10457 Best Sights in USA

Completed on July 4, 1829, the impressive monument was the first one dedicated to the nation's first president. An 18-foot statue depicting Washington caps the 160-foot white marble tower. The tower was designed and built by Robert Mills, the first architect born and educated in the United States; 19 years after completing Baltimore's Washington Monument, Mills designed and erected the national Washington Monument in D.C. After extensive restorations, the monument's lower-level museum has reopened; visitors can climb the 227-step circular staircase to the top and enjoy stunning bird's-eye vistas over downtown.

Washington's official history museum presents interactive exhibits and multimedia installations about the exploration and settlement of the state. Exhibits are wide-ranging and artfully designed, and feature Native American, Inuit, and pioneer artifacts, and mining, logging, and railroad relics. The upstairs gallery hosts rotating exhibits, and summer programs are staged in the outdoor amphitheater. During the winter holiday season, the Model Train Festival is one of the museum's top draws.

This is one of the park's best and most easily accessed hikes. Though it's just more than 1½ miles round-trip, the trail climbs more than 400 feet—not counting the steps up to the actual lookout, which has great views of Wizard Island and the lake. Moderate.

This formerly derelict industrial district and railroad depot underwent a remarkable transformation in the late '80s and early '90s into a gorgeous stretch of green, with a boardwalk lapped by the lake. It's also a linchpin for a number of sights and facilities, with the Echo Center on the south end, a bodacious skate park on the north, four seasonal creemee stands, and the Burlington Bike Path running through it all. Sunsets are particularly popular.

Adjacent to San Diego's County Administration Center is one of the city's most playful destinations—this 12-acre, family-friendly space is a great place to stretch out and cool off with fountain jets that are operational during the warmer months and a playground where children can climb, swing, and slide to their hearts' content. Even if you're just taking a moment to rest, the seaside view is worth the stop. Numerous concerts, festivals, and other events take place throughout the year, so check the website for a full schedule.

Weaverville's main attraction is the Joss House, a Taoist temple built in 1874 and called Won Lim Miao ("the temple of the forest beneath the clouds") by Chinese miners. The oldest continuously used Chinese temple in California, it attracts worshippers from around the world. With its golden altar, antique weaponry, and carved wooden canopies, the Joss House is a piece of California history best appreciated on a guided 30-minute tour.

At Weeki Wachee Springs, the spring flows at the remarkable rate of 170 million gallons a day with a constant temperature of 74°F. The spring has long been famous for its live "mermaids," clearly not the work of Mother Nature, as they wear bright costumes and put on an underwater choreography show that's been virtually unchanged since the park opened in 1947—making it a classic piece of Florida history and culture.

It also features snorkel tours and canoe trips on the river, and a wilderness boat ride gives an up-close look at raccoons, otters, egrets, and other semitropical Florida wetlands wildlife. In summer Buccaneer Bay water park opens for swimming, beaching, and riding its thrilling slides and flumes.

Wekiva is a Creek word meaning "flowing water," and wekiwa means "spring of water," so the different spellings you might see are both correct. Regardless, this 7,000-acre state park is, indeed, well suited to swimming, canoeing, and fishing (license required), as well as hiking, cycling, riding, picnicking, and camping. The area is also full of Florida wildlife: otters, raccoons, alligators, bobcats, deer, turtles, birds, and bears.

Park canoe or kayak rentals cost $35 for two hours, and trips can range from a simple paddle around a lagoon where you can observe a colony of water turtles to a full-day excursion through less-congested stretches of the river. Some of the park's 60 campsites are "canoe sites" accessible only via the river; others are "trail sites" that require hiking a good bit of the park's 13½-mile trail to reach them. Most sites, however, are for the less hardy—you can drive right up to them, and they have electric and water hookups.

At this picturesque 220-acre park on the west shore of glorious Newfound Lake, about 14 miles from Plymouth, you'll find the largest freshwater beach in the state park system. Enjoy the picnic and fishing areas, numerous hiking trails, and boat launch. 

The road that winds along an oceanfront bluff from the municipal wharf to Natural Bridges State Beach makes for a spectacular drive, but it's even more fun to walk or bike the paved path that parallels the road. Surfers bob and swoosh in Monterey Bay at several points near the foot of the bluff, especially at a break known as Steamer Lane. Named for a surfer who died here in 1965, the nearby Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse stands at Point Santa Cruz, the cliff's major promontory. From here you can watch pinnipeds hang out, sunbathe, and frolic on Seal Rock.

