102 Best Sights in USA

Dwarfed today by the Golden Gate Bridge, this brick fortress constructed between 1853 and 1861 was designed to protect San Francisco from a Civil War sea attack that never materialized. It was also used as a coastal-defense fortification post during World War II, when soldiers stood watch here. This National Historic Site is now a sprawling museum of military memorabilia. The building, which surrounds a lonely, windswept courtyard, has a gloomy air and is suitably atmospheric. It's usually chilly, too, so bring a jacket. The top floor affords a unique angle on the bay.

Take care when walking along the front side of the building, as it's slippery and the waves can have a dizzying effect.

The popular guided candlelight tours, available only in winter, book up in advance, so plan ahead. Twice a day on days that the site is open (Fridays and weekends), rangers provide short orientations to the site's history. And, a few days a year, the site holds a Living History Day complete with Civil War reenactments, including a look at the music and medicine of that 1800s era.

Visit this U.S. Army military history museum on a self-guided tour to learn the story of Fort Sam Houston from the late-19th century to the present. Exhibits describe the site's early days, with displays including old uniforms, firearms, vehicles, and personal papers. The museum is located in the Quadrangle, once an outdoor prison but now a site where dozens of peacocks, deer, ducks, and other wildlife roam freely. Fort Sam Houston is a National Historic Landmark. Note: Without a military ID, you will be directed to the visitor center to obtain a pass with a verifiable ID.

Fort Selden was established in 1865 to protect Mesilla Valley settlers and travelers. The adobe ruins at Fort Selden are arranged around a drill field. Several units of buffalo soldiers were stationed here. These were the acclaimed African-American cavalry troops noted for their bravery and crucial role in helping protect frontier settlers from Native American attacks and desperadoes. Native Americans thought the soldiers' hair resembled that of a buffalo and gave the regiments their name. Knowing the respect the Apaches held for the animals, the soldiers did not take offense. Buffalo soldiers were also stationed at Fort Bayard, near Silver City, and Fort Stanton, in Lincoln County, to shield miners and travelers from attacks by Apaches.

In the early 1880s Captain Arthur MacArthur was appointed post commander of Fort Selden. His young son spent several years on the post and grew up to become World War II hero General Douglas MacArthur. Exhibits in the visitor cover the fort's compelling history.

This 1856 fort and its several outbuildings are situated on 196 acres on the Yakama Indian Reservation in the town of White Swan. Particularly impressive is the commanding officers' quarters, which looks like a Victorian summer retreat and now contains a museum (open Saturday, April–October) with exhibits that focus on relations between the Yakama people and American settlers. The Military Days celebration in May features reenactments. Popular activities include bird-watching and picnicking.

The fort, built alongside Lake Champlain by the French (in 1755–58), was originally named Fort Carillon. It was captured by the British in 1759 and renamed Fort Ticonderoga. The colonists took over in 1775, but only until 1777, when the British managed to place cannons atop Mt. Defiance, which overlooks the fort. You may drive up to the summit of Mt. Defiance and take in the views of the fort, the valley, and Lake Champlain. The fort presents living-history demonstrations, including cannon drills, musket firings, and fife-and-drum performances in July and August. Permanent exhibits include weapons and Revolutionary War artifacts. Thirty-minute guided tours with costumed interpreters are available. The grounds also encompass several gardens (open daily 10–4 from June to Columbus Day).

The military post for which Fort Verde State Historic Park is named was built between 1871 and 1873 as the third of three fortifications in this part of the Arizona Territory. To protect the Verde Valley's farmers and miners from Tonto Apache and Yavapai raids, the fort's administrators oversaw the removal of nearly 1,500 Native Americans to the San Carlos and Fort Apache reservations. A museum details the history of the area's military installations, and three furnished officers' quarters show the day-to-day living conditions of the top brass. It's a good break from the interstate if you've been driving for too long.

Turned over to the National Park Service in 1994, this 226-acre historical military site on the Narrows of New York Harbor was on defense from the Revolutionary War to World War II. Today, it's the starting point of the New York Marathon each November, and makes for a relaxed summertime hangout, with views of Battery Weed and the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. Tours and events are ongoing but irregular, so make sure to check their website's calendar beforehand.

