10457 Best Sights in USA

Housed in an 1892 freight station, the museum exhibits a Reading Railroad track car, a 1907 snowplow, and a 1925 Long Island Rail Road caboose. Admission includes a guided tour and admission and tour of the Riverhead site, where most of the train cars reside and much of the restoration work takes place. If you want to make a day of it, for an extra fee, ride the nearby LIRR for a tour of both sites.

More than a home for old railroad cars, this museum, with another location in Greenport, outlines the history and development of Long Island railroads. Created in 1990, the museum and its curators preserve and restore cars and artifacts that contributed to the island's communities and industries. A World's Fair miniture train ride operates spring through autumn, weather permitting. Admission includes a guided tour of both sites. If you want to make a day of it, for an extra fee ride the nearby LIRR for transportation between the sites.

For years, Railroad Square consisted of ramshackle warehouses near the train tracks, but visionary owners transformed the area into a funky artists' enclave that now has 70 quirky galleries, shops, and restaurants. If possible visit during the monthly First Friday Festival, a very popular evening open house featuring art, food, music, and a drum circle. 

Many science-fiction movies set on Mars have been filmed in this area 8 miles north of Barstow. Huge slabs of red, orange, white, and green stone tilt at crazy angles like ships about to capsize, and traces of ancient beasts such as mastodons and bear-dogs, which roamed the basin up to 16 million years ago, have been discovered in its fossil beds. The dirt road around the basin is narrow and bumpy so vehicles with higher clearance are recommended. Rain can quickly turn the road to mud so, at times, only four-wheel-drive vehicles are permitted. Owl Canyon has 22 primitive campsites.

The 290-foot red-sandstone arch is the world's largest natural bridge; it can be reached by boat or strenuous hike and can also be viewed by air. A boat tour to the monument ($126) is a great way to see not only the monument but also the enormity of the lake and its incredible, rugged beauty. The lake level is down, however, due to the prolonged drought throughout the region, so expect a 1-mile (or more) hike from the boat dock to the monument. To the Navajos this is a sacred area with deep religious and spiritual significance, so outsiders are asked not to hike underneath the arch itself.

The trail to this scenic waterfall starts across the road from Shoemaker Bay, 5 miles south of Wrangell. A ¾-mile trail climbs uphill through the rain forest, with long stretches of boardwalk steps, ending at an overlook just below the falls. Hikers with more stamina can continue another 3 miles and 1,500 vertical feet to Shoemaker Bay Overlook.

After a hard rain, these impressive falls thunder into the Wailuku River gorge, often creating magical rainbows in the mist. Rainbow Falls, sometimes known as the Hilo Town Falls, are located just above downtown Hilo at Wailuku River State Park. Take Waianuenue Avenue west for a mile; when the road forks, stay right and look for the Hawaiian warrior marker sign. The falls remain open during daylight. If you're visiting the falls, drive up to Boiling Pots, also inside the park but a bit farther up the road. At Boiling Pots, four streams fall into turbulent pools that resemble cauldrons.

One of the waterfalls that gives the city its name, 50-foot-high Rainbow Falls is below Rainbow Dam, about 1½ miles east of Giant Springs State Park. An overlook has informational signs about the history of the area, as well as excellent views of the river. The surrounding land is mostly owned by ranchers, although there are some trails cut into the hills near the falls.

View displays of prehistoric animals, watch an orientation video, and—perhaps most important—use the restroom facilities at this visitor center at the southern end of the park.

There are restrooms and tables at this small picnic area near the south entrance.

An easy, accessible, 1-mile paved trail leads to Rainy Lake, a waterfall, and a glacier-view platform. Easy.

This gathering place was the scene of prerevolutionary revels and rallies that were often joined by Washington, Jefferson, Patrick Henry, and other major figures. The spare but elegant blue-and-white Apollo Room is said to have been the first meeting place of Phi Beta Kappa, the scholastic honorary society founded in 1776. The French general Marquis de Lafayette was feted here in 1824. In 1859 the original structure burned, and today's building is a reconstruction based on archaeological evidence and period descriptions and sketches of the building.

This history museum, named after the late Dr. Ralph Mark Gilbert, the father of Savannah's modern-day civil rights movement and leader of the NAACP, has a series of engaging exhibits on segregation, from emancipation through the civil rights movement. The role of Black and white Savannahians in ending segregation in their city is well detailed and includes archival photographs and videos housed in this former Black-owned bank in what was once the heart of Savannah's Black business community. There's also a replica of a lunch counter where Black patrons were denied service.

The 19th-century essayist and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson lived briefly in the Old Manse in 1834–35, then moved to this home, where he lived until his death in 1882. Here he wrote Essays. Except for artifacts from Emerson's study, now at the nearby Concord Museum, the Emerson House furnishings have been preserved as the writer left them, down to his hat resting on the newel post. You must join one of the 45-minute-long tours to see the interior.

Get a good look the night sky at this city-owned observatory next to the public library. The complex includes five high-powered telescopes—four on the deck and a main telescope in the 360-degree observatory dome that's designed to look like a comet. There is a 3 pm tour on weekdays, and stargazing parties are usually scheduled two times a week. Astronomy lectures are also held regularly. 

