263 Best Sights in USA

This Spanish Colonial revival–style bathhouse opened in 1922 and operated until 1984. After sitting vacant for more than 20 years, it became the first structure to be leased to the private sector under the park’s rehabilitation initiative. The beautifully renovated Quapaw Baths & Spa, which opened in 2008, features original tile and marble fixtures and attractive stained-glass skylights. It has four large-capacity thermal pools, private and couples baths, and a variety of spa services, including facials and massages. Additional amenities include a blow-out bar, café, and boutique.

Of the several places to picnic in the park, this is the prettiest by far. There are about a dozen picnic tables and grills, many of them tree-shaded, and drinking water and restrooms are available. The seclusion of the site and the oasis-like draw add to the tranquility. Be alert to the presence of wildlife.

This is the only park picnic area with running water. The tables are set behind the visitor center, and most have a view of the lake below. There are flush toilets inside the visitor center.

This 125-foot-tall hydroelectric dam on the Columbia River, about 8 miles north of Wenatchee, supplies power to about 7 million people, and there's much for visitors to see and do here, including an engaging Discovery Center and a 17-acre park with picnic shelters and great river views. Expanded and reopened in 2021, the Discovery Center has four floors of all-new interactive exhibits, including the Sternwheeler Video Game, where guests pilot a sternwheeler through a video of rapids. On the lower floor, displays present Native American artifacts from the former Museum of the Columbia. Three theaters, virtual reality activities, a STEM Center, hydroelectric exhibits, art displays, and a full calendar of learning events make this a must-stop for families and anyone interested in learning more about hydroelectric power and river habitats.

On the northern end of this volcanic beach, look carefully for the large rock slabs pushed out of the lake bottom. Nearby trees offer shade and a table, or you can hop onto the level rocks for an ideal lakeside picnic. You may see bubbles rising from the clear water around the rocks—these indicate an active underwater thermal feature. The only company you may have here could be crickets, birds, and bison.

Serious Jack White fans won't want to miss his lauded label's Nashville outpost. Drop by to record your own two-minute song on a 1945 Voice-o-Graph machine, pop into the photo booth, dig through the stacks, or grab some exclusive merch. Check their social media and special events pages if you're looking to catch a live performance in the now-legendary Blue Room. Tours of the full operation are available on Fridays at 2 and 3 pm, but book online to snag a spot.

Fittingly, green and red are the team colors as checked-shirted lumberjacks—and lumberjills—logroll, axe throw, chop, climb, and saw: the 1¼-hour show’s whimsical forest-ringed setting and cheery, larger-than-life master of ceremonies Timber Tina are as magical and fun as Christmas morning. From the covered bleachers you'll laugh and learn as the former Survivor TV show contestant engages the crowd, invites kids up to the stage to saw, and prompts and cajoles competitors—most compete on college lumberjack sports teams. Growing up in Hayward, Wisconsin, home of the Lumberjack World Championships, Tina performed in her family's lumberjack show as a kid and has competed and performed worldwide. Like her home state, as she shares during the 12-event “Olympics of the Forest,” Maine is a lumbering center that in centuries past relied on lumberjacks' brawn to cut down trees and move logs downriver. Many died on the job, but that didn't stop the survivors from plying their skills for some competitive fun after the work was done. Shows are at 7 pm nightly in summer.

At Weeki Wachee Springs, the spring flows at the remarkable rate of 170 million gallons a day with a constant temperature of 74°F. The spring has long been famous for its live "mermaids," clearly not the work of Mother Nature, as they wear bright costumes and put on an underwater choreography show that's been virtually unchanged since the park opened in 1947—making it a classic piece of Florida history and culture.

It also features snorkel tours and canoe trips on the river, and a wilderness boat ride gives an up-close look at raccoons, otters, egrets, and other semitropical Florida wetlands wildlife. In summer Buccaneer Bay water park opens for swimming, beaching, and riding its thrilling slides and flumes.

There are grills, water, picnic tables, and restrooms here and, depending on the time of day, some shade from junipers and rock walls. It's a good place for lunch before or after a hike.

In the amphitheater at the Natural Entrance (off a short trail from the main parking lot) a ranger discusses the park's batty residents before the creatures begin their sundown exodus. The bats aren't on any predictable schedule, so times are a little iffy. Ideally, viewers will first hear the bats preparing to exit, followed by a vortex of black specks swirling out of the cave mouth in search of dinner against the darkening sky. When conditions are favorable, hundreds of thousands of bats will soar off over the span of half an hour or longer.

Towering over the broad, sandy beach is a gorgeous, 235-foot-high dome that is one of the most photographed natural wonders on the Oregon Coast. For safety and to protect birding habitats, people are not allowed to climb on the rock, but you can walk right up to its base at low tide.

This is a one-stop spot for exploring the history of chocolate and how it's made. The attractions are many, including a free 30-minute chocolate factory tour ride; Unwrapped, an interactive theatrical performance with chocolate tasting kit; and Create Your Own Candy Bar (additional fee). It's also the starting point for Hershey Trolley Works, which offers historical tours of the town and landmarks relevant to Milton Hershey. The largest Hershey store in the world is here, and there's also an extensive chocolate-themed food court (think milkshakes and s'mores).

