10451 Best Sights in USA

The publicity that surrounded the official opening of Kartchner Caverns in 1999 was in marked contrast to the secrecy that shrouded their discovery 25 years earlier and concealed their existence for 14 years. The two young spelunkers, Gary Tenen and Randy Tufts, who stumbled into what is now considered one of the most spectacular cave systems anywhere, played a fundamental role in its protection and eventual development. Great precautions have been taken to protect the wet-cave system—which comprises 13,000 feet of passages and two chambers as long as football fields—from damage by light and dryness.

The Discovery Center introduces visitors to the cave and its formations, and guided Rotunda/Throne Room tours take small groups into the upper cave. Spectacular formations include the longest soda straw stalactite in the United States at 21 feet and 2 inches. The Big Room is viewed on a separate tour for ages seven and up: it holds the world's most extensive formation of brushite moonmilk, the first reported occurrence of turnip shields, and the first noted occurrence of birdsnest needle formations. Other funky and fabulous formations include brilliant red flowstone, rippling multihued stalactites, delicate white helictites, translucent orange bacon, and expansive mudflats. It's also the nursery roost for female cave myotis bats from mid-April through mid-October, during which time this lower cave is closed.

The total cavern size is 2.4 miles long, but the explored areas cover only 1,600 feet by 1,100 feet. The average relative humidity inside is 99%, so visitors are often graced with "cave kisses," water droplets from above. Because the climate outside the caves is so dry, it is estimated that if air got inside, it could deplete the moisture in only a few days, halting the growth of the speleothems that decorate its walls. To prevent this, there are 22 environmental monitoring stations that measure air and soil temperature, relative humidity, evaporation rates, air trace gases, and airflow inside the caverns.

Tour reservations are strongly recommended, especially during winter months. If you're here and didn't make a reservation, go ahead and check: sometimes same-day reservations are available (call or arrive early in the day for these).

Hiking trails, picnic areas, and campsites are available on the park's 550 acres, and the Cave Café, open daily, serves pizza, hot dogs, salads, and sandwiches.

Volcanic tent-shaped hoodoos and narrow slot canyons are the hallmarks of this enchanted landscape accessed from Interstate 25 between Albuquerque and Santa Fe. The national monument was established in 2001 and is managed in cooperation with Cochiti Pueblo, whose residents have called the area Kasha-Katuwe for centuries. The sandstone rock formations here are a visual marvel, resembling stacked tents in a stark, water- and wind-eroded box canyon. Tent Rocks offers superb hiking year-round, although it can get hot in summer, when you should bring extra water. The drive to this magical landscape offers its own delights, as the road from Interstate 25 heads west toward Cochiti Dam and through the cottonwood groves around the pueblo. It's a good hike for kids. Just 2 miles round-trip, hiking Tent Rock takes only about 1½ leisurely hours, but it's the kind of place where you'll want to hang out for a while. Take a camera, but leave your pets at home—no dogs are allowed. There are no facilities here, just a small parking area with a posted trail map and a self-pay admission box; you can get gas and pick up picnic supplies and bottled water (along with some locally made Pueblo items) at Pueblo de Cochiti Convenience Store, a few miles up the road. Note that as of fall 2023, the national monument remained closed to visitors following the COVID-19 pandemic, but plans are under way to reopen the property through a day-use reservation system (to discourage over-crowding); check the website for the latest updates.

The Kate, as the Center is generally known, is an intimate, 250-seat theater in the Old Saybrook Town Hall building on the historic town green. The Kate presents a full calendar of concerts, dance, drama, opera, comedy, films (including some classic Hepburn films), and children's theater. (Some performances are broadcast on PBS TV in the national series, "The Kate.") In addition to the performances and presentations, a small museum displays memorabilia and reminiscences about Katharine Hepburn's life and career. She was a resident of Old Saybrook from 1912 (age five) until her death in 2003.

