10457 Best Sights in USA

While Boston's Symphony Hall—the home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops—is considered among the best in the world for its sublime acoustics, it's also worth visiting to enjoy its other merits. The stage is framed by an enormous organ facade and an intricate golden proscenium. Above the second balcony are 16 replicas of Greek and Roman statues, which, like the rest of the hall, marry the acoustic and aesthetic by creating niches and uneven surfaces to enhance the acoustics of the space. Although acoustical science was a brand-new field of research when Professor Wallace Sabine planned the interior, not one of the 2,500 seats is a bad one—the secret is the box-within-a-box design.

The school, founded in 1870 as a private coeducational institution, enrolls more than 19,000 students in its undergraduate and graduate programs. Two centuries of building styles can be seen on the compact campus, which is crossed by city streets and includes a traditional collegiate quadrangle. Get campus maps online or at the Schine Student Center, at 303 University Place.

T-Mobile Arena has probably become most widely known beyond Las Vegas as the home of the National Hockey League's Vegas Golden Knights, an expansion team that reached the Stanley Cup finals during its inaugural season. It's also a popular concert venue, attracting acts from George Strait to Ariana Grande to Kiss. And it's rich in amenities, with a variety of restaurants, bars, and guest services. When there's downtime, you can tour the arena's backstage areas, but these tours are offered only sporadically.

This 47,000-seat, open-air baseball stadium with a state-of-the-art retractable roof is the home of the Seattle Mariners. If you want to see the stadium in all its glory, take the one-hour tour, which brings you onto the field, into the dugouts, back to the press and locker rooms, and up to the posh box seats. Tours depart from the Team Store on 1st Avenue, and you purchase your tickets there, too (at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled tour).

Tabasco was invented by Edmund McIlhenny in the mid-1800s, and the factory is still presided over by the McIlhenny family. Tabasco is sold all over the world, but it is aged, distilled, and bottled only here, on Avery Island. You can take a self-guided factory tour that lasts about an hour and a half and highlights the production process along with conservation efforts on the island. Grab free samples of creative Tabasco varieties, as well as Tabasco sauce ice cream at the visitor center, or enjoy a full meal at the on-site Tabasco Restaurant 1868. The Jungle Gardens and Bird City are adjacent and entry there is included with your ticket to this factory.

The Salt Lake City Tabernacle, also known simply as the Tabernacle, is home to the famous Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square and an impressive organ with 11,623 pipes. Visitors can hear organ recitals Monday through Saturday at noon (and also at 2 pm across the street in the Conference Center) and Sunday at 2 pm. You're also welcome Thursday from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm to listen to the choir rehearse Sunday hymns, as well as from 9:30 am to 10 am as the choir performs for the world's longest-running continuous network broadcast, Music and the Spoken Word. During the summer months, choir rehearsals and Music and the Spoken Word take place at the Conference Center.

Tucked in the western hills of Paso Robles, Tablas Creek is known for its blends of certified biodynamically grown, hand-harvested Rhône varietals. Roussanne and Viognier are the standout whites; the Mourvèdre-heavy blend called Panoplie (it also includes Grenache and Syrah) has received high praise in recent years. A free guided tour of the cellar and vineyard starts every day at 10:15; reservations are required. There's a fine picnic area here.

A short drive from Branson will take you to this gorgeous natural expanse on the banks of Table Rock Lake, a popular camping spot with facilities for boating, fishing, and even scuba diving. There are also hiking trails, mountain-biking trails, and picnic areas. At the marina you can rent boats and purchase tackle and snacks. The flora and fauna in the park include oak and hickory trees, glade plants, wildflowers, wild turkeys, and foxes, as well as tarantulas.

Comprising 71 acres of marshland, evergreen forest, and a shallow lake that break up the urban sprawl of west Tacoma, the center shelters 20 species of mammals and more than 100 species of birds. The lake has nesting pairs of wood ducks, rare elsewhere in western Washington, and the interpretive center is a fun place for kids to look at small creatures, take walks and nature quizzes, and dress up in animal costumes.

Raspberries ripen here early July–August, and you can pick your own pumpkins September and October. Grab a roast turkey (or other) sandwich, served on freshly baked bread, for a fine homemade lunch. If you have time to linger, check out the small turtle pond in the plant nursery, and see the animal area replete with goats, chickens, llamas, and more.

