10457 Best Sights in USA

The main house of this museum features displays on slave life and the Underground Railroad that enabled slaves to escape to free states and Canada. It's located in an older neighborhood a few miles north of downtown on the former estate of Jacobs Burkle, a German immigrant and wealthy resident of Memphis in the mid-19th century.

Although its true name is Nounou, this landmark mountain ridge is more commonly known as the Sleeping Giant because of its resemblance to a very large man sleeping on his back. Legends differ on whether the giant is Puni, who was accidentally killed by rocks launched at invading canoes by the Menehune, or Nunui, a gentle creature who has not yet awakened from the nap he took centuries ago after building a massive temple and enjoying a big feast. The ridge can be experienced up close via one of several trails that traverse the giant's body from the east and west ( see Hiking).

This garden cemetery on the National Registry of Historic Places served as a place of inspiration and a final resting place for American literary greats like Louisa May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Nathaniel Hawthorne. Each Memorial Day, Alcott's grave is decorated in commemoration of her death.

Surrounding the Old Dutch Church is the famous Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. It was featured in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow as the site of the Headless Horseman's hauntings; some of the book's characters come from names on the gravestones. The cemetery is open daily 8:30–4:30.

Great views of the Hudson River and the Tappan Zee Bridge can be seen from this 65-foot-tall all-metal beacon built in 1883.

Wear a hat and carry plenty of water if you're on this trail—you won't find any shade along the 2.4-mile round-trip loop. This is the rare frontcountry site where you might spot one of the few remaining native herds of bighorn sheep in the national park system and nice panoramic views. Easy.

A good place for a picnic, Slide Rock is 7 miles north of Sedona. On a hot day you can plunge down a natural rock slide into a swimming hole (bring an extra pair of jeans or a sturdy bathing suit and river shoes to wear on the slide). The site started as an early-20th-century apple orchard, and the natural beauty attracted Hollywood—a number of John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart movies were filmed here.

A few easy hikes run along the rim of the gorge. One downside is the traffic, particularly on summer weekends; you might have to wait to get into the park after midmorning. Unfortunately, the popularity of the stream has led to the occasional midsummer closing due to E. coli–bacteria infestations; the water is tested daily, and there is a water-quality hotline at  602/542--0202.

This natural rock waterslide, fueled by 11,000 gallons of mountain water every minute, deposits you into a clear cold pool. Wear tennis shoes and bring a towel. Lifeguards are on duty daily 10 to 6 from Memorial Day to Labor Day (and usually on the weekends in September and October). On warm summer days the parking area is often very crowded. No picnicking is allowed, but there are grounds nearby.

In mid-September, hundreds of elk congregate in the morning and evening at the Slippery Ann Wildlife Viewing Area. During the autumn mating season the bulls bugle and spar with their antlers while herds of cows come to watch and be courted. Be sure to bring binoculars and zoom lenses for your camera, because you must keep your distance from these massive animals.

A small picnic area with two tables is available at Sloan's Crossing Pond. Accessible.

Sloan's Crossing Pond is an anomaly—a standing body of water in a place where most water disappears under the earth. This accessible boardwalk encircles the pond, offering turnouts with outdoor exhibit panels explaining the aquatic life of a woodland pond. A small picnic area is available. 0.4 miles. Easy.

Two 400-ton blast furnaces that fired Birmingham’s longtime, lucrative steel industry are preserved along with boilers, steam-driven blowing engines, and slag granulators. Some 40 buildings, a web of pipes, and tall smokestacks vividly illustrate the 20th-century industrial age, and steel’s hold on the city’s economy. Tours pass enormous machinery and wind through the underground railroad tunnel. Visiting and resident artists exhibit their work and teach metal crafting.

It wouldn't be Vegas enough to build the world's largest slot machine and just leave it there. Now thrill-seekers can take off from a platform atop the 11-story slot machine and soar over Fremont Street. There are two options to zip: one line that averages 70 feet above the ground and a second that averages 110 feet. If you'd rather just play the big slot machine, you can do that, too. It is Vegas, after all.

Starting at Slough Creek Campground, this trail climbs steeply along a historic wagon trail for 1½ miles before reaching expansive meadows and prime fishing spots, where moose are common and grizzlies occasionally wander. Allow two or three hours for the full 3.4-mile round-trip hike. Moderate.

The transformation of an industrial boiler house into an edgy arts compound is quintessential DUMBO. This 12,000-square-foot structure now hosts large-scale avant-garde exhibitions and runs a prestigious residency program. Don't be surprised if you pass a smartphone-clutching event planner on your way in; it's also a popular wedding venue.

Located in Southpoint Park, right before the entrance to Four Freedoms Park, this fenced-off, ivy-covered ruin was an 1856 smallpox hospital that was in operation during the island's time as Blackwell's Island. While this city landmark is off-limits, informative placards on the site tell much about the building's history and design by James Renwick Jr., whose resume includes the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. The hospital ruins are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. If you're in a taxi on the FDR Drive across the river, you'll notice the ruins are floodlit at night, creating an eerie spectacle from afar. While in this area, also see the FDR Hope Memorial, a bronze sculpture depicting Roosevelt in his wheelchair, greeting a young girl wearing leg braces.  

A beloved destination for generations of Mainers and visitors, Smalls Falls regularly lands on Maine’s “best waterfalls” lists. The four falls are along a scenic Sandy River gorge at a roadside rest area on a mountainous stretch of Route 4. There's a viewing bridge, and a path (fenced in part) heads up for a closeup look at the falls, which are carved through rock walls of varied color. The tallest drop is 25 feet, and together they total 54 feet, including a 3-foot cascade. Folks wade and swim in the pools below the falls, but don’t risk a dangerous plunge. There are picnic tables, grills, and bathrooms.

