10457 Best Sights in USA

Wright designed and built his first home in 1889, on the strength of a $5,000 loan from his then employer and mentor, seminal Chicago architect Louis Sullivan. Only 22 at the time, he would continually remodel the modest dwelling over the next two decades, so a visit here provides a unique look into the architect's developing ideas. This is where Wright's nascent architectural philosophy first bloomed; the house was intended not only to hold his rapidly growing family, but also to showcase his then-revolutionary notions. It combines elements of the 19th-century Shingle Style with subtle innovations that stamp its originality.

Wright established his own practice in 1893 and added a studio to the house in 1898. In 1909, he spread his innovative designs across the United States and abroad (at this time he also abandoned his wife and six children for the wife of a client). He sold his home and studio in 1925, which was later turned into apartments that eventually fell into disrepair. In 1974, a group of local citizens calling itself the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio Foundation, together with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, embarked on a 13-year restoration that returned the building to its 1909 appearance. Today, Wright's Oak Park home and studio are owned by the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust.

Wright's home, made of brick and dark shingles, is filled with earth-toned spaces. The architect's determination to create an integrated environment prompted him to design the natural wood furniture as well—though his apparent lack of regard for comfort is often the subject of commentary. The lead windows have colored-glass designs, and several rooms have skylights or other indirect lighting. A spacious barrel-vaulted playroom on the second floor includes a hidden piano for the children's theatrical productions. The adjacent studio is made up of four spaces—an office, a large reception room, an octagonal library, and an octagonal drafting room that uses a chain harness system rather than traditional beams to support its balcony, roof, and walls.

To see the interior, you must take one of the small-group tours, led by well-informed guides who discuss the architecture, point out artifacts from the family's life, and tell amusing stories about the rambunctious Wright clan. Reservations are advised: without one, you'll need to arrive as early as possible to snag a spot—not later than early afternoon to make the last tour on any given day. Tours begin at the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio Museum Shop, which carries architecture-related books and gifts. You can pick up a map noting other examples of Wright's work that are within easy walking or driving distance; guided tours and self-guided audio ones of the neighborhood are also available.

The annual Wright Plus Architectural Housewalk on the third Saturday in May offers interior tours of private homes designed by Wright and his contemporaries in Oak Park and other nearby villages.

The birthplace and home of the country's 32nd president, Springwood is just as it was when the Roosevelts lived here. It contains family furnishings and keepsakes, and Franklin, Eleanor, and their beloved dog Fala are buried in the wonderful rose garden. At the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library and Museum, photographs, letters, speeches, and memorabilia document FDR's life; a multimedia exhibit examines World War II. The first of the presidential libraries, the building was designed by Roosevelt himself.

You're greeted by a giant octopus constructed of recovered plastic trash at this hidden gem in a 1920s beach cottage on the southern cusp of Ocean Boulevard. The museum has a permanent collection of surf-, coastal-, and wildlife-themed works, plus an ever-changing eclectic array of sculptures and paintings that will open your eyes to the art community that thrives on the Grand Strand.

Founded in 1824 to honor Benjamin Franklin, this large science museum is as clever as its namesake, thanks to many dazzling hands-on exhibits. Visitors of all ages can experience everything from sitting in the cockpit of a T-33 jet trainer to walking through an enormous artificial heart (15,000 times life-size). To optimize your time, study the daily schedule of science demonstrations and events online before visiting. Also check special exhibitions such as a major traveling show premiering in early 2026 that will look at the creativity of Universal Destinations and Experiences' theme parks. Don't miss the 30-ton white-marble statue of Franklin; you can see the likeness (and an accompanying 3½-minute multimedia presentation) without paying admission. Weekday afternoons are less busy. 

The Franklin Air Show celebrates powered flight with the Wright Model B Flyer and has virtual reality flight simulator experiences. Wondrous Space examines everything from gravity and asteroids to space careers and possible life beyond Earth. The SportsZone conveys the physics, physiology, and material science behind your favorite sport by simulating surfing, testing your reaction time, and more. Shows in the Fels Planetarium (one show included in general admission) focus on the stars, space exploration, comets, and other phenomena. Open seasonally, the outdoor Science Park has play equipment and picnic tables.