This 450-acre, oceanfront city park and campground just north of Atlantic Beach is beloved by surfers, swimmers, campers, hikers, and especially cyclists, who regularly hit the many off-road trails that range from novice level right up to those named Grunt and Misery. You can rent canoes, kayaks, or paddleboats to go out on the 60-acre freshwater lake. The Kids Splash Park is open April through October, and younger kids delight in the lakefront playground. There are restrooms, picnic areas, and grills throughout, and, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, lifeguards supervise all water activities. Camping is available for tents and RVs, and there are cabins to rent. The popular Dolphin Plaza offers a unique venue for weddings and other special events.

Two restored camp houses, dating from the days when sugar was the main agricultural crop on the Islands, have been converted into a museum, visitor center, snack bar, and gift shop. About 3,100 acres of McBryde sugar land have become Hawaii's largest coffee plantation, with its 4 million trees producing more than half of the state's beans. You can walk among the trees; view old grinders and roasters; watch a video to learn how coffee is grown, harvested, and processed; sample various estate roasts; and check out the gift store.

The center offers free self-guided tours through a small coffee grove (about 20 minutes); a personalized one-hour "Coffee on the Brain" tour for $25; and a "seed-to-cup" farm tour in an open-air truck for $45. From Kalaheo, take Route 50 in the direction of Waimea Canyon (west) and veer left onto Route 540. It's 2½ miles from the Route 50 turnoff.

Maintaining a stately presence on Rice Street, the historical museum building is easy to find and features a permanent display, "The Story of Kauai," that provides a competent overview of the Garden Island and Niihau. Local artists are represented in changing exhibits in the second-floor Mezzanine Gallery. Weekly cultural classes on hula, lei making, and other topics are offered. The gift shop alone is worth a visit, with a fine collection of authentic Niihau shell lei, hand-turned wooden bowls, reference books, and other quality arts, crafts, and gifts—many of them locally made.

In the heart of an upscale, contemporary planned community in Ivins, not far from Tuacahn Center for the Arts and Snow Canyon State Park, this beautifully situated arts colony contains several of southern Utah's top galleries, including Gallery 873, known for jewelry and ceramics; Kayenta Desert Arboretum & Desert Rose Labyrinth and Sculpture Gardens, which visitors can freely stroll through; Zia Pottery Studio, a co-op operated by talented local potters; and several others. Set against a red rock landscape, it's an enchanting neighborhood to stroll through, especially during the Art in Kayenta outdoor festival in mid-October. Also check to see what's on at the Center for the Arts at Kayenta—which presents lectures, movies, theater, and concerts—or grab a bite at the excellent Xetava Café or the expansion Xetava Bar & Kitchen, which opened in 2023.

Running from the southern end of Lydgate Park north to Donkey Beach, just south of Anahola, this 8-mile seaside path is a favorite of visitors and locals alike. Sea breezes, gorgeous ocean views, smooth pavement, and friendly smiles from everyone as they bike, walk, skate, and run add to the pleasures of the trail. The path has many entry points from public beaches and private resorts, with some bike shops just off the trail.

This preternatural plateau is scattered with boulders of different sizes, shapes, and colors, the products of a million years of wind erosion. Time your visit for sunset, when the rocks begin to glow—from rich red to purple—and the fiery globe sinks to the horizon. Magnificent views of the Pacific Ocean, Molokai, and, on clear days, Oahu, provide the perfect backdrop for photographs.

The ancient Hawaiians shunned Lanai for hundreds of years, believing the island was the inviolable home of spirits. Standing beside the oxide-red rock spires of this strange raw landscape, you might be tempted to believe the same. This lunar savanna still has a decidedly eerie edge, but the shadows disappearing on the horizon are those of mouflon sheep and axis deer, not the fearsome spirits of lore. According to tradition, Kawelo, a Hawaiian priest, kept a perpetual fire burning on an altar here, in sight of the island of Molokai. As long as the fire burned, prosperity was assured for the people of Lanai. Kawelo was killed by a rival priest on Molokai, and the fire went out. "Keahiakawelo" means the "fire of Kawelo." 

Everyone loves Keawakapu, with its long stretch of golden sand, near-perfect swimming, and views of Puu Olai cinder cone. It's great fun to walk or jog this beach south into Wailea, as it's lined with over-the-top residences. It's best here in the morning—the winds pick up in the afternoon (beware of sandstorms). Keawakapu has three entrances: one is at the Mana Kai Maui resort (look for the blue "Shoreline Access" sign); the second is directly across from the parking lot on Kilohana Street (the entrance is unmarked); and the third is at the dead end of Kihei Road. Toilets are portable. Amenities: parking (no fee); showers; toilets. Best for: sunset; swimming; walking.