On the south end of Taos, the Ranchos de Taos Plaza is the site of the oldest Spanish village in Taos Valley. Built as a fortified settlement for protection, it was finished in the late 1770s. The famous adobe San Francisco de Asis church sits in the center of the plaza, and around its perimeter are adobe buildings that once housed the earliest Spanish settlers of the area. Some of these historic residences have been converted into shops, galleries, and restaurants that can be visited by the public. Others are returning back to the earth from which they were formed. The Ranchos Plaza lies within a larger area that was designated as a Traditional Historic Community in 2022, under the official name "Las Comunidades del Valle de los Ranchos."

The area is made up of a 35-square-mile district encompassing the five historic agricultural communities of Ranchos de Taos, Talpa, La Cordillera, Los Cordovas, and Llano Quemado. This newly designated traditional historic community consists of parts of two Spanish land grants and several interconnected acequia systems. Acequia systems are made of hand-dug irrigation channels that route river water into agricultural fields, and they have been used in all five communities for centuries. However, acequia systems are not just physical irrigation ditches. They include important political and social components that dictate the intricate system of water-sharing that takes place among community members. Acequia systems are still in use today and are recognized in New Mexico law. This historic district has been utilized by many Native American communities, including Ute, Comanche, and Jicarilla Apache as well as nearby Taos and Picuris Pueblos. The Spanish who moved into the area mixed with these peoples, and their descendants are the Genízaro, the holders of unique traditions that are still alive and well in the Ranchos area today.

The colorful history of the Rand Mining District during its heyday of 1896 is celebrated in this small museum, with displays that include historical mining photographs, documents, and artifacts. Since the museum is only open weekends (11 am–2 pm) based on volunteer availability, it's best to email ahead regarding a visit. (The phone line is seldom answered.) 

Younger kids who are still excited about petting a rabbit, touching a snakeskin, or seeing a live hawk will enjoy a trip to this nature museum. The museum sits beneath a hill variously known as Red Rock, Museum Hill, and, correctly, Corona Heights; hike up the steep but short trail for great, unobstructed city views. Just be sure to bring a windbreaker.

This famed indoor-outdoor flea market, held on the last Saturday and Sunday of the month from late March through mid-December, is Chicago's answer to London's Portobello Road Market. Centered on Randolph Street and Ogden Avenue at Plumber's Hall, it offers midcentury furniture, vintage handbags, ephemera, and much more. May through September, free shuttles head back and forth between the Hall and Water Tower Place on the hour, from 10 to 3.

The Range Riders Museum, built on the site of the 1877 Fort Keogh cantonment, is jammed to the rafters with saddles, chaps, spurs, guns, arrowheads, and other frontier artifacts. Some of the 12 museum buildings of this complex were once part of the fort, which was abandoned in 1924 after being used as a remount station during World War I. The volunteers and staff love to talk about local history and are great sources for information about modern amenities, too.

The inspiring overlook has far-reaching vistas along the length of the rugged Blue Ridge Mountains. Direct your gaze southward for Stony Man Mountain, Pickerel Ridge, and Keyser Mountain.

On the south shore of Rangeley Lake, this 869-acre park has superb lakeside scenery, with Saddleback Mountain anchoring the distant view across the water from the swimming beach. Here, where the shore coves in a bit, are picnic tables and restrooms. Just under a mile and running through this day use area, the longer of the park's two trails follows the lake from the boat launch (trailer accessible) to the campground and playground. A ¾-mile inland trail passes through woods and can be linked with the entrance road for a longer hike. In the off-season, visitors can park outside the park gate and walk in.

The trust protects 14,000 acres of land in the Rangeley Lakes area. Both online and at its Rangeley office, the trust has maps and descriptions of its 35 miles of recreational trails and access roads, along with information about fishing, hunting, snowmobiling, picnicking, and other outdoor activities.

The assortment of talks by national park rangers are a great way to hear about wildlife, geology, and archaeology.

Park rangers lead regular programs along the Great Logs Trail, inside the Painted Desert Inn Museum, and to the Puerco Pueblo. You can view which ranger programs are currently being offered at the visitor centers or online at www.nps.gov/pefo.

Although some of the best panoramic views of the park and surrounding hills can be seen from this 5,013-foot tower, it's never staffed or open to the public. Still, if you want to stretch your legs on a car ride along Rankin Ridge Drive, consider following the 1-mile Rankin Ridge loop to the tower and back.

The winery is a boutique producer of high-end merlot, but the lavish Spanish mission–style winery, built with wrought iron and stone, is worth a visit on its own. The best-selling wines here are the First Label Sauvignon Blanc 2013 and La Fontana 2010 Bordeux-style blend. Live music takes place on Sunday.

Between 1929 and 1932, President Herbert Hoover used this part of the park, also known as Camp Hoover, as his summer retreat. Hoover and his wife, Lou Henry, hosted celebrities, dignitaries, and foreign leaders. When he left office, Hoover donated the 164-acre retreat to the National Park Service to be used in the creation of the Shenandoah National Park. In 1988, Camp Hoover was designated a National Historic Landmark. Three original structures have been restored to their 1929 appearances, including the President's Cabin ("Brown House"), the Prime Minister's Cabin, and the Creel Cabin.

Ranger-led tours of Rapidan Camp are offered from late-spring to late-fall, taking visitors inside two of the cabins.

An exhibit inside the Prime Minister's Cabin has various historical photos and artifacts on display.