2155 Best Sights in USA

Opened in the fall of 2008, this Randall Stout-designed faceted-glass structure soars amid the surrounding mountains, the contemporary architecture striking a balance with its natural location. Formerly known as the Art Museum of Western Virginia, the Taubman, with its new 81,000-square-foot home, quadruples its previous exhibit space, housing 19th- and 20th-century American art, modern art, and small special collections of European and ancient Mediterranean art. Norah's Café serves light fare throughout the day.

A refreshing stop for wildlife viewing, this 1,300-acre wildlife conservation property is intended to inspire, educate, and demonstrate conservation in action. Situated along 3 miles of the Bitterroot River, about 8 miles north of Hamilton, the refuge is home to otters, beavers, spotted frogs, and salamanders, as well as pileated woodpeckers, birds of prey, waterfowl, whitetail deer, and many native plants. Although most of the refuge is off-limits to the public (except by appointment), any visitors can take a stroll on the 1½-mile walking trail along the Bitterroot River. An education center conducts numerous conservation programs for the public. To get here, take Route 269 (Eastside Highway) to Quast Lane and follow the signs.

This is a karst region, a landscape where dissolving bedrock creates disappearing streams, springs, caves, and (sometimes massive) sinkholes. One such karst sinkhole is Cedar Sink, open for exploration via the Cedar Sink Trail. As a collapse feature, it acts as a window into geologic processes still going on deep beneath the earth. We see hidden streams emerge in the bottom of the sink and then hide again . . . only to form more sinkholes at Turnhole Bend farther along their route. Sinkholes of this size can form their own microclimate inside, encouraging the unseasonal growth of wildflowers.

The human-made Town Lake has turned downtown Tempe into a commercial and urban-living hot spot, and attracts college students and Valley residents of all ages. Little ones enjoy the Beach Park, and fishermen appreciate the rainbow trout–stocked lake. You also can rent a boat and tour the lake on your own.

Just across Liberty Street from the World Trade Center site, the “Ten House” firehouse is officially known as Ladder Company 10 and Engine Company 10. On the morning of September 11, 2001, firefighters on duty here were among the first to respond to New York’s terrorist attacks. The companies lost six heroes that day. The “Ten House Bravest Memorial” stands inside the firehouse to commemorate their ultimate sacrifice and that of other Ten House heroes. Around the corner on Greenwich Street, the 56-foot-long bronze bas-relief FDNY Memorial Wall serves as a tribute to 343 firefighters who perished on 9/11.

Located on the southeast corner of the Capitol grounds, this regal 1890s edifice is the only surviving government building from Austin's first 30 years. Its Gothic style is attributed to its German architect, Conrad Stremme. This 2½-story structure, made of stuccoed stone and brick, opened in 1858 as the first home of the Texas General Land Office. The writer O. Henry worked here as a draftsman and used it as the setting for some of his short stories. Today, the visitor center and gift shop serve as a great first stop when touring the Capitol. The helpful staff can provide maps and brochures for self-guided walking tours of the grounds.

Here you’ll find exhibits dedicated to preserving and honoring the history of the military in Texas, from the inception of the Lone Star State's first militias to the modern war on terror. Heavy artillery, helicopters, uniforms, and tanks are on permanent display in the 45,000-square-foot museum that encourages a hands-on approach. Outdoor exhibits are on display throughout the Camp Mabry grounds and they host living history events, including exciting battle and World War II reenactments, on certain weekends throughout the year. Remember to bring your valid photo ID—you'll need it to get on the Camp Mabry grounds.

Bustling Thayer Street bears a proud old New England name and is very much a part of campus life at Brown, RISD, and other local colleges. Gentrification has resulted in an influx of chain stores. In the blocks between Waterman and Bowen Streets, though, you'll still find fashion boutiques, shops selling funky gifts, the art deco--style Avon Cinema, and restaurants serving every kind of cuisine from Greek to Korean.

The center serves as the area's primary visitor center, with a museum dedicated to the fossil beds, fossils on display, in-depth informational panels, handouts, and an orientation movie. Two miles north of the visitor center on Highway 19 is the impressive Blue Basin, a badlands canyon with sinuous blue-green spires. Winding through this basin is the ½-mile Island in Time Trail, where trailside exhibits explain the area's 28-million-year-old fossils. The 3-mile Blue Basin Overlook Trail loops around the rim of the canyon, yielding some splendid views. Blue Basin is a hike with a high effort-to-reward ratio, and in summer rangers lead interpretive jaunts—check for an updated schedule at visitor center.

One of the oldest lighthouses on the Great Lakes looks out over the outlet of Lake Ontario. The Coast Guard left in 1981, and the building is now used as a youth hostel. Off-season reservations at the hostel must be made by e-mail at [email protected]. The lighthouse is 12 mi west of Clayton.

The brick building that houses this museum served as the main office of the Ticonderoga Pulp and Paper Company in the late 1800s. Exhibits here focus on the industrial history of Ticonderoga, which was known as a center for paper- and pencil-making.

