10457 Best Sights in USA

Local historical memorabilia and changing exhibits fill this former 19th-century schoolhouse, once attended by children of West Point Foundry workers. A permanent installation and video chronicle the history of the foundry. Paintings, drawings, photographs, and other objects and artifacts round out the museum's collection.

Nine miles upriver, this town of fewer than 3,000 residents—the country cousin of bustling Brattleboro—is a haven for writers and fine-craft artists. There are many pottery studios to visit, the requisite general store, and a few orchards. Each November during the Putney Craft Tour, dozens of artisans open their studios and homes for live demonstrations and plenty of fun.

A 14,000-acre private ranch in the highlands of East Molokai, Puu O Hoku was developed in the 1930s by wealthy industrialist Paul Fagan. Route 450 ambles right through this rural treasure with its pastures and grazing horses and cattle. As you drive slowly along, enjoy the splendid views of Maui and Lanai. The small island off the coast is Mokuhooniki, a favorite spot among visiting humpback whales and nesting seabirds. The ranch is also a retreat center and organic farm; the 12-bedroom lodge can be rented out by groups or large families.

Worth a stop for its spectacular views from a bluff high above the ocean overlooking Waimea Bay, this sacred spot spans 2 acres and is the largest heiau (place of worship) on Oahu. At one time it was used as a heiau luakini, or a temple for human sacrifices. Puu o Mahuka may have been built in the 17th century, and its use for religious purposes ended in 1819. The remnants of its stone walls are impressive, and the site is now on the National Register of Historic Places. Turn up the road at the Pupukea Foodland and follow it to the site.

Often called Sweetheart Rock, this isolated 80-foot-high islet is steeped in romantic Hawaiian lore. The rock is said to be named after Pehe, a woman so beautiful that her husband kept her hidden in a sea cave. One day, the surf surged into the cave, and she drowned. Her grief-stricken husband buried her on this rock and jumped to his death. It is also believed that the enclosure on the summit is a shrine to birds, built by bird-catchers. Protected shearwaters nest in the nearby sea cliffs July–November.

The coastline along the community of Princeville is primarily made up of sea cliffs with a couple of pocket beaches. The sea cliffs end with a long narrow stretch of beach just east of the Hanalei River. Public access is via 100-plus steps around the back of 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay; hotel guests can take the elevator to sea level. The beach itself is subject to the hazards of winter's surf, narrowing and widening with the surf height. On calm days, snorkeling is good thanks to a shallow reef system pocked with sand. Sometimes a shallow sandbar extends across the river to Black Pot Beach Park, part of the Hanalei Beach system, making it easy to cross the river. On high-surf days, the outer edge of the reef near the river draws internationally ranked surfers. The 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay pool is off-limits to nonguests, but the hotel's restaurants and bars are not. Note that parking is limited. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee). Best for: snorkeling; sunset; surfing.

The highest point on Maui is this 10,023-foot summit, where a glass-enclosed lookout provides a 360-degree view. The building is open 24 hours daily, and many visitors gather to view the sunrise. Bring jackets, warm layers, hats, and blankets to stay warm on the cold and windy summit. On a clear day, you can see the islands of Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, and Hawaii; on a crystal clear day, you can even spot Oahu glimmering in the distance.

On a sunny day the town of Palmer looks like a Swiss calendar photo, with its old barns and log houses silhouetted against craggy Pioneer Peak. On nearby farms on the Bodenburg Loop off the Old Palmer Highway, you can pay to pick your own raspberries and other fruits and vegetables. The peak picking time at Pyrah's Pioneer Peak Farm, which cultivates 35 kinds of fruits and vegetables, occurs around mid-July.

The home of the Austin Football Club, the city's first major professional sports team, is a state-of-the-art soccer stadium located just north of downtown off Burnet Road. There are clear-bag restrictions at the gate, and staff is helpful and informative when it comes to navigating the facility. You'll find an amazing selection of local food stalls, including Black's BBQ, Bao'd Up, and Taco Flats, just to name a few. Check the Austin FC schedule to catch a home game. You'll see fans decked out in green throughout the city as they make their way to the stadium. A bevy of local restaurants, bars, and breweries are nearby for pre- or post-game celebrations.

Try the complex, mostly Rhône-inspired wines—such as Viogniers, Syrahs, and Grenaches—of this respected Rogue Valley producer that uses grapes from several areas, including its picturesque estate vineyard in the Jacksonville countryside, where the sunny tasting room is located. Sandwiches and cheese and charcuterie platters are available, too.

Families have been enjoying the rides here for more than a century. There are kiddie rides, family rides that mom and dad even enjoy, and thrill rides—more than two-dozen rides altogether—plus Splash Away Bay Water Park. The custom-designed Wooden Warrior roller coaster is rated one of the top 25 in the world. An added bonus: there are discounts for military families.

The last work by sculptor Niki de Saint Phalle (1930–2002), this sculpture garden designed for entertaining children consists of nine totemic figures up to 21 feet tall. Adorned with stylized monsters, animals, protective deities, geometric symbols, and crests, the pieces evoke ancient tales and legends. Youngsters can climb on the giant fanciful figures.

Queen Emma, King Kamehameha IV's wife, used this small but stately New England–style home in Nuuanu Valley as a retreat from the rigors of court life in hot and dusty Honolulu during the mid- to late 1800s. Self-guided and docent-led tours highlight the residence's royal history and its eclectic mix of European, Victorian, and Hawaiian furnishings, most of which are original to the home. There are excellent examples of feather-covered kahilis (a standard), umeke (bowls), and koa-wood furniture. Visitors also learn how Queen Emma established what is today the largest private hospital in Hawaii, opened a school for girls, and ran as a widow for the throne, losing to King Kalakaua. Check online for special events like hula, quilting, and ukulele classes and a Hoonanea event including a tour, making a floral hairpiece, and picnic lunch. A short drive away, you can visit the Royal Mausoleum State Monument, where Queen Emma, her husband, and their son, Albert, who died at age four, are buried beside many other Hawaiian royals.

Once the site of Queen Liliuokalani's beach house, this strand near the Honolulu Zoo draws locals and tourists of all ages. Lovely banyan trees offer shade, the bronze Surfer on a Wave sculpture by artist Robert Pashby honors surfing, volleyball nets welcome pros and amateurs alike, and waters that are part of an aquatic reserve provide superb snorkeling opportunities. The beach is also near what is considered the area's premier bodyboarding spot: the break called The Wall. Be sure to walk out to the gazebo (where experienced boarders jump into the ocean) for stellar views of Waikiki and beyond. Amenities: lifeguards; showers; toilets. Best for: snorkeling; swimming; walking.

Adjacent to Flushing Meadows Corona Park, these 39 acres include rose and herb gardens, an arboretum, and plantings especially designed to attract bees and birds. An environmentally friendly visitor center uses solar energy and recycles gray water. To learn more about what you're looking at, use the garden's guides, like the summer plant walk guide, the Indigenous Heritage plant guide, or the winter plant walk guide.

Between the zoo and the Unisphere in Flushing Meadows Corona Park lies the Queens Museum. Don't miss the astonishing Panorama of the City of New York, a nearly 900,000-building model of NYC made for the 1964 World's Fair, and the world's largest scale model. There are also rotating exhibitions of contemporary art, a massive map of the NYC water supply system, a permanent collection of Louis Comfort Tiffany stained glass, and an ongoing a mural display by Caroline Kent. Parking is free but limited.

Flushing Meadows Corona Park is home to the intimate Queens Zoo, featuring animals of North and South America. The 18-acre facility includes pumas, Andean bears, Canadian lynx, and southern pudus, the world’s smallest deer species. The zoo also maintains a farm with domestic animals including sheep, goats, horses, rabbits, and more. The last ticket is sold 30 minutes before closing.

Its name belies what's in store for kids here. Splash Adventure is a high-tech water-play system with slides and tunnels, among other activities. There's also cable waterskiing and boat rentals on the lake inside this county park. You'll also find a campground with platform tents and tepees, as well as mountain biking trails and a skate park. Note that this space functions mostly as a public park for locals rather than as a tourist attraction.

The rooftop patio's the draw at this three-level brick-walled tasting room opened by vintner Joseph Wagner, who grew up working at his family's Caymus Vineyards before starting successful brands on his own. Hosts inside the 1908 structure pour Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines from Wagner's Belle Glos, Böen, and Elouan labels, plus Napa Valley Quilt’s Chardonnay, Fumé Blanc, red blend, and Cabernet Sauvignon bottlings and Key to Building 1’s Albariño.   You can customize a tasting from the diverse portfolio.

The ranger station near the Lake Quinault Lodge has maps, campground information, and program listings.

One of Chicago's African American cornerstones, this church was founded in 1847 and served as an Underground Railroad stop. The present building, designed by Henry Starbuck, opened in 1891, and the rough-finished brick exterior is in keeping with the time. The interior has a tin ceiling and simple stained-glass windows. Many notable people have addressed the congregation, including President William B. McKinley, Booker T. Washington, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The first in a planned series of parks along the Delaware River, this green space offers dramatic views of the overhead Benjamin Franklin Bridge and allows for up-close views of the river itself. Designed by the same firm behind New York's popular High Line, the terraced promenade features lush plantings, including some three dozen trees and many perennials, as well as amphitheater-style seating near the river's edge, plenty of benches and green lawns for relaxing, and regular donation-based yoga classes during the summer months. 

Getting here involves a 28-mile journey over a washboard dirt road, but the reward is well worth the trip. Where else in the world do rocks move on their own? This mysterious phenomenon, which baffled scientists for years, now appears to have been "settled." Research has shown that the movement merely involves a rare confluence of conditions: rain and then cold to create a layer of ice along which gusty winds can readily push the rocks—sometimes for several hundred yards. When the ice melts and the mud dries, a telltale trail remains. The trek to the Racetrack can be made in a truck or SUV with thick tires (including spares) and high clearance; other types of vehicles aren't recommended as sharp rocks can slash tires. The nearest tow companies are in Lone Pine, outside the park to the west, and they charge upward from $1,000 for service out of Death Valley.

At the headquarters of the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, which has 11 divisions from Kittery to Cape Elizabeth, is the Carson Trail, a 1-mile loop. The trail traverses a salt marsh and a white-pine forest where migrating birds and waterfowl of many varieties are regularly spotted, and it borders Branch Brook and the Merriland River.

Spanning the length of Beaufort's waterfront, just across Taylor's Creek, this 2,315-acre reserve consists of islands and marshes that serve as a seasonal home to more than 200 bird species and the permanent home to a small herd of wild horses. There's a short nature trail on Carrot Island, or walk the beach on Sand Dollar Island. Access is via boat or kayak.

An ambitious beautification project also promoting democracy in art, outdoor wellness, and other ideals, RAD Napa commissions artists to paint murals on buildings, fences, and utility boxes along or near downtown Napa's railroad tracks. Sculptures and other installations are also involved. Many of the outdoor artworks can be viewed along the Napa Valley Vine Trail pedestrian and biking path or aboard the Napa Valley Wine Train. Download a walking map on RAD Napa's website.

The tracks for the Old Colony Railroad were laid in the 1860s; Rail Explorers' tandem and quad rail machines are newfangled contraptions that make it easy to glide six miles along Narragansett Bay as long as at least one member of your group is willing to pedal. Guide-led tours of either the Northern Ramble or Southern Circuit offer glimpses of shorebirds, coastal woodlands, and historic sites few travelers get the chance to see. Special outings include Sunday brunch and lantern-lit rides.

The first phase of The Rail Park is a quarter-mile trail that turned an abandoned, elevated train line into a public park lined with greenery and offering stunning views of the city. The project is envisioned to eventually span 3 miles from near the Art Museum into Northern Liberties. While the open part of the park is small, it's a lovely way to understand the future of the city's unused spaces. There are swings for children, bike racks, and lots of native plants.

A short waterfront walk from the ferry landing, this free museum in Shoreline Park is a well-preserved time capsule of the city's industrial history, complete with working trains. The Landmark building has a detailed scale model of Tiburon and its 43-acre rail yard at the turn of the 20th century, when the city served as a major railroad and ferry hub for San Francisco Bay. The Depot House Museum on the second floor showcases a restoration of the stationmaster's living quarters.