10405 Best Sights in USA

About 18,000 students are enrolled at this state university, established in 1844. The quaint downtown campus, built in 1909, was modeled after the University of Virginia. The 1971 uptown campus is dominated by stark, massive arches. A large reflecting pool lies at the center of a quadrangle formed by four high-rise dorms and classrooms.

The college, which long has attracted arts students, presents the community with a host of cultural offerings on its 216-acre campus.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Station Road Bridge was built in 1881 to link Station Road in Cuyahoga County to Pine Hill Road in Summit County. It's the oldest remaining metal truss bridge in the Cuyahoga Valley and is located at the narrowest part of the valley, built one year after Valley Railway began service at Brecksville Station just south of the bridge. Constructed of wrought iron by the local Massillon Bridge Company with a single span covering 124 feet, the bridge has been repaired twice: once in 1991, when it was disassembled and sent to Elmira, New York for repairs and the second time in 2021. The second time around, repair work on the bridge was done entirely in place. It is unique that the bridge is made of iron; most bridges before this time were built of wood and most built after were built of steel.

on the Monongahela across the historic Smithfield Bridge, is a converted rail station from the early 20th century. Today, this is a development filled with shops and restaurants.

The Grand Concourse Restaurant. The restaurant's pleasant interior is composed of brass, wood, marble, and a glass ceiling, and the kitchen turns out inventive cuisine. 1 Station Square. 412/261–1717.

At an adjacent dock, the Gateway Clipper fleet offers riverboat cruises and shuttles to PNC Park and Heinz Field (home of major league baseball's Pirates and the NFL's Steelers, respectively). 412/355–7980. www.gatewayclipper.com.

Across Carson Street is the Monongahela Incline, run by the Port Authority of Allegeny County. 412/442–2000.

A short walk or drive away is the Duquesne Incline. Both 19th-century funiculars edge up ever-so-steep hillsides. The view at the top is well worth the $3.50 round-trip. Several restaurants at the top have great views. 1197 W. Carson St.412/381–1665.

With dramatic views and a lovely setting beside Hood River Lavender, this lodge-style tasting room is a wonderful locale for sampling Stave & Stone's expressive vinos. The dry, strawberry-inflected Pinot Noir Rosé and zesty Pinot Gris have each garnered plenty of awards, but the reds are terrific, too. If you can't make it to the vineyard, there's a cute tasting room in downtown Hood River, too.

Look for the marquee reading "Soulsville U.S.A.", and listen for the sounds of soul icons like Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, and Aretha Franklin as you approach the former home of Stax Records, rebuilt from the ground up to look as it did during the label's heyday in the 1960s and early '70s. Inside, it's wall-to-wall music—along with a history of Stax, from its beginnings as a home base for local musicians to an international sensation.

A short walk from the Kilauea Visitor Center leads to the pungent yet fascinating Sulphur Banks, where gases composed of hydrogen sulfide produce a smell akin to rotten eggs. Most of the rocks surrounding the vents are chemically stained with a yellow hue due to constant gas exposure. Throughout the surrounding landscape, dozens of active steam vents emit white, billowing vapors that originate from groundwater heated by volcanic rocks. Located on the caldera's edge, Steaming Bluff is a short walk from a nearby parking area. The best steam vents are across the road from the main steam vent parking area; they vary in size and are scattered alongside the dirt trails.

Year-round, tourists and locals enjoy the Steamboat Arabia Museum, which houses goods—from French perfume to buttons to coffeepots—salvaged from the Arabia's muddy grave 132 years after it sank in the Missouri River in 1856.

Here, a 2,200-foot-high flat-topped lava butte rises 1,000 feet above Banks Lake, the 31-mile-long irrigation reservoir filled with water from Lake Roosevelt by giant pumps and siphons. Water is distributed from the south end of the lake throughout the Columbia Basin. The state park has campsites, three cabins, a swimming area, and boat ramps. In summer it's popular with boaters and anglers, and in winter there's Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, and ice fishing.

In South Anchorage, coffee's next wave is brewing. SteamDot Coffee and Espresso Lab treats coffee lovers to quite the coffee-brewing show at its "slow bar." This is not the place to go if you're in the mood for syrup-heavy espresso drinks. SteamDot is all about the flavor of coffee.