Works by artists from around the globe are displayed in this Federal-period mansion where William Howard Taft accepted his presidential nomination in 1908. Galleries are arranged according to a chronological story line that illustrates the evolution of Western and Chinese art from the medieval period through the Industrial Revolution. The collection includes paintings by Rembrandt, Gainsborough, and Corot; Chinese porcelains; 19th-century American furniture; French Renaissance enameled plaques; jewelry; and watches. There's a formal garden on the property. A $23 million renovation and expansion in 2004 added a lecture and performance room, a café, a greatly enlarged special exhibits gallery, and classrooms and studios, while preserving the integrity of the 1820s-era home.

Hike 1½ miles from the trailhead to the lake and then, optionally, you can extend your trek by continuing on a 4-mile route around the lake where the terrain becomes steeper near Beaver Creek, or making the 5-mile loop trail around Bradley Lake, just to the north. There are views of Avalanche Canyon and areas where you might see moose. Allow an hour to get to the lake and back and another two to three hours to make it around one or both lakes. Moderate.

Hikers who power through the strenuous 1.8-mile trail, 350 feet of elevation gain, and approximately 100 steep rock steps in this secluded restroom-less canyon on the Agua Caliente Reservation will be rewarded with a spectacular 60-foot waterfall, rock art, ancient irrigation systems, and native flora and fauna. Venture out on your own or join ranger-led walks (free with admission), which are conducted four times a day except during the summer when there is only one at 8 am. At the visitor center at the canyon entrance, watch a short video, look at artifacts, and pick up a map. Remember to be respectful as this is sacred tribal land.

This simple forested trail that winds around the Denali Visitor Center and other buildings and connects with the bus and train depot. The trail is made of gravel with minimal grade, most explorers should be able to complete the loop in less than an hour. Access may be limited by snowfall in winter. Easy.

The gathering point for citizens who protested the Stamp Act in 1765 and where people rallied to adopt the Talbot Resolves, this 1712 courthouse was a forerunner of the Declaration of Independence. The courthouse was expanded in 1794 and two wings were added in the late 1950s. It is still in use.

These parks, including Big and Little Talbot islands, have 17 miles of gorgeous beaches, sand dunes, and golden marshes that hum with migratory birds and native waterfowl. Come to picnic, fish, swim, snorkel, or camp. Little Talbot Island, one of the state's few undeveloped barrier islands, has river otters, marsh rabbits, raccoons, alligators, and gopher tortoises. Canoe and kayak rentals are available, and the north area is considered the best surfing spot in northeast Florida. A 4-mile nature trail winds across Little Talbot, and there are several smaller trails on Big Talbot.

Exhibits at this downtown museum explore the history of mountain climbing in Denali as well as the town's eclectic history. Residents founded the organization in 1972 to protect the original Talkeetna schoolhouse. The group publishes a walking-tour map and operates a gift area, too.

Although this roughly 30-acre grove ranks among the parks' most beautiful old-growth stands, getting to it requires a steep and winding 14-mile drive, followed by a somewhat rigorous 4-mile round-trip hike involving an 800-foot descent into the Redwood Creek flood plain. To embark on this journey, you must obtain a free permit at the Kuchel center to access the unpaved road off Bald Hills Road. Rangers dispense a limited number per day, first come, first served. No trailers or RVs are allowed. Given the effort required, if you only have a little time, it's best to save this one for your second or third visit. Moderate.

Located about 20 minutes from downtown, this expansive, bucolic park has a lot to see and do. A village of 19th-century buildings—including a pioneer farm, a one-room schoolhouse, and a Southern manor—showcases Old Florida and has weekend living-history demonstrations on cooking, blacksmithing, quilting, and other period activities. A boardwalk meanders through 52 acres of a natural-habitat zoo with panthers, bobcats, white-tailed deer, bald eagles, red wolves, hawks, owls, otters, and black bears. Guest animals drop in for visits, and animal encounters are scheduled daily. Don't miss the nature walk, which has colorful dinosaur sculptures created entirely from recycled car parts. For an extra charge, you can get a bird's-eye view everything at Tree-to-Tree Adventures, which features sky-high zip lines and an aerial obstacle course.

Acres of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, plus smaller parcels of Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, and other varietals blanket Talley's mountain-ringed dell in the Arroyo Grande Valley. Enjoy stunning estate views in the sleek interior and on the adjacent patio. Standout wines include the single-vineyard Rosemary's Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Part of the National Park Service, this national preserve memorializes 170 million acres of tallgrass that once flourished in the United States. It contains the last large vestiges of the bluestem—or tallgras—prairie once prominent in the Great Plains, especially Kansas. Just 4% remains in the Flint Hills region. A visitor center here, staffed by junior rangers, hosts temporary exhibits and airs a short film. Other sites include a one-room schoolhouse.

