3966 Best Sights in USA

Of the three attractions that whisk visitors to the top of nearby mountains from downtown (Ober Mountain and SkyLift Park are the others), Anakeesta is the flashiest and most polished. Choose between an enclosed gondola and a chairlift for the 600-foot elevation gain, arriving at a ridgetop village featuring 16 hanging bridges, two mountain coasters, dueling zip lines, and an observation tower at the summit. There are elaborate rope-bridge-and-tree-house play areas for kids, a pleasant garden, and three restaurants, including Smokehouse, on an outside porch with million-dollar views of the mountains, and Cliff Top, which serves entrées like a rib-eye steak and soy-ginger trout.  A 2023 addition, Astra Lumina, is a stunningly beautiful nighttime walk through a synchronized light show and soundscape.

This striking, contemporary building with first-rate exhibits is an essential stop for visitors who want to celebrate the history of the North. The star of the museum is the Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center, which features more than 600 objects from Alaska Native cultures and short films that teach visitors about modern-day Native life. Wander the Art of the North galleries, filled with works that showcase Alaska landscape, history, and beauty. The Alaska exhibition shares Alaska's diversity and history with a knock-out eye for design. Cap the visit in the 9,000-square-foot, kid-focused Discovery Center, which includes a planetarium. Curated exhibitions rotate regularly and frequently spotlight Arctic issues, Northern design, and the unique perspective of life at these latitudes. In addition, the gift shop is one of Anchorage's best places to buy Alaska Native art and other souvenirs.

Just northwest of Uptown there's a neighborhood that still shows signs of the Swedish settlers who founded it. Andersonville has some great restaurants and bakeries, many of which pay tribute to its Scandinavian roots. In winter months, be sure to drop by Simon's Tavern ( 5210 North Clark) for a glass of glögg (hot mulled wine)—it's a traditional favorite. Helping anchor the area is the Women & Children First bookstore ( 5233 North Clark), which stocks an extensive selection of feminist tomes and children's lit.

For an outdoorsy adventure and some fascinating though sometimes disturbing history, consider a day at this island northwest of Alcatraz, the bay's largest natural island. Used by the Coast Miwok as a favored camp, explored by Spaniards in 1775, and declared a U.S. military reserve 75 years later, the island was used as a screening ground for Asian, mostly Chinese, immigrants—who were often held for months, even years, before being granted entry—from 1910 until 1940. You can visit the restored Immigration Station, from the dock where detainees landed to the barracks where you can see the poems in Chinese script they etched onto the walls.

In 1963 the government designated Angel Island a state park. Today people come for picnics, hikes (such as one to the top of Mt. Livermore and a scenic 5-mile path that winds around the island's perimeter), and tram tours that explain the park's history. Golden Gate Ferry is the only Angel Island ferry service with departures from San Francisco; boats leave from the Ferry Building.

Live oak trees do as much to define the Lowcountry landscape as do its salt marshes, and this gorgeous specimen is likely the oldest—and biggest—in the country. One branch reaches 187 feet. The tree is surrounded by a 17-acre fenced park, which is free to visit. Bring a picnic and bask in the magnificent shade.

Learn a little bit about Mark Twain's "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County"—and Angels Camp's celebrated frog-jumping contests—at this museum's street-side facility, then head to the 3-acre spread behind it for a fascinating survey of gold rush–era mining history. The grounds include a carriage house with pre-automotive farming and passenger vehicles; another structure contains mining equipment. Outside, in its original mountings, stands the 27-foot-diameter waterwheel that powered machinery at the Angels Quartz Mine.

It's a seasonal ritual for California's elephant seals to come ashore here each winter—and a spectacular annual event for human visitors to watch these incredible marine mammals playing, flirting, breeding, and sometimes fighting in the chilly salt water and brisk sunshine. Guided tours (around three miles) are mandatory to keep the elephant seals safe and to protect this fragile ecosystem.

This museum got its start as a private collection of Native American antiquities gathered in the 1920s by artist and amateur naturalist Howard Arden Edwards. Today, his Swiss chalet–style home is a state museum known for one-of-a-kind artifacts from California, Southwest, and Great Basin native cultures, including tools, artwork, basketry, and rugs. The eclectic works are predominately focused on the people of Antelope Valley. A ¼-mile walking trail loops a portion of the property. To get here, exit north off Highway 138 at 165th Street East and follow the signs, or take the Avenue K exit off Highway 14.

