311 Best Sights in USA

Adjacent to the Northwest African American Museum, Jimi Hendrix Park pays homage to one of the Central District's most famous sons. The 2½-acre park features walking paths, landscaping, interpretative signs about Hendrix's legacy, and a colorful 100-foot-long outdoor public art piece called the Shadow Wave Wall. The sculpture, which consists of undulating sections of gray and purple metal with cut-out designs, has a huge mural of the musical icon engraved at the center.  A short walk from the park, the under-construction Judkins Park Station also features two large-scale public artworks of a teen Jimi Hendrix.

Enjoy the fishing pier's "front-porch" swings, stroll along the waterside path, or relax in the gardens overlooking Charleston Harbor. The expansive lawn is perfect for picnics and family playtime. Two fountains can be found here: the oft-photographed Pineapple Fountain and the Vendue Fountain, which children love to run through on hot days.

This popular green space that runs along the East River is undergoing large-scale renovations as the City of New York, in conjunction with the federal government, work on a project to reduce the risks of flooding from storms and sea-level rising. Sections of the park, with its spectacular views of Brooklyn and the Manhattan Bridge, will remain open, but check the website for changing access points. The NYC Ferry dock, located at Corlears Hook, will also remain accessible.

The city’s oldest park is a verdant 89-acre playground that's home to a zoo, kid-friendly Discovery Center, Boise Art Museum, and two museums of Idaho’s history. In September it's the venue for the Art in Park festival. A rose garden and duck pond with paddleboats also make it a popular retreat worthy of a picnic for an all-day adventure. The park is on the leafy Boise River Greenbelt, a paved 25-mile pathway that runs along the Boise River, links the “String of Pearls” park circuit, and connects to downtown.

In a town known for political combat, this tiny urban park is a wonderful place to find some peace. The shady park combines Western and Arab symbols and is perfect for contemplation. From the Massachusetts Avenue entrance, a stone walk bridges a flower-bedecked swale. Farther on are limestone benches engraved with sayings from Gibran. They curve around a star-shaped fountain and a bronze bust of the namesake Lebanese-born poet, who emigrated to the United States at the turn of the 20th century and remains one of the best-selling poets of all time. His best-known work, The Prophet, has sold more than 11 million copies and has been translated into more than 100 languages. The garden is near the grounds of the United States Naval Observatory and across from the British Embassy.

A bronze statue in this park, the central town square for more than a century, depicts King David Kalakaua (1836–1891), who revived the hula and is the inspiration for Hilo's Merrie Monarch Festival. Erected in 1988, the statue depicts the king with a taro leaf in his left hand to signify the Hawaiian people's bond with the land. The park is surrounded by civic buildings and a war memorial. There is a huge, spreading banyan tree and small fishponds but no picnic or recreation facilities. According to local tradition, families of military personnel often leave leftover floral displays and funeral wreaths along the fishpond walkway as a way of honoring their loved ones.

The 3,640-foot-tall butte is part of a mountain chain that was here long before the lava flows of the Columbia basin erupted millions of years ago. The park has great views of the Palouse hills and Idaho's snowcapped peaks to the east, as well as eight primitive campsites, a picnic area, and a 1-mile trail to the top of the butte.

A pavilion welcomes visitors to this 7-acre county beach park fronting the rugged shore in North Kohala. This is a popular local spot for picnics, fishing, and surfing. You're likely to spot some sea life from shore as well. It's a nice rest stop on your way to Pololu Valley. Enjoy the scenery, but don't try to swim here—the water is very rough. Be careful on the hairpin curve going down.

Picnic facilities dot the landscape of this county park, a memorial to Maui's cultural roots. Among the interesting displays are an early-Hawaiian hale (house), a New England-style saltbox, a Portuguese-style villa with gardens, and dwellings from other cultures, such as China and the Philippines.

The peacefulness here belies the history of the area. In 1790, King Kamehameha the Great from the Island of Hawaii waged a successful bloody battle against Kahekili, the son of Maui's chief. An earlier battle at the site had pitted Kahekili against an older Hawaii Island chief, Kalaniopuu. Kahekili prevailed, but the carnage was so great that the nearby stream became known as Wailuku (Water of Destruction), and the place where fallen warriors choked the stream's flow was called Kepaniwai (Damming of the Waters).

