10451 Best Sights in USA

This tranquil 11-acre urban oasis set along the Ogden River Parkway is operated by the University of Utah and contains a series of theme gardens—rose, Oriental, water conservation, edible, cottage—connected by a network of meandering paths, some of which flank the river. One garden has been designed for people with mobility challenges, and an arboretum features trees that are ideal for planting beneath powerlines, as they never exceed 25 feet in height. On warm days, the conifer garden is a fragrant spot offering plenty of shade. There are also attractive picnic areas and lawns that invite relaxing.

The Pine Ridge Reservation is home to more than 20,000 Oglala Lakota, members of a major Sioux division known as the Western or Teton Sioux, who live in nine tribal districts on 2 million acres of land. They are led by a Tribal Council president who is advised by an executive committee and a tribal council.

Perfect for just about every beach fan—sunbathers to beachcombers and bodysurfers—this 3-mile-long, sandy beach is located between the Atlantic Ocean and the Ogunquit River. Beach chairs and umbrellas are available for rent seasonally. Dogs are welcome from September through March. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); toilets. Best For: sunset; swimming; walking.

Although most travelers heading to Central City take the new highway from I–70, adventurous souls can take the Oh-My-Gawd Road. Built in the 1870s to transfer ore, this challenging drive climbs nearly 2,000 feet above Idaho Springs to Central City. After traveling along a series of hairpin curves you arrive at the summit, where you are treated to sweeping views of Mt. Evans. The dusty road is often busy with mining traffic, so keep your windows up and your eyes open.

The Ohio Designer Craftsmen present five changing exhibitions per year at this museum. Fine crafts shown might include glassware, pottery, metalwork, quilts, or weaving. If you like what you see, you can learn to do it yourself. Lessons, which are open to all ages and levels of experience, tend to center on current exhibitions. Weekend classes in the past taught jewelry making, tie-dye and batik, and pottery. The museum is about 4 mi northwest of Downtown.

This two-building complex, just past the Ohio State Fairgrounds, is a storehouse for the state archives. Collections, presenting the history of the Buckeye State from the Ice Age to 1970, range from Native American fossils to papers written by Ohio political leaders. Permanent exhibits include artifacts on the state's industrial progress such as an operating 1880s carriage shop and vintage automobiles; the chronology of the prehistoric and historic Indian cultures; and the interaction of man and nature in plants, animals, geology, geography, and climate.

The massive presence of Ohio State makes it a city within the city of Columbus. The Oval, the heart of the Columbus campus, is beautifully landscaped with 115 varieties of trees and surrounded by stately buildings including Orton Hall, the Main Library, and University Hall. There are guided tours available weekdays at 10 and 2 for groups of six or more. Call to schedule ([p]614/292–3030), preferably at least a month in advance.

The Ohio Legislature convenes in this 1861 Greek Revival building. The dome of the rotunda is painted with the state seal; the building also has portraits of Ohio's governors and presidents and historical documents. You can take a self-guided tour of the Senate chamber when it's not in session. Building tours are given on the hour weekdays 10–3, weekends noon–3.

Across from the State House, the ornate 2,779-seat theater opened in 1928 to show movies and live stage shows. Saved from demolition in 1969, the theatre now hosts BalletMet, the Broadway in Columbus series, and special performances, including musical artists, dance, comedy, children's entertainment, and classic films.

At some point, you'll realize that the most thrilling rides at Volcano Bay involve climbing several flights of stairs. Height is what makes such attractions work, and this is one of them. On your way to the top, you cross a deep chasm and walk across rope bridges before finding yourself at the entrance to the Ohno tube (Ohyah is right nearby). Like its counterpart, you'll slip and slide through a serpentine run until the tube runs out and you're flying out on a 6-foot drop into the waters at the base of Krakatau. For people with disabilities: Guests must be able to climb stairs, cross rope bridges, and exit the pool without assistance. This ride accepts only the Express PLUS Pass.

You don't need a mat; you don't need a raft; you just need you to enjoy the first of two side-by-side body slides that snake around corners and shoot into straightaways on a fast-paced slide to the finish. On this side of the ride (next to the Ohno portion), the finish comes with a 4-foot drop into a swirling pool. Oh yeah! For people with disabilities: Guests must be able to climb stairs and exit the splash pool without assistance. This ride accepts only the Express PLUS Pass.

California's oldest nonprofit, multipurpose arts center exhibits visual art from various disciplines and presents theater, dance, and other performances.

The work of local artists is displayed in the Spanish-style shopping arcade along the avenue downtown. On Sunday between 9 and 1, organic and specialty growers sell their produce at the outdoor market behind the arcade.

The museum collects, preserves, and presents exhibits about the art, history, and culture of Ojai and Ojai Valley. Walking tours of Ojai depart from here.

The 18-mile trail is open to pedestrians, joggers, equestrians, bikers, and others on nonmotorized vehicles. You can access it anywhere along its route.

Okanogan pioneer life is portrayed in the displays here, and there's a replica of an Old West town. Outside are Okanogan's oldest building, a 19th-century log cabin, and antique farm equipment.

This is a region of open woods, meadows, and pastoral river valleys in the Okanogan highlands. There's lots of wildlife: deer, black bears, coyotes, badgers, bobcats, cougars, grouse, hawks, and golden eagles. Campgrounds are scattered throughout the region. There are 11 Sno-Parks with groomed trails for snowmobilers, and open areas for cross-country skiing. Ski areas are at Loup Loup Pass (Nordic and alpine) and Sitzmark (alpine only).

Explore 2½ miles of trails through 90 acres of western Palm Beach County's native pine flatwoods and wetlands. The visitor center has a gift shop and exhibit rooms with hands-on displays. Free guided wilderness walks are led by staff or the center's volunteers every Saturday at 10 am.

