102 Best Sights in USA

Through old newspapers, memorabilia, video footage, and exhibits about the Aleutian Campaign, this quaint visitor center outside the Unalaska Airport preserves bits of history from Alaska's little-known role in the war. The Aleutian Islands saw heavy fighting through much of World War II; at the peak of the war, more than 60,000 servicemen were stationed here in the farthest and most brutal reaches of the United States. On June 3 and 4, 1942, the Japanese bombed Dutch Harbor and landed in the far reaches of the Aleutians a few days later. The Japanese military forces took entire villages and outposts captive in Kiska and Attu, with many of those captured transported to Japan as prisoners of war. The center is within easy walking distance of the ferry terminal and open June through September.

The historic area also includes Ft. Schwatka, a U.S. Army base poised on a mountain that contained over 100 structures when fully built out. You can do a group or self-guided walking tour of the fort by getting an access permit from the Ounalashka Corporation at 400 Salmon Way or at the visitor center.

Located on a 2.4-acre tract adjacent to the National Mall and within full view of the U.S. Capitol, this memorial illustrates the journey of veterans with disabilities, from injury and healing to rediscovery of purpose. The plaza, with a star-shaped fountain and low triangular reflecting pool, features bronze sculptures, glass panels, and granite walls engraved with quotations from 18 veterans describing their experiences. With its single ceremonial flame, the fountain is the focal point, a powerful icon expressing water's healing, cleansing properties and the enlightenment, power, and eternal nature of fire. The needs of those with disabilities are front and center in the memorial's design. The low fountain can easily be surveyed by someone in a wheelchair, numerous benches in front of text panels, and hidden metal bars placed strategically to help visitors who need assistance to sit or stand. Designed by Michael Vergason Landscape Architects, of Alexandria, Virginia, the memorial is a fitting reminder of the cost of human conflict.

To many history buffs, the Civil War lives on, but history books say it ended here, 25 miles east of Lynchburg, on April 9, 1865, when Confederate general Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to General Grant, leader of pursuing Union forces. There are 27 structures in the national historical park, restored to its 1865 appearance, and most can still be accessed. A highlight is the reconstructed McLean House, where the articles of surrender were signed.

For those seeking a more rough-hewn alternative or counterpoint to the genteel Queen Mary, the battleship USS Iowa in nearby San Pedro lets visitors of all ages clamber through hatches, peer through portholes, and climb into the seat of an antiaircraft gun, envisioning the past. The Iowa, the only such tourable battleship on the West Coast, was commissioned in 1943 as the lead of its class and served in World War II, Korea, and the Cold War. Volunteer "crew members," many of whom once served on the ship, happily offer their personal stories to kids and adults alike.  You're bound to be hungry after such an intrepid expedition. While many people might return to Long Beach or L.A., the nearby pedestrian-friendly, old-timey Downtown San Pedro strip, which centers on 6th and 7th streets, boasts some outstanding dining options, from a British pub to killer Mediterranean and Italian options.

The quiet park is near the site of the Battle of Brandywine, where British general William Howe and his troops defeated George Washington on September 11, 1777, after which the Continental Army fled to Chester, leaving Philadelphia vulnerable to British troops. The battle covered 10 square miles, involved almost 30,000 soldiers, and played an important role in the larger war. The small visitor center has an introductory film and displays about the battle. On the site are two restored Quaker farmhouses, one of which once sheltered Washington and General Lafayette; guided tours of these are offered Friday and Saturday. The 50-acre park is a fine place for a picnic. Ask for info about driving to see key battlefield sights like the Birmingham Friends Meeting house, where soldiers lie in a common grave.

A guided-missile cruiser, destroyer, and a World War II submarine are on display at this 6-acre waterfront site, the largest inland naval park in the nation.

A National Park Service site since it was decommissioned in 1974, the Charlestown Navy Yard was one of six established to build warships. For 174 years, as wooden hulls and muzzle-loading cannons gave way to steel ships and sophisticated electronics, the yard evolved to meet the Navy's changing needs. Here are early-19th-century barracks, workshops, and officers' quarters; a ropewalk (an elongated building for making rope, not open to the public), designed in 1834 by the Greek Revival architect Alexander Parris and used by the Navy to turn out cordage for more than 125 years; and one of the oldest operational naval dry docks in the United States. The USS Constitution was the first to use this dry dock in 1833. In addition to the ship itself, check out the Constitution Museum, the collections of the Boston Marine Society, and the USS Cassin Young. The Charlestown Navy Yard Visitors Center has exhibits on ships and a fun souvenir shop. A 10-minute movie about the Navy Yard runs every 15 minutes in a small theater.