This centrally located town park is a good place to rest or get active. Landscaped with mature trees and lilacs that bloom in the springtime, it has facilities for baseball, soccer, basketball, tennis, and a .75-mile track towards the east of the park as well as trails throughout for walking and jogging. The perfect site for summer concerts and outdoor family films and other events, the 19-acre park also holds the Kit Carson Cemetery, the final resting place for many famous (and infamous) Taos characters including Kit Carson, Padre Martinez, and Mabel Dodge Luhan.

Follow pathways adorned by Mt. Fuji trees at this lovely hillside pocket park. The trees and a 200-year-old stone lantern were donated by Seattle's sister city of Kobe, Japan. Despite being so close to I–5, the terrace is a peaceful place to stroll and enjoy views of the city, the water, and, if you're lucky, Mt. Rainier; a few benches line the gravel paths. The herb gardens you see are part of the Danny Woo Community Gardens, tended to by neighborhood residents. Across the street from the park is the historic Panama Hotel, featured in the novel Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford. Artifacts from the days of Japanese internment are on display, including a window on the floor showing a basement storage space containing a time capsule of unclaimed belongings.

Founded in 1888 and impressively renovated, the country's first public children's playground has wave-shaped climbing walls, old-fashioned cement slides, and a 20-plus-foot rope-climbing structure that kids love and parents fear. Thankfully, one holdover from the park's early days is the beautiful, handcrafted 1912 Herschell-Spillman carousel. The lovely stone Sharon Building, next to the playground, offers art classes for youngsters. Bring a picnic or pick up grub nearby on 9th Avenue and you could spend the entire day here. Be aware that the playground, which has separate areas for toddlers and bigger kids, is unenclosed and sightlines can be obstructed.

Enormous cypress trees shade this 5-acre public park on the shores of Lake Maitland. It's hidden within an upscale neighborhood and comes alive with heady color from January through March. The thousands of blooming azaleas (hence the name) make a perfect backdrop for romantic strolls, and sunset weddings are common at the park's Exedra monument overlooking the lake.

Translated as "Torchlight of the God Lono," Kukuiolono has serene Japanese gardens, a display of significant Hawaiian stones, a meditation pavilion, and spectacular panoramic views of the south and west shorelines. This quiet hilltop park is one of Kauai's most scenic areas and is ideal for a picnic or easy hike through an ironwood grove. The nine-hole golf course has the island's least expensive fees, and there's a new minigolf activity. If the café is open, it's a good spot for lunch with a view. Nongolfers can explore walking paths with interpretive signage; just stay alert.

This poignant little pocket park along the muddy banks of the Wishkah River pays homage to grunge legend and Nirvana front man Kurt Cobain, who grew up in a modest home two blocks away. A guitar sculpture, lyrics to “Something in the Way,” and other remembrances—like an empty instrument-stand sculpture identified as the musician's air guitar—mark the quiet spot that fans still seek out nearly 30 years after the rock star's death. Some leave messages on the park bench and picnic table as well as under the bridge.

This city park just 3 miles south of downtown features 330 acres of rolling hills, five outdoor pavilions with large barbecue pits, baseball and softball fields, basketball and sand volleyball courts, pickleball courts, playgrounds, and a golf course—plus a pool and a creek.

Clusters of trees dot this four-block-square oasis for sunbathers and dog-and-Frisbee teams. On the south side of the park, squat but elegant 2151 Sacramento Street, a private condominium, is the site of a home occupied by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the late 19th century. Coats of arms blaze in the front stained-glass windows. Across from the park's eastern edge is another eye-catching historic home: the Queen Anne (and distinctly yellow) C. A. Belden House at 2004 Gough Street.

The park's northern border is anchored by the stately Spreckels Mansion, built originally for sugar heir Adolph B. Spreckels and his wife, Alma. It is now the 55-room home of celebrated romance novelist Danielle Steel. Giant, immaculately trimmed hedges hide most of the mansion from public view—and have been quite the topic of debate among locals for many years. The park itself is a lovely neighborhood space where Pacific Heights residents laze in the sun or exercise their pedigreed canines while gazing at downtown's skyline or the Bay and Marin County hills in the distance to the north.