If you want to see masterpieces but don't want to spend a long day wandering around one of the major art museums, the Smart, which turned 50 in 2024, may be just your speed. Its diverse exhibition program features art from around the globe.

The nation's largest liberal arts college for women opened its doors in 1875, funded by a bequest from Sophia Smith, a local heiress. Renowned for its School of Social Work, Smith has a long list of distinguished alumnae, among them activist Gloria Steinem, chef Julia Child, and writer Margaret Mitchell. One of New England's most serene campuses, Smith is a leading center of political and cultural activity. The on-campus Lyman Plant House is worth a visit. The flourishing Botanic Garden of Smith College covers the entire 150-acre campus.

A floor of galleries with natural light, an enclosed courtyard, and artist-designed restrooms and benches make up this museum, whose permanent collection's highlights include pivotal paintings by Mary Cassatt, Paul Cézanne, Edgar Degas, Georgia O'Keeffe, Auguste Rodin, and Georges Seurat. More recent acquisitions include African, Asian, and Islamic art.

Started in 1996 by 12 gutsy Smith Island women, this co-op produces the finest, shell-less-quality crabmeat, with all proceeds going straight back to the women and their families. Visitors can drop by and see the lightning-fast pickers at work. Don't forget to pick up a pound before you leave, and ask Janice (the founder and president) about her secret crab-cake ingredient.

Don't skip the area's nationally known cakes—stacked eight to 10 layers high and frosted—and recently designated Maryland's state cake by lawmakers. (They can be purchased in person or online.)

Built between 1897 and 1912 with funds donated by foundry owner Richard Smith, this memorial to Pennsylvania heroes of the Civil War marks a major entrance to West Fairmout Park. Among those immortalized in bronze are Generals George Meade and Winfield Scott Hancock (both on horseback), and Smith himself.  At the base of each tower is a curved wall with a bench. If you sit at one end and listen to a person whispering at the other end, you learn why they're called the Whispering Benches. For information about the memorial's 14 statues and busts, see  associationforpublicart.org.

Founded in 1899, this beloved facility has more than 50 pieces of age-specific equipment for children 10 and younger. An outdoor favorite on the 6½-acre site in East Fairmount Park is the Ann Newman Giant Wooden Slide, measuring 39 feet long, 12 feet wide, and 10 feet tall. The playground, run by a nonprofit organization, includes the 16,000-square-foot Playhouse, a mansion-like building with areas such as Smithville (a miniature town), a library, and a climb-on train. Everyone using Smith must register and get a wristband to enter the site. 

Flowing out of the Helena National Forest in the heart of Montana is the 60-mile Smith River. Like most other waterways in the state, it fluctuates with the seasons, ranging from a trickle in September to a raging torrent in June (thanks to the melting mountain snowpack). Although the river is popular for numerous activities, including camping on its banks, fishing, and swimming, the most prevalent activity on the Smith is floating. Motorized watercraft are not allowed. One of the best put-in spots is in White Sulphur Springs, about 2½ hours south of Great Falls. The best take-out spot is at Eden Bridge State Fishing Access, about 20 miles south of Great Falls. Floating is so popular, in fact, that Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks limits the number of groups boating down the river and has a lottery system for floating permits. (It also prohibits dogs.) Most trips take four days. Despite the river's popularity, this is still Montana, and the sense of serene isolation that comes from the sight of towering mountains and open prairie will far outweigh any annoyance at seeing a few other boats during your journey.

Named for the first public school built for African Americans in Jackson, this museum chronicles the struggles, contributions, and achievements of people of African descent, with particular highlights of the Mississippi experience. One of the permanent exhibits here, "Field to Factory: The Afro-American Migration, 1915–1940," was organized by the Smithsonian Institution as part of its comprehensive display at the Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. The historical exhibits will be of particular interest to visitors interested in the Underground Railroad, 20th-century civil rights, and Medgar Evers. There's a small gift shop on-site.

When this iconic landmark opened in 1914, it was the tallest office building outside New York City and the fourth-tallest building in the world. (It remained the tallest building west of the Mississippi for nearly 50 years.) The Smith Tower Observatory on the 35th floor is an open-air wraparound deck providing panoramic views of the surrounding historic neighborhood, ball fields, the city skyline, and the mountains on clear days. It's also a superb spot to take in a sunset. The top floor includes the speakeasy-themed Observatory Bar, which features striking original architectural details and a cocktail and nibbles menu that pays homage to the Prohibition era. Smith Tower's ground-floor retail shop packed with locally made goods is also worth a visit. Can't make it to Pioneer Square? Check out Downtown's Sky View Observatory & Bar at the Columbia Center. What the sleek skyscraper lacks in vintage architectural charm, it more than makes up for with epic views.

Originally the site of a trading post established by Roger Williams, founder of the Rhode Island colony, the Smith's Castle grounds include a marked mass grave where 40 colonists killed in the Great Swamp battle of 1675 are buried. The land just outside Wickford village was part of a large plantation during the 18th century, spanning more than 3,000 acres worked by tenant farmers and—yes, even in Rhode Island—enslaved people and indentured laborers; later, it became a large dairy farm. Saved from the wrecking ball by preservationists in 1948, the beautifully preserved saltbox home—one of the country's oldest plantation houses—appears much as it did in 1740. Docents in period costume provide interpretive tours of the house several times a day, Friday through Sunday from May to mid-October.

Nestled next to Wailua Marina along the mighty Wailua River, this 30-acre botanical and cultural garden offers a glimpse of distinctive foliage, including 20 types of fruit trees, a bamboo rain forest, and tropical lagoons. Enjoy a stroll along a mile of pathways. It's a popular spot for wedding receptions and other large events, and its luau is one of the island's oldest and best.