242 Best Sights in USA

Starting in the 1940s, Jack Ellsworth used native materials to craft terraced flower beds and abstract sculptures at his summer home on the north shore of Kabetogama Lake. The National Park Service acquired the property in the late 1970s and restored Ellsworth's creations—which range from figures to tables to gateways—in the process creating the park's most popular day-use area (it's a great spot for a picnic). The easiest way to get here is on a boat tour.

You'll find three traditional styles of European wine reflecting French Cabernet Sauvignon; Spanish Tempranillo; and Italian Pinot Grigio. You can walk through lush gardens, grab a table under the pergola, and enjoy live music every Sunday 2:30–5:30 pm.

With 83 acres of lakes, sunken gardens, a 560-foot vine pergola, orchids, bellflowers, coral trees, bougainvillea, rare palms, and flowering trees, Fairchild is the largest tropical botanical garden in the continental United States. The tram tour highlights the best of South Florida and exotic flora; then you can set off exploring on your own. The 2-acre Simons Rainforest, which is complete with a waterfall and a stream, showcases tropical plants from around the world. The conservatory contains rare tropical plants, including the Burmese Amherstia nobilis, flowering annually with orchidlike pink flowers. The Keys Coastal Habitat, created in a marsh and mangrove area in 1995 with assistance from the Tropical Audubon Society, provides food and shelter to resident and migratory birds. 

This mile-long green patch along Garden Springs Creek has an extensive botanical garden with more than 2,000 labeled trees, shrubs, and flowers. Follow the walking tour on well-manicured paths along the creek, or follow your whim—depending on the season—through flowering rhododendrons, hibiscus, magnolias, dogwoods, hydrangeas, and more.

Florida flora and fauna shine in more than a dozen gardens and natural areas at these botanical gardens, open to visitors for free nearly every day of the year. You can wander through areas devoted to native plants, cacti and succulents, and a butterfly garden. You never know what sort of wildlife you might encounter–alligators, birds, and turtles–in the Aquatic Habitat, consisting of a gorgeous retention pond and McKay’s Creek.

Among the 23 gardens here are the Lower Rose Garden, whose classical design was inspired by the Villa Lante gardens in Bagnaia, Italy, and the Oval Rose Garden, where many Texas roses grow. The Japanese Garden is beautiful in fall, when the leaves on the maples begin to turn, and in spring, when cherry and other blossoms burst forth. Also on-site is a 10,000-square-foot conservatory.

Some of the trees in this 14-acre botanical garden, which opened in 1931, date from 1853, when Queen Kalama allowed a young German doctor to lease a portion of her land. More than 170 years later, you can see these trees and many others along with bromeliads, orchids, and other tropical plants, some of which are rare or endangered. Look out in particular for the cannonball tree and the redwood-size quipo tree.

In the middle of a 90-acre urban park about 2 mi east of Downtown, this elegant glass conservatory shelters desert, rain forest, mountain, and tropical island plant habitats. Built in 1895 and styled after London's Crystal Palace, the conservatory is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Outside, hardy bamboo and Japanese maples in the Japanese garden are part of a 28-acre botanical garden. Franklin Park Conservatory is the only public garden to have a permanent glass exhibit by artist Dale Chihuly.

Founded in the early 1990s by the Meijer family, whose name graces a Midwestern grocery–department-store chain, this indoor–outdoor gallery, on 132 acres of landscaped grounds, has achieved international importance. A permanent collection of 200 works includes established artists and emerging talent, and outdoor exhibits are displayed in delightful natural settings, linked by walking trails with benches for quiet contemplation. Temporary exhibitions are also staged. Themed gardens include a children's garden, Japanese garden, and 1930s farm garden, and a five-story tropical conservatory houses exotic plants from around the world, including a 3,500-strong orchid collection. Hungry or not, visit the café to see the ceiling of glass sculptures by Dale Chihuly.

When many people think of Alaska's vegetation, they conjure up images of flat, treeless tundra, so the variety of native and cultivated flowers at this idyllic spot is often unexpected. The garden, 4 miles west of downtown, is part of the University of Alaska Fairbanks. A major focus of research is Interior Alaska's unique, short but intense midnight-sun growing season, and the results are spectacular. The nonstop daylight brings out rich and vibrant colors and—to the delight of locals and visitors—amazing vegetable specimens that don't grow anywhere near as big in the Lower 48. An adjacent children's garden includes a treehouse and hedge maze to explore. On Thursdays in the summer, check out a free concert, and remember to bring a lawn chair.

Immerse yourself in the world's most comprehensive collection of Western American art, including 18 of the 22 original Remington bronze sculptures and a quarter-million specimens of archaeology and ethnographic materials from Native American, Hispanic, and Anglo-American cultural traditions. It's all housed on 460 acres, 23 of which comprise themed gardens. Other artists whose work is featured at the Gilcrease include John James Audubon, Thomas Eakins, Winslow Homer, James McNeill Whister, and Western art masters Thomas Moran, Charles M. Russell, George Caitlin, and Albert Bierstadt.

One of the upsides to living in a rain forest is the lush proliferation of plants and trees. At Glacier Gardens, they've turned local flora into an art form. Spread over 50 acres of rain forest, the family-owned Glacier Gardens has ponds, waterfalls, hiking paths, a large atrium, and gardens. The roots of fallen trees, turned upside down and buried in the ground, act as bowls to hold planters that overflow with begonias, fuchsias, and petunias. Guided tours in covered golf carts lead you along the 4 miles of paved paths, and a 580-foot-high overlook provides dramatic views of the Mendenhall wetlands wildlife refuge, the Chilkat Range, and downtown Juneau. A café and gift shop are here, and the conservatory is a popular wedding spot. Admission includes a guided tour. The Juneau city bus, which departs from multiple locations downtown, stops in front of Glacier Gardens (but be prepared for a meandering journey).

This property in the center of town includes the large, antiques-filled, gambrel-roof Georgian Colonial home of Dr. Samuel Seabury—who, in 1783, was elected the first Episcopal bishop in the United States. The house, built in 1740, and its outstanding furniture collection comprise one of the earliest and most authentic house museums in the region. The garden was designed in the 1920s by renowned British horticulturist Gertrude Jekyll. Though small, it's a classic, old-fashioned, English-style garden and the only one of the three Jekyll-designed gardens in the United States that are still in existence. New England witch and cemetery tours are available in October, and the museum itself celebrated its 100th anniversary in June of 2025.

Fanciful animals and geometric shapes populate this large topiary garden on a Narragansett Bay--side Victorian estate that served as the summer residence of a Fall River, Massachusetts, textile mill owner. In addition to the whimsical topiaries, there are flower and herb gardens, orchards, and winding pathways. Picnicking among the shrubbery is encouraged.

Owned by the Catholic Church, the National Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother, as it's officially known, displays more than 100 statues and shrines in 62 acres of woods that adjoin Rocky Butte Natural Area. The grotto was carved into the base of a 110-foot cliff, and has a replica of Michelangelo's Pietà. The real treat is found after ascending the cliff face via elevator, as you enter a wonderland of gardens, sculptures, and shrines, and a glass-walled cathedral with an awe-inspiring view of the Columbia River and the Cascades. There's a dazzling Christmas Festival of Lights (late November and December, $14), with 500,000 lights and more than 160 holiday concerts in the 500-seat chapel, and an indoor petting zoo. Daily masses are held here, too.

Stroll through this 3½-acre green space, which includes a palm walk, a Japanese garden, and a collection of 100 bonsai trees. There is also a gift shop with whimsical and botanical knickknacks. Guided tours are available by appointment for an extra fee.

Hershey Gardens opened in 1937 with a single 3½-acre plot of roses, and over eight decades has grown to include 11 theme gardens on 23 landscaped acres. Home to more than 3,500 rosebushes and 20,000 tulips, the gardens come to life in spring as thousands of bulbs burst into bloom. Flowering displays last until fall, when late roses open. The year-round Butterfly Atrium hosts hundreds of pollinators from around the world, and don't miss the chocolate-themed Children's Garden. A garden shop is on-site.

In the center of Highlands, the Highlands Botanical Garden, run by Western Carolina University, is a 30-acre biological reserve of native plants. There's also a small nature center, open seasonally.

The 240-acre Hofstra campus includes the Hofstra Arboretum, which basically is spread throughout the entire campus. It counts more than 8,000 trees of 425 varieties, 50 outdoor sculptures, a 2-acre bird sanctuary, and a 40-foot stone labyrinth for meditation.

This small but pleasant zoo is home to 4,500 animals, housed in carefully designed ecosystems along shaded trails. Be sure to visit the boardwalks and treehouses of the Wortham World of Primates. If you need a break from the heat, take a spin on the climate-controlled Wildlife Carousel near the Children's Zoo. The zoo is free on certain holidays: Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, the Friday after Thanksgiving, and Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Some 12 miles of trails that connect with others in Washington Park and Forest Park wind through the 189-acre arboretum, which was established in 1928 and contains more than 2,000 species of plants and one of the nation's largest collections of coniferous trees. Pick up trail maps at the visitor center. Guided 90-minute tours ($5 suggested donation) are offered at various times. Also here are the Winter Garden and a memorial to veterans of the Vietnam War.

Within this tranquil 4-acre garden are a teahouse, paths of gravel and stepping-stones, stone lanterns, and a waterfall, plus various mosses and Asian plants. Guided tours, which include a tea ceremony, are usually given once a day on alternate Saturdays; call for more information.

Dogwood lanes, fields of flowers, kitchen gardens, and a miniature train winding through a small-scale European village delight all ages. Maintained by volunteers, the garden includes a 9,000-square-foot natural-stone-and-steel-beam nature center that houses what's billed as the nation’s largest open-air butterfly house. Tadpoles, frogs, birds, turtles, and other creatures populate nearby Little Smith Lake. The garden is especially lovely when festooned with lights at holiday time.

A unique contribution to garden design in America, Innisfree is based on Chinese-garden design and draws inspiration from ages-old Chinese paintings. The term cup garden is used to describe the concept; it refers to the way spaces frame, or "cup," features, such as striking rock formations or small pools. Cliffs, low hills, waterfalls, streams, and picnic spots surround the 40-acre lake at the center of the garden. A path takes you through Innisfree.

Step into this lovely, lush, flowering oasis within Brackenridge Park that was originally a rock quarry. A man-made 60-foot waterfall is the focus, along with beautiful rock bridges and walkways over and around lily ponds with hundreds of koi fish. The entire place is Instagram-worthy. Dog-friendly with leashed pets welcome.The Jingu House café at the top of the garden offers light lunch, brunch, wine, beer, cocktails, and sake.

The university's working, research, and teaching 10-acre garden holds the most diverse collection of hardy temperate-zone plants in the southeastern United States. There's also a garden featuring plants with white flowers and foliage and a 300-foot-long perennial border.

This 170-acre botanical garden and bird sanctuary has trails through stands of wisteria, palms, lilies, irises, and ferns, and offers a lovely perspective on south Louisiana wilderness. Bird life includes white egrets and Louisiana herons, and there's also a 900-year-old statue of Buddha. These gardens belonged to Edward Avery McIlhenny, the son of the Tabasco company's founder, who brought back plants from his travels: lotus and papyrus from Egypt, bamboo from China. You can park your car at the beginning of the trails and strike out on foot, or drive through the gardens and stop at will.

Tree-lined and grassy, this arboretum in the Lihue-Koloa Forest Reserve is a perfect spot for a picnic—and there are lots of picnic tables scattered throughout the parklike setting. A typically shallow, cascading stream makes for a fun spot for kids to splash, although the water's a bit chilly. After crossing the stream on the bridge, the 1-mile walking trail meanders through mango, monkeypod, and exquisite rainbow eucalyptus trees. This is usually a peaceful place, but pay attention to the weather as the stream can flood quickly.

At this arboretum you can enjoy tropical trees in their natural setting or enjoy a challenging hike into the forest. Signs help you learn the names of the many plants and trees now considered native to Hawaii; the rainbow eucalyptus trees are a big draw here (do not write on them). The meandering Piinaau Stream adds a graceful touch to the arboretum and provides a swimming pond when there is enough water. You can take a fairly rigorous hike from the arboretum if you can find the trail at one side of the large taro patch. Be careful not to lose the trail once you're on it. A lovely forest waits at the end of the 25-minute hike.

Exotic water lilies, lotuses, hyacinths, and other water-loving plants thrive in this 8-acre sanctuary of quiet ponds, protected wetlands, and marshy flats, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The gardens' wetland animals include turtles, frogs, beavers, spring azure butterflies, and dozens of species of birds, which may be seen along the 1½-miles of walking trails. Watch out for the Lotus and Water Lily Festival in July.  Visit in July for the peak lily bloom; 9 am is the best time to see early morning blossoms.

There's a tiny, child-friendly museum in the visitor center. Dogs are welcome but must be on a leash. The nearest Metro stop is a 10-minute walk away, but there is ample free parking. Exit gates are locked promptly at 4.