Highway 560 on the North Shore literally dead-ends at this beach, pronounced kay-eh, which is also the start of the challenging, permit-required 11-mile Kalalau Trail on Napali Coast and a culturally significant area to Native Hawaiians, who still use an ancient heiau (a stone platform used as a place of worship) dedicated to hula. (It's not appropriate to hang out on the platform or leave offerings there; stay at a respectful distance.) The setting is gorgeous, with Makana (a prominent peak that Hollywood dubbed "Bali Hai" in the blockbuster musical South Pacific) imposing itself on the lovely coastline and lots of lush tropical vegetation.

The small beach is protected by a reef—except during high surf—creating a small sandy-bottom lagoon that's a popular snorkeling spot. There can be a strong current in winter. A mandatory permit system limits guests and prevents overcrowding. Unless you are a Hawaii resident with identification, you must reserve a spot online (reservations open 30 days prior); the prized spaces sell out weeks in advance. Alternatively, you can buy a ticket for the shuttle service that transports visitors from the commuter lot in Waipa (west of Hanalei Town), which includes entrance to Haena State Park and Kee Beach. See  gohaena.com for reservations. Parking passes are valid during specified time periods. The parking area is ⅓ mile from the beach on a path partially on a boardwalk, so be prepared to lug your beach gear. Kee Beach is a great place to watch the sunset lighting up Napali Coast. Amenities: lifeguards; parking (fee); showers; toilets. Best for: snorkeling; sunset; swimming; walking.

One of the city's most scenic byways for a drive, woodsy Kelly Drive also has a popular walking, running, and biking path that parallels the road as it stretches more than 4 miles along the eastern side of the Schuylkill River from behind the Philadelphia Art Museum to City Avenue. You can make an almost 9-mile loop on bike or foot by crossing Falls Bridge and returning on the path parallel to the west side's Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive. MLK Drive closes to cars on weekends late March–November and has great Boathouse Row views. (The MLK Bridge has ongoing construction so check ahead to see if it's open.) 

Sights, as well as river views, can distract you as you head north from the museum: Boathouse Row (rent a bike at Wheel Fun Rentals by Lloyd Hall); the Ellen Phillips Samuel Memorial Sculpture Garden with 17 statues on three terraces (and other park artworks; see  associationforpublicart.org/tours), and nearby Laurel Hill Cemetery. Kelly Drive is named for John B. Kelly Jr., a city councilman and Olympic rower who was the brother of actress Grace Kelly. Parts of Kelly Drive sometimes close to cars for events, mostly on weekends, including rowing regattas (fun to watch; schedule on  boathouserow.org) on the Schuylkill, mostly spring through fall. 

As you enter the Mojave National Preserve, you'll pass miles of open scrub brush, Joshua trees, and beautiful red-black cinder cones before encountering the Kelso Dunes. These golden, fine-sand slopes cover 45 square miles, reaching heights of 500 feet. You can reach them via a 1.5-mile walk from the main parking area, but be prepared for a serious workout. When you reach the top of a dune, kick a little bit of sand down the lee side and listen to the sand "sing" (or vibrate). North of the dunes, in the town of Kelso, is the Mission revival–style Kelso Depot Visitor Center, a striking building that dates from 1923. It's normally open everyday but Tuesday and Wednesday, but it's closed for renovation until 2025; check ahead for updates.

America's space program—past, present, and future—is the star at this must-see attraction, just 45 minutes east of Orlando, where you're treated to a multitude of interactive experiences. Located on a 140,000-acre barrier island, Kennedy Space Center was NASA's launch headquarters from the beginning of the space program in the 1960s until the final shuttle launch in 2011. Thanks to an invigorated NASA program and to high-tech entrepreneurs who have turned their interests to space, you can once again view live rocket launches from the Cape. In fact, there were a record 56 of them from the Space Coast in 2022, with even more expected in 2023.

