10450 Best Sights in USA

See where the 30-member Lewis and Clark Expedition endured a rain-soaked winter in 1805–06, hunting, gathering food, making salt, and trading with the local Clatsops, Chinooks, and Tillamooks. This memorial is part of the 3,200-acre Lewis and Clark National Historical Park and is a faithful replica of the log fort depicted in Clark's journal. The fort lies within a forested wonderland, with an exhibit hall, gift shop, film, and trails. Park rangers dress in period garb during the summer and perform such early-19th-century tasks as making fire with flint and steel. Hikers enjoy the easy 1-mile Netul Landing Trail and the more rigorous but still fairly flat 6½-mile Fort to Sea Trail.

One of the country's best-preserved and most complete 19th-century brick forts, Fort Clinch was built to discourage further British intrusion after the War of 1812 and was occupied in 1863 by the Confederacy; a year later it was retaken by the Union. During the Spanish-American War it was reactivated for a brief time, but no battles were ever fought on its grounds (which explains why it's so well preserved). Wander through restored buildings, including furnished barracks, a kitchen, and a repair shop. Living-history reenactments of Civil War garrison life are scheduled throughout the year.

The 1,400-acre park surrounding the fort has full-facility camping, nature trails, a swimming beach, and surf and pier fishing. Fort Clinch is also the only state park in northeast Florida designated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as a viewing destination for the eastern brown pelican, green sea turtle, and loggerhead sea turtle.

Spread over five small islands, 1,136-acre Fort De Soto Park lies at the mouth of Tampa Bay. It has 7 miles of waterfront (much of it beach); two fishing piers; a 4-mile hiking, cycling, and skating trail; picnic and camping grounds; and a historic fort that kids of any age can explore. For those traveling with their canine family members, there is a long and popular dog beach just north of the main fishing pier. Its namesake fort was built on the southern end of Mullet Key to protect sea lanes in the Gulf during the Spanish-American War.

Roam the fort or wander the beaches of any of the islands within the park. Kayaks and beach cruisers are available to rent, and mementos can be found at a souvenir shop/grill on the park's north side.

A wide, soft, ultra-white shore with gently lapping waves makes this fine beach a family favorite for running-jumping-frolicking fun. Other bonuses include the shaded, grassy grilling area, pickleball courts, and many aquatic rental options. The beach fronts the Hale Koa Hotel as well as Fort DeRussy. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: swimming; walking.

This is one of the South's largest and most important earthworks fortifications from the Civil War, so tough and strategically placed along the Cape Fear River that it was known as the Southern Gibraltar. The fall of the fort in January 1865, closing the last supply lines for the South, helped seal the fate of the Confederacy. You can explore the restored battery with its reconstructed artillery and follow trails along the river. A museum—soon to be replaced by a $25 million new build next door—displays Civil War relics, a fiber-optic battle map, and artifacts from sunken blockade runners. It's also known for its underwater archaeological sites.

Fort Fisher includes a beach access point with showers. It's one of the most attractive beaches in the area.

Fort Laramie is one of the most important historic sites in Wyoming, in part because its original buildings are extremely well preserved, but also because it played a role in several significant periods in Western history. Near the confluence of the Laramie and North Platte rivers, the fort began as a trading post in 1834, and it was an important provisioning point for travelers on the Oregon Trail in 1843, the Mormon Trail in 1847, and the California Trail in 1849, when it also became a military site. The 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie was signed here, leading to the end of the First Sioux War, also known as Red Cloud's War. National Park Service rangers interpret scenes of military life and talk about the fur trade, overland migration, and relations between settlers and Native Americans.

The same stretch of sand that once welcomed America's wild spring breakers is now miles of beachside sophistication. It remains gloriously open and uncluttered when compared to other major beaches along the Florida coastline; walkways line both sides of the road, and traffic is trimmed to two gently curving northbound lanes. Fort Lauderdale Beach unofficially begins between B Ocean Resort and the DoubleTree by Hilton Bahia Mar Resort, starting with the quiet Fort Lauderdale Beach Park, where picnic tables and palm trees rule. Going north, a younger crowd gravitates toward the section near Las Olas Boulevard. The beach is actually most crowded from here to Beach Place, home to Marriott's vacation rentals and touristy places like Hooters and Fat Tuesday (and a beach-themed CVS). An LGBTQ crew soaks up the sun along Sebastian Street Beach, just north of the Ritz-Carlton. Families with children enjoy hanging out between Seville Street and Vistamar Street, between the Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach and The Atlantic Hotel and Spa. High-spirited dive bars dot the Strip and epitomize its "anything goes" attitude. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee). Best for: partiers; sunrise; swimming; walking; windsurfing.