The 9,000-acre park includes four battlefields and four historic buildings. At the Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville visitor centers you can learn about the area's role in the Civil War by watching a 22-minute film ($2) and viewing displays of soldiers' art and battlefield relics. In season, park rangers lead walking tours. The centers offer recorded tours ($4.95 rental, $7.50 purchase) and maps showing how to reach the Chancellorsville battlefield (where General Stonewall Jackson was mistakenly shot by his own troops), and the Spotsylvania Court House battlefield—all within 15 miles of Fredericksburg.

Just outside the Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center is Sunken Road, where on December 13, 1862, the Confederates achieved a resounding victory over Union forces attacking across the Rappahannock (there were 18,000 casualties on both sides). Much of the stone wall that protected Lee's infantrymen is now a re-creation, but 100 yards from the visitor center, part of the original wall overlooks the statue The Angel of Marye's Heights by Felix de Weldon (sculptor of the famous Marine Corps War Memorial statue in Arlington). This memorial honors Sergeant Richard Kirkland, a South Carolinian who risked his life to bring water to wounded foes; he later died at the Battle of Chickamauga.

Stately clapboard homes stand against a mountain backdrop on the sloping parade grounds of Alaska's first U.S. Army post. As you enter you'll soon see the gallant, white-columned former commanding officer's quarters, now part of the Hotel Hälsingland. Circle the parade ground if you like, passing the other homes along Officers Row. On the parade ground's south side at Alaska Indian Arts, you can watch artists at work. The Haines Alaska Convention & Visitors Bureau has a walking-tour brochure of the fort.

You can view the exteriors of nearly 100 military aircraft dating from the early years of flight to the present at this impressive 30-acre indoor-outdoor museum at the north end of Hill Air Force Base, about 7 miles south of downtown Ogden. There are also missiles, military vehicles, munitions, uniforms, and thousands of other artifacts.

In 1864, the Confederacy's H. L. Hunley sank the Union warship USS Housatonic and became the world's first successful combat submarine. But moments after the attack, it disappeared mysteriously into the depths of the sea. Lost for more than a century, it was found in 1995 off the coast of Sullivan's Island and raised in 2000. The Hunley is now preserved in a 75,000-gallon tank, which you can see during an informative guided tour. An exhibit area includes artifacts excavated from the sub and interactive displays, including a model that kids will enjoy crawling inside. In downtown Charleston, there's also a full-size replica of the Hunley outside the Charleston Museum.

A Revolutionary War battle considered an important turning point was fought here on October 7, 1780. Colonial Tories were soundly defeated by ragtag patriot forces from the Southern Appalachians. Visitor center exhibits, dioramas, and an orientation film describe the action.

It was on this 2-acre triangle of land, commonly referred to as simply the "Battle Green," on April 19, 1775, that the first confrontation between British soldiers, who were marching from Boston toward Concord, and the Colonial militia known as the minutemen took place. The minutemen—so called because they were able to prepare themselves at a moment's notice—were led by Captain John Parker, whose role in the American Revolution is commemorated in Henry Hudson Kitson's renowned 1900 Minuteman statue. Facing downtown Lexington at the tip of the Battle Green, the statue is on a traffic island.

The original Magazine (1715), an octagonal brick warehouse, was used for storing arms and ammunition—at one time 60,000 pounds of gunpowder and 3,000 muskets. It was used for this purpose by the British and then by the Continental army. Today 18th-century firearms are on display within the arsenal. This is the largest collection of Colonial muskets in the country. Every able-bodied man in Colonial times was expected to have and maintain a musket in his home. Between the ages of 16 and 55 men were expected to be a part of the militia, the civilian army that could be called to arms in defense of hearth and home.

In the summer of 1864, Confederate general Jubal Early (who has perhaps the most memorable name in Civil War history), marched 15,000 troops toward Frederick in hopes of capturing the capital. At Monocacy Junction, a stop on the B&O Railroad, they encountered a force of Union soldiers about a third their size. Despite being outnumbered, the Union troops managed to stall the Rebels by burning a key bridge across the Monocacy River, thereby thwarting a takeover of Washington, D.C. Roam the fields surrounding the park with an audio tour, available in the visitor center, to better understand what's sometimes called "The battle that saved Washington, D.C." Recently, Monocacy has been making headlines for a major new discovery: National Park Service archeologists have uncovered the site of the largest known slave habitation site in the Mid-Atlantic region. The remains of several dwelling houses and artifacts dating back to the 1790s have been uncovered. The site is associated with L'Hermitage, a plantation established by French planters who came to Maryland from Saint-Domingue (known today as Haiti). By 1800, it was home to 90 enslaved laborers—the second largest slave population in Frederick County at the time, and among the largest in Maryland.