Along Hollywood Boulevard (and part of Vine Street) runs a trail of affirmations for entertainment-industry overachievers. On this mile-long stretch of sidewalk, inspired by the concrete handprints in front of TCL Chinese Theatre, names are embossed in brass, each at the center of a pink star embedded in dark gray terrazzo. They're not all screen deities; many stars commemorate people who worked in a technical field, such as sound or lighting. The first eight stars were unveiled in 1960 at the northwest corner of Highland Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard: Olive Borden, Ronald Colman, Louise Fazenda, Preston Foster, Burt Lancaster, Edward Sedgwick, Ernest Torrence, and Joanne Woodward (some of these names have stood the test of time better than others). Since then, more than 2,800 others have been immortalized, though that honor doesn't come cheap—upon selection by a special committee, the personality in question (or more likely their movie studio or record company) pays about $75,000 for the privilege. To aid you in spotting celebrities you're looking for, stars are identified by one of five icons: a motion-picture camera, a radio microphone, a television set, a record, or a theatrical mask.

More than 400 bronze stars are embedded in the sidewalks (à la Hollywood Walk of Fame) around downtown to honor celebrities with a Palm Springs connection. The Chairman of the Board, Elvis, Bob Hope, Marilyn Monroe, Dinah Shore, Ginger Rogers, Liz Taylor, and Liberace are among those who have received their due. Started on Palm Canyon Drive in 1992, stars have spread to Museum Way and Tahquitz Canyon Way.

A community-based project dedicated in 2005, these 163 tiled steps have beautiful designs showing fish, shells, animals, starry skies, and other scenes. The steps are in a residential neighborhood, so enjoy the steps and the city views from the top quietly.

Perhaps the most obvious landmark at the junction of Astor Place and Cooper Square is the giant cube balanced on one of its pointy ends. The sculpture, made by Tony Rosenthal, was meant to be temporary when it was installed in 1967, but residents liked it so much that they petitioned to have it made permanent. The steel structure is 8 feet long on each side and has a hidden pole at the center so that it can revolve. The pedestrian plaza in front of the sculpture has a few benches, chairs and tables, plus a kiosk selling coffee and snacks. In the traffic island across the street, an ornate cast-iron replica of a Beaux-Arts kiosk marks the subway entrance for the uptown 6 train—at the beginning of the 20th century, most of the city's Interborough Rapid Transit (IRT) subway entrances resembled this one.

The Amish Experience Theater presents Jacob's Choice, a multimedia production about the history and culture of the Amish people. Multiple screens, three-dimensional sets, and special effects make the show quite engaging. Small children might find some of the effects frightening.

Every mermaid princess should have a giant seashell throne, and that's where Ariel fans can meet the fashionably finned, redheaded beauty. Built into the rock work of Prince Eric's castle, the grotto provides shade for those waiting in the queue and a more secluded experience for families who want to photograph or record the royal meet-up.

Located in the hometown of the legendary movie star, this museum has an extensive collection of memorabilia tracing Gardner's life, from childhood on the farm to her Hollywood glory days. It's about 30 miles southeast of Raleigh in downtown Smithfield.

This 11-minute film focuses on how we can work together to keep our awesome planet livable in the future. The entire film is a real-estate pitch about how lucky we are to live on our planet, narrated by the ultimate real estate agent, Ty Burrell. For the first half, you're shown how Earth came to take form and the different biomes around the globe. The second half talks about how we are facing unprecedented changes to our planet and what can be done about it. There is breathtaking imagery from around the globe mixed in with this worthwhile message.

This seasonally opened picnic area is located just past the entrance to Sieur de Monts along the one-way section of the Park Loop Road. Trees shade most of its 35 sites. A restroom is available.

The park's most pleasant picnic area, shaded by live oaks, sits alongside a seasonal creek. It's a convenient spot to picnic before or after a hike to the reservoir via the Moses Spring or Rim trail. The nearby Bear Gulch Day Use Area has bathrooms and drinking water.

Duck farming was a major industry on Long Island when a local farmer erected this massive and endearing 20-foot-tall duck-shape building in 1931. Today it serves as a tourism center and gift shop carrying T-shirts, mugs, and other souvenirs bearing the aquatic birds. Long Island's most recognized landmark, the Big Duck is on the National Register of Historic Places. Annual events at the Big Duck Ranch include the rubber duck race. A farming museum was new in the fall of 2014.

At the head of one of the purest cold-water springs in the world is the Big Springs Trout Hatchery. The state's largest cold-water production station nurtures several species of trout and kokanee salmon. The show tank, where you can view oddities such as albino rainbow trout and perhaps even fish weighing a monstrous 15 pounds, is a popular attraction, but the hatchery grounds are a sight in and of themselves and a wonderful spot to enjoy a picnic under giant willow and cottonwood trees. You can see the place where Big Spring Creek spurts from the earth, and the native wildlife—including white-tailed deer, beavers, wood ducks, and belted kingfishers—make frequent appearances.