The centerpiece of this multiuse state park is the 1834 pentagon-shaped fortress, built under the supervision of a young Robert E. Lee. From atop its walls, where six cannons still point out toward the harbor, take in the gorgeous 360-degree views of Beaufort and across the ocean. The fort was briefly used by the Confederacy against the Union during the Civil War, but was quickly surrendered under siege in 1862. A visitor center and museum include exhibits on the ecology of the area, which you can experience firsthand via nearly 4 miles of trails through the 365-acre park that also offers picnic areas and a mile-long beachfront with a large bathhouse, showers, and refreshments. The beach has lifeguards on duty June through Labor Day and is known as one of the best surfing breaks in the Crystal Coast area.

There are number of strange, forgotten sights in Philadelphia that in any other city would be a major, if not the major tourist attraction. Fort Mifflin may be the best of these sights in Southwest Philadelphia. The fort is enormous and nearly always empty. Within its walls, spread out on a huge lawn, are cannons and carriages, officers' quarters, soldiers' barracks, an artillery shed, a blacksmith shop, a bomb shelter, and a museum. The exhibits are dated, but the stories are fascinating, from the 40-day battle in 1777 to hold off British ships coming up the Delaware to the use of the site as a prison during the Civil War. The fort was almost totally destroyed during the Revolution, but was rebuilt in 1798 from plans by French architect Pierre L'Enfant, who also designed Washington, D.C. If you wander off beyond the fort and into the other parts of the 49-acre National Historic Landmark, you will find a long embankment of overgrown and unexcavated battlements from the 1800s. From Penn's Landing it's an easy jaunt on I–95.

This is the site where in 1776 Colonel William Moultrie's South Carolinians repelled a British assault in one of the first Patriot victories of the Revolutionary War. Located on the edge of Sullivan's Island, 10 miles southeast of Charleston, Moultrie's first fort was made of palmetto logs and sand. The one there today, the third fortress in this location, was completed in 1809. Across the street, the fort's companion museum shows a 22-minute educational film that tells the colorful history of the fort, which was active through World War II. The additional exhibit on Sullivan Island's role in the transatlantic slave trade is a must-see. Plan to spend the day bicycling through Sullivan's Island, where you'll see beach cottages, island mansions, and a smattering of historical homes.

Named for Casimir Pulaski, the Polish count and Revolutionary War hero, this must-see sight for history buffs was designed by Napoléon's military engineer and built on Cockspur Island between 1829 and 1847. Robert E. Lee's first assignment after graduating from West Point was as an engineer here. The fort was thought to be impervious to attack, but as weapons advanced, it proved penetrable. During the Civil War, the fort fell after bombardment by newfangled rifled cannons. The restored fortification, operated by the National Park Service, has moats, drawbridges, massive ramparts, towering walls, and an informative visitors center. Trails, picnic areas, and a protected bird refuge surround the park.

Set on a man-made island in Charleston Harbor, this is the hallowed spot where the Civil War began. On April 12, 1861, the first shot of the war was fired at the fort from Fort Johnson on James Island. After a 34-hour battle, Union forces surrendered and the Confederacy managed to hold it, despite almost continual bombardment, from August 1863 to February 1865. When it was finally evacuated, the fort was a heap of rubble. Today, the National Park Service oversees it, and rangers give interpretive talks. To reach the fort, take a ferry with Fort Sumter Tours from downtown's Fort Sumter Visitor Education Center, which includes exhibitions on the Civil War era, or from Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant. There are as many as seven trips daily to the fort between mid-March and mid-August; fewer the rest of the year.