In the center of Oakland just east of downtown, this tidal lagoon with its unique habitat for more than 100 bird species became the country's first wildlife refuge in 1870. Today the 3-mile path around the lake is a refuge for walkers, bikers, joggers, and nature lovers. Lakeside Park has Children's Fairyland ( 699 Bellevue Ave.) and the Rotary Nature Center ( 600 Bellevue Ave.). The Lake Merritt Boating Center ( 568 Bellevue Ave.) rents kayaks and rowboats ( From $18; cash only).

On the lake's south side, the Camron-Stanford House ( 1418 Lakeside Dr.) is the last of the grand Victorians that once dominated the area; it's open Sundays for tours. 

The lake's necklace of lights adds allure for diners heading to Lake Chalet ( 1520 Lakeside Dr.), as well as to a host of tasty options along Grand Avenue, from Ethiopian cuisine at Enssaro ( 357A Grand Ave.) and Korean barbecue at Jong Ga House ( 372 Grand Ave.) to comfort gourmet at Grand Lake Kitchen ( 576 Grand Ave.). The historic 1920s-era Grand Lake Theatre ( 3200 Grand Ave.) resides just above the northern part of the lake and still features a Mighty Wurlitzer organ before and after some movies.

This 12-acre green space along Lake Union's southern shore is the home of the Museum of History & Industry and the Center for Wooden Boats, and also has a model boat pond, a boardwalk, a small beach, and a spray area for kids. Its Historic Ships Wharf serves as the dock for several classic old boats that are sometimes open for tours, and sometimes go cruising.

Brookline's largest park was once the home of wealthy socialites Larz and Isabel Anderson, who left the estate to the town in 1951. It's now home to a large lawn at the top of the hill, playing fields, a pond, a seasonal outdoor ice rink, and the Larz Anderson Auto Museum. The top of the hill offers great views of Boston.

Completed in 1914 by Emanuel Mische, who trained with the iconic Olmsted Brothers landscaping design firm, resplendent Laurelhurst Park's hundred-year-old trees and winding, elegant paths are evocative of another time, and may trigger an urge to don a parasol. Laurelhurst offers plentiful trails, playgrounds, tennis courts, soccer fields, horseshoe pits, an off-leash area for dogs, and many sunny and shady picnic areas. Take a stroll around the large spring-fed pond and keep an eye out for blue heron, the city's official bird. On the south side of this 31-acre park is one of the busiest basketball courts in town. Though the park is always beautiful, it is especially so in fall.

The highlight of this 26-acre space in Prospect Park is the pair of all-season open-air rinks—for ice-skating when it's frigid, and roller skating otherwise. Walkways, a lakeside esplanade, and the Music Island nature reserve—all part of the original Olmsted and Vaux plans—contribute to this area of the park that's a pleasant place for a stroll, bike or pedal-boat ride, bumper car session, or a bite at its Bluestone Cafe. In the summer, kids can cool off at the splash pad by day, while DJs spin at theme roller-skating nights on weekends by night.

Along the neighborhood's southwest edge, near the Fauntleroy ferry terminal, Lincoln Park sets acres of old forests, rocky beaches, waterfront trails, picnic tables, and a historic saltwater pool against views of Puget Sound. A renovated playground with a nautical theme at the south part of the park is a must-stop with kids. At the forested north end, there's also a wading pool, another playground, and kid-sized zip line. Since 2023, the park's beach has been home to a giant troll sculpture "Bruun Idun," made of recycled materials and one of six unique trolls in western Washington and Portland, Oregon by artist Thomas Dambo. It's a 15 minute walk from the south parking lot to see the 16-foot troll playing her flute for the orcas. Colman Pool is a Seattle landmark you won't want to miss in summer. The saltwater pool is located on the water toward the north end of the park. Public swims often sell out on nice days, so get there early.

The park that gives Logan Square its name can look a little worse for the wear---the colossal eagle-topped column at its center has seen its fair share of graffiti tagging---but that doesn’t stop locals from setting up shop for the afternoon with a book and a portable hammock. An old-world Norwegian church and restaurants with busy sidewalk patios fringe the square (really more of an oval), imparting a cosmopolitan vibe. Wide, rambling Kedzie and Logan Boulevards---two of the neighborhood’s loveliest assets---radiate outward from the park; pick out your dream mansion on a postprandial stroll.

With its huge, lighted gateway and its paths meandering through 32 acres of grassy knolls, lagoons, and historic landmarks, Louis Armstrong Park is a fitting tribute to the famed jazz musician's legacy. Elizabeth Catlett's famous statue of Louis Armstrong is joined by other artistic landmarks, such as the bust of Sidney Bechet, and the park now houses the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park.

Inside the park and to the left is Congo Square, marked by an inlaid-stone space, where enslaved people in the 18th and early 19th centuries gathered on Sunday, the only time they were permitted to play their music openly. The weekly meetings held here have been immortalized in the travelogues of visitors, leaving invaluable insight into the earliest stages of free musical practices by Africans and African Americans. Neighborhood musicians still congregate here at times for percussion jams, and it is difficult not to think of the musical spirit of ancestors hovering over them. Marie Laveau, the greatly feared and respected voodoo queen of antebellum New Orleans, had her home a block away on St. Ann Street and is reported to have held rituals here regularly.

Behind Congo Square is a large gray building, the Morris F.X. Jeff Municipal Auditorium; to the right, behind the auditorium, is the beautifully renovated Mahalia Jackson Center for the Performing Arts, which is home to the New Orleans Opera and hosts an excellent year-round calendar of events—everything from readings to rock concerts. The St. Philip Street side of the park houses the Jazz National Historical Park, anchored by Perseverance Hall, the oldest Masonic temple in the state. However, be aware that the park is often nearly deserted, and bordered by some rough stretches of neighborhood; it's patrolled by a security detail, but be very careful when wandering and don't visit after dark. The park is open from 7 am to 7 pm year-round.

The coastal views are gorgeous from this waterfront park whose sheltered beach has a children's pool and a picnic area. The main lawn has a volleyball court and a snack bar.

The benches of this elegant, tree-filled park afford great views of some of the city's oldest and most charming skyscrapers—the Flatiron Building, the Metropolitan Life Insurance Tower, the gold-crowned New York Life Insurance Building, and even (to the north) the Empire State Building—and serve as a perfect vantage point for people, pigeon, and dog watching. Add free Wi-Fi, Shake Shack, temporary art exhibits, and free summer and fall concerts, and you realize that a bench here is certainly a special place to be.

New York City's first baseball games were played in this 7-acre park in 1845. On its north end, an 1881 statue by Augustus Saint-Gaudens memorializes Civil War naval hero Admiral David Farragut. An 1876 statue of Secretary of State William Henry Seward (the Seward of the term "Seward's Folly," coined when the United States purchased Alaska from the Russian Empire in 1867) sits in the park's southwest corner, though it's rumored that the sculptor placed a reproduction of the statesman's head on a statue of Abraham Lincoln's body.

Named after former Mayor Richard M. Daley's late wife, this park offers a place to play between Lake Michigan and the city's skyline. Opened in late 2014, it includes 40-foot-high rock-climbing sculptures, an Enchanted Forest with a kaleidoscope and mirrored maze, a Slide Crater, a Wave Lawn, and an area strictly for toddlers. A skating ribbon winds around the park, with ice skates available to rent in the winter months, and rollerblades and scooters in the summer.

After a $7.9 million renovation completed in fall of 2019, a 47-foot cast-iron watchtower (Julius Kroehl, 1865), the last remnant of a citywide network used to spot and report fires in pretelephone days, once again stands atop a 70-foot-high outcrop of Manhattan schist (the same bedrock that anchors the city's skyscrapers) at the center of this historic, tree-filled public square. Around it, an Acropolis provides great views of Manhattan and the handsome neoclassical row houses of Mount Morris Park Historic District, which extends west from the park. In summer, check out musical and stage performances at the Richard Rodgers Amphitheater and at the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival (at the end of August).