10450 Best Sights in USA

This shady, picturesque cobblestone park is the geographical heart of the historic neighborhood—on first Thursdays it's home to a variety of local artisans setting up makeshift booths. Grab a sandwich or pastry at the London Plane and people watch from one of the colorful café tables dotting the tree-lined square. Note that this square is a spot where homeless people congregate; you're likely to encounter more than a few oddballs. The square is best avoided at night.

Stretching 3 miles along the western side of the city from the Richmond to the Sunset, this sandy swath of the Pacific coast is good for flying kites, jogging, or walking the dog—but not for swimming. The water is so cold that surfers wear wet suits year-round, and riptides are strong—drownings are not infrequent. As for sunbathing, it's rarely warm enough here; think meditative walking instead of sun worshipping.

In 2024, voters passed a ballot measure to close the Great Highway from Lincoln Way, just south of Golden Gate Park, to Sloat Boulevard (near the zoo). The highway winds through landscaped sand dunes and is good for biking and in-line skating (though you have to rent bikes elsewhere). The Beach Chalet restaurant and brewpub is across the Great Highway from Ocean Beach, about five blocks south of the Cliff House. Amenities: parking (no fee); showers; toilets. Best for: solitude; sunset; walking.

This mile-long beach south of Mission Bay's channel is the place to get a slice of vintage SoCal beach culture. It's likely you'll see VW vans in the parking lot near the remains of Ocean Beach Pier. The wide beach is popular with volleyball players, sunbathers, and surfers. The municipal pier at the southern end suffered storm damage in 2023, resulting in its permanent closure to the public. Taco shops, bars, and restaurants can be found on the streets near the beach. Swimmers should beware of strong rip currents around the main lifeguard tower, where lifeguards are on duty year-round. One of Ocean Beach's most popular features is the Dog Beach at the northern end, where canines can run freely and splash in the waves 24 hours a day. For shade, picnic areas with barbecues, and a paved path, check out Robb Field, across from Dog Beach. Amenities: lifeguards; parking (no fee); showers; toilets. Best for: surfing; swimming; walking.

Every Wednesday from 4 to 8 pm, this Certified Farmers' Market features over 100 vendors selling fresh produce, crafts, prepackaged food, hot food, and more. Other popular offerings include handmade apparel and accessories, holistic products, and fresh flowers. Live music rounds out the show.

Sun seekers throng this beach park, which stretches for 5 miles on the barrier island's south side, to play volleyball, surf, swim, and sunbathe—all under the watchful eyes of lifeguards (on duty weekends late May to mid-June, daily mid-June to early September). While well known as a summer haven, the 2-mile boardwalk attracts walkers, runners and cyclists year-round. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; showers. Best for: surfing; swimming; walking.

This attraction on the southernmost tip of the island traces the resort to its days as a tiny fishing village in the late 1800s. Housed in an 1891 building that once held the U.S. Lifesaving Service and the Coast Guard, the museum's exhibits include models of the grand old hotels, artifacts from shipwrecks, boat models, five saltwater aquariums, an exhibit of sands from around the world, and even itchy wool swimsuits and an old mechanical laughing lady from the boardwalk. Press the button, and you can be laughing with her.

Marine science and history are the focus at the Ocean Institute, where you'll find indoor tanks with touchable sea creatures, an accessible man-made tide pool, and the complete skeleton of a gray whale. Take a two hour enlightening tide pool hike or a weekend sea cruise to explore the local marine environment with (hopefully) dolphin spotting year-round, and whales from February through May.

The wunderkind of the Boardwalk welcomes the well-heeled to its casino and sportsbook, where there are nearly 2,000 slot machines, more than 125 table games, a plush section for the high rollers, and the Gallery Bar, Book & Games with 140 feet of LED walls that line the venue and plenty of space to watch all the sports you want. Expansive views of the Atlantic during the day give way to a sultry nightclub vibe as the sun slips below the horizon, and there are a variety of live shows and a dozen restaurants to choose from including the steakhouse American Cut and Jose Garce's Amada. The 5,500-seat venue Ovation Hall hosts musicians, sporting events, and Broadway-style entertainment.

Here visitors can get a glimpse of the extraordinary scientific marine research that goes on within the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. Climb inside a replica of Alvin, the submersible that dove thousands of feet deep to explore the wreck of the Titanic. Other exhibits show footage of the rich life at vast depths of the ocean, and how climate change is impacting coral reefs. Scientists give informative lectures on Tuesdays in July and August.

