now home to the Lava Lands Visitor Center, which features interpretive exhibits that explain the volcanic and early human history of the area. Lava River Cave, a 1-mile-long lava tube, takes about 90 minutes to explore on your own with a lantern (available for rent, $5). Reservations are required to visit the cave and can be booked through the Forest Service in advance. Half of the slots are available up to 30 days in advance; the other half open up 24 hours in advance.

On the south end of the monument, an unpaved road leads to beautiful views from Paulina Peak. Along the shores of Paulina Lake and East Lake, you can hike, fish, camp, or stay at the rustic resorts. You can also hike a trail to Paulina Falls, an 80-foot double waterfall. The monument offers 100 miles of summer trails, and may be accessible during winter months, depending on snowmelt, for snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and skiing.

Eight-block-long Newbury Street has been compared to New York's 5th Avenue, and certainly this is the city's poshest shopping area, with branches of Chanel, Tiffany & Co., Valentino, Max Mara, Longchamp, and other top names in fashion. But here the pricey boutiques are more intimate than grand, and people live above the trendy restaurants and ubiquitous hair salons, giving the place a neighborhood feel. Toward the Massachusetts Avenue end, cafés proliferate and the stores get funkier, ending with Newbury Comics and Urban Outfitters.

The biggest and most popular beach park in the Bellevue park system, this large park has a big swimming beach, seasonal lifeguards, a fishing dock, nature trails, restrooms, and a large grassy area with picnic tables. The playground is a favorite, thanks to a train that tots can sit in and older kids can climb on and hop from car to car.

Newfound Gap Road (U.S. 441) is by far the busiest road on the national park's North Carolina side, with more than a million vehicles making the 16-mile climb from an elevation of 2,000 feet near Cherokee to almost a mile high at Newfound Gap (and then down to Gatlinburg on the Tennessee side). It's the only paved road that goes all the way through the center of the park, so you definitely won't escape from the crowds. Mile markers run backward (as far as North Carolinians are concerned), starting at 31.1 where it intersects with the Blue Ridge Parkway near Cherokee. Among the sights on the road are the Oconaluftee Visitor Center and Mountain Farm Museum (mile marker 30.3); Mingus Mill (mile marker 29.9); Smokemont Campground and Nature Trail (mile marker 27.2); Web Overlook (mile marker 17.7), from which there's a good view almost due west of Kuwohi; and Newfound Gap (mile marker 14.7), the start of the 7-mile road to Kuwohi. The speed limit on Newfound Gap Road tops out at 45 mph.

On the Kentucky side of the Ohio River, this aquarium is just a two-minute drive from downtown Cincinnati. The fish are visible through clear, seamless tunnels, so you can get up close and personal—sharks swim around you, separated by only 2½ inches of acrylic. Highlights include the 5,000-gallon touch tank at Shark Central; Kroger Kingdom of Penguins, featuring king and gentoo penguins; Gator Bayou; Jellyfish Gallery; and the Bizarre and Beautiful, where you'll see poison frogs and puffer fish.

Founded in 1912, the museum galleries today span two buildings: the Cushing/Morris Gallery and the Wright Gallery in the 1864 Griswold House, a National Historic Landmark designed by Richard Morris Hunt. In the museum's permanent collection are works by Fitz Henry Lane, George Inness, William Trost Richards, John La Farge, Nancy Elizabeth Prophet, Gilbert Stuart, Winslow Homer, and Helena Sturtevant, as well as contemporary artists like Dale Chihuly, Howard Ben Tré, and Joseph Norman.

Jutting out into the ocean near 21st Street, Newport Pier is a popular fishing spot. Below is 5 miles of sandy beach for sunbathing, surfing, and walking. Street parking is difficult, so grab the first space you find and be prepared to walk. On weekends the area is alive with kids on in-line skates, skateboards, and bikes dodging pedestrians and whizzing past fast-food joints and classic dive bars.

Completed in 1741, this National Historic Landmark on Washington Square was the center of political activity in Colonial Newport. The Declaration of Independence was read from its steps on July 20, 1776, and British troops later used this structure as a barracks during their occupation of Newport. In 1781, George Washington met here with the French general Rochambeau, cementing an alliance that led to the American victory at Yorktown. Colony House served as Rhode Island's primary statehouse until 1901, when the new capitol building opened in Providence. The Newport Historical Society manages the Colony House and offers guided tours, including a children's tour.

One of the West's most famous rock-art sites, about 15 miles west of U.S. 191, this site contains Native American designs engraved on the rock over the course of 2,000 years. Early pioneers and explorers to the region named the site Newspaper Rock because they believed the rock, crowded with drawings, constituted a written language with which early people communicated. Archaeologists now agree that the petroglyphs do not represent language.

The Niagara Gorge Discovery Center explains, through interactive exhibits and a multiple-screen movie, the natural history of the falls and the Niagara Gorge and their formation.