Sandwiched between the Pioneer Square area and the upscale Pearl District, this triangular patch of vintage buildings—interspersed with a handful of contemporary ones—has evolved since the early 2000s into one of the city's most eclectic hubs of fashion, nightlife, and dining. Boutique hotels like the Ace and Sentinel rank among the city's trendiest addresses. Along Harvey Milk Street, formerly the heart of Portland's LGBTQ+ scene, there's still a popular gay bar, but now you'll also find noteworthy restaurants and lounges, and plenty of indie boutiques.

Candy cane–striped West Quoddy Head Light marks the easternmost point of land in the United States. One of Maine's most famous lighthouses, it guards Lubec Channel as it flows into much wider Atlantic waters that also demarcate Canada and the United States. Authorized by President Thomas Jefferson, the first light and keeper's house was built here in 1808. Just inside the park entrance are their 1858 replacements. You can’t climb the tower, but a video of the inside is shown at the former keeper’s house, now a seasonal museum with displays about the lighthouse and its keepers, works by local artists, and a gift shop. Plan for more than a lighthouse visit at this enticing 541-acre Bold Coast park. Whales are often sighted offshore, the birding is world-famous, and there’s a seaside picnic area. Visitors beachcomb, walk, or hike several miles of trails; a 2-mile trail along the cliffs yields magnificent views of Canada’s cliff-clad Grand Manan Island, while the 1-mile round-trip Bog Trail reveals arctic and subarctic plants rarely found south of Canada. Leading to a lookout with views of Lubec across the channel, the western leg of the 1-mile Coast Guard Trail is wheelchair-accessible. In the off-season, visitors can park outside the gate and walk in.

The primary Yellowstone caldera was created by one massive volcanic eruption, but a later eruption formed the West Thumb, an unusual and particularly photogenic geyser basin because its active geothermal features are on the shore of Yellowstone Lake. Two boardwalks loop through the basin and showcase a number of sites, including the stunning blue-green Abyss Pool and Fishing Cone, where fishermen used to drop their freshly caught fish straight into boiling water without ever taking it off the hook. This area is popular in winter, when you can take advantage of the nearby warming hut and stroll around the geyser basin before continuing your trip via snowcoach or snowmobile.

First-time day-trippers head to this wild headland at the bottom of Isle au Haut, the open Atlantic beyond. Western Head is most often hiked as a loop that includes Western Head Road and Cliff and Western Head trails. From Duck Harbor, it's approximately 4 miles round-trip. Take the unpaved road to the trailhead for the 0.7-mile Cliff Trail, which alternates between forest and volcanic rock clifftop, with opportunities to go off-course and explore the rocky shoreline. More cobblestone beaches await as the hike continues along the 1.3-mile Western Head Trail, which connects with Western Head Road north of the Cliff Trail. Rock scrambling makes for challenging going at times, but spectacular seascapes and secluded coves are your reward for visiting what is perhaps Acadia National Park's most remote spot. Some visitors bike to one of the trailheads and walk back to their bike after reconnecting with the road. Bicycles are not allowed on park trails; the ferry only drops off bikes at the Town Landing, not in the park at Duck Harbor.

The centerpiece of this 560-acre beach park is a paved promenade, sometimes called the Dunes Trail, that winds along the sandy beach north from the dunes near Grays Harbor Lighthouse, before exiting the park and curving along Half Moon Bay to the Westport Viewing Tower at the end of Westhaven Drive. The trail runs 2½ miles total, about half of it through the park, which is popular for beachcombing, bird-watching, and clamming but is too rough and cold for swimming. Several picnic tables overlook the sea along the trail. There's parking near downtown at the end of Jetty Haul Road and at the park's main entrance, at the end of West Ocean Avenue. Amenities: parking (fee); toilets. Best for: sunrise; sunset; walking

Check out the 17-foot-tall Destruction Island Lens, a lighthouse beacon that was built in 1888 and weighs almost 6 tons, at this engaging maritime museum set inside a former Coast Guard station. Operated by the Westport South Beach Historical Society (WSBHS), it is filled with historic photos, equipment, clothing, and other relics from the life-saving service and artifacts related the area's local fishing, logging, and cranberry farming industries. WSBHS also operates the octagonal 1898 Grays Harbor Lighthouse, which at 107 feet is the tallest on the Washington coast. It's 2 miles south of the museum and adjacent to Westport Light State Park.