Six miles of wide, sandy beaches line a peninsula trimmed by the Pacific Ocean on the west and Grays Harbor on the east. With five access roads, it's usually possible to find relatively secluded spots on the sand, despite this being the state's most-visited public beach destination. Highest tides occur in July and December, the latter when winter storm watching is at its peak. Motor vehicles are allowed on City Beach, a popular place for clam digging and kite flying. Ocean City State Park, a 257-acre oceanfront park 2 miles north, has year-round camping; note that this beach charges $10 for parking. Numerous hotels and resorts line the beach. Amenities: food and drink; parking (free); showers ; toilets. Best for: sunrise; sunset; walking.

Enjoy a lovely afternoon at this organic Upcountry farm and distillery, home to Ocean Vodka, Fy Gin, and Kula Rum. Start your visit with a vibrant lunch of salads and flatbreads (here they're called farmbreads) and cocktails, then move on to one of the guided tastings, which start every 30 minutes. Stick around until 5 pm for live music every night until 7. The bicoastal views are stunning (overlooking central Maui and the West Maui mountains), and the staff is warm and friendly. Don’t miss out on the farm store, which sells both cute souvenirs and bottles to bring home.

This relatively small, sandy cove is a great stop at the midpoint along the Three Capes Loop. It's especially popular with beachcombers and kids for both its shallow, gentle surf and the low-tide bowls and tide pools. When the water recedes, a tunnel appears through the north rock face, allowing passage to a second, rocky cove. There are a few fun, casual spots for ice cream and light bites steps from the beach. In summer, the small parking lot fills quickly, and a walk through the hilly side streets is sometimes required. Amenities: none. Best for: walking; partiers.

This long, straight beach is popular with swimmers, surfers, and U.S. Marines from nearby Camp Pendleton. The impressive wooden Oceanside Pier extends a quarter of a mile into the ocean. The sand here is a bit coarse, and smaller rocks can be found in some sections, but due to its width (a quarter mile from street to surf near  1200 N. Pacific St.), nice patches can almost always be found. There is surfing around the pier, but the waves are faster and usually better just north at Oceanside Harbor, which gets a south swell in the summer. Pay lots and meters are located around the pier and also in the Oceanside Harbor area. There are plenty of shops and restaurants along Oceanside Harbor Village. Families love the kid-friendly Buccaneer Beach, just south of the pier across from Buccaneer Beach Park. This area has parking, a café, restrooms, showers, and lifeguards on duty in summer. Amenities: food and drink; parking (fee); seasonal lifeguards; showers; toilets. Best for: surfing; swimming; walking.

With 1,000 slips, this is North County's fishing, sailing, and water-sports center. On the south end of the harbor, the Oceanside Harbor Village has oyster bars, fish-and-chip shops, and an ice-cream parlor where you can linger and watch the boats coming and going. If you fancy a day at sea, Helgren's Sportfishing can arrange whale-watching and harbor tours.

Housed in side-by-side buildings designed by two Southern California modernist architects—Irving Gill and Frederick Fisher—the museum showcases contemporary art exhibitions including paintings, photography, sculptures, furniture, quilts, and architectural glass by California area artists.

At 1,954 feet, this is one of the longest piers on the West Coast. The water surrounding it is known for its surf breaks and good fishing.

This scenic overlook commands a sweeping view of the city, including the prominent Crook County Courthouse built in 1909, and the hills, ridges, and buttes beyond.

A must-see for a souvenir photo, the smallest post office in the United States is a former shed for irrigation pipes on the Tamiami Trail. Blink and you'll risk missing it. You can support this quaint and historical outpost by purchasing a postcard of the little shack and mailing it off to a history buff. You can also mail packages and buy money orders here.

Located 3 miles east of downtown Macon, Ocmulgee is a significant archaeological site as it's been occupied for more than 17,000 years; at its peak, between AD 900 and 1100, it was populated by the Mississippian peoples, who were renowned mound builders. There's a reconstructed earth lodge as well as displays of pottery, effigies, and jewelry of copper and shells discovered in the burial mound. There are 8 miles of paved and unpaved trails around the key sites, so be sure to wear your walking shoes. Call or check the park's online schedule for special Lantern Light Tours and other educational opportunities.

