239 Best Sights in USA

The base for the Chelan National Recreation Area and Wenatchee National Forest has an information desk and a shop selling regional maps and books.

The small but informative center is one of the better equipped, with interactive exhibits and a bookstore. An adjacent general store has camping supplies and basic groceries. There are nods to the wild, with natural resource and geology exhibits, a map of bear and mountain lion sightings, and a larger-than-life representation of a mountain lion. The center sponsors educational activities here and at the nearby Chisos Basin Amphitheater.

This is the logical first stop at Colonial Williamsburg. Here you can park free; buy tickets; see a 35-minute introductory movie, Williamsburg—the Story of a Patriot; and pick up This Week, which has a list of regular events and special programs and a map of the historic area. Tickets are also sold at the Lumber House in the historic area, though you'll get a better price if you buy in advance from the Historic Williamsburg website.

At this useful center near the shore of Jackson Lake, a small display shows off items from the park's collection of Native American artifacts. In summer, rangers lead daily hikes, including to Swan Lake, from here. Nightly ranger talks on various topics are also offered, and the center frequently hosts Native American storytellers and artists from around the country who display and sell their works.

Situated in the community of Copper Center near the town of Glennallen and 87 miles south of Slana (gateway for the Nabesna Road) and 52 miles north of Chitina (gateway for the McCarthy Road), the main visitor center is an excellent place to learn about the park's geography and natural and cultural history. The complex includes an exhibit hall, a theater and amphitheater, and the Ahtna Cultural Center, with displays on the region's Native peoples. It also has a bookstore that sells crafts as well as a good selection of titles by local authors, restrooms, a picnic shelter, and tables. It's open daily from 9 to 5 between May and September (exact opening and closing dates vary).

The field station, part of a Cornell University extension program, encompasses more than 200 forested acres, a greenhouse, and orchards. An exhibit here explains how maple syrup is made. You may buy some syrup to take home with you. Tours are available by appointment and are recommended during the production season, February through April. The station is also sometimes open on weekends in March and April.

This strikingly designed 22,000-square-foot contemporary building contains interactive and interpretive exhibits dedicated to themes of preservation, mountaineering, and local wildlife. There's also a massive raised relief map of the park so you can get your bearings and see the park from a bird's-eye view. Don't forget to check out the theater, where you can catch a complimentary screening of a 24-minute film titled Grand Teton National Park: Life on the Edge, or the newer film, Animal Trails: Rediscovering Grand Teton Migrations.

The headquarters of RSNP is the main information stop if you're approaching from the north. Located downtown, the center also has a gift shop and picnic area.

The Crooked Creek Ranger Station, past the south entrance of the park in Wyoming, is open during the summer and offers information as well as restrooms.

In addition to finding out what's up in Delta Junction, you can purchase an "I Drove the Alaska Highway" certificate ($3) here—technically, the highway ends in Delta because there was already a road this far from Fairbanks. Across the street is the Sullivan Roadhouse Historical Museum (ask about hours at the visitor center, but it's generally open June through August). If you're in town on a Wednesday or Saturday between mid-May and early September, check out the wonderfully named Highway's End Farmers Market, open both days from 10 to 5.

Open from mid-May through late September, the center lies 1.5 miles beyond the park's entrance and includes two floors of interpretive exhibits detailing the park's natural and cultural history along with several life-size representations of the park's largest animals. A theater on the main floor plays the 20-minute film The Heartbeats of Denali twice an hour. The center is the starting point for most ranger-led hikes and several other trails you can explore independently. This is also the place to get backcountry camping permits (permits aren't necessary for day hikes). Nearby facilities include the railroad and bus depots, the Morino Grill, and the Alaska Geographic bookstore. There are no real attractions here in the park's historic district, but several footpaths allow you to admire the architecture of structures built as early as 1926. The sled dog kennels are the biggest draw, and multiple presentations are held there throughout the day.

Near the Desert View Watchtower, this nonprofit Grand Canyon Association store and information center has a nice selection of books, park pamphlets, gifts, and educational materials. It's also a handy place to pick up maps and info if you enter the park at the eastern entrance. All sales from the Association stores go to support park programs.

Explore nature-oriented exhibits and a large topographical map of the park. Pick up a Junior Ranger activity booklet for kids ages 7 to 12 to complete to be sworn in as a Junior Ranger and earn a badge. Savor the views from a west-facing landing behind the visitor center that attracts plein air painters on clear days when you can see for miles. Restrooms are located in a separate building adjacent to the visitor center.

With a helpful staff who can advise you on making the most of your time in Dog Canyon, this small ranger station acts as a gateway to the vast, dramatic high country in the remote northern section of the park.

Housed in a rustic log cabin, the center has a sod roof festooned with huge hanging baskets of flowers. Anchorage is a major stopping point for cargo jets en route to Asia, and a signpost out front marks the mileage to many international destinations. After a stop in the cabin, step out the back door to the more spacious visitor center stocked with brochures.

Eagle River Road leads 12 miles into the mountains from the bedroom community of Eagle River. The nature center, at the end of the road, has wildlife displays, telescopes for wildlife spotting, and 9 miles of hiking trails. Volunteers are on hand to answer questions, lead hikes, and host naturalist programs. A cabin that sleeps eight and a pair of yurts (round insulated tents) that sleep four and six are available to rent ($65 per night). A 1½-mile hike in is required. Amenities include wood stoves, firewood, and outdoor latrines. The center is also the trail end for the Crow Pass Trail, a 26-mile section of the Iditarod National Historic Trail that starts in Girdwood.

If you're even thinking of heading into the wilderness, the headquarters of the 2.5-million-acre Yukon–Charley Rivers National Preserve should be your first stop. Informal interpretive programs and talks take place here, and there are videos you can watch to prepare. You can also peruse maps and visit the reference library, and there are helpful books for sale.

The park's main visitor center is named after the Connecticut landscape designer, Ernest F. Coe, who moved to Miami at the age of 60 where he was at first intrigued by, and then fell in love with, the Everglades. It was Coe who became the leading proponent to turn this region into a national park; he raised funds, generated support, and worked out ways visitors could see the Everglades with minimal impact on the environment. This is a convenient first stop to pick up a map, watch an introductory film providing an overview of the Everglades, and view exhibits that reveal the nature of the park.

The visitor center is outside park gates, so you can stop in without paying park admission (and use the restrooms). Also, due to the remoteness of this location, visitors arriving via ride-sharing services (Uber, Lyft) should plan for return transportation before starting their adventure. There's no public transportation to this site.

Open daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day, the center includes a bookstore, exhibits of topographical maps, stories of explorers and adventurers, and geological and glaciological artifacts. The center is ADA compatible and has rangers on staff to answer questions and guide short tours of the immediate area.

The Discovery Room, which houses everything from old ranger outfits to elk antlers, coyote pelts, and bighorn sheep skulls for hands-on exploration, is a favorite with kids at this visitor center.

This visitor center is a great starting point for exploring this revitalized waterfront neighborhood. Be sure to take awalking tour brochure from the gift shop. Tours depart from here on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (May–October) and focus on topics such as ghosts, the War of 1812, maritime history, immigration, slavery, and Frederick Douglass's tenure in Fells Point. One wall showcases a small exhibit outlining the history of Fells Point and its founding family.

Formerly known as the Savannah LGBT Center, this nexus of activism, health services, and community events is a friendly, safe space for queer folk and allies. Check in for revolving art exhibits, special lectures, and guidance toward local resources.

If you can't distinguish between a Clark's nutcracker and an ermine (one's a bird, the other a weasel), check out the exhibits about the park's smaller wildlife at this distinctive stone-and-log building, built in 1931. Step out the back door to find yourself on one of the beautiful black obsidian beaches of Yellowstone Lake. Adjacent is one of the park's larger amphitheaters. Ranger presentations take place here nightly in summer.

This small seasonal visitor center with exhibits on John D. Rockefeller and the region's natural history is the first place you'll come to if driving south from Yellowstone. It's in the same village as Headwaters Lodge, along with a convenience store, restaurant, and gas station.

Flamingo features a visitor center where you can consult with rangers and join walking tours, and it's also where you'll find a well-stocked marina store with beverages, snacks, camping provisions, and a gift shop. There are also boat rentals, guided boat tours, walking trails, an RV and tent campground, and a collection of "eco-tents" on the shores of Florida Bay that lean toward "glamping." The winter season is traditionally the busiest, so be sure to arrive with reservations in hand, while during the hot and rainy summer season, portions of the campground may be closed due to flooding. 

Soak up Hot Springs’ rich history on a free, self-guided tour of the largest and most opulent bathhouse on Bathhouse Row. The Fordyce, which operated from 1915 to 1962, is now the park's visitor center and museum, where you can pick up trail maps, speak with helpful park employees, and get an insightful glimpse into the Golden Age of bathing. Extensively restored, the Fordyce features marble throughout, beautiful stained-glass ceilings, period rooms, and hydrotherapy equipment dating from the early 20th century. A 15-minute video in the first-floor theater covers area history. Audio devices for people of low vision or blindness are available for interpreting exhibit hall panels on the first and second floors.

The 18,000-square-foot Fort Peck Interpretive Center features interpretive displays recounting the history and significance of the dam's construction, and the wildlife of the lower river and Missouri River Breaks. You'll find one of the most striking life-size dinosaur displays in the West, a reproduction of Peck's Rex, a Tyrannosaurus rex unearthed near Fort Peck, as well as other local dinosaur discoveries. The center also features the largest aquariums in Montana, filled with the native and introduced fish species of Fort Peck Reservoir and the Missouri River. Guided tours of the dam and its power plants are available April through October.

After more than three decades in a previous location, a new Frederick Visitor Center is expected to open in early 2011 near the new I–70 interchange on East Street. The Tourism Council of Frederick County is renovating the circa-1899 industrial warehouse; as of this writing, construction was well underway. In addition to maps, brochures, and displays highlighting regional attractions and amenities, the new center will boast a 2,200-square foot exhibit area, an orientation film about Frederick County, and expanded restroom facilities. Guided 90-minute walking tours will leave from the center on weekends (Saturday at 11 am; Sunday at 1:30 pm), from May through October.

Beyond the usual booklets, pamphlets, and maps, this visitor center offers a money-saving pass to city attractions ($32 for entry to nine sights including Washington's boyhood home, more than a 40% discount over individual admission prices). Before your tour, you may want to see the center's 10-minute orientation slide show. The center building itself was constructed in 1824 as a residence and confectionery; during the Civil War it was used as a prison.

The Gates Foundation has lofty goals, and across the street from Seattle Center you can witness its plans in action. Thought-provoking exhibits show how the foundation is working globally to combat problems related to health, poverty, and climate change. Interactive features encourage visitors (especially kids) to come up with their own solutions.