Sea lions, zebra sharks, and penguins—oh my! This aquarium focuses on creatures of the Pacific Ocean and is home to more than 12,000 animals. The main exhibits include large tanks of sharks, stingrays, and ethereal sea dragons, which the aquarium has successfully bred in captivity. The museum's Pacific Visions area features a 29,000-square-foot multisensory experience in which attendees can immerse themselves in humankind's relationship with the natural world through video projections, soundscapes, tactile exhibits, a touchscreen wall, interactive game tables, rumbling theater seats, and more. The aquarium focuses on its local environment in its refreshed Southern California Gallery, where you'll explore kelp forests, learn about local species, and learn about the aquarium's conservation efforts. For a nonaquatic experience, head to Lorikeet Forest, a walk-in aviary full of the friendliest parrots from Australia. Buy a cup of nectar and smile as you become a human bird perch. If you're a true animal lover, book an up-close-and-personal Animal Encounters Tour (extra fee) to learn about and assist in the care and feeding of sharks, penguins, and other aquarium residents. Kids go wild for overnight camp experiences in the aquarium. Wildlife shows and special events for kids, teens, and adults abound; if you're interested in offsetting your travels with some local eco efforts, the whole family can join in local wetlands habitat restoration efforts held by the aquarium. Whale-watching trips on Harbor Breeze Cruises depart from the dock adjacent to the aquarium; summer sightings of blue whales are an unforgettable thrill.

The main park road and its two short spurs are extremely scenic and allow you to enjoy many park sights from your car. The main road leads through The Courthouse Towers, where you can see Sheep Rock and The Three Gossips, then alongside The Great Wall, The Petrified Dunes, and Balanced Rock. A drive to the Windows section takes you to attractions like Turret Arch, The North Window, and Double Arch, and you can see Skyline Arch along the roadside as you approach the Devils Garden Campground. The road to Delicate Arch allows hiking access to one of the park's main features. Allow about two hours to drive the main road's 35-mile round-trip, more if you explore the spurs and their features and stop at viewpoints along the way.

Those who love hi-tech art served with a Burning Man or Electric Daisy Carnival vibe—and with the addition of air-conditioning—will gravitate to this indoor amusement park inside a giant warehouse next to Interstate 15 (the name is a play on both the highway and the mysterious Area 51). The very fluorescent interior (the black-light averse may feel like they are trapped in a giant Spencer Gifts) even features big Burning Man–style art installations indoors and out, such as a giant skull covered in video graphics, which greets you in the main building.

While admission to the facility is technically free—though advance reservations can get you in faster on busy nights—almost all of the attractions require you to pay a separate admission: Omega Mart is an otherworldly convenience store, which leads into a walk-through funhouse full of immersive art from the Santa Fe–based arts collective Meow Wolf (it's also the most expensive individual experience); Wink World is full of art and tech surprises courtesy of Chris Wink, a co-founder and original member of the Blue Man Group; Museum Fiasco is an immersive, disorienting clublike bombardment of light and sound. Peripheral attractions include axe-throwing, golf and racing simulators, and rides on ski-lift chairs suspended from a ceiling track. You can also simply chill out with a cocktail under a canopy in The Sanctuary lounge or beneath a luminescent tree in the Oddwood Bar in the center of it all. Food choices include burgers at The Beast or sushi at Kaia. If you are just looking to visit Omega Mart, you can avoid the more expensive "Experience" tickets by buying a general admission ticket on the Meow Wolf site ( meowwolf.com).

The original building is joined by other attractions just to the west, the latest being an interactive experience themed after the John Wick movie franchise. The Illuminarium offers a Rolling Stone magazine-branded history of rock and pop music called Amplified, including a montage of every single Rolling Stone cover on a projection surface that is 20 feet tall.

And that's all just in the main, original building. AREA15 was so instantly popular that a massive 20-acre expansion to the north was set to begin unveiling new attractions by the end of 2025. The anchor will be Universal Horror Unleashed, centered around four themed haunted houses (the classic Universal monsters, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Scarecrow: The Reaping, and The Exorcist: Believer) from the folks behind the Halloween attractions at Universal Studios. New retail and a non-gaming hotel will be part of the expansion.   Admission to the building is free, but online reservations let you skip lines out front and may be required on busy nights.

The name "museum" is a bit misleading, since this delightful site is actually a zoo, aquarium, and botanical garden featuring the animals, plants, and even fish of the Sonoran Desert. Hummingbirds, coatis, rattlesnakes, scorpions, bighorn sheep, bobcats, and Mexican wolves all busy themselves in ingeniously designed habitats.

An Earth Sciences Center has an artificial limestone cave to climb through and an excellent mineral display. The coyote and javelina (a wild, piglike mammal with an oddly oversize head) exhibits have "invisible" fencing that separates humans from animals, and at the Raptor Free Flight show (October through April, daily at 10 and 2), you can see the powerful birds soar and dive, untethered, inches above your head.

The restaurants are above average, and the gift shop, which carries books, jewelry, and crafts, is outstanding. June through August, the museum stays open until 9 pm every Saturday, which provides a great opportunity to see nocturnal critters.