One of New England’s best-known reversing falls—the phenomenon is created when the current “reverses” en route from bay to harbor—roils just below the U.S. 1 bridge linking Hancock and Sullivan. Frenchman Bay Conservancy’s 8-acre preserve (no dogs allowed) beside the falls on the Hancock side is a great picnic spot, with tables strung along the waterfront. Two hours before and two hours after low tide is the best time for viewing the falls. The preserve has a viewing platform, and placards explain the area's rich history and ecology. Granite was quarried nearby and shipped in schooners over the falls, once the site of a ferry and train terminal for Bar Harbor visitors. The mingling of fresh and salt water creates an environment that attracts wildlife, especially birds and waterfowl. Check the conservancy's website for information about free concerts at 6 pm on Mondays in the peak summer season—food trucks will be there. The website also lists hiking opportunities at its many other preserves in the region, from Ellsworth to the Schoodic Peninsula.

This is the most energetic part of New York City, a cacophony of flashing lights and shoulder-to-shoulder crowds that many New Yorkers studiously avoid. Originally named after the New York Times (whose headquarters has since relocated to 8th Avenue), the area has seen many changes since the first subway line, which included a 42nd Street station, opened in 1904. The area was once a bastion of the city's unseemly side, but today it's a vibrant, family-friendly destination, with pedestrian-only plazas that line Broadway with tables, chairs, and granite benches. There’s no longer a visitor center here, since the Official NYC Information Center is down at 151 West 34th Street in Herald Square, with maps, brochures, coupons, and a bilingual staff.

The focus of the entertainment might have shifted over the years, but live shows are still the heart of Midtown's theater scene, and there are 40 Broadway theaters nearby. (A few of the most historic theaters are spotlighted in this chapter's introduction.) Learn about Broadway's history and architecture on a two-hour Times Square walking tour by Manhattan Walking Tours ( $50  Daily at 10:30 am  www.manhattanwalkingtour.com) or join the two-hour guided Inside Broadway tour ( $39  Daily at 4 pm  www.insidebroadwaytours.com) that leaves from the George M. Cohan statue at West 46th Street and Broadway.

This public beach is next to the Vineyard Haven Yacht Club. It is only accessed by foot or bike: no parking here. But it's a nice place for a picnic. Amenities: none. Best for: swimming.

The Today Show doesn't have a studio audience, but if you get yourself to the corner of Rockefeller Center and West 49th Street well before 7 am, with some posterboard and markers (fun signs always get camera time), comfortable shoes (you'll be on your feet for hours), and a smiley, fun attitude, you might get on camera. America's first morning talk-news show airs weekdays from 7 to 10 am in the glass-enclosed, ground-level NBC studio.

You can see the original printing presses for the town's newspaper and watch a video about the production process at the Tombstone Epitaph Museum. The newspaper was founded in 1880 by John P. Clum, a colorful character in his own right, and is still publishing today. You can purchase one of the newspaper's special editions—The Life and Times of Wyatt Earp, The Life and Times of Doc Holliday, or Tombstone's Pioneering Prostitutes.

In 2014, Saturday Night Live veteran Jimmy Fallon packed up his impressions and sketches, his roster of star friends, and his house band (The Roots) and moved from Late Night to The Tonight Show, filling the big comedic shoes of Jay Leno and Johnny Carson before him. He also moved the show back to New York from Los Angeles, where it had originally resided since 1972. Visit the website to reserve free tickets; they're released during the first week of the month prior to the show.

At a pullout just north of Fairbanks you can see and touch the famous Trans-Alaska Pipeline. This 48-inch-diameter pipe travels 800 miles from the oil fields on the North Slope of the Brooks Range over three mountain ranges and over more than 500 rivers and streams to the terminal in Valdez. There the crude oil is pumped onto tanker ships and transported to oil refineries in the Lower 48 states. Since the pipeline began operations in 1977, more than 18 billion barrels of North Slope crude have been pumped. Currently the pipe is carrying about 450,000 barrels per day (less than a quarter of its peak figures from 1988).

This park includes a Lewis and Clark camp on a floodplain overlooking Lolo Creek. The explorers stayed here from September 9 to 11, 1805, and again from June 30 to July 3, 1806. Archaeologists in 2002 found evidence of a latrine and a fire hearth, making this one of only a few locations with a physical record of the expedition's camp. Tepee rings suggest that Native Americans used the riverside location, too. Self-guided tours meander through cottonwoods and the historic campsite. Daily interpretive presentations and guided tours run during the summer.

Since 1870, the award-winning Travis Park has welcomed the community for gatherings, celebrations, concerts, holidays, Movies by Moonlight, and other special events. As one of the oldest municipal parks in the United States, this 2.6-acre green space is a destination all its own, especially for such popular events as the H-E-B Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony the day after Thanksgiving. Other activities throughout the year include an ice rink, free movies, food trucks, fitness classes, and live music.

Many local legends attach themselves to Austin's most famous tree. At least 500 years old, this historic live oak (between 5th and 6th Streets) is the last survivor of a sacred group of trees known as the Council Oaks, used in ceremonies and meetings by Native American tribes. The tree's name derives from a legend that Stephen F. Austin negotiated the first boundary agreement between local tribes and settlers underneath its branches. In 1989, a disturbed individual attempted to poison the tree with a powerful herbicide and was later apprehended. Intensive efforts to save the tree were successful, although nearly two-thirds of the Treaty Oak died and it is now a shadow of its former self. Still, it's well worth a visit to pay your respects to this venerable survivor.

Built in 1894 with a courtyard and annexes constructed in 1911 and 1912, the nation's oldest surviving artist studios have been restored and designated a Chicago landmark. Shops, galleries, and event spaces now fill the studios.

Grotto Falls is the only waterfall in the park that you can walk behind. The Trillium Gap Trail, off the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, takes you there through a hemlock forest. Only 1.3 miles long with an easy slope, this trail is suitable for novice hikers and is one of the most popular in the park. The total round-trip distance to Grotto Falls is 2.6 miles. Trillium Gap Trail continues on to LeConte Lodge. It is a horse trail, and llamas resupplying the lodge also use it. Easy.

Occupying a section of land originally granted in 1705 by Queen Anne of England, Trinity Church is considered one of the first and finest examples of Gothic Revival architecture in America. This Episcopal church (the third on this site) was consecrated in 1846 and remained the city's tallest structure until 1890. Among its notable features are its three sets of enormous bronze doors depicting religious and early New York history, as well as some of the earliest examples of American-made stained glass. The churchyard contains the city’s oldest carved gravestone (Richard Churcher, 1681); on its south side, Alexander Hamilton is buried under a marble pyramid, not far from a monument commemorating steamboat inventor Robert Fulton (buried in the Livingston family vault with his wife). Trinity Church recently underwent a major "rejuvenation" project, restoring its historic architecture and adding a new section of stained-glass windows. Episcopalian worship services are held in person on Sunday and online during the week.

Regarded as one of the top mountain biking trail systems in the eastern United States, the four loop trails at Tsali offer ride opportunities from 4 to 14 miles. There's a campground and restrooms. Bike rentals are available from Tsali Cycles in Bryson City ( www.tsalicycles.com).

The octagonal store, founded in the early 1870s, sells groceries and authentic, reasonably priced Navajo rugs, pottery, baskets, and jewelry—it's adjacent to the NavajoLand Hotel and Explore Navajo Interactive Museum.

In 1925, prominent real-estate developer Fred F. French was among the first Americans ever to buy up a large number of buildings—most of them tenements—and join the properties into a single, massive new complex. He designed a collection of nine apartment buildings and two parks in the "garden city" mode, which placed a building's green space not in an enclosed courtyard, but in the foreground. French also built a 39-by-50-foot "Tudor City" sign atop one of the 22-story buildings, best viewed from the eastern end of 42nd Street. The development's residential towers opened between 1927 and 1930, borrowing a marketable air of sophistication from Tudor-style stonework, stained-glass windows, and lobby-design flourishes. Tudor City has been featured in numerous films, and its landmark gardens—sometimes compared to Gramercy Park, only public—remain a popular lunch spot among office workers. The neighborhood, which is near the United Nations, was designated a historic district in 1988.

Stop at Q Street between 31st and 32nd Streets, and look through the trees to the north, to the top of a sloping lawn, to see the neoclassical Tudor Place, designed by Capitol architect Dr. William Thornton for one of Martha Washington's granddaughters. Completed in 1816, the house remained in the family for six generations, hosting countless politicians, dignitaries, and military leaders. On the house tour, you can see the most extensive collection of George and Martha Washington items on public display outside Mount Vernon, Francis Scott Key's law desk, and spurs belonging to soldiers executed for serving as spies during the Civil War. You can only visit the house by guided tour (given hourly; the last tour at 3 pm), but before and afterward, until 4 pm, you can wander freely with a map through the formal garden full of roses and boxwoods, many of which are more than a century old. Admission to the garden grounds is free, but reserved tickets are required.

This glowing optical illusion painted on the wall of the Federal Land Bank Building in 1976 by local artist Blue Sky gives the appearance of a tunnel leading to the mountains. To celebrate the mural's 25th anniversary in 2001, the city hired Blue Sky to create another work in the same parking lot: the world's largest fire hydrant towers 40 feet here.

At Green River mile marker 193, you arrive at the middle of Turnhole Bend, a large bend in the river. The bend is so nearly complete that someday in the geologic future, the river will erode the neck of the bend away entirely, cutting Turnhole Bend off from the backcountry. Downstream 0.2 miles on the south side you will find Turnhole Spring, an outlet of an underground waterway. This spring creates a bluehole, or deep spring, so large that before the turn of the 19th century, steamboats plying the Green River with passengers and cargo would use this natural "turn hole" to turn around.