Established several miles south of Yakima in 2018 by a team of wine-loving architects, this stunning modern tasting room set on a hill with clear Mt. Adams views produces accessible Pinot Gris, Syrah, and several other balanced wines. The kitchen serves tasty flatbread pizzas and other wine-friendly fare, and the winery offers overnight stays in a couple of guest homes and a restored vintage Airstream. 

Tokyo-born winemaker Akiko Freeman and her businessman husband Ken produce cool-climate Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs critics hail for their grace and personality. Private tastings of these sensitively crafted wines usually unfold in the couple's ivy-covered cave, down a country lane 4 miles from downtown Sebastopol. The fruit comes from two estate vineyards and a few cherished Sonoma Coast sources; Freeman describes herself as an interpreter of these sites and a given vintage. The year's best lots go into the Akiko's Cuvée Pinot Noir. A pretty good barometer of how things played out, the blend concludes most sessions.  It’s best to make a reservation here.

Texans take great pride in their state history, particularly the period between 1836 and 1845 when Texas was an independent country. During the Republic of Texas era, many foreign diplomats traveled to Austin, including the French chargé d'affaires, sent to assess the new sovereign nation. He resided in this French-Creole-Greek-Revival–style house, now a state historic site just east of I–35, often referred to as the "old French embassy." It remains the oldest home in Austin (established 1841) in its original location and still boasts a protected corridor view of the Texas Capitol amid its high-rise surroundings. The small house museum is open for tours, which also tell the history of the surrounding Robertson Hill's freedman community. The 2-acre grounds, free and open to the public, are beautifully manicured with native gardens and sloping, grassy fields. Special events are hosted throughout the year, including vintage markets, Bastille Day celebrations, front porch concert series, and SXSW showcases. We suggest grabbing a picnic lunch from nearby East 11th Street (Paperboy and Franklin Barbecue are a five-minute walk) and enjoying it under the shady oak trees of this historic hidden gem.

The sounds, colors, and smells here are alluring: ships' horns on the river, street performers, pralines, muffulettas, sugarcane, and Creole tomatoes. Originally a Native American trading post and later a bustling open-air market under the French and Spanish, the French Market historically began at the present-day Café du Monde and stretched along Decatur and North Peters streets all the way to the downtown edge of the Quarter. Today, the market's graceful arcades have been mostly enclosed and filled with shops, trinket stands, and eateries, and the farmers' market has been pushed several blocks downriver, under sheds built in the 1930s as part of a Works Progress Administration project. Latrobe Park, a small recreational area at the uptown end of the French Market, honors Benjamin Latrobe, designer of the city's first waterworks. An evocative modern fountain marks the spot where Latrobe's steam-powered pumps once stood. Sunken seating, fountains, and greenery make this a lovely place to relax with a drink from one of the nearby kiosks.

With its grassy, tree-shaded grounds, you could almost imagine this handsome and peaceful little 1876 ranch house somewhere other than the harsh Chihuahuan Desert. Inside what's believed to be the region's oldest intact structure, displays and photographs depict ranch life and early park history. Easy, family-friendly hiking trails lead to wildlife oases at Manzanita Spring and Smith Spring. The museum is staffed by volunteers, so hours are sporadic—check with the visitor center if you wish to go inside. Still, it's interesting just to explore the ranch grounds and outbuildings, orchard, and still-functioning irrigation system.

Nashville has a unique and active arts community, and the city's main art museum reflects that. Instead of focusing on a beefy permanent collection like Atlanta's High Museum, The Frist, which opened in 2001, aims to expose the city's inhabitants and visitors to as many different and disparate artists, mediums, and movements as possible, with multiple rotating exhibitions from the masters of antiquity to modernists. Depending on when you're in town, you can catch anything from an extensive focus on a single artist to an exploration of Impressionism. Visitors can dine in The Frist's alfresco café after perusing thought-provoking exhibitions in the 1930s art deco building that once served as a post office. The historic building is a work of art in and of itself, so build in some time to linger or drop by on a Saturday for an architecture tour. 