The former steel-and-coal–carrying behemoth churned through the Great Lakes for 55 years before retiring in 1980. State of the art when she put to sea in 1925, the ship is now a museum displaying how ships were once built, replete with a brass and oak pilothouse and an extravagant dining room. The William G. Mather is within walking distance of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Great Lakes Science Center, which owns the ship and has plans to build an enclosed passageway connecting it to the museum.

Built in 1872, Stearns Wharf is Santa Barbara's most visited landmark. Expansive views of the mountains, cityscape, and harbor unfold from every vantage point on the three-block-long pier. Although it's a nice walk from the Cabrillo Boulevard parking areas, you can also park on the pier and then wander through the shops or stop for a meal at one of the wharf's restaurants.

Mountain crafts and artwork are displayed—and much of them are for sale—at this cultural hub that promotes and pays tribute to the people and traditions of Graham County, including the native Cherokee. During summer, the Appalachian Evening Concert Series brings the region's best folk and bluegrass musicians to perform in the center's restored historic theater.

Photos, exhibits, and memorabilia pay tribute to western New York's steel workers and what was once the largest steel plant in the world, Bethlehem Steel. The museum is open only three days a week from 10 to 2.

Open year-round, the center, part of the park's headquarters, has restrooms, a small post office, and a shop that sells books, maps, and postcards. There are fewer exhibits than at comparable national park visitor centers, but you can view an engaging 22-minute film that describes the lake's formation and geology and examines the area's cultural history. The building was closed for structural renovations in 2022 but is expected to reopen in 2023.

The 161-mile Steese Highway follows the Chatanika River and several other creeks along the southern part of the White Mountains. The highway eventually climbs into weatherworn alpine mountains, peaking at Eagle Summit (3,624 feet), about 100 miles northeast of Fairbanks, before dropping back down into forested creek beds en route to the town of Central. From Central you can drive the 30-plus miles on a winding gravel road to Circle, a small village on the Yukon River. The highway is paved to Mile 81 and is usually in good shape. A possible exception is in winter, when Eagle Summit is sometimes closed due to drifting snow. Be aware that most rental car companies don't allow vehicles on the road, and that cell service is basically nonexistent after about 50 miles. 

For those who want to immerse themselves in nature for several days at a time, the Steese National Conservation Area and the White Mountains National Recreation Area have opportunities for backcountry hiking, skiing, fat-tire biking, and paddling. Both areas have road-accessible entry points, but you cannot drive into the Steese Conservation Area. The White Mountains Recreation Area has limited camping facilities from June to November; reservations are not accepted. Winter adventurers can snowmachine, ski, snowshoe, or fat-tire bike out to 12 public-use cabins and two shelters; none are accessible by car.

Prints, masks, drums, sculptures, baskets, and jewelry by local Native artists fill the space of this elegant Belltown gallery near Pike Place Market. Alaskan and Arctic art are also on display, including beautiful sculptural pieces carved from ivory, wood, and soapstone.

Founded by fourth-generation farmers who have been growing fruit in the Wenatchee foothills since the 1890s, Stemilt Creek has developed a sterling reputation for its Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and other Bordeaux-style wines. The tasting room in downtown Wenatchee is in the Pybus Public Market.

James Logan may not be a household name, but he was a seminal figure in pre-Revolutionary America. Equal parts visionary, opportunist, and rogue, he was secretary to William Penn and managed the daily affairs of the colony. Logan, who went on to hold almost every important public office in the colonies, designed this 1730 Georgian manor himself and named it for his father's birthplace in Scotland. He used it to entertain local luminaries and Native American tribal delegates. It was also where he kept one of the area's first libraries, at a time when books were looked upon with suspicion. British General Howe claimed Stenton for his headquarters during the Battle of Germantown. The Stenton mansion is a well-curated, stately affair filled with family and period pieces; the site also includes a kitchen wing, barn, and Colonial-style garden. Starting on the hour at 1 pm, 2 pm, and 3 pm, the guided 45-minute tour interprets the life of three generations of the Logan family and the life of the region from the 1720s through the American Revolution. Stenton has one of the best interiors of any of the Germantown homes.  Tours are offered April to late December, Tuesday–Saturday, noon–4.

So named because of a crumbling prehistoric stairway leading up from the dwelling, Step House is reached via a paved (but steep) trail that's ¾ mile long. The house is unique in that it shows clear evidence of two separate occupations: the first around AD 626, the second a full 600 years later. The self-guided tour takes about 45 minutes.

Named for the songwriter who penned "Swanee River," this 120-acre island park is the southwestern entrance to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and offers trips to the headwaters of the Suwannee River, Billy's Island—site of an ancient Indian village—and a turn-of-the-20th-century town built to support logging efforts in the swamp. The park is home to hundreds of species of birds and a large cypress-and-black-gum forest, a majestic backdrop for one of the thickest growths of vegetation in the southeastern United States.

The ColorCoaster, a 27-foot-high kinetic structure in constant motion, is the centerpiece of this hands-on museum with exhibits organized by age. Visit the Energy Lab, where youngsters learn about wind, water, and solar power while splashing around the extensive water play area. The Light Gallery has colorful LED displays; Studio K has a green screen and video feed for real-time "newscasting"; and for babies and toddlers, Tot Town is a safe place where they can play with toys and puzzles, "cook" in a play kitchen, and learn about animals on Old MacDonald's Farm.

The Steppingstone Museum is a 10-acre complex of seven restored turn-of-the-20th-century farm buildings plus a replica of a canning house. Among the 12,000-plus artifacts in the collection are a horse-drawn tractor and an early gas-powered version, manual seeders and planters, and horse-drawn plows. A blacksmith, a weaver, a wood-carver, a cooper, a dairymaid, and a decoy artist regularly demonstrate their trades in the workshops.

This day-use park dotted with picnic tables is named after an army officer who lost a battle in 1858 against Native Americans at nearby Rosalia. The lieutenant colonel and other survivors sneaked away at night—a retreat historians think was permitted by their adversaries. The hike to the summit of the 3,600-foot-high butte rewards hikers with panoramic views 200 miles in the distance. Paragliding and hang gliding are popular pastimes here, along with bird-watching and nature photography.

Starting from the North Cascades Visitor Center, this popular introductory stroll follows a short 300-foot path over a boardwalk to a lookout above the forested Picket Range peaks. Easy.

Enter Warwickshire, a 1585 English village spread across a wooded hillside, and spend the day as an Elizabethan. Costumed improvisational troupes beckon you to join them for a rollicking round at the dunking pond, courtly dancing, discourse at the village "well," or cheering at the jousting field, where men astride strong steeds play medieval games. Artisan booths feature Elizabethan-style caps and clothing, handmade musical instruments, and jewelry. The festival, about an hour north of the city, is held for seven summer weekends starting in early July.

An aerial gondola whisks guests up a 300-foot hill to a whitewashed Greek Mediterranean–style winery with sweeping Napa Valley views. A self-guided tour allows guests to delve into the wine-making process. Or not. On a sunny day, the valley vistas can be mighty distracting. Sterling, which released its first vintage in 1969, makes waves for its Cabernet Sauvignons, like the top-of-the-line Iridium and another from Diamond Mountain; Chardonnays, a crowd-pleasing Malvasia Blanca, and sparkling wines are among the lighter bottlings. For a more fulfilling visit, choose a tasting of upper-tier wines.

This 10,000-square-foot Victorian mansion, built in 1886 for hatmaker and philanthropist John B. Stetson, is regarded as Florida's first luxury home. Though the mansion is now a private residence, tours allow you to marvel at the wood parquet floors, intricate interior carvings, and 10,000 panes of original leaded glass windows. You'll also learn about the Gilded Age mansion's rich history, including famous visitors and a "contractor" named Thomas Edison, who installed his friend Stetson's electricity. In November and December, the mansion is decked out with one of the most elaborate Christmas decoration displays in the country.

Unlike the museum on the Mall, which is divided into smaller galleries with dense history and science exhibits, the Udvar-Hazy Center, its annex, displays large aircraft and spacecraft, hung as though in flight throughout two vast, multilevel hangars. This focus makes the center more appealing for families with kids who may not be old enough to take in detailed historical narratives but will certainly be in awe over the marvelous planes. It is also much less crowded than the Mall museum, with room to move. Gaze upon historic aircraft like the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, the fastest jet in the world; the sleek, supersonic Concorde; and the Enola Gay, which, in 1945, dropped the first atomic bomb to be used in war on Hiroshima, Japan. Walk alongside space shuttle Discovery, and browse displays of astronaut paraphernalia, including space food and space underwear! If you want to visit the museum while you are waiting for a flight or connection at Dulles, the Fairfax Connector Bus 983 runs daily between the museum and airport for $2 (SmarTrip card or cash); the trip takes 15 minutes.