103 Best Sights in USA

Scientists young and old will enjoy taking in a show at the oldest operating planetarium in the United States. There are also dinosaur exhibits, an extensive collection of stuffed and mounted animals, and an African Hall through which you can take an interactive tour of that continent's flora and fauna. There's also a small aquarium, where you'll see fishes from tropical reefs around the world as well as frogs, turtles, snakes, and spiders from the rainforests.

Unearthed in 2000 by property developers, this site preserves and exhibits ancient footprints left by dinosaurs from the Jurassic Period millions of years ago. A modern museum displays dinosaur fossils and replicas and presents several short informative videos about the Jurassic era. There's an interactive area for children and a Dino Park outside the museum with shaded picnic tables and a "Walk Through Time" exhibit.

Unlike the museum on the Mall, which is divided into smaller galleries with dense history and science exhibits, the Udvar-Hazy Center, its annex, displays large aircraft and spacecraft, hung as though in flight throughout two vast, multilevel hangars. This focus makes the center more appealing for families with kids who may not be old enough to take in detailed historical narratives but will certainly be in awe over the marvelous planes. It is also much less crowded than the Mall museum, with room to move. Gaze upon historic aircraft like the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, the fastest jet in the world; the sleek, supersonic Concorde; and the Enola Gay, which, in 1945, dropped the first atomic bomb to be used in war on Hiroshima, Japan. Walk alongside space shuttle Discovery, and browse displays of astronaut paraphernalia, including space food and space underwear! If you want to visit the museum while you are waiting for a flight or connection at Dulles, the Fairfax Connector Bus 983 runs daily between the museum and airport for $2 (SmarTrip card or cash); the trip takes 15 minutes.

Thousands of minerals and jewels from around the world, with a focus on those from Arizona and Mexico, are on display at this newly opened museum. The university's vast collection---including a massive quartz geode and a rare tapestry made of diamonds, gold, sapphires, rubies, and emeralds---can be seen here. You can also learn about the process of extracting minerals from rocks, as well as the university's collaborative research project with NASA that involves collecting and analyzing mineral samples from asteroids.

The Anthropology Museum at the university takes visitors on a journey through human evolution, starting in Africa millions of years ago. Part of the museum also celebrates hunter-gatherer societies throughout world history.

Kids especially enjoy looking at the butterflies, mosquitoes, and other crawling and flying critters at the Insect Gallery at UW. The collection includes preserved insects, as well as a small zoo of live ones.

This interactive museum is aimed at teaching young visitors about the ecosystems of northeastern Oregon through a mix of museum-style exhibits and special events. Highlights include a Discovery Room full of animal skulls and minerals, an exhibit dedicated to birds of prey, and an exhibit on the geology of the Wallowa Mountains. Check the Wallowology website for details on lectures and other special events.

A dramatic exterior mural depicting several types of whales welcomes you into a world that is all about these behemoth beauties. Visitors will find models of whales and large whale skeletons, recordings of whale sounds, videos of whales, and information about the plight of the three local orca pods.

Formerly Wild Blueberry Land and built to resemble a giant blueberry, this museum's deep-blue geodesic dome is a can't-miss landmark along U.S. 1. Exhibits focus on the native plant’s ecosystem; the canning of the fruit during the Civil War to help feed soldiers; local blueberry farmers; and research efforts to improve management of the wild crop. The gift shop sells items like candles and socks with a blueberry theme or design; books about Maine wild blueberries and the culture it feeds; and foods made with the fruit, such as blueberry jam, vinegar, pie, and chocolate truffles. Outside, look for the wild blueberry patch in the native pollinator garden. 

The museum showcases the life and work of Austrian physician, scientist, and writer Wilhelm Reich (1897–1957), who believed that all living matter and the atmosphere contain a force called orgone energy. The hilltop Orgone Energy Observatory exhibits biographical materials, inventions, and equipment used in his experiments, whose results were disputed by the Food and Drug Administration and other government agencies. Stone faces the exterior of the boxy 1949 structure, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A mid-century gem inside and out, Reich's second-floor study, library, and laboratory look as they did in his day, with original sleek modern furniture. The observatory deck has magnificent countryside views. Trails lace the largely forested 175-acre property, known as Orgonon, which has a year-round waterside vacation rental cottage. Reich's tomb sits next to one of his inventions, a cloud accumulator.

In an upside-down world, this is the sort of wacky, interactive learning museum that will help make sense of life's lingering questions like: What does it feel like to be shaken by an earthquake? Can you really move an object with nothing but brain power? How do you design a roller coaster? Schedule at least two hours to move through the activities and exhibits, or longer if you really want to dig into learning.