The tour at eco-friendly Frog's Leap is a fun way to enhance your wine education. Conducted by hosts with a sense of humor, the tour stops by a barn built in 1884, an acre of organic gardens, and a frog pond topped with lily pads. The winery produced its first vintage, Sauvignon Blanc and Zinfandel, in 1981, adding Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon the following year. Merlot, Petite Sirah, and the Heritage Blend of classic Napa Valley varietals, including Charbono and Valdiguié, are among the other reds these days. It’s best to make a reservation, but walk-ins are sometimes accommodated. The tour is recommended, but you can forgo it and taste under an arbor in the Garden Bar.

In Ninigret Park but independently operated by a nonprofit, the observatory offers the state's best views of the night sky. Frosty Drew opens every Friday around sunset for stargazing and stays open until 10 pm or later if the skies are clear and visitors keep coming. It's also open on nights when meteor showers and other astronomical events are forecast. On cloudy nights, astronomers give presentations and offer tours. The place isn't heated, so dress for the season.

In Norway's dandy boat-ride homage to the popular Frozen film, you pile into a 16-passenger, dragon-headed longboat for a dark-ride voyage around Arendelle. The familiar form of Olaf welcomes you as you enter the frozen willow forest and head to Queen Elsa's ice palace, meeting up with Anna and many familiar Frozen characters along the way and hearing the popular songs from the film. The animated figures are amazing, featuring Disney's first all-electric Audio-Animatronics, allowing much more fluid and graceful movement and utilizing projection-mapped faces, which make the figures look exactly like their animated counterparts. For fans who miss the Maelstrom ride, which this attraction replaced, keep a sharp eye open for Easter eggs that remain, particularly in the castle finale. For people with disabilities: You must step down into and up out of a boat to ride. Equipped with reflective captioning and for assisted-listening, audio-description, or handheld-captioning devices. Lines here can be long and slow moving. If this is a must-see with kids under 7, try to head here first thing in the morning.

Either by car or bicycle, tour the quiet country highways of Hood River Valley, which abounds with fruit stands, U-pick berry farms, wineries, and cideries. You can visit nearly 30 businesses along this picturesque, pastoral 35-mile route. Shop for juicy apples, pears, cherries, and peaches fertilized by volcanic soil, pure glacier water, and a conducive harvesting climate. And visit superb wineries and cider houses with sunny patios for tasting, as well as vendors of delicious baked goods, honeys and jams, fresh flowers, and fragrant lavender. While on the loop, consider stopping in the small town of Parkdale for lunch at Apple Valley BBQ, to taste beer at Solera Brewery, and to snap a photo of Mt. Hood's north face.

Once a month from March through November, the park offers ranger-led full-moon hikes along the Dune Life Nature Trail. These nocturnal adventures are fun for the whole family and show the landscape in a fascinating, luminous perspective. Tickets are required and can be purchased online for $8. They are available exactly two months ahead and sell out almost immediately. 

Arthur Shurtleff, a noted landscape architect from Boston, designed this late-1920s estate garden in the Colonial Revival style. In a gracious seaside residential neighborhood a couple of miles south of Jenness Beach, this peaceful little botanical gem encompasses 1,700 rosebushes, hosta and Japanese gardens, and a tropical conservatory.

Here, exhibits, artifacts, a 20-minute film, and live presentations on cultural and natural history provide a broad overview of how Death Valley formed. This is also the place to find out about ranger programs (available November through April) and pick up free Junior Ranger booklets—packed with games and info on the park and its critters—for the kids. In addition, you can purchase maps at the bookstore run by the Death Valley Natural History Association. There are water filling stations outside the restrooms.

The rare books and photography here include works from local artists like Josephine Sacabo and Richard Sexton; luminaries such as E. J. Bellocq, Ansel Adams, and Henri Cartier-Bresson; and contemporary giants, including Annie Leibovitz, Walker Evans, Helmut Newton, and Herman Leonard. Hours vary, so call ahead before visiting.

You could lose yourself for a couple of hours browsing the three floors of light-filled galleries within downtown's imposing 1889 Stewart Building. This community art center buzzes with creative energy, as artists often work on-site. Rotating exhibits showcase the area's considerable diversity of artistic talent, and there's a fantastic gift shop. Be sure to check out the top floor, which preserves many of the building's most striking Victorian architectural elements.