Here's your best opportunity in the western Wine Country to wander amid Sequoia sempervirens, also known as coast redwood trees. The oldest example in this 805-acre state park, the Colonel Armstrong Tree, is thought to be more than 1,400 years old. A half mile from the parking lot, the tree is easily accessible, and you can hike a long way into the forest before things get too hilly. During hot summer days, Armstrong Redwoods's tall trees help the park keep its cool.

This 281-acre living laboratory contains more than 4,000 kinds of woody plants, most from the hardy north temperate zone. The rhododendrons, azaleas, lilacs, magnolias, and fruit trees are eye-popping when in bloom, and something is always in season from April through September. The Larz Anderson bonsai collection contains individual specimens imported from Japan. In the visitor center there is a 40-to-1 scale model of the arboretum (with 4,000 tiny trees). If you visit during May, Lilac Sunday (usually held on Mother's Day) is a celebration of blooming trees, and is the only day picnicking is allowed in the arboretum.

The beach's usually gentle surf makes it ideal for families with young children. It's a local favorite because you can walk for miles in both directions when tides are low. Leashed dogs are allowed on the main stretch of beach and westward; they are allowed to romp off-leash east of the slough at the beach entrance. The parking lots fill early on weekends and throughout the summer, but the park is relatively quiet at other times. Walk along the beach just a few hundreds yards away from the main steps at the entrance to escape crowds on warm-weather days. Surfers, swimmers, stand-up paddlers, and boogie boarders regularly ply the waves, and photographers come often to catch the vivid sunsets. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguard (in summer); parking; showers; toilets. Best for: sunset; surfing; swimming; walking.

The Art and Culture Center, which is southeast of Young Circle, has a great reputation for presenting ubercool contemporary art exhibitions and providing the community with educational programming for adults and children. Check online for the latest exhibition schedule.

Don't rush this quiet, lonely 9-mile paved route that skirts the foothills of the Black Mountains and provides intimate views of a changing landscape. About 4 miles in, a short side road veers right to a parking lot that's a few hundred feet from one of Death Valley's signature sights: Artists Palette, so called for the contrasting colors (including shades of green, gold, and pink) of its volcanic deposits and sedimentary layers. The drive is one-way, heading north off Badwater Road, so if you're visiting Badwater Basin from Furnace Creek, come here on the way back. 

An intriguing concentration of antiques shops and galleries is found on East Charleston Boulevard and Casino Center Drive, anchored by The Arts Factory. This former warehouse with a colorful mural on the front houses studios and galleries for art of all types, including painting, photography, and sculpture. There's also a bistro on-site and a drop-in yoga studio. The Arts Factory comes alive on First Friday every month with gallery openings, exhibits, receptions, and special events. Preview Thursday, the day before First Friday, offers the same artwork with fewer crowds. Guided tours are available on request (and with a reservation).

Occupying 30 acres inside Piedmont Park, the grounds contain acres of display gardens, including a 2-acre interactive children's garden; the Fuqua Conservatory, which has unusual flora from tropical and desert climates; and the award-winning Fuqua Orchid Center. Check out the view from the Canopy Walk, a 600-foot suspension bridge 40 feet above Storza Woods. A variety of special exhibits take place throughout the year.

Life in Atlanta and the rest of the South during and after the Civil War is a major focus of this fascinating museum. Displays are provocative, juxtaposing Gone With the Wind romanticism with the grim reality of Ku Klux Klan racism. Located on 33 acres in the heart of Buckhead, this is one of the Southeast's largest history museums, with a research library and archives that annually serve thousands of patrons. Visit the elegant 1928 Swan House mansion and the plantation house that is part of Smith Family Farm. The Kenan Research Center houses an extensive archival collection. Lunch is served at the Swan Coach House, which also has a gallery and a gift shop. The historic Battle of Atlanta is depicted in Cyclorama: The Big Picture and is included in the admission price—just make a reservation to secure your spot.

Don't miss visiting the Austin Public Library's flagship branch, a striking architectural wonder reflecting the natural beauty of the Hill Country and affording beautiful views of Lady Bird Lake from the landscaped rooftop terrace. Wander through the six-floor structure, free of charge, filled to the brim with modern accoutrements that turn reading into a stimulating experience. There are art galleries, amphitheater seating for concerts and community events, kids' play areas, gaming and computer stations, and hundreds of cozy nooks and crannies to hide away with a book. On-site garage parking is easy to validate inside, and the first-floor gift shop is packed with lovely literary and Austin-centric keepsakes.

This stunning thrill ride puts you atop a dragonlike mountain banshee for the ride of your life. After a trek deep into the jungles of Pandora, you enter a room where scientists pair banshees with visitors. On instruction, you board a vehicle resembling a motorcycle that faces a blank wall. After hopping on, you don special 3-D goggles, the action begins, and you are one with your banshee. You feel it come to life beneath you, as Pandora comes to life before your eyes. The banshee's wing muscles pump as you hurtle down cliff faces and soar above the floating islands familiar from the film. The visