490 Best Sights in USA

The 500-acre estate of former Chicago Tribune editor and publisher Robert McCormick (1880–1955) has multiple attractions. For starters, there's the First Division Museum, an impressive military history museum that has interactive, immersive exhibits. The sweeping landscape also incorporates formal gardens, picnic grounds, walking trails, and its own 27-hole public golf course with a separate 9-hole course for kids.

Venture back in time to Milwaukee's mighty brewing days with a tour of this 37-room Flemish Renaissance Revival mansion. Built in 1892 for beer baron Frederick Pabst, its heavily ornamented stone exterior leads to an interior that lives up to its fancy trimmings. Once the center of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee and, in the 1970s, narrowly saved from demolition, it now reveals an extensive art collection, not to mention the magnificence of decorating details including brass doorknobs, cast iron air ducts, mosaic marble floors, and glass rondel windows.

The Carlyle House offers a rich, nuanced portrait of both American and Alexandrian history. As one of the largest slaveholders in Virginia at the time, John Carlyle established himself as a powerful merchant, city founder, and local leader. Built in 1753 by enslaved people, the house hosted many important mid-18th century figures, from a meeting between General Braddock and royal governors on the French and Indian War to the likes of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin for parties and balls. Today, the house serves as a museum where visitors can get a behind-the-scenes look at the history of Alexandria and the Carlyle family (roughly 1753–1780). Specialty tours and programs focus on other aspects of the Carlyle property's history.

This was once the winter home of Charles Carroll, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. It's now a museum dedicated to the history of the city and the neighborhood, Historic Jonestown, as told by the various occupants of the house through the years.

On the morning of November 30, 1864, General Jacob D. Cox seized the Carter family’s home and made it the Federal Army’s headquarters for the Battle of Franklin. Today you can tour this one-and-a-half-story brick house and hear how the Civil War changed the lives of one family in particular, the country at large, and the enslaved people who also lived here. Combination tickets are available with Carnton and Rippa Villa.

La Casa de Estudillo was built on Mason Street between 1827 and 1829 by San Diego's first County Assessor, Jose Antonio Estudillo, in collaboration with his father, the commander of the San Diego Presidio, José María Estudillo. The largest and most elaborate of the original adobe homes, it was occupied by members of the Estudillo family until 1887. It was purchased and restored in 1910 by sugar magnate and developer John D. Spreckels, who advertised it in bold lettering on the side as "Ramona's Marriage Place." Spreckels's claim that the small chapel in the house was the site of the wedding in Helen Hunt Jackson's popular novel Ramona had no basis; that didn't stop people from coming to see it, however. Today, the historic structure is open daily for the public to explore.

This restored home that dates from about 1924 is a small museum run by the Delray Beach Historical Society. It's furnished as though the original inhabitants still lived there and filled with period relics, including a pump organ donated by descendants of a Delray Beach pioneer family. There's a garden of native plants out front and two small bungalow-style buildings on the property that have displays on the town's architectural evolution and history. The cottage is a block north of Atlantic Avenue and right across from the Delray Beach Center for the Arts at Old School Square.

This 59-room Stuart-style mansion, built in 1927 for Richard Crane—of the Crane plumbing company—and his family, is part of the Crane Estate, a stretch of more than 2,100 acres along the Essex and Ipswich rivers, encompassing Castle Hill, Crane Beach, and the Crane Wildlife Refuge, all of which are now owned and operated by the nonprofit Trustees of Reservations. Although the original furnishings were sold at auction, the mansion has been elaborately refurnished in period style; photographs in most of the rooms show their original appearance. The Great House is open for guided and self-guided tours and also hosts concerts and other events. Inquire about seasonal programs like fly-fishing or kayaking. If you're looking for an opulent and exquisite overnight stay, book a room at the on-site Inn at Castle Hill.

Learn about Wiscasset through the history of a prominent shipping family—the Tuckers—generations of whom lived in this mansion over the course of 150 years. Situated atop a hill overlooking the Sheepscot River, the house was built in 1807, when this was the busiest port town east of Boston. Originally constructed in the Federal style but transformed into an Italianate villa in the mid-1800s, the property has extravagant architectural details, including a freestanding elliptical staircase, and Victorian appointments.

The renowned local architect Thomas Sully designed this 1896 Colonial Revival house after the Longfellow House in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The interior has often appeared in the pages of design magazines. It was built for John Castles, president of Hibernia National Bank.

Sprawling and detailed, the elaborate Victorian house previously known as the Byers-Evans House Museum went up in 1883 as the home of Rocky Mountain News publisher William Byers. Restored to its pre–World War I condition, the historic landmark has occasional exhibitions and regular guided tours. Its main appeal is the glimpse it provides into Denver's past, specifically 1912 through 1924; more recently, the Center for Women's History has taken up residence here, which means an enhanced focus on women's studies and free rotating exhibits. The furnishings are those the Evans family acquired during the 80-some years they lived here.

What is thought to be the oldest house in Damariscotta was completed in 1754 by Nathaniel Chapman. Unlike nearby structures that have been remodeled, it retains much of its original design. Each room has been restored to represent a different era in the house's nearly three-century history.

Perched on a bluff overlooking its own sweeping lawn and Lake Michigan beyond, this museum is a 1920s era replica of an Italian villa. Roam the house's wings and enjoy the view of its Renaissance-style gardens from any of its balconies.

This remnant of Charles Pinckney's 715-acre birthplace was winnowed down by development, but today the National Park Service uses archaeological findings to tell the story of the man who signed the U.S. Constitution and the people his family enslaved. While most structures linked to the site's history as a rice and indigo plantation no longer stand, an 1820s cabin erected after Pinckney's death is open to visitors, along with three buildings where enslaved people lived.

A 1774 stone building forms the centerpiece of this museum that traces central North Carolina's history over the last three centuries. Settler Hezekiah Alexander and his wife, Mary, reared 10 children in this house and farmed the land. Learn about the lives of early residents in the area through exhibits and displays.

Designed by Louis Sullivan and his protégé Frank Lloyd Wright, this almost austere residence is one of the few extant buildings that displays the combined talents of these two architectural innovators. Historians still squabble about who contributed what here, but it's easy to imagine that the young go-getter had a hand in the cleanly rendered interior. Note how the geometric exterior looks unmistakably modern next to its traditional neighbors. Public tours of both the interior and exterior are available and last about one hour. The complimentary Wednesday tours are less comprehensive than the paid ones on Saturday; reservations are required for all tours. Check the website for reservations and pricing.

The French nobleman for whom the chateau is named erected this 26-room hunting cabin in 1883 with his wife, Medora, for whom the town was named. He also built a meatpacking plant and encouraged other cattle ranchers to settle in the area. Though their cattle empire was never realized, the couple hosted extravagant hunting parties and even entertained Theodore Roosevelt during his Dakota ranching days. You can tour the restored chateau between May and October, when weekend history programs and carriage rides are also offered. The site's interpretive center is open year-round.

Now part of the Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania National Military Park, Chatham was built between 1768 and 1771 by William Fitzhugh, a plantation owner, on a site overlooking the Rappahannock River and the town of Fredericksburg. Among Fitzhugh's guests were the likes of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. During the Civil War, Union forces commandeered the house and converted it into a headquarters and hospital. President Abraham Lincoln conferred with his generals here, Clara Barton (founder of the American Red Cross) tended the wounded, and poet Walt Whitman visited for a few hours looking for his brother, who had been wounded in a battle. After the war, the Georgian house and gardens were restored by private owners and eventually donated to the National Park Service. The home itself is now a museum. Five of the 10 rooms in the 12,000 square foot mansion house exhibits spanning several centuries, and are open to the public.

Though only slightly less grand than some of the other Newport mansions, this Italianate-style villa with a mansard roof houses a remarkable collection of art and furniture gathered by the Morris family of New York City. Its significant 19th-century American paintings include Hudson River School landscapes. Built in 1860, the home was designed by George Champlin Mason, a Newport architect, for Edmund Schermerhorn, a descendent of one of the first settlers of New Netherland, the 17th-century Dutch colony centered on New York (New Amsterdam) and first cousin of Mrs. William Astor.

The historic Cherry Mansion, built in 1830, served as General Grant's headquarters during the Battle of Shiloh. The house is privately owned, but visitors are allowed to walk around the grounds and take pictures.

This historic home, now a museum, was built by Cherokee leader Major Ridge and is a part of the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail. The 1828 white clapboard plantation home is built around a two-story log cabin. Visitors can peek behind the plaster walls to see the original wooden foundation. Major Ridge and his family lived here and operated a successful trading post and ferry until 1837 when they were forced out to Oklahoma. Although several other families lived in the home and modified it over the years, it came to be known as "Chieftains" in honor of Ridge. The museum features indoor and outdoor displays detailing the history of the house, the Ridge family, and artifacts from archaeological digs on the property.

The streets of Athens are lined with many gorgeous old homes, some of which are open to the public. Most prominent among them is the Federal-style Church-Waddel-Brumby House. Built in 1820, it is the town's oldest surviving residence. The museum is home to the Historic Athens Welcome Center, where you can pick up information and arrange for tours.

Beside Glen Echo Park's parking lot is this monument to the founder of the American Red Cross. Barton first used the structure, built by the founders of Glen Echo village, to store Red Cross supplies; later it became both her home and the organization's headquarters. Today, the building is furnished with period artifacts and many of her possessions. Access is by a 45-minute guided tour only, typically offered only on Friday and Saturday. Check the park's website to plan your visit.

The Clark Chateau Museum, an elegant 1898 four-story Victorian mansion that was built by William Clark as a wedding gift for his son Charles, is open for self-guided and guided tours. Call ahead to reserve your spot. The house, a replica of one wing of the Château de Chenonceau in France's Loire Valley, displays 18th- and 19th-century furniture, textiles, and collectibles as well as artwork.

This Greek Revival structure dates from 1836, making it Chicago's oldest surviving building. It's a clapboard house in a masonry city, built for Henry and Caroline Palmer Clarke to remind them of the East Coast they left behind. The Doric columns and pilasters were an attempt to civilize Chicago's frontier image, while the everyday objects and furnishings inside evoke a typical 1850s–60s middle-class home. The house has been moved three times from its original location on Michigan Avenue between 16th and 17th streets: the last time, in 1977, it had to be hoisted above the nearby elevated train tracks. In 2022, the house was renamed to affirm the profound role of Bishop Louis Henry and Margaret Ford in preserving the house as a significant part of Chicago’s history.

Built in 1712, this house (whose name rhymes with "fluff") is now the only local survivor of its era aside from Old North Church, which stands nearby. Picture the streets lined with houses such as this, with an occasional grander Georgian mansion and some modest wooden-frame survivors of old Boston's many fires—this is what the North End looked like when Paul Revere was young. Today, Clough House is home to two new attractions: the Printing Office of Edes & Gill, which offers visitors live Colonial-printing demonstrations, and Heritage Goods + Gifts, a shop dedicated to New England artisans and small businesses with a special focus on locally made products from BIPOC- and women-owned businesses.

The house, built between 1783 and 1790, contains the Hurley Heritage Society Museum. It includes a good collection of Revolutionary War materials, and has changing exhibits about local history. Walking- and driving-tour brochures are available in its front lobby.

The Coleman House is an impressive twin-turret, 7,000-square-foot Queen Anne mansion that was built for a Gold Rush mining and lumber baron. Don't miss the large, brilliant-purple stained-glass window on the house's north side. The house is not open to the public.

Built in 1859, this house's stylistic influence was due to the two-story galleries of its dining room wing, which had railings made of cast iron. The fence features a pattern of morning glories and cornstalks and is the most famous work of cast iron in the Garden District. Colonel Robert Short, a cotton merchant from Kentucky, purchased the fence for his wife, who was homesick for her native Iowa. The house was occupied by Union governor Michael Hahn and by governor Nathaniel Banks during the Civil War, but after the war ended, it was returned to Colonel Short.

A town highlight is the Conrad Mansion National Historic Site Museum, a 26-room (13,000 square feet) Norman-style mansion that was the home of Charles E. Conrad, who made a fortune in shipping and freighting on the Missouri River and founded Kalispell. Docents lead entertaining and informative guided tours, including a variety of special theme tours offered throughout the year.