A New York entrepreneur, Thomas Whaley came to California during the gold rush. He wanted to provide his East Coast wife with all the comforts of home, so in 1857 he had Southern California's first two-story brick structure built, making it the oldest double-story brick building on the West Coast. The house, which served as the county courthouse and government seat during the 1870s, stands in strong contrast to the Spanish-style adobe residences that surround the nearby historic plaza and marks an early stage of San Diego's "Americanization." A garden out back includes many varieties of prehybrid roses from before 1867. The place is perhaps most famed, however, for the ghosts that are said to inhabit it. You can tour on your own during the day, but must visit by guided tour after 4:30 pm. The evening tours are geared toward the supernatural aspects of the house. Tours start at 5 pm and are offered every half hour, with the last tour departing at 9:30 pm.

With exhibits that include a fully rigged whaleboat and a skeleton of a 46-foot sperm whale, this must-see museum—a complex that includes a restored 1846 spermaceti candle factory—offers a crash course in the island's colorful history. Items on display include harpoons and other whale-hunting implements; portraits of whaling captains and their wives (a few of whom went whaling as well); the South Seas curiosities they brought home; a large collection of sailors' crafts; a full-size tryworks once used to process whale oil; and the original 16-foot-high 1850 lens from Sankaty Head Lighthouse. The museum also offers a rotating gallery with new exhibits each season, a fine art gallery, and a world-class scrimshaw collection. The Children's Discovery Room provides interactive learning opportunities. Be sure to climb—or take the wheelchair-accessible elevator—up to Tucker's Roofwalk for a view of the harbor.

Bellingham's art and history museum fills three buildings near one another downtown; its centerpiece is the Lightcatcher, a LEED-certified building with an 180-foot-long translucent wall. It's home to FIG, the hands-on Family Interactive Gallery, along with permanent collections of contemporary Northwest artists and spaces for rotating exhibits. Three blocks away, Bellingham's imposing redbrick former city hall dates to 1892, became a museum in 1941, and now contains historic exhibits. The third building, the Syre Education Center, contains a photographic archive. The museum's restaurant, Bar Cicotti, is in the Lightcatcher and garners raves for its creative Northern Italian lunch and dinner fare.

The star ICON Park attraction is the 400-foot-tall observation wheel known simply as The Orlando Eye at ICON Park, which offers an almost unobstructed view of all the distant theme parks, lush green landscape, and the soaring buildings of the City Beautiful. Visibility on clear days can be more than 50 miles, reaching all the way east to Cape Canaveral. The Eye's 30 high-tech capsules complete a rotation every 30 minutes, and riders can use onboard Apple iPad Air tablets to locate points of interest. Rent a private capsule for up to 15 people, with champagne, for a sky-high experience. Ticket packages for ICON Park attractions are available.

This valley-floor winery’s name and collector-worthy J.H. Wheeler label celebrate the Wheeler family, who owned a much larger parcel in the late 19th century. The current 11-acre property contains a flower and culinary garden, a small fruit orchard, and 7-plus acres of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, all farmed organically and biodynamically. One of two contemporary stained-cedar buildings holds a state-of-the-art winery and cellar, the other a handsome hospitality center. The latter space, with views north through floor-to-ceiling windows to Mt. St. Helena, comes off more upscale Wine Country living room than tasting venue. One experience involves small bites, two others full lunches. Appointments are required; call for same-day visits.

A private institution in a building shaped like a traditional octagonal Navajo hogan, the Wheelwright opened in 1937. Founded by Boston scholar Mary Cabot Wheelwright and Navajo medicine man Hastiin Klah, the museum originated as a place to house ceremonial materials. Those items were returned to the Navajo in 1977, but what remains is an incredible collection of 19th- and 20th-century baskets, pottery, sculpture, weavings, metalwork, photography, and paintings, including contemporary works by Native American artists, and typically fascinating changing exhibits. The Case Trading Post on the lower level is modeled after the trading posts that dotted the Southwestern frontier more than 100 years ago. It carries an outstanding selection of books and contemporary Native American jewelry, kachina dolls, weaving, and pottery. There are also several interesting educational programs for visitors and locals to enjoy.