This was once the Confederacy's largest and best-equipped hospital. Chimborazo opened in 1861 and treated more than 76,000 Confederate soldiers between 1862 and 1865. This site—once more than 40 acres—now contains a National Park Service visitor center and a small medical museum that tells the story of the patients, hospital, caregivers, and physicians through uniforms, documents, and other artifacts.

The history of City Point includes a Revolutionary War skirmish and 10 months as General Ulysses S. Grant's Union headquarters during the Civil War, from which he directed the Siege of Petersburg. It's free to take the open-air, self-guided museum walking tour of 25 wayside exhibits and Grant's Headquarters. The City Point Early History Museum is in a former U.S. Navy church, St. Dennis Chapel, and can be visited by appointment.

Founded in 1782, El Presidio was one of four military strongholds established by the Spanish along the coast of California. The park encompasses much of the original site in the heart of downtown. El Cuartel, the adobe guardhouse, is the oldest building in Santa Barbara and the second oldest in California.

The Fetterman Massacre Monument is a rock monolith dedicated to the memory of Lieutenant William J. Fetterman and his 80 men, who died in a December 21, 1866, battle against Lakota-Sioux warriors. Today, an interpretive trail with 21 signs spans the entire length of the battlefield, explaining the combatants, leaders, weapons, tactics, positions, and theories of a battle that lasted all of 30 minutes. This was the worst defeat for the U.S military on the Northern Plains until the Little Big Horn battle a decade later. Five miles west of the Fetterman site is the site of the Wagon Box Fight, which also has a short interpretive trail. Fort Phil Kearny is the starting point for both battle sites, providing brochures, guides, and an overview of the history of Red Cloud's War.

As part of America's North Pacific defense during World War II, Kodiak was the site of an important naval station, now occupied by the Coast Guard fleet that patrols the surrounding fishing grounds. Part of the old military installation has been incorporated into this park north of town. Self-guided tours take you past concrete bunkers and gun emplacements, and trails wind through moss-draped spruce forest. There's a highly scenic overlook, great for bird and whale watching, and inside a bunker a volunteer group runs the Kodiak Military History Museum. There are also eight campsites and five RV hookups.

Once the largest military reservation west of the Mississippi, Fort Assinniboine was established in 1879 in the aftermath of the Battle of the Little Bighorn. At its peak, the fort had more than 100 brick and stone buildings and nearly 500 men. The soldiers stationed here brought along their families, who lived on the post. As a result, the Victorian-era fort became a cultural center as well as a military one, hosting plays and dances along with parades and training exercises. The fort is now a museum, and many of the imposing buildings still stand, although they appear eerily deserted. In fact, a few are storage or administrative facilities for the Northern Research Agricultural Center. Others are open to public tours, which begin at the H. Earl Clack Memorial Museum.

In 1747, this timber fort overlooking the Connecticut River, 15 miles north of Walpole, served as an outpost on the periphery of Colonial civilization. That year fewer than 50 militiamen at the fort withstood an attack by 400 French soldiers, ensuring that northern New England remained under British rule. Today, costumed interpreters at this living-history museum cook dinner over an open hearth and demonstrate weaving, gardening, and candle making. The museum also holds reenactments of militia musters and the battles of the French and Indian War.

Established in 1866, Fort Bayard was built by the U.S. Army when it became clear that conflict between homeland Apaches and early Anglo and Spanish settlers would not easily abate. Company B of the 125th U.S. Colored Infantry was first in command, and hundreds of African-American enlisted men, or buffalo soldiers, made their mark here. A huge Fort Bayard Days celebration takes place annually, on the third weekend of September, and visitors can watch re-enactors and learn about this national historic landmark's later life as a groundbreaking tuberculosis research facility; bimonthly tours (reservations essential) are offered.

It's a bit of an outing to get to the site of Arizona's last battle between Native Americans and U.S. troops in the Dos Cabezas (Two-Headed) Mountains, but history buffs will find it an interesting hike with the added benefit of high-desert scenic beauty. Once a focal point for military operations—the fort was built here because Apache Pass was an important travel route for Native Americans and wagon trains—it now serves as a sobering reminder of the brutal clashes between the two cultures. The fort itself is virtually in ruins, but there's a small ranger-staffed visitor center with historical displays, restrooms, and books for sale.

A 1½-mile historic trail, moderately easy but rocky in some areas, leads to the visitor center and ruins. (Those with mobility issues can drive up to the visitor center.) Points of interest along the way include the remnants of an Apache wickiup (hut), the fort cemetery, Apache Springs (their water source), and the Butterfield stage stop, a crucial link in the journey from east to west in the mid-19th century that happened to be in the heart of Chiricahua Apache land. The alternate trail, looping back to the parking area, is higher and affords nice views of the ruins and surrounding hills.

Built in 1866 near the confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers, this military post was the site of Sitting Bull's surrender in 1881. In summer, you can take a self-guided tour of the restored officers' quarters as well as the unusual, sometimes humorous, tombstones in the soldiers' cemetery. The site grounds and adjoining Missouri-Yellowstone Confluence Interpretive Center are open year-round.

Built in 1867 to protect travelers headed west, the army post here is preserved today as the Fort Fetterman State Historic Site. Although the fort was never very large and had difficulty keeping its soldiers from deserting, its location on the fringes of the Great Sioux Indian Reservation made it an important outpost of civilization on the Western frontier. After white settlers overran the Black Hills and the government did away with the reservation, soldiers from here helped end armed Plains Indian resistance—and thus put an end to the fort's usefulness. Two buildings, the ordnance warehouse and officers' quarters, survived decades of abandonment and today house interpretive exhibits and artifacts related to the area's history and the fort's role in settling the West. The remains of other fort buildings can still be seen, as can the ruins of Fetterman City, which died out when Douglas was founded several miles to the south.

Built by English troops in the mid-1730s, Fort Frederica was constructed to protect the southern flank of the new Georgia colony against a Spanish invasion from Florida. At its peak in the 1740s, it was the most elaborate British fortification in North America. Around the fort today are the foundations of homes and shops and the partial ruins of the tabby barracks and magazine. Start your visit at the National Park Service Visitors Center, which has a film and displays.

Along the Potomac River stands the only remaining stone fort from the French and Indian War. Built in 1756 and named after Frederick Calvert, the sixth Lord of Baltimore, Fort Frederick's stone walls protected Maryland's frontier settlers. Today, a visitor center displays artifacts from the French and Indian War and several times a year, staff and volunteers dressed in 18th-century period clothing give visitors a taste of life in the Colonial era. The park also offers hiking trails, skiing, boating, and canoeing.

One of Colorado's first military posts, Fort Garland was established in 1858 to protect settlers. It lies in the shadow of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The mountains were named for the "Blood of Christ" because of their ruddy color, especially at dawn. The legendary Kit Carson commanded the outfit, and some of the original adobe structures are still standing. The Fort Garland Museum features a re-creation of the commandant's quarters and period military displays. The museum is 16 miles north of San Luis via Route 159 and 24 miles east of Alamosa via U.S. 160.

It was here (legend has it), on the Groton side of the Thames River, that the infamous traitor Benedict Arnold stood watching the important port of New London (a supply center for the Continental Army and friendly port for Connecticut privateers) burn in 1781 during the Revolutionary War. Whether Arnold actually stood there is open to question; but the American defenders of Ft. Griswold were massacred by Arnold's British troops during the Battle of Groton Heights—and New London did burn according to his orders. The 134-foot-high Groton Monument, which you can climb for a sweeping view of the river and New London, is a memorial to the fallen. The adjacent Monument House Museum has historic displays; the Ebenezer Avery House, on the grounds and recently restored, is where the wounded were sheltered in 1781.

You can find this Civil War--era fort overlooking the Ogeechee River just south of Savannah in the quiet, quaint town of Richmond Hill. Among the best examples of a restored Confederate fortification, this stronghold includes a museum, signal tower, and mortar battery, among others. Campsites and cottages are available for overnight stays, and you can rent a canoe or a kayak for a tranquil time on the water.

Given the clear line of sight down to the Piscataqua River from here, it's easy to understand why this has been considered a strategic location since the 1600s. The fort was named for Major Andrew McClary—an Irish immigrant whose family settled in New Hampshire prior to the Revolution and who was reportedly the highest-ranking officer and the last Continental Army soldier killed at Battle of Bunker Hill—and although it never saw a major conflict, it was manned and developed during several of them, including the War of 1812 and the Civil War. The remaining fortifications showcase the history of American military architecture and include the Magazine Building (circa 1808) and the iconic Blockhouse (1846), a large, hexagonal structure set atop an imposing granite-block foundation. Wandering the grounds or along a short trail here is, given the original purpose of the site, an ironically peaceful way to pass an afternoon.

The channel between Chesapeake Bay and Hampton Roads is the "mouth" of Hampton Roads. On the north side of this passage is Hampton's Fort Monroe, built in stages between 1819 and 1834. The largest stone fort in the country, it's also the only one still in operation to be enclosed by a moat; it was named a National Monument in 2011. Robert E. Lee and Edgar Allan Poe served here in the antebellum years, and it remained a Union stronghold in Confederate territory throughout the Civil War. After the war, Confederate president Jefferson Davis was imprisoned for a time in one of the fort's casemates (a chamber in the wall); his cell and adjacent casemates now house the Casemate Museum. Exhibits of weapons, uniforms, models, drawings, and extensive Civil War relics retell the fort's history, depict coastal artillery activities, and describe the military lifestyle through the Civil War years and the 20th century

Scene of a 1777 Revolutionary War battle for the Hudson River, this fort (well, its foundation at least) is still visible on the 14½-acre site, which is on a cliff with stunning Hudson River views. The museum holds artifacts, weapons, a 15 minute film, and large-scale models reenacting the historic battle. To get to the site from New York City, take the Palisades Parkway north to Route 9W north and proceed just over ½ mile. The parking area is on the right.

Star shaped and rumored to be haunted, this early-1800s fort on the picturesque western tip of Pleasure Island is where Union admiral David Farragut shouted, "Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!" The fort was built to guard the entrance to Mobile Bay. Farragut yelled his famous lines in 1864, after Confederate torpedoes sank the ironclad USS Tecumseh in the Battle of Mobile Bay. The rest of Farragut's fleet pushed its way to the bay, forcing the Confederates' surrender. The on-site museum tells the story, and actors in period dress reenact events that occurred inside the fort.

Fort Phil Kearny State Historic Site was the focal point of Red Cloud's War, and Phil Kearny was probably the most fought-over fort in the West. This is the largest 8-foot stockaded, Hollywood-style fort ever built by the U.S. military, covering 17 acres; it experienced almost daily skirmishing against Cheyenne or Lakota warriors. Its location eventually led to major battles, including the December 21, 1866, Fetterman Fight, in which 81 soldiers were killed (the only time in American military history that a whole command was defeated to the last man) and the August 2, 1867, Wagon Box Fight, in which 32 men held their position in a daylong fight against more than 800 Lakota. This battle was considered a victory by both sides.

The fort's mission was to protect travelers on the Bozeman Trail going to the goldfields in southern Montana. However, there are theories that it may have been placed in what were the last and best hunting grounds of the Northern Plains tribes in order to draw them away from the railroad construction across southern Wyoming that was occurring at the same time. In the fall of 1868 the U.S. government signed the Fort Laramie Treaty, ending Red Cloud's War—the only war Native Americans won against the United States. The treaty closed the Bozeman Trail, making all the land between the Black Hill and Big Horn Mountains, and the land between the Yellowstone and North Platte rivers, unceded Indian land where whites could not go. However, it also for the first time established Indian Agencies along the Missouri River for the different Lakota tribes. So, although the Indians won the war, they lost the peace. As part of the treaty, Fort Phil Kearny was abandoned in August 1868. Within two weeks, it is believed, Cheyenne, under Two Moon, occupied and then burned the fort to the ground. No original buildings remain at the site, but fort building locations are marked, and the visitor center has good details. The stockade around the fort was re-created after archaeological digs in 1999.

Constructed of more than 21 million locally made bricks, the fort, dating from 1834 and now part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore, once served as a prison for Apache chief Geronimo. A National Park Service plaque describes the complex as a "confusing jumble of fortifications," but the real attractions here are the beach, nature exhibits, a large campground, an excellent gift shop, and breathtaking views of Pensacola Bay and the lighthouse across the inlet. It's the perfect place for a picnic lunch and a bit of history, too.