189 Best Sights in USA

In 1969, naturalist and conservationist icon Richard L. Proenneke built his cabin by hand with tools he created himself. He lived there and sustained himself off the land until his death in 1999. Located on the south shore of Upper Twin Lake, this cabin is only accessed by float plane or backpacking up to it. It is maintained by nearby park service employees.

There are two architecturally notable buildings at the plaza. Directly west of the Aon Center and across from Millennium Park is One Prudential Plaza. Designed by Alfonso Iannelli and completed in 1955, this limestone-and-ridged-aluminum structure was once the city's tallest building (barring the statue of Ceres atop the Board of Trade). At the time, it had the world's fastest elevators and an observation deck that became passé once some of the city's other behemoths were completed. Attached to One Prudential is its sibling Two Prudential Plaza, nicknamed "Two Pru," a towering glass-and-granite giant with an address of 180 North Stetson Avenue. Along with their neighbors they form a block-long business-oriented minicity. Two Prudential is the tallest reinforced concrete building in the city, and its blue detailing and beveled roof are instantly recognizable from afar.

Southern California may have its "Hollywood" sign, but northeastern New Mexico has its RATON SIGN—and this neon-red beauty is completely accessible. From the north end of 3rd Street, head west on Moulton Avenue to Hill Street and follow signs along the twisting road to the parking area at Goat Hill. Here you can walk around the sign, take in 270-degree views of the countryside, or picnic while contemplating the history of Raton Pass—the original Santa Fe Trail ran up Goat Hill clear into Colorado.

The clearly expressed, gleaming verticality that characterizes the modern skyscraper was first and most eloquently articulated in this trailblazing steel-frame tower, built by Burnham, Root, and Charles Atwood. Completed in 1895 and now home to the stylish Staypineapple Hotel, the building was a crumbling eyesore until the late 1990s, when the city initiated a major restoration. In the early and mid-1900s, it was a mixed-use office building. Al Capone's dentist reportedly worked out of what's now Room 809. Don't be misled when you go looking for this masterpiece—a block away, at State and Randolph streets, a dormitory for the School of the Art Institute of Chicago shamelessly mimics it. Once you've found the real thing, admire the mosaic floor and ironwork in the reconstructed elevator lobby. The building boasts early examples of the Chicago Window, which define the entire facade by adding a shimmer and glimmer to the surrounding white terra-cotta.

This tower has been an iconic fixture of the Dallas skyline since 1978. The lights on the giant ball at the top of the tower often dance at night. Visitors can visit the rotating restaurant and lounge or ride an elevator up 55 flights to an observation deck that affords views of Dallas and beyond.

Named for late mayor Richard J. Daley, this boldly plain high-rise is the headquarters of the Cook County court system, but it's best known as the site of a sculpture by Picasso. Simply dubbed the Picasso, this monumental piece provoked an outcry when it was installed in 1967; baffled Chicagoans tried to determine whether it represented a woman or an Afghan hound. In the end, they gave up guessing and simply embraced it as a unique symbol of the city. The building itself was constructed in 1965 of Cor-Ten steel, which weathers naturally to an attractive bronze. In summer, its plaza is the site of concerts, political rallies, and a Thursday farmers' market. In December, Christkindlmarket (a traditional German market selling food and gifts) takes over the area.

Built from 1833 through 1837, this series of Greek Revival and Federal row houses along Washington Square North, between University Place and MacDougal Street, once belonged to merchants and bankers, then to writers and artists such as John Dos Passos and Edward Hopper. Many are now owned by NYU and used for housing and offices. Although the facades remain beautifully preserved, the interiors have been drastically altered over the years.

Built as a general store in 1912 by Japanese immigrant and businessman Sadanouke Hata and his family, this two-story building now houses galleries, a restaurant, and small shops, with offices upstairs. When first built, it was one of the only buildings in Hawaii constructed out of concrete. During World War II, when Hata family members were interned because of their heritage, the building was confiscated by the U.S. government. When the war ended, a daughter repurchased it for $100,000. A beautiful example of Renaissance Revival architecture, the building won a state award for the authenticity of its restoration.

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, a pioneer of modernist architecture, built this boxlike bronze-and-glass tower in 1958, and it remains a must-visit for architecture buffs. The austere facade belies its wit: I-beams, used to hold buildings up, here are merely attached to the surface, representing the idea of structural support. The Seagram Building's innovative ground-level plaza, extending out to the sidewalk, has since become a common element in urban skyscraper design, but at the time it was built, it was a radical announcement of a new, modern era of American architecture. With its two giant fountains and welcoming steps, the plaza also is a popular lunch spot for Midtown workers. Visit late in the afternoon to avoid crowds.

A striking triangular shape and a gorgeous green patina make this 1907 flatiron building unmissable, and the Financial District's skyscrapers make a great backdrop for it. In the 1970s filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola bought the building to use for his production company. The ground floor houses Coppola's swanky wine bar, Café Zoetrope.

The lookout was built in 1932 and was used to station watchmen and -women until 1968. It was restored in the mid-1990s and is now listed in the National Register of Historic Places. To access the lookout, start at the East Shore Trailhead (just outside the park, in the Arapahoe National Recreation Area), between Grand and Shadow Mountain lakes, and hike approximately 5 miles along the East Shore and Shadow Mountain trails. There's a small fee for parking in the recreation area.

Guides lead 45-minute tours, up and down many stairs, through this lovely turn-of-the-20th-century castle on Dark Island. The castle, originally known as the Towers, was built as a summer home for Frederick G. Bourne, president of the Singer sewing-machine company. Famed American architect Ernest Flagg modeled the four-story, 28-room structure on a Scottish castle, giving it all sorts of interesting nooks and crannies. To get here, take a boat from Alexandria Bay. Empire Boat Lines and Uncle Sam Boat Tours include Singer Castle in their sightseeing cruises.

Originally the site of a trading post established by Roger Williams, founder of the Rhode Island colony, the Smith's Castle grounds include a marked mass grave where 40 colonists killed in the Great Swamp battle of 1675 are buried. The land just outside Wickford village was part of a large plantation during the 18th century, spanning more than 3,000 acres worked by tenant farmers and—yes, even in Rhode Island—enslaved people and indentured laborers; later, it became a large dairy farm. Saved from the wrecking ball by preservationists in 1948, the beautifully preserved saltbox home—one of the country's oldest plantation houses—appears much as it did in 1740. Docents in period costume provide interpretive tours of the house several times a day, Friday through Sunday from May to mid-October.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this opulent clubhouse on Lake Michigan is one of the last remaining Mediterranean resort-style buildings in the Midwest. Referred to by many as the "Gem of the Southside," the posh country club looks like something out of an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel. It boasts meeting rooms, stables where the Chicago Police Department's horses are quartered, a 9-hole golf course, and a beach with newly built concessions. With magnificent crystal chandeliers, balconies, pillars, and a vaulted ceiling, its ballrooms and grand lobby wow visitors, including President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, who chose the center for their wedding reception. 

on the Monongahela across the historic Smithfield Bridge, is a converted rail station from the early 20th century. Today, this is a development filled with shops and restaurants.

The Grand Concourse Restaurant. The restaurant's pleasant interior is composed of brass, wood, marble, and a glass ceiling, and the kitchen turns out inventive cuisine. 1 Station Square. 412/261–1717.

At an adjacent dock, the Gateway Clipper fleet offers riverboat cruises and shuttles to PNC Park and Heinz Field (home of major league baseball's Pirates and the NFL's Steelers, respectively). 412/355–7980. www.gatewayclipper.com.

Across Carson Street is the Monongahela Incline, run by the Port Authority of Allegeny County. 412/442–2000.

A short walk or drive away is the Duquesne Incline. Both 19th-century funiculars edge up ever-so-steep hillsides. The view at the top is well worth the $3.50 round-trip. Several restaurants at the top have great views. 1197 W. Carson St.412/381–1665.

Built by Maryhill Museum founder Sam Hill, this remarkable full-scale replica of England's legendary Neolithic stone creation was constructed in 1918 as the nation's first memorial to servicemen who perished in World War I. The memorial is a five-minute drive east of the museum, on a promontory with dramatic vistas overlooking the Columbia River.

From 1899 to 2007 this was the flagship location for the department store Carson, Pirie, Scott & Co. The work of one of Chicago's most renowned architects, it combines Louis H. Sullivan's visionary expression of modern design with intricate cast-iron ornamentation. The eye-catching rotunda and the 11 stories above it are actually an addition Sullivan made to his original building. In later years D.H. Burnham & Co. and Holabird & Root extended Sullivan's smooth, horizontal scheme farther down State Street. The ground floor now houses a Target, with office tenants occupying the floors above.

Now home to the acclaimed Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO), this complex includes Orchestra Hall, built in 1904 under the supervision of Daniel Burnham. The Georgian building has a symmetrical facade of pink brick with limestone quoins, lintels, and other decorative elements. An interior renovation, completed in 1997, added a seating area that is behind and above the stage, allowing patrons a unique vantage point.

With 32 stories, Baltimore's World Trade Center, designed by I.M. Pei's firm, is the world's tallest pentagonal structure. The 27th-floor "Top of the World" observation deck allows an unobstructed view of Baltimore and beyond from a height of 423 feet.

Honoring his service in the Civil War, a group of Galena Republicans presented this 1860 Italianate bracketed home to Ulysses S. Grant in 1865. He lived here with his family until in 1868, taking his seat in the White House as the 18th President. Much of the furnishings are original to the home, which is now a National Historic Landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places.

The first U.S. mint was built in Philadelphia at 16th and Spring Garden streets in 1792, when the Bank of North America adopted dollars and cents instead of shillings and pence as standard currency; the current mint was built in 1971. During a self-guided tour you can see blank disks being melted, cast, and pressed into coins, which are then inspected, counted, and bagged. Historic artifacts such as the Key to the First Mint and the gold medal awarded to General Anthony Wayne for his capture of Stony Point during the Revolutionary War are displayed. Seven Tiffany glass tile mosaics depict coin making in ancient Rome. A shop in the lobby sells special coins and medals—in mint condition.

Athens has several splendid Greek revival buildings, including two on campus: the university chapel, built in 1832, just off North Herty Drive, and the university president's house that was built in the late 1850s. Easiest access to the campus in downtown Athens is off Broad Street onto either Jackson or Thomas Street, both of which run through the heart of the university. Maps are available at the visitor center in the Four Towers Building on College Station Road.

Although closed to the public, this Beaux Arts–style, 1927 World War I monument, dedicated to the 101 Hawaiian servicemen who lost their lives in battle, stands proudly in Waikiki and is visible from the adjacent Sans Souci/Kaimana Beach. The 100-meter saltwater swimming pool, the training spot for Olympians Johnny Weissmuller and Buster Crabbe and the U.S. Army during World War II, has been closed for decades, as the pool needs repair. Plans to tear down the natatorium were put on hold because of efforts by a nonprofit group that continues fighting to save it. With massive environmental and funding issues, though, the proposed refurbishment remains in flux.

Water is still pumped to some city residents at a rate of about 250 million gallons per day from this Gothic-style structure, which, along with the Water Tower across the street, survived the 1871 conflagration. Lookingglass Theatre, located in the same complex, has called this place home since 2013.

The Wells Fargo Express Building, also designed in the Spanish Mission Revival style, was erected in 1910.

The ruins of a 19th-century iron foundry stand here amid a babbling brook and 87 acres of preserved marshland and woodland. Scenic trails and interpretive features recount how the foundry once buzzed with activity as the original commercial hub of Cold Spring village. Its employees manufactured Civil War cannons, cannon balls, and guns, as well as cast-iron facades for SoHo warehouses and even the nation's first domestically made locomotive. Today there's also a replica of a historic gun platform. To get here from Main Street, turn south onto Kemble Avenue and take it to the end, proceed through the gate, turn left, and follow the path to the site. The preserve is accessible from the Cold Spring Metro-North train station.