10457 Best Sights in USA

This 4½-acre complex brings visitors face-to-face with the creatures living in offshore and near-shore Pacific marine habitats: frolicking sea otters, colorful puffins, pulsating jellyfish, and even a several-hundred-pound octopus. There's a hands-on interactive area for children, including tide pools perfect for "petting" sea anemones and urchins. The aquarium houses one of North America's largest seabird aviaries, including glowering turkey vultures. In the popular Passages of the Deep exhibit, visitors walk through a 200-foot underwater tunnel with 360-degree views of sharks, wolf eels, halibut, and a truly captivating array of sea life. The aquarium is in the midst of a major renovation and expansion that has already added an outdoor amphitheater and play areas and will see the installation a new Indo-Pacific Coral Reef exhibit by 2024.

The largest expanse of coastal sand dunes in North America extends for 40 miles from Florence to Coos Bay. This favorite destination for ATV riding encompasses some 31,500 acres and draws more than 1.5 million visitors annually. Within the recreation area, 515-acre Honeyman Memorial State Park is a base camp for dune-buggy enthusiasts, mountain bikers, hikers, boaters, horseback riders, and dogsledders (the sandy hills are an excellent training ground). There's a campground, too. The dunes are a vast playground for children, particularly the slopes surrounding cool Cleawox Lake. If you have time for just a quick scamper in the sand, stop by the Oregon Dunes Overlook off U.S. 101, 11 miles south of Florence across from Crown Zellerback Campground; or hike the short and easy path to some towering dunes at John Dellenback Dunes Trailhead, which is 11 miles south of Reedsport, just south of Eel Creek Campground.

Each of the colossal rocks jutting from the ocean between Bandon and Brookings is protected as part of the 19-acre Coquille Point section of this huge refuge that, in total, comprises 1,853 rocks, reefs, islands, and two headland areas spanning 320 miles up and down the Oregon Coast. Thirteen species of seabirds—totaling 1.2 million birds—nest here, and harbor seals, California sea lions, Steller sea lions, and Northern elephant seals also breed within the refuge. Coquille Point, which is a short drive west of downtown Bandon, is one of the best places to observe seabirds and harbor seals. The dramatic point atop a steep sea cliff overlooks a series of offshore rocks, and a paved trail that winds over the headland ends in stairways to the beach on both sides, allowing for a loop across the sand when tides permit. Visitors are encouraged to steer clear of harbor seals and avoid touching seal pups. A complete list of Oregon Islands Refuge viewpoints and trails is available online.

This institution, which interprets the stories and lives of the state's vibrant Jewish community, also functions as an educational and inspirational resource that focuses on promoting tolerance and combating discrimination and persecution. The museum was established in 1999 and is the force behind Washington Park's poignant Oregon Holocaust Memorial and occupies the historic 1916 DeSoto Building, on the leafy Park Blocks. The gallery on the upper floor contains permanent collections, including artifacts and artwork, and oral histories of the state's earliest Jewish residents as well as the profoundly moving historical exhibit on both the Holocaust and the valiant struggles of Jewish, Asian American, African American, Hispanic, LGBTQ+, and other minority communities in the face of often strenuous intolerance in Oregon.

Hundreds of engaging exhibits draw families to this outstanding interactive science museum, which also contains the Empirical Theater (featuring Portland's biggest screen), and the Northwest's largest planetarium. The many permanent and touring exhibits are loaded with enough hands-on play for kids to fill a whole day exploring robotics, ecology, rockets, animation, and outer space. Moored in the Willamette River as part of the museum is a 240-foot submarine, the USS Blueback, which can be toured for an extra charge. OMSI also offers some very cool event programming for adults, including the hugely popular monthly OMSI After Dark nights, where "science nerds" can enjoy food, drink, and science fun, and the twice-monthly OMSI Science Pub nights, where local and national experts lecture on a wide range of topics in the museum's Empirical Theater.

From mid-April through mid-October, tens of thousands of theater lovers descend on Ashland for some of the finest Shakespearean productions you're likely to see outside of London—plus works by both classic (Ibsen, O'Neill) and contemporary playwrights, including occasional world premieres. Around 10 plays are staged in repertory in the 1,200-seat Allen Elizabethan Theatre, an atmospheric re-creation of the Fortune Theatre in London; the 600-seat Angus Bowmer Theatre, a state-of-the-art facility typically used for five different productions in a single season; and the 350-seat Thomas Theatre, which often hosts productions of new or experimental work. The festival, which dates to 1935, generally operates close to capacity, so it's important to book ahead.

On the campus of Oregon's oldest psychiatric hospital, this nonprofit, volunteer-run museum explores the somber history of psychiatry through artifacts such as straitjackets sewn by patients and now-regrettable treatment devices.The hospital served as the primary set for the legendary 1975 blockbuster One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, starring Jack Nicholson (which was based on a book by the same name by Oregon author Ken Kesey). A popular permanent exhibit is dedicated to the Academy Award-winning film.

Since 1934, the Original Farmers Market continues to sell fresh produce, meats, cheese, and other culinary and gourmet delights. With over 100 purveyors, standouts include Monsieur Marcel, a gourmet French-style market and café; Bob's Coffee & Doughnuts; and actor Danny Trejo's Trejo's Tacos.

Home of the Baltimore Orioles, Camden Yards and the nearby area bustle on game days. Since it opened in 1992, this nostalgically designed baseball stadium has inspired other cities to emulate its neotraditional architecture and amenities. The Eutaw Street promenade, between the warehouse and the field, has a view of the stadium. Look for the brass baseballs embedded in the sidewalk that mark where home runs have cleared the fence, or visit the Orioles Hall of Fame display and the monuments to retired Orioles. Daily 90-minute tours take you to nearly every section of the ballpark, from the massive JumboTron scoreboard to the dugout to the state-of-the-art beer-delivery system.

With exhibits about the human body, mechanics, computers, math, nature, the solar system, and optics, the science center has something for every child's (or adult's) inner geek. The 11,000-square-foot KidsTown is the most popular attraction, and traveling shows have included those on the astronaut experience and the science of human anatomy. There's also an annual interactive technology expo called Spark STEM Fest.

The four-story, internal atrium is home to live gators and turtles, giving you a glimpse of Old Florida. The 300-seat Dr. Phillips CineDome, a movie theater with a giant eight-story screen, offers films and planetarium programs. The Crosby Observatory and Florida's largest publicly accessible refractor telescope are here, as are several smaller telescopes. Late-evening weekend date nights make the observatory a fun draw for adults, who can also enjoy events like the annual Science of Wine and the very popular monthly Science Night Live.

Adventurous travelers will enjoy a sojourn at one of the best-kept secrets on the Pacific coast, at the base of Neahkahnie Mountain. Park in one of the two free lots on U.S. 101 and hike a half-mile trail to dramatic Short Sand Beach, aka "Shorty's," one of the top spots along the Oregon Coast for surfing. It's a spectacular beach with caves and tidal pools. There are several trails from the beach, all offering impressive scenery; the relatively easy 2½-mile trail to Cape Falcon overlook joins with the Oregon Coast Trail and offers impressive views back toward Shorty's Beach. The arduous 5½-mile trail to the 1,680-foot summit of Neahkahnie Mountain (access the trailhead about 2 miles south of the parking lots marked only by a "Hikers" sign, or get there via Short Sand Beach) provides jaw-dropping views south for many miles toward the surf, sand, and mountains fringing Manzanita and, in the distance, Tillamook. Come in December or March and you might spot pods of gray whales.

Spruce railings and siding on this acclaimed museum's facade replicate a local taxidermy shop from 1900 or so. Inside, there's an authentic log sporting camp from this period, when grand hotels and full-service sporting lodges drew well-to-do rusticators to Rangeley for long stays. Diverse and in-depth exhibits at this Historic Rangeley museum explore such subjects as U.S. presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and Herbert Hoover fishing in Rangeley; the famed Rangeley boat, a rowing craft designed for local waters (two are displayed); art of the region; and gleaming fish mounts of world-record-size brook trout. The Native American gallery has a birch-bark canoe, artifacts, and a Penobscot language place name map. A big draw is an exhibit on local flytier Carrie Stevens, whose famed streamer flies increased the region's fly-fishing fame in the 1920s. Free exhibits and informational placards on the front lawn invite a stop even if the museum is closed: a 12,000-year-old Paleo-American meat cache (moved here from a Rangeley archaeological site), a traditionally styled Wabanaki wigwam, and another Rangeley boat. See the website for events, including summer walking tours of Oquossoc and Rangeley, where a sister museum on local history occupies a small 1905 former bank.

This long-esteemed winemaker with operations in both Oregon's Willamette Valley and the Yakima Valley earns kudos from leading critics for estate-grown Rieslings, Chardonnays, Cabernet Sauvignons, and several heady aging-worthy red blends, plus less-expensive bottles from its approachable Sharecropper's label. Tastings are in a contemporary wine-making shed with big windows and a patio overlooking the vineyards in Wapato.

The 40,000-square-foot market's two dozen stands provide an introduction to Northern California's diverse artisanal food products. Swoon over decadent charcuterie at Fatted Calf (great sandwiches, too), slurp oysters at Hog Island, enjoy empanadas at El Porteño, or chow down on Moroccan street food at Moro. Sample wine (and cheese) at Oxbow Cheese & Wine Merchant, ales at Fieldwork Brewing's taproom ( 1046 McKinstry St., near Fatted Calf), and barrel-aged cocktails at Napa Valley Distillery. The owner of Kara's Cupcakes operates the adjacent Bar Lucia for (mostly) sparkling wines and rosés. Among the few nonfood vendors here is Napa Bookmine, which also operates a larger store elsewhere downtown.

In September 2019, Pace moved into a new eight-story building at 540 West 25th Street, turning the gallery more into an art center than just a gallery. The impressive roster of talent represented here includes a variety of upper-echelon artists, sculptors, and photographers, such as Richard Avedon, Alexander Calder, Tara Donovan, Chuck Close, Sol LeWitt, and Robert Rauschenberg. Pace has two spaces in Chelsea, including 510 West 25th Street.

More than 90% of Admiralty Island is preserved within the Kootznoowoo Wilderness. Its chief attraction is Pack Creek, where you can watch brown bears feeding on salmon. One of Alaska's premier bear-viewing sites, Pack Creek is comanaged by the U.S. Forest Service and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Permits are required during the main viewing season, from April through September. Permits can be processed through  www.recreation.gov.

At this serene 11,000-acre wildlife preserve adjacent to Bayview State Park, the Breazeale Interpretive Center has great exhibits on local ecology and wildlife. Trails lead to an observation deck, into the woods, and to a rocky beach with great bird-watching opportunities—keep an eye out for black brant (or brent) geese, peregrine falcons, and bald eagles. This is also a popular place for kayaking.

The award-winning wines at Page Springs Cellars focus on grapes popular in the Rhône wine region of France. Sit outside on the deck overlooking Oak Creek and enjoy the wines, as well as antipasti plates and pizzas. There's live music Tuesday–Thursday evenings, and you can take a tour Monday, Wednesday, and Friday–Sunday ($44 includes wine tasting).

This angular, contemporary nature center stands out as much for its dramatic design as for the engaging exhibits within. Families appreciate the interactive Children's Discovery Area and the giant scale model of the Pajarito Plateau that kids are encouraged to play on. There's also a high-tech planetarium with astronomy shows or films most weekends, nature trails, wildlife and conservation exhibits, and gardens with local flora and plenty of visiting birdlife.

One of the island's few formal recreation areas, this 233-acre retreat sits at a 1,000-foot elevation. A short path through an ironwood forest leads to Kalaupapa Lookout, a magnificent overlook with views of the town of Kalaupapa, a national historical park, and the 1,664-foot-high sea cliffs protecting it. Informative plaques have facts about leprosy, Saint Damien, and the colony. The park is also the site of Kaule O Nanahoa (Phallus of Nanahoa), where women in old Hawaii would come to the rock to enhance their fertility; it is said some still do. Because the rock is a sacred site, be respectful and don't deface the boulders. The park is well maintained, with trails, camping facilities, restrooms, and picnic tables.

Few streets in the Bay Area can match the dramatic scenery of Stanford’s entrance from downtown Palo Alto. For about ⅔ mile, palm trees line the street, which runs in a direct straight line towards Memorial Church. The Santa Cruz Mountains emerge on the horizon, and it all looks as if it was framed intentionally for postcards. Palm Drive runs into a giant grass area called the Oval, named for its distinct shape, which revolves around flower plantings shaped as an "S" for Stanford. On sunny days, Stanford students are always out in force studying on the grass or playing Frisbee. It can appear like a university admissions brochure in real life.

This impressive collection of aircraft spans from World War II and Vietnam through the War on Terror and includes showpieces like a B-17 Flying Fortress bomber, a King Cobra, F-117A Nighthawk, and Grumman cats. In addition to planes, there are cool murals and exhibits on women in aviation, the Tuskegee Airman, and important battles and military operations of the last 100 years including a Tom Brokaw–narrated Pearl Harbor diorama.

There are no ropes, so you can crawl into or walk under aircraft and feel the metal. You can also watch mechanics rehab flying machines and see a flight demonstration. If you dare and can afford the splurge, take advantage of the museum's coolest offering: a flight in a vintage warbird like the T-28 Trojan, T-33 Thunderbird, and P-51 Mustang.

It took six years to excavate a hillside Coombsville property and four more to complete aging caves and a five-level gravity-flow winery, the equivalent of an 18-story building. The collector-quality Cabernet Sauvignons made at this engineering triumph, from grapes grown at three distinct elevations, benefit from these efforts and the later introduction of a space-age wine-monitoring system that invariably astonishes guests. It's a tribute to the viticultural and production teams that the wines, including a Riesling, a Chardonnay, and a Muscat Canelli dessert offering, linger equally strong in memory. Private appointment-only tastings begin with a sip overlooking the largest vineyard and the southern Napa Valley beyond it, followed by a tour and a tasting in an intimate salon. The peerless hospitality adds further joy to a visit here.

Even if you don't ski, ride the gondola to see Mammoth Mountain, the aptly named dormant volcano that gives Mammoth Lakes its name. The high-speed, eight-passenger gondolas—which serve skiers in winter and mountain bikers and sightseers in summer—whisk you from the chalet to the summit, where you can learn about the area's volcanic history in the interpretive center, have lunch in the café, and take in top-of-the-world views.

Standing high above the tree line, you can look west 150 miles across the state to the Coastal Range; to the east are the highest peaks of Nevada and the Great Basin beyond. You won't find a better view of the Sierra High Country without climbing.  The air is thin at the 11,053-foot summit; carry water, and don't overexert yourself.

Few hikes come with the visual punch that this 8½-mile trail provides. It starts from Glacier Point and descends to Yosemite Valley. The star attraction is Half Dome, visible from many intriguing angles, but you also see three waterfalls up close and walk through a manzanita grove. Moderate.

Besides being home to the Academy Awards for a decade in the '50s, this stunning art deco--style theater near Hollywood and Vine has been playing host to many of the musical theater world’s biggest and greatest productions, from the classics like Cats, West Side Story, and Phantom of the Opera to modern hits like Hamilton and Wicked. During your Los Angeles jaunt, see a show in order to really experience its splendor. While guided tours are not being offered to the public, an annual open house is available to theater subscribers for an exclusive and informative tour of the theater and its history.

The park's main visitor center, near the base of the Chisos Mountains, contains a bookstore and impressive exhibits on the park's mountain, river, and desert environments. An elegantly produced 22-minute film detailing the wonders of the park shows every half-hour in the theater, and there's a sprawling replica of the park's topographical folds. Nearby, a gas station offers limited groceries.

One of the most sensational beaches in Hawaii, Papohaku is a 3-mile-long strip of white sand—so much so that Honolulu once purchased bargeloads of it to replenish the sand at Waikiki Beach. A shady beach park just inland is the site of the Ka Hula Piko Festival, held each year in May. The park is also a great sunset-facing spot that's perfect for a rustic afternoon barbecue. A park ranger patrols the area periodically.  Swimming is not recommended, except on exceptionally calm summer days, as there's a dangerous undertow. Amenities: showers; toilets. Best for: sunset; walking.

In this extremely remote 112,500-acre expanse of otherworldly canyons, cliffs, and mesas that straddles the Utah–Arizona border south of Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument, you'll find the subjects of some of the most famous and photographed rock formations in the Southwest, including The Wave, an undulating landscape of waves frozen in striated red, orange, and yellow sandstone that can be accessed by permit only—it's reached via a somewhat strenuous 6.4-mile round-trip hike. The area has a number of other spectacular features, several of them a bit easier to access, such as the moderately easy 3.7-mile Wire Pass Trail, which leads to the longest slot canyon in the world, 13-mile Buckskin Gulch.

For any visits to this wilderness, part of which falls within Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, it's essential that you check with the area's BLM ranger offices in Kanab or Big Water (near Lake Powell) for guidance and conditions (deadly flash floods can occur with little warning in some of these slot canyons); staff can also provide permit information about visiting The Wave (aka Coyote Buttes North) and Coyote Buttes South. Or consider visiting the area on tour through one of the reputable outfitters in Kanab or Escalante, such as Dreamland Safari Tours, Forever Adventure Tours, and Paria Outpost & Outfitters. The parking lot for the Wire Pass Trailhead, a good place to start your explorations of the area, is 45 miles east of Kanab via U.S. 89 (turn right onto House Rock Valley Road shortly after milemarker 26 and continue 8.5 miles down the unpaved road).

Only 64 people are granted permits to visit The Wave each day, and all are awarded by online lottery (48 of them by advanced lottery up to four months in advance, and 16 of them by daily lottery issued two days in advance). Visit www.blm.gov/node/7605 for details.

The acres taken up by the mega-resorts mean that open space is a premium on the Strip, which makes The Park a refreshing departure. Roughly situated between New York–New York and Park MGM, it reaches from the Strip itself west to T-Mobile Arena, home to the city's first professional sports franchise, the Vegas Golden Knights hockey team. Along the way, The Park offers natural touches such as desert vegetation and rock from local quarries. It also has features such as a water wall, shade structures made to look like trees, and a 40-foot-tall statue of a dancing naked woman named \"Bliss Dance.\" Restaurants offer outdoor seating and games for patrons to play while they relax.