At the historically accurate Oconaluftee Indian Village, guides in traditional dress lead you through a 1760-era Cherokee village, while others demonstrate traditional skills such as weaving, pottery, canoe construction, and hunting techniques.

Make this quick roadside stop to see a thriving grove of ocotillo, which has long spindly branches tipped by red flowers. These succulents are particularly colorful after a rain shower.

Built in 1823, Ocracoke's 77-foot tower is the second-oldest operating lighthouse in the United States. (Sandy Hook, New Jersey, has the oldest.) It was first fueled by whale oil, then kerosene, and finally electricity. The lighthouse is built entirely of brick, 5 feet thick at the base and 2 feet thick at the top, with a white finish once achieved with a blend of unslaked lime, glue, rice, salt, and powdered fish. Although it's not open to the public for climbing, the grounds are accessible year-round.

From a small observation platform, 6 miles southwest of the north Hatteras–Ocracoke ferry landing, you can look out at the descendants of the Banker ponies that roamed wild before the island came under the jurisdiction of Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The National Park Service manages the population of 25–30 animals; the wild herd once numbered nearly 500. All the animals you see today were born in captivity and are fed and kept on a 180-acre range. Legends abound about the arrival of the island's Banker ponies. Some believe they made their way to the island after the abandonment of Roanoke's Lost Colony. Others believe they were left by early Spanish explorers or swam to shore following the sinking of the Black Squall, a ship carrying circus performers.

This small museum and gift shop is located in a restored American Foursquare house built more than 100 years ago, containing photographs and artifacts illustrating the island's lifestyle and history. On display in the backyard is a round-stern fishing boat from 1934.

This eight-sided home was built in 1861, its many walls purporting to provide health benefits through better airflow and more natural light. It sits across the street from its original site on Gough Street; it's one of two remaining octagonal houses in the city (the other is on Russian Hill), and the only one open to the public. White quoins accent each of the eight corners of the pretty blue-gray exterior, and a colonial-style garden completes the picture. Because it's the home of the California Society, the house is full of antique American furniture, decorative arts (paintings, silver, rugs), and documents from the 18th and 19th centuries. Note that the museum is only open on the second and fourth Sundays of each month.

Designed by Dr. William Thornton (original architect of the U.S. Capitol), the Octagon House was built by enslaved workers for John Tayloe III, a wealthy plantation owner, and completed in 1801. Thornton chose the unusual shape to conform to the acute angle formed by L'Enfant's intersection of New York Avenue and 18th Street. After the British burned the White House in 1814, Thornton convinced the Tayloes to allow James and Dolley Madison to stay in the Octagon. From September 1814 until March 1815, the Octagon became the temporary White House. In the second-floor study, the Treaty of Ghent, which ended the War of 1812, was ratified. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) established its national headquarters at the Octagon in 1898 and renovated the building as one of the country's first preservation projects. AIA stayed there for 70 years before moving into new modern headquarters directly behind. Self-guided tours take in historically furnished rooms; second-floor gallery spaces hold rotating exhibits on architecture, design, and history.

This shelter, which accommodates up to 50 people, is one of two shelters in the park that must be reserved. It has seven indoor picnic tables, two fireplaces, an outside grill, and limited electricity. It's fully accessible, and it's one of several buildings in the park built by the Depression-era work program, the Civilian Conservation Corps, in 1933. It's made of American chestnut and locally quarried sandstone, and blends in with its natural surroundings. The walls of the shelter are removed from mid-May to mid-October. Drinking water is available at a drinking fountain from May to mid-September. Near the shelter, visitors will find the Ledges, several hiking trails, and a large field. The cost to rent this shelter is $110 weekends and holidays and $80 on weekdays.

This women-owned gallery features established, mid-career, and emerging local and international artists who work in a variety of media. The gallery also shows works by 20th-century artist Enrique Alferez, whose sculptures are on display throughout New Orleans.

The Octavia Fellin Library, across the street from the McKinley County Courthouse, further rewards fans of the WPA arts project, with finely crafted woodwork and numerous paintings by Harrison Begay, Allan Houser, and other artists of their caliber casually decorating its walls.

If you don't want to be married by Elvis or a Klingon, head for the Office of Civil Marriages downtown, where a commissioner will do the deed for $77.75 on a credit card. The catch: you must call ahead to make an appointment. At least one witness is required.