Come to Fort Tryon Park to visit the Met Museum's medieval branch, the Cloisters, and stay for the glorious Hudson River views, the gorgeous landscaped gardens, the 8 miles of winding pathways, and the Revolutionary War history. Perched on one of the highest points in Manhattan (hence \"the Heights,\") the 67-acre oasis was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. and gifted to New York City in 1935 by John D. Rockefeller Jr., and today its more than 650 varieties of plants, trees, and shrubs are the gifts that keep on giving with every season. During the Revolutionary War, the area was part of the Battle of Fort Washington, a seminal Continental army defeat in the American Revolution. While the Continental Army ultimately prevailed, the site originally named for the last British governor of colonial New York, William Tryon, continued to be referred to as Fort Tryon. Look for the monument to Margaret Corbin, a woman who took up her husband's canon when he was shot and killed during battle: “On this hilltop stood Fort Tryon, the northern outwork of Fort Washington, its gallant defense against the Hessian troops by the Maryland and Virginia regiment 16-November-1776 was shared by Margaret Corbin, the first American woman to take a soldier’s part in the war for liberty.” Other highlights include the Billings Arcade, the remains of a stunning arched entrance to a grand mansion (you've likely seen this on Instagram), and the Heather Garden, where locals welcome spring with parading bagpipes and heather shearings. Don't miss the gatehouse on your way into the park with the apt sign \"NYC's coolest office.\"

The ruins of New Mexico's largest American frontier-era fort sit on an empty windswept plain about a half-hour drive north of Las Vegas. It still echoes with the isolation surely felt by the soldiers stationed here between 1851 and 1890, when the fort was established to protect travelers and settlers along the Santa Fe Trail. It eventually became a military supply depot for the Southwest, but was eventually abandoned. The visitor center provides historical background about the fort and you can walk among the extensive ruins on your own or explore different parts of the grounds on a ranger tour (they're given throughout the year, but more often in the busier spring and fall seasons).

The earliest permanent settlement on either side of the Columbia River was established as a trading post in 1824 by Hudson's Bay Company. When Washington fell under complete control of the United States through the 1846 Oregon Treaty, Fort Vancouver became the nation's foremost military post in the Pacific Northwest. This 207-acre site in the middle of present-day Vancouver tells the story of the settlement's early days, and how it's been the home of such renowned military leaders as Ulysses S. Grant, George McClellan, and George Marshall (of Marshall Plan fame). In this impressive and somewhat overlooked component of the National Park System, orient yourself at the park visitor center, where you can watch a film about its history. Then tour the reconstructed fort stockade and barracks, and visit the 22 stately Victorian homes of Officer's Row (including the Queen Anne–style Marshall House, which is operated by the Clark County Historical Museum). The Pearson Air Museum is also part of the park.

With restored Victorian officers' houses and bunkers from before World War I, this fascinating 432-acre park served as the filming location for the 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman. Built on Point Wilson in 1896 to guard the mouth of Puget Sound, the old fort provides myriad outdoor and cultural activities for kids and adults. A sandy beach leads to the graceful 1913 Point Wilson Lighthouse. Memory's Vault, a series of pillars hidden in the hill above the inlet, features inscriptions of works from local poet Sam Hamill. Touch tanks at Port Townsend Marine Science Center on the pier offer an up-close look at sea anemones and other underwater life. Kayak tours and rentals are also available. The fort hosts music festivals in an old military balloon-hangar-turned-performing-arts-pavilion and exhibits in an artillery museum. Many of the old buildings can now be booked as overnight accommodations, and there are a couple of excellent dining options in the park: Reveille at the Commons serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and Taps at the Guardhouse is open in summer for drinks and light bites.

The oldest buildings here served as Fort Yellowstone from 1891 to 1918, when the U.S. Army managed the park. The redbrick buildings cluster around an open area reminiscent of a frontier-era parade ground. Pick up a self-guided tour map of the area from the Albright Visitors Center on Officers Row, and start your walking tour there.

This beach in the historic state park with the same name is the best and safest place to swim in Key West. There's an adjoining picnic area with barbecue grills and shade trees, a snack bar, and rental equipment, including snorkeling gear. A café serves sandwiches and other munchies. Water shoes are recommended since the bottom is rocky here. Amenities: food and drink; showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

Construction of the redbrick fort began in 1845 but was halted during the Civil War. Even though Florida seceded from the Union, Yankee forces used the fort as a base to block Confederate shipping. More than 1,500 Confederate vessels were detained in Key West's harbor. The fort, completed in 1866, was also used in the Spanish-American War. Take a 30-minute guided walking tour of this National Historic Landmark at noon and 2 or do a self-guided tour anytime between 8 and 5. One of the park's most popular features is its man-made beach, a rest stop for migrating birds in the spring and fall; there are also picnic areas, hiking and biking trails, and a kayak launch.