This privately owned and operated park serves as the northern entrance to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, offering live animal exhibits and orientation programs for the entire family. The park has observation areas, wilderness walkways, an outdoor museum of pioneer life, and boat tours into the swamp that reveal its unique ecology. The 90-foot-tall observation tower is an excellent place to glimpse cruising gators and birds. A 1½-mile train tour (included in the admission price) passes by a Seminole village and stops at Pioneer Island, a re-created pioneer homestead, for a 15-minute walking tour.

After a $40 million renovation, this museum reopened in 2002 as a gateway to American and European art of the 19th and 20th centuries, including a substantial collection of work by American glass artist Dale Chihuly. Film buffs will appreciate the Noble Cinema, a showcase for international, independent, and classic films. A gift shop, rooftop terrace, and café featuring afternoon tea, specialty coffees, and signature cocktails give the museum an approachable and upbeat vibe. May through October on Thursday, the galleries still close at 9 pm, but the rooftop terrace is open until 10:30 for "Cocktails on the Skyline," featuring live music and a cash bar.

The Alfred P. Murrah Federal building stands as a living memorial to those who were killed, those who survived, and those whose lives were forever changed by the bombing that occured here in 1995. A fitting prelude to the museum, the Outdoor Symbolic Memorial includes the Survivor Tree, the Field of Empty Chairs, and a reflecting pool, all framed by the Gates of Time. Inside the Memorial Museum, which withstood the bombing, more than a million photos, videos, artifacts, and pieces of evidence chronicle the historical events and the powerful stories of hope and healing that emerged from a city that would not be defeated by violence. Dial (405) 445–4792 from your cell phone and follow the prompts for a free audio tour of the outdoor section of the memorial.

If you can paddle it, peddle it, climb it, zip through it, jump on it, or bounce on it, chances are you'll find it at at this waterfront adventure park. In 2009, the Oklahoma River was designated as the only U.S. Olympic and Paralympic training site for rowing as well as canoeing and kayaking. Now, the Boathouse District is also a dynamic zone of water-based and land activities for the public. Activities headquartered in the architecturally stunning boathouse include kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, long boarding, dragon boating, plus cycling, running, yoga, and fitness classes. Adrenaline junkies will gravitate to other outdoor activity centers featuring the tallest slide in America, an 80-foot free fall, and a 700-foot zip line. You may get to see Olympic hopefuls in training for rowing, canoe, or kayak competition.

Only one Revolutionary War battle was fought outside the 13 original colonies, and it was fought on the state capitol grounds. These days the grounds are pleasantly landscaped, but this restored heavy-duty powder magazine, set atop a knoll beneath the towering capitol, recalls the location's role in the war. The museum inside has informational exhibits held in powder kegs that open and light up along with displays on Louisiana's Native American history.

In 1876, Swedish baker Charles Lundberg built this charming building just south of the Texas Capitol and operated it as a bakery for 60 years. Rescued from demolition after years of neglect, the bakery is now a registered National Historic Landmark owned by the city and remains a beautiful mainstay of Congress Avenue. The Old Bakery & Emporium no longer serves baked goods, but it's still a welcoming space that houses historical collections from Austin's pioneer days. It also features a unique gift shop and an art gallery showcasing handmade artisanal crafts created by citizens aged 50 and over. Every June, they host a Midsummer Festival to honor Swedish American heritage in Texas.

West of downtown, this National Register Historic District is well-endowed with stately Colonial and Victorian mansions. The site of the Catamount Tavern, where Ethan Allen organized the Green Mountain Boys to capture Ft. Ticonderoga in 1775, is marked by a bronze statue of Vermont's indigenous mountain lion, now extinct.

During Galena's 19th century growth, the town boasted upwards of three dozen working blacksmiths who busied themselves making shoes for the region's many horses. While there are barely a handful now, you can peek back into that heyday history at this 1897 blacksmith shop, which hosts demonstrations of the authentic early 20th-century tools that are on display.

At the northeastern tip of Virginia Beach, on the cape where the mouth of the bay meets the ocean, the historic Old Cape Henry Lighthouse is near the site where the English landed on their way to Jamestown in 1607. This lighthouse, however, didn't light anyone's way until 1792. Across the street to seaward is the replacement to the old lighthouse, but it isn't open to visitors. Be prepared to show a photo ID at the military checkpoint at the Fort Story base entrance.

Just steps from the Arch, the beautifully steepled Old Cathedral, the city’s first parish, holds its own next to the towering monument. Established in 1764 to honor the city’s namesake, King Louis IX of France, it was the only neighborhood structure saved by the wrecking ball when the riverfront was being cleared for Arch construction. The church remains a popular wedding site, and mass is held daily. There's on-site parking.

This building erected in 1882 is a prime example of Carpenter Gothic architecture. Tall spires and original stained-glass windows enhance its exterior of rough-cut lumber. The acoustically resonant church hosts free classical concerts at noon each Wednesday. If you're lucky, you'll get to hear one of the few operating Hook & Hastings tracker pipe organs. Check the Old Church calendar for other special events such as the blues and jazz series. Tickets are reasonably priced, especially for the caliber of performance.

Built in 1865, Old City Hall is a historic site and served as the municipal seat of government for 38 of Boston's mayors, including famous ones like John "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald, James Curley, and Kevin White. In its courtyard, find Richard S. Greenough's bronze statue of Benjamin Franklin and a mural marking the original site of the Boston Latin School. Today, Old City Hall is an office building. While you can't really venture too far inside the building, do go up and check out the murals around its entrance.