The visitor center is divided into Mission Zones, with tours and exhibits organized chronologically, beginning with the Heroes & Legends attraction, which celebrates the men and women who've journeyed to space and features the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. The original Mercury 7 team and the later Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, and shuttle astronauts have contributed artifacts and memorabilia to make it the world's premium archive of astronauts' personal stories. You can watch videos of historic moments in the space program and see one-of-a-kind items such as Wally Schirra's Sigma 7 Mercury space capsule, Gus Grissom's space suit (colored silver only because NASA thought silver looked more "spacey"), and a flag that made it to the moon. Throughout the visitor center, a wide range of hands-on interactive exhibits teach about space travel. One of the more challenging activities is a space-shuttle simulator that lets you try your hand at landing the craft—and afterward replays a side view of your rolling and pitching descent.

Opened in 2022, Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Complex simulates the Space Port of the Future, offering a glimpse of a world when catching a flight to a distant planet is as routine as jetting from Chicago to Boston. You choose from among four journeys and are taken on an immersive ride packed with interstellar marvels. The Red Planet trip soars over Mars' ancient oceans, while the Uncharted Worlds journey ventures 40 light years away to the Trappist-1 system of exoplanets. While waiting in the main concourse to board your flight, you can check departure and arrival listings and view rockets landing, taking off, and taxiing to their gates. 

The IMAX film Journey to Space, narrated by Star Trek legend Sir Patrick Stewart, fills a five-story movie screen with dramatic footage shot by NASA astronauts during missions highlighting the bravery of all space travelers and capturing the spirit of the human desire to explore and expand. The film also honors the milestones of the Space Shuttle Program—deploying and repairing the Hubble Space Telescope, assembling the International Space Station—and then looks forward to the deep-space exploration missions to come, offering a glimpse of the Space Launch System rocket that will send the Orion crew capsule toward Mars.

The drama of the IMAX films gives you great background for the many interactive programs available at the complex. The bus tour included with admission (buses depart every 15 minutes) takes you past iconic spots, including the 525-foot-tall Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) and launch pads, where rockets once more await departure. Stops include the Apollo/Saturn V Center, where you can look up in awe at one of three remaining Saturn V moon rockets, the largest ever built. Attractions include artifacts in the Treasure Gallery and the Lunar Theater, which shows the first moon landing. You can also dine next to a genuine moon rock at the cleverly named Moon Rock Café.

Several in-depth tours (extra charge) offer more intimate views of the VAB and the Cape Canaveral launch pads, where NASA, SpaceX, and the United Launch Alliance rockets await takeoff. Other iconic images include the countdown clock at NASA’s Press Site, a giant crawler transporter that carried Apollo moon rockets and space shuttles to the launch pad, and the Launch Control Center.

The space shuttle Atlantis attraction offers views of this historic spacecraft as only astronauts have seen it—suspended as if in space, rotated 43.21 degrees with payload bay doors open and its robotic arm extended, as if it has just undocked from the International Space Station. The attraction includes a variety of interactive highlights, including opportunities to perform an Extravehicular Activity (EVA), train like an astronaut, and create sonic booms while piloting Atlantis to a safe landing.

Don't miss the outdoor Rocket Garden, with walkways winding beside a group of vintage rockets, from early Atlas spacecraft to a Saturn IB. The Children's Playdome enables kids to play among the next generation of spacecraft, climb a moon-rock wall, and crawl through rocket tunnels. Astronaut Encounter Theater has two daily programs where retired NASA astronauts share their adventures in space travel and show a short film.

More befitting a theme park (complete with the health warnings), the Shuttle Launch Experience is the center's most spectacular attraction. Designed by a team of astronauts, NASA experts, and renowned attraction engineers, the 44,000-square-foot structure uses a sophisticated motion-based platform, special-effects seats, and high-fidelity visual and audio components to simulate the sensations experienced in an actual space-shuttle launch, including Max Q, solid rocket booster separation, main engine cutoff, and external tank separation. The journey culminates with a breathtaking view of Earth from space.

A fitting way to end the day is a stop at the black-granite Astronaut Memorial, which honors those who lost their lives in the name of space exploration.

Tour the International Museum of the Horse, run in cooperation with the Smithsonian Institution. In addition to viewing the many exhibits on the ancient relationship between people and horses, you'll also be able to get close to real horses. There's a Parade of Breeds, horse-drawn carriage rides, and a 45-minute trail ride around the park—suitable even for those who've never ridden before. The park also houses the American Saddlebred Museum (that's the breed used for dressage). Tours of nearby horse farms are available for an extra fee.

This 150-acre 1910 ranch, which once belonged to William and Frances Keys and is now on the National Historic Register, illustrates one of the area's most successful attempts at homesteading. The couple raised five children under extreme desert conditions. Most of the original buildings, including the house, school, store, and workshop, have been restored to the way they were when William died in 1969. It's only open via ranger-guided, 90-minute, half-mile walking tours offered from October to May. Reservations are required.

At 5,185 feet, this point affords a sweeping view of the Coachella Valley, the San Andreas Fault, the peak of 11,500-foot Mt. San Gorgonio, the shimmering surface of the Salton Sea, and—on a very clear day—Signal Mountain in Mexico. Sunrise and sunset are magical times to head to the wheelchair-accessible crest lookout as the light throws rocks and trees into high relief before bathing the hills in fiery shades of red, orange, and gold.

This county park 25 miles southwest of Charleston is often ranked among the country's best. Stunningly beautiful Kiawah (named for the native tribe that first called the area home) is one of the Southeast's largest barrier islands and is ringed with 10 miles of immaculate ocean beaches. You can safely walk for miles here, shelling and beachcombing to your heart's content—especially on the Atlantic-facing side. At its westernmost end, the beach fronts the Kiawah River, where lagoons filled with birds and wildlife and golden marshes make the sunsets even more glorious. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); showers; toilets. Best for: solitude; sunset; swimming; walking.

This way-out adventure explores the underbelly of the world's most active volcano via the Kazamura Lava Tube system. The world's longest lava tube system—more than 40 miles long, with sections up to 80 feet wide and 80 feet tall—is 500 to 700 years old and filled with bizarre lava formations and mind-blowing colors. Tours, customized to groups' interests and skill levels, focus on conservation and education and take visitors through beautiful lava caves unlike any others in the world. The tours are by reservation only and are well worth the extra detour (about 40 minutes off the main highway) and planning. Equipment is included. When you make your reservation, you will be given detailed directions to the location.

The stunning 4-mile loop hike descends 400 feet into a massive crater via a forested nature trail. When you hike across the crater floor, you're actually walking on a solidified lava lake. Still steaming in places, the crater is dotted with baby ohia trees emerging from the cracks. Venture across the crater floor to the Puu Puai cinder cone that was formed by spatter from a towering lava fountain during the 1959 Kilauea Iki eruption. There are three different trailheads for Kilauea Iki; the main one, which takes two or three hours, begins at the Kilauea Iki Overlook parking lot off Crater Rim Drive. You can also access the crater from Devastation Trail or Puu Puai on the other side.  Bring water, snacks, a hat, sunscreen, and hooded rain gear, as weather can change at a moment's notice. Easy.

A beacon for sea traffic since it was dedicated in 1913, this National Historic Landmark has the world's largest clamshell lens in a lighthouse and stands within a wildlife refuge where thousands of seabirds soar on the trade winds and nest on the steep ocean cliffs. It's well worth the site's modest entry fee to see nene geese (the state bird, a threatened species), white- and red-tailed tropic birds, and more (identifiable by educational signboards), as well as native plants, dolphins, humpback whales (in season), the huge winter surf, and gorgeous North Shore views. The gift shop has a great selection of books about the island's natural history and an array of unique merchandise, with all proceeds benefiting education and preservation efforts. Advance reservations are required via  recreation.gov.

Architect Louis Kahn's most famous American building was this museum, composed of six long concrete vaults with skylights running the length of each. Here are top-notch collections of both early-20th-century European art and old masters, including Munch's Girls on a Bridge and Goya's The Matador Pedro Romero, depicting the great bullfighter who allegedly killed more than 6,000 of the animals without sustaining an injury. The museum also exhibits Greek and Roman antiquities, African and pre-Columbian art, and has one of the largest collections of Asian art in North America.

Intended to make a contemporary design statement, the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts has some architectural oomph with its dramatic vaulted glass roof. The 450,000-square-foot venue by architect Rafael Viñoly includes the 2,500-seat Verizon Hall, the more intimate 650-seat Perelman Theater, a central plaza, and a rooftop terrace bar. Making their home at the Kimmel are the Philadelphia Orchestra, Philadanco, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, and the Philly Pops. Free performances are given before some performances and on many weekends in the center's Commonwealth Plaza.

Decorated with light fixtures made from buffalo skulls (the eye sockets glow amber in the dark), traditional Navajo symbols, dazzling tilework, and nine spectacular Western-theme wall murals by Carl Von Hassler, the 1927 Carl Boller--designed movie palace represents Pueblo Deco at its apex. The 660-seat KiMo (refurbished with its original balcony, hand-painted ceilings, and restored marquee) would be a standout anywhere. Former Albuquerque resident Vivian Vance of I Love Lucy fame once performed on the stage; today you're more likely to catch Mary Chapin Carpenter or the Wallflowers, a ballet, flamenco performance, or a film- or book-festival event. Guided tours are occasionally offered.

The café at this baker's heaven is a fine spot for both the pit-stop sandwich and the leisurely pastry and latte. The adjacent shop and market area is a must-see for those who love bread; the shelves are stocked with all the ingredients and tools in the company's Baker's Catalogue, including flours, mixes, and local jams, and syrups. The bakery has a viewing area where you can watch the products being made, and you can learn to bake them yourself at classes conducted in the on-site baking school.

The 30-mile stretch of Route 180 between Grant Grove Village and Zumwalt Meadow delivers eye-popping scenery—granite cliffs, a roaring river, waterfalls, and Kings River canyon itself—much of which you can experience at vista points or on easy walks. The canyon comes into view about 10 miles east of the village at Junction View. Five miles beyond, at Yucca Point, the canyon is thousands of feet deeper than the more famous Grand Canyon. Canyon View, a special spot 1 mile east of the Cedar Grove Village turnoff, showcases evidence of the area's glacial history. Here, perhaps more than anywhere else, you'll understand why John Muir compared Kings Canyon vistas with those in Yosemite.  Without any stops, this out-and-back drive takes about two hours, but check ahead to see if there are any roadwork delays.

John Williams planted the first grapes on Red Mountain in 1975, made his first Kiona Vineyards wines in 1980, and produced the first commercial Lemberger, a light German red, in the United States. Today the winery boasts a beautiful 10,000-square-foot tasting room with 180-degree views of Red Mountain and the Rattlesnake Hills, an idyllic setting for sampling top-notch late-harvest Riesling, Chenin Blanc ice wine, Sangiovese, Syrah, and many others. You can order charcuterie and cheese plates to enjoy inside or on the patio.

This grassy, windswept bluff rises 650 feet above the confluence of the Klamath River and the Pacific. Among RNSP's best spots for spying migratory whales in early winter and late spring (other wildlife year-round), it accesses a section of the Coastal Trail. Warm days are ideal for picnicking at one of the tables.

South Florida locals count down the days until the seasonal opening (from November to April) of this Homestead bakery and U-pick strawberry farm, owned and operated by the Knaus family since 1956. Line up early for a box of legendary, gooey cinnamon rolls and a milkshake, and walk it off by picking a bag of fresh strawberries and tomatoes to take home.  The Farm Store is cash only.

Polynesians brought sugarcane to Hawaii more than 1,000 years ago, long before plantations were established on the Islands in the 1800s. Ko Hana grows 34 varieties of heirloom sugarcane and harvests it all by hand, then presses and distills the juice to make small-batch pure-cane rums. Stop by the tasting room at the farm in rural Kunia near Wahiawa, in the heart of the central valley, for tastings. Standout rums include Koho, a barrel-aged rum, and Kokoleka, made with pure cacao and raw honey. Sign up in advance for tours, which happen daily every hour until 4 pm and include a side-by-side tasting of white and barrel-aged rums. For a more in-depth experience, reserve a spot on a farm tour (Thursday morning at 10) and sample canes as well as rums.