At Galleta Meadows, camels, llamas, saber-toothed tigers, tortoises, and monumental gomphotherium (a sort of ancient elephant) appear to roam the Earth again. These life-size bronze figures are of prehistoric animals whose fossils can be found in the Borrego Badlands. The collection of more than 130 sculptures, created by Ricardo Breceda, was commissioned by the late Dennis Avery, who installed the works of art on property he owned for the entertainment of locals and visitors. Maps are available from Borrego Springs Chamber of Commerce.

Unlike most of his neighbors, third-generation farmer Tom Gamble doesn't trumpet his boutique winery's tasting room with a sign along St. Helena Highway. When confirming guests' (required) appointments, the concierges describe the mailbox to look for. The low-key branding is among the clues that a visit here is less about flash and more about substance. Gamble, whose family settled in Oakville more than a century ago, sells grapes to A-list wineries, reserving a portion for wines that include collector-quality single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons, a Bordeaux-style red blend, a Bordeaux-style white blend, and a Sauvignon Blanc. Hosts pour these wines in a farmhouse and the winery barn. The amiable Gamble often drops by tastings to say hi.

During private tastings at this 100-acre property, you may find yourself swept away by husband-and-wife Justin Miller and Karin Wärnelius-Miller's passion for their land and determination to craft collector-worthy wines. Justin grew up on the ranch, which his father purchased in 1963; Karin emigrated from Sweden with her parents, who owned vineyards and a winery nearby. Chardonnay, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne, and the rare-in-California Scheurebe are among the white grapes grown here. Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux varietals go into the flagship Tesserae red blend. Justin and Karin jointly make their small label's wines, only releasing the red after eight years in bottle.  Visit the winery’s website and join the mailing list to schedule a tasting, which includes a vineyard tour.

Just beyond mile marker 10, the Garden of Eden Arboretum offers interpretive trails through 26 manicured acres. Anyone with a green thumb will appreciate the care and attention given to the more than 500 varieties of tropical plants—many of them native. Trails also lead to views of the lovely Puohokamoa Falls and provide a glimpse into the botanical wonders that thrive in this lush region. Be sure to stop by the gift shop on the way out to shop for items made by local artisans and to hang out with the ducks and peacocks. Avoid lines and crowds by visiting when the garden first opens (around 8 am) or after 2 pm (closing time isn't until 4).

Escape winter's cold or revel in summer sunshine inside this huge "landscape art under glass" structure, which houses tropical palms, spiny cacti, and showy blooms. A children's garden has climbable leaf sculptures and a tube slide that winds through trees. The Sugar from the Sun exhibit focuses on the elements of photosynthesis—sunlight, air, water, and sugar—in a full-sensory environment filled with spewing steam, trickling water, and chirping sounds. Don't miss the historic Jens Jensen–designed Fern Room with its lagoon, waterfalls, and profusion of ferns. On-site events include botanical-themed fashion shows, seasonal flower shows, and great educational programing.

Part of the fun of this dramatic 3.4-mile round-trip scramble to a rocky summit with dazzling lake views is that the hike begins and ends along the paved walkway by Crater Lake Lodge. Keep an eye out for pikas and marmots near the summit, and when you finish, congratulate your efforts after making this nearly 1,000-foot ascent by celebrating with a drink on the terrace of the lodge. Difficult.

A lengthy driveway curves a steep hill to this winery with knockout Russian River Valley views. The namesake founder departed two decades ago, but successive winemakers have crafted the Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs in similar ways, picking early to preserve acidity and focusing on "expressing the site" or appellation. The Elevation Tasting of single-vineyard wines provides a good introduction; other tastings in the two-tiered tasting room or on its exterior terrace involve a winery tour or library wines. Visits are by appointment; same-day reservations are possible on weekdays, but call ahead.

A ride to the top of the 630-foot arch, designed by architect Eero Saarinen, is a must. The centerpiece of the 91-acre Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Park, the arch was built in 1965 to commemorate the city where thousands of 19th-century pioneers stopped for provisions before traveling west. A tram takes visitors up one of the Arch's legs to a top-of-the-arch observation room with a terrific view of the city and the Mississippi. On windy days visitors can feel the Arch sway while at the top. Beneath the Arch is the underground visitor center and the Museum of Westward Expansion.