Bird-watchers search the skies for migratory birds such as great blue herons and American avocets at the 500-acre Piermont Marsh, part of Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve, itself part of Tallman Mountain State Park. The park is open daily from dawn to dusk, and features a running track, tennis courts, playing field, cross country skiing, walking and hiking trails, and picnic areas.

Colorado’s first meadery opened in 1995 on this sprawling property with views of the Little Bookcliffs, and has since added wines to the traditional and fruit mead options, including Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Grigio. Tasting flights start from $7 for three wines to $15 for nine; charcuterie boards are available as well. Reservations are required for the private tours, which include a behind-the-scenes peek into production or wine-and-food pairings; rates start at $75 per person.

This world-famous institution played a major role in reviving the fine art of lithographic printing, which involves working with plates of traditional stone and modern metal. Tamarind certification is to a printer what a degree from Juilliard is to a musician. A small gallery within the modern facility exhibits prints and lithographs by well-known masters like Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Jim Dine, Judy Chicago, Kiki Smith, and Ed Ruscha, as well as up-and-comers in the craft. Guided tours (reservations essential) are conducted the first Friday of every quarter at 1:30.

Endurance riders Barry and Jennifer Waitte share their passion for horses and wine at their glam-rustic winery. The 22-acre Sundance Ranch remains a working equestrian facility, but the site also includes a state-of-the-art winery with separate fermenting tanks for grapes from estate vineyards in Yountville, Oakville, and elsewhere. Tamber Bey produces Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay whites, a Rhône-style rosé, and a few Pinot Noirs. The showstoppers are several subtly powerful reds, including the Oakville Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and a Yountville Merlot. The top-selling wine, Rabicano, is a Cabernet Sauvignon-heavy Bordeaux-style blend. Visits require an appointment.

Abita Springs is located on this 31-mile hiking and biking trail that connects the town to Covington in the west and Mandeville, Fontainebleau State Park, and Slidell to the east. Walk a stretch of the peaceful corridor from the Abita Brew Pub or rent a bicycle and hop between towns and/or a number of the nearby breweries. The trail is flat, safe, and mostly covered by a canopy of trees.

Tampa has long been a baseball city. The first Tampa team was organized in Ybor City in 1887, and the love of the game grew with the influx of Cuban immigrants who flocked to the area to work in the then-thriving cigar industry. Housed in the childhood home of Al Lopez, Tampa’s first Major League Baseball player, manager, and Hall of Fame inductee, this museum honors baseball heritage with exhibits that highlight, among other things, the city's factory, inter-social, municipal, Cigar City, and Negro leagues. 

From the early civilizations that once flourished on its shores to the 2000 presidential vote recount, the Tampa Bay region has long played integral roles in the history of Florida and the rest of the nation. The interactive exhibits here let you peer back in time at the people and events that helped shape the area. You'll learn about the Tocobaga and other coastal peoples, as well as the Spanish explorers who encountered them. You'll get insight on pirates with the help of a massive replica ship.

Information and artifacts also highlight the Seminole Wars, Ybor City's cigar industry, and the Florida crackers who once drove their cattle in areas now saturated with busy roads and shopping centers. Exhibits also cover sports teams that have called Tampa Bay home, not to mention the war heroes and politicians of the 20th and 21st centuries. When it's time for a bite to eat, you're in for a treat: the café here is a branch of Columbia, Tampa's most famous and historic restaurant.

Housed in an exquisitely designed building—overlooking Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, the towering minarets of the University of Tampa, and the Hillsborough River—this museum is emblematic of the city's efforts to revitalize its Downtown riverfront. The main, 66,000-square-foot gallery space displays an impressive permanent collection of 20th- and 21st-century sculpture as well as Greek and Roman antiquities. Five additional galleries host traveling exhibits ranging from the classics to some of the most prominent artists working today. At night, the building's exterior comes alive with colorful LED lights, a sight best viewed from the Curtis Hixon park.

This system is comprised of four day-hike trails that begin in Port Alsworth. They range from moderate to strenuous and offer up stunning vistas, waterfalls, beaver dams, mountainous summits, lava cliffs, and serene glacier waters. Moderate–Difficult.