This museum at Robins Air Force Base has an extraordinary collection of 85 vintage aircraft and missiles, including a MiG, an SR-71 (Blackbird), a U-2, and assorted other flying machines from past campaigns. For a small fee, you can also take a ride on a virtual reality simulator as you navigate through outer space. The 51-acre campus also includes the Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame.

Those interested in the nation's Civil War past should make it a point to visit this innovative military museum that focuses on the Confederate navy and its influence on the U.S. Navy's subsequent development. Columbus's riverfront location made it a major player in river transport prior to and throughout the Civil War. Interactive exhibits tell the story of shipbuilding and major Civil War ship battles. You can even walk the decks of partially reconstructed Civil War ships and get a glimpse of what combat was like in a full-scale replica of the CSS Albermarle. The museum also boasts the largest collection of Civil War naval-related flags on display in the country.

Members of the "Greatest Generation" formed the famous World War II squadron called the Mighty Eighth in Savannah in 1942. Within a month, they answered the call to arms and shipped out to the United Kingdom as part of the Allied Forces. Flying in Royal Air Force planes, the Mighty Eighth was the largest Army Air Force unit during World War II and played a major role in defeating the Nazis. Exhibits at this museum begin with the prelude to World War II and the rise of Adolf Hitler, and continue through Desert Storm. You can see vintage aircraft, fly a simulated bombing mission with a B-17 crew, test your skills as a waist gunner, and view interviews with courageous World War II vets. The museum also has three theaters, a chapel, an art gallery, and a 7,000-volume library.

On the northern edge of the city, this naval station is an impressive sight, home to more than 200 navy aircraft, including the F/A-18 Tomcat (the type of plane flown by the Blue Angels) and other planes assigned to the aircraft carriers of the Atlantic Fleet. From an observation park on Oceana Boulevard at the POW/MIA Flame of Hope Memorial Park, near the runways, you can watch aircraft take off and land. Non–Defense Department visitors can access the base only on the Hampton Roads Transit summer-only tours (photo ID required) or during the annual air show in September. Tours depart at 9:30 am and 11:30 am from the 24th Street transit kiosk on Atlantic Avenue in Virginia Beach and stop at an aviation historical park with 13 aircraft.

At New Market, the Confederates had a victory during the late date of 1864. Inside the Hall of Valor, in the 260-acre New Market Battlefield Historical Park, a stained-glass window mosaic commemorates the battle, in which 257 Virginia Military Institute cadets, some as young as 15, were mobilized to improve the odds against superior Union numbers; in the end, 10 were killed. This circular building contains a chronology of the war, and a short film deals with Stonewall Jackson's legendary campaign in the Shenandoah Valley. A farmhouse that figured in the fighting still stands on the premises. The battle is reenacted at the park each May.

 The oldest standing fort in Georgia was garrisoned in the War of 1812 and was the Confederate headquarters for the river batteries. Surrounded by a tidal moat, the brick fort guards Five Fathom Hole, the 18th-century deep-water port in the Savannah River. Inside you'll see exhibits that highlight the life of a soldier in the 19th century. Blacksmithing demonstrations, traditional music programs, and battle reenactments—including live cannon and musket firings—are among the attractions.

The earliest part of the fort was built as a French castle in 1726, and the complex later played a critical role in the French and Indian War (1754–63). You can watch colorful displays of cannon and musket firings, historical reenactments, 18th-century military demonstrations, and take part in archaeological programs. The fort is inside Fort Niagara State Park, 15 mi north of Niagara Falls.

The expanded Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum, opened in 2021, has as its centerpiece the USS Bowfin, which launched one year to the day after the Pearl Harbor attack and which claimed to have sunk 44 enemy ships during World War II. Like the Arizona Memorial, the so-called Pearl Harbor Avenger commemorates the lost, but the mood here is lighter. Perhaps it's the childlike scale of the boat, a metal tube just 16 feet in diameter and packed with ladders, hatches, and other obstacles, like the naval version of a jungle gym.

Compartments aboard the vessel are fitted out as though "Sparky" is away from the radio room just for a moment and "Cooky" might be back to his pots and pans any minute. Among the intriguing artifacts is an oversize, vintage dive suit known as JAKE that is now in the gift shop window. A guided audio tour is included with admission to this privately operated museum. A snack bar is also on-site.

For safety reasons, children under four are not allowed aboard the submarine, though they can visit the museum. You can also purchase shuttle tickets to access the USS Oklahoma Memorial at the Bowfin's ticket counter, though you'll probably want to include that stop with a visit to the USS Missouri or the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, both of which are on Ford Island along with the sunken Oklahoma submarine.

On April 2, 1865, Union troops successfully attacked General Robert E. Lee's formerly impenetrable defense line, forcing Lee to abandon Petersburg. Today you are greeted by the 300-foot-long facade of the Battlefield Center, a concrete representation of the Confederate battle lines. Besides the center, which focuses on the April 2 battle, there's a 2-mile battle trail with 2,100 feet of 8-foot-high earthen fortifications, reconstructed soldier huts, and original picket posts. Also on the grounds is Tudor Hall, an 1812 plantation home that served as the 1864 headquarters for Confederate general Samuel McGowan. The National Museum of the Civil War Soldier on the grounds has interactive displays and nearly 700 artifacts. You can select an audio guide that includes the actual letters and diaries of a soldier. Allow at least two hours to visit the park and museum. Pamplin is an easy day trip from Richmond, located 30 miles south off Interstate 95, I–85 or U.S. 1.

Site of one of the Civil War's grimmest and most pivotal battles, Shiloh National Military Park is the resting place of almost 4,000 soldiers, many unidentified, in the national cemetery. A self-guided auto tour (about 2½ hours) leads you past markers explaining monuments and battle sites. The visitor center runs a 25-minute film explaining the battle's strategy and has a display of Civil War artifacts. To get to Shiloh from Memphis, head east from Memphis on U.S. 64, then 10 mi south on TN 22.

This is the only Revolutionary War battleground in Rockland County. A museum with exhibits and a slide show describes the battle, and reenactments in period costume are common. It is also the home of the oldest lighthouse on the Hudson River, built in 1826. Lighthouse tours are offered the first and third Saturday of the month, from April to October.

Here you’ll find exhibits dedicated to preserving and honoring the history of the military in Texas, from the inception of the Lone Star State's first militias to the modern war on terror. Heavy artillery, helicopters, uniforms, and tanks are on permanent display in the 45,000-square-foot museum that encourages a hands-on approach. Outdoor exhibits are on display throughout the Camp Mabry grounds and they host living history events, including exciting battle and World War II reenactments, on certain weekends throughout the year. Remember to bring your valid photo ID—you'll need it to get on the Camp Mabry grounds.

Now a National Historic Landmark, the Titan Missile Museum makes for a sobering visit. During the Cold War, Tucson was ringed by 18 of the 54 Titan II missiles maintained in the United States. After the SALT II treaty with the Soviet Union was signed in 1979, this was the only missile-launch site left intact.

Guided one-hour tours, which can be reserved in advance, take you down 55 steps into the command post, where a ground crew of four lived and waited. Among the sights is the 103-foot, 165-ton, two-stage liquid-fuel rocket. Now empty, it originally held a nuclear warhead with 214 times the explosive power of the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima.

Lincoln was first settled by Spanish settlers in the 1840s. The short, round Torreon fortress served as protection from Apache raids in those days; it came in handy during the Lincoln County War, too. Crews restored it in the 1930s.

On a beautiful hillside in Arlington, the Air Force Memorial honors the service and sacrifice of America's airmen. Three stainless-steel, asymmetrical spires slice through the skyline up to 270 feet, representing flight, the precision of the "high bomb burst" maneuver performed by the Air Force Thunderbirds, and the three core values of the Air Force: Integrity first, Service before self, and Excellence in all we do. The spires are adjacent to the southern portion of Arlington National Cemetery and visible from the Tidal Basin and Interstate 395 near Washington. At the base of the spires are four 8-foot statues standing guard, a glass wall engraved with the missing man formation, and granite walls inscribed with Air Force values and accomplishments.