This 4,000-acre nature preserve houses top-notch natural-history exhibits. You'll find 30 bird-watching platforms, two self-guided nature trails, several boardwalks, boating facilities, and 40 miles of hiking, cross-country skiing, and horseback-riding trails. The Nature Museum has displays depicting the natural diversity found throughout the preserve, dioramas, live animals, a beehive, a digital microscope, and other unique exhibits of interest to kids of all ages (especially the scavenger hunt).

White Sands National Monument encompasses 145,344 acres of the largest deposit of gypsum sand in the world, where shifting sand dunes reach 60 feet high. The monument, one of the few landforms recognizable from space, has displays in its visitor center that describe how the dunes were (and are continually) formed from gypsum crystals originating at a dry lake bed called Lake Lucero, where winds and erosion break down the crystals into fine particles of sand. A 17-minute introductory video at the visitor center is very helpful if you intend to hike among the dunes. There are also a gift shop, snack bar, and bookstore.

A 16-mi round-trip car ride takes you into this eerie wonderland of gleaming white sand. You can climb to the top of the dunes for a photograph, then tumble or surf down on a sled sold at the visitor center. As you wade barefoot in the gypsum crystals you notice the sand is not hot, and there's even moisture to be felt a few inches below the surface. Gypsum is one of the most common minerals on earth and is finer than the silica sand on beaches. A walk on the 1-mi Big Dune Trail will give you a good overview of the site; other options are the 4¾-mi Alkali Flat Trail and the 600-yard Boardwalk. The Nature Center in the Dunes museum has exhibits and other information that includes interpretive displays with depictions of animals and plant life common to the dunes, along with illustrations of how the dunes shift through time. The center usually is open during regular hours, but is staffed by volunteers (so it sometimes closes unexpectedly). Call first to make sure it's open. The picnic area has shaded tables and grills. Backpackers' campsites are available by permit, obtainable at the visitor center, but there aren't any facilities. Once a month from May to September, White Sands celebrates the full moon by remaining open until 11, allowing you to experience the dunes by lunar light. Call for information and reservations for monthly auto caravans on Saturday to Lake Lucero, the source of the gypsum sand deposit. Rangers lead tours daily at sunset, starting at the visitor center.

The secluded 70-acre Whitehead Island, located in the western mouth of West Penobscot Bay, is home to this lighthouse, which was commissioned in 1803 and rebuilt in 1852 and which continues as a beacon for boaters. The seven-bedroom keeper’s house can be rented on a weekly basis June through October, or adults can attend one of the on-site programs that are offered. Rates include transportation to the island in a light station boat.

The only plantation museum in the area focused exclusively on slavery, the goal of Whitney Plantation is to convince visitors that a plantation tour isn't about a house, but rather about the cruel and unfair system of human bondage that took place on these grounds in the 18th and 19th centuries. Ninety-minute guided tours (as well as self-guided tours) are offered multiple times each day, leading visitors into and around 16 original structures, including the Big House and slave cabins. The plantation also features several memorials to enslaved African Americans forced to live and work across Louisiana. Before or after the tour, there's are exhibits focused on topics such as the slave trade, and a gift shop with an impressive collection of indigenous crafts and topical books. The house might not be the grandest, and the plantation's subject matter is harrowing, but that's the point: it's impossible to get an accurate picture of the region without confronting the atrocities Whitney Plantation wants to ensure we understand. Tours are extremely popular and online reservations are strongly recommended.

A visit to this family-owned winery can be an enlightenment with its combinations of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petite Syrah, Zinfandel, and Pinot Noir. The winery is known for its big reds like Refugio Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as its Amour de L'Orange sparkling wine, which pairs well with breakfast dishes and hors d'oeuvres. There's live music Thursday through Sunday from 1 to 4 pm.

Come face-to-face with some 600 free-roaming animals at the 615-acre drive-through wildlife park. Inhabitants include alligators, cheetahs, cougars, African elephants, gibbons, lions, giraffes, grizzly bears, Tibetan yaks, Siberian tigers, and many more species. There's also a petting zoo, a miniature train, up-close animal feedings and encounters, and engaging wildlife talks. The admission price includes two same-day drive-throughs. This nonprofit zoological park is a respected research facility with full accreditation from the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, with a mission to conserve and protect endangered species through education and breeding programs. Through its cheetah breeding program, for example, more than 215 of these animals have been born here.