Set along the Thea Foss waterfront, this history museum in a turn-of-the-20th-century structure—with a dramatic modern glass facade—is easily reached from downtown via a walk along the promenade that flanks the harbor. Inside the enormous timber building, the museum examines the city's waterfront heritage, including the history of Tacoma's brisk shipping business, the city's role as a major ship-to-rail center, and the indigenous Puyallup people's close relationship with local waterways. Extensive exhibits cover boat-making, vintage scuba and diving gear, and fin and humpback whales. Photos and relics round out the displays, children's activities are offered regularly, and Tacoma Night Market takes place here once a month.

The trail, in place since 1964, has fossil replicas of early mammals displayed at wayside exhibits along its ¼-mile length, which is completely wheelchair accessible. Give yourself at least an hour to fully enjoy this popular hike. Easy.

Amenities at this gem of a public park include a palm-shaded beach, pool, marina, skate park, tennis, and places to rent a boat or learn to sail. If you're staying in Islamorada, admission is free; otherwise, it costs $8 (cash only) to enter.

Among the world's finest auto museums, Fountainhead provides a fascinating survey of history, design, culture, and, of course, cars (specifically ones from 1898 to 1938). Obscure makes—Buckmobiles, Packards, and Hudsons among them—compete for attention with more familiar specimens from Ford, Cadillac, and Chrysler. The museum's holdings include the first car ever made in Alaska, built in Skagway out of sheet metal and old boat parts. Alongside the cars, all but three of them in running condition, are equally remarkable historical photographs and exhibits of sometimes rare vintage clothing that illustrate the era's evolution of style, especially for women.

At least once during your visit you should stop in front of Bellagio to view its spectacular water ballet from start to finish. The dazzling fountains stream from more than 1,000 nozzles, accompanied by 4,500 lights, in 27 million gallons of water. Fountain jets shoot up to 460 feet in the air, tracing undulations you wouldn't have thought possible, in near-perfect time with music ranging from Bocelli and the Beatles to \"Billie Jean\" and tunes from Tiësto. Some of the best views are from the Eiffel Tower's observation deck, directly across the street (unless you've got a north-facing balcony room at The Cosmopolitan). Paris and Planet Hollywood have restaurants with patios on the Strip that also offer good views.

Four generations of the Charles family have farmed the land that produces this winery's vegan-friendly, all-estate lineup of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Vin Gris of Pinot Noir (aka rosé), and Pinot Noir. With the Pinots, winemaker Joe Webb employs various techniques to produce four very different wines, from the light Zero, aged solely in used oak barrels, to the "richer, riper" Paraboll, its flavors heightened by new French oak. After a tasting, you can picnic outside the casual wood-frame tasting room, enjoying a glass or bottle.

One of a dwindling number of vintage movie palaces in the nation, the Fox was built in 1929 in a fabulous Moorish-Egyptian style. The interior's crowning glory is its ceiling, complete with moving clouds and twinkling stars above Alhambra-like minarets. Threatened by demolition in the 1970s, the Fox was saved from the wrecking ball by community activists. Today it hosts musicals, rock concerts, dance performances, and film festivals—with an optional rooftop VIP experience at the reservations-only Marquee Club.

Tours should be scheduled in advance.

Traversed by the Appalachian Trail and a stretch of Interstate 93 that narrows for 8 miles to become Franconia Notch Parkway, this stunning 6,692-acre state park feels as awesome as a national park and offers dozens of diversions, including myriad hiking trails, summer swimming at Echo Lake Beach, and winter downhill skiing at Cannon Mountain, whose 4,080-foot summit observation deck you can explore on the Aerial Tramway, an 80-passenger cable car. One of the top park draws, the dramatic, narrow 800-foot-long Flume Gorge is reached from a modern visitor center via a picturesque 2-mile loop hike along wooden boardwalks and stairways. Nearby, the Flume Covered Bridge, built in 1886, is one of the state's oldest covered bridges. The park was long famous as the site of the Old Man of the Mountain, an iconic profile high on a granite cliff that crumbled unexpectedly in 2003. Overlooking Profile Lake, at the small Old Man of the Mountain Park, you can walk the short but pretty paved trail to view the mountain face through steel rods that seem literally to put the beloved visage back on the mountain. You can see related photographs and memorabilia in a small museum, and also visit the New England Ski Museum (which has a second location in North Conway) to learn how skiing was popularized as a sport in New England, through artifacts, clothing, and equipment, as well as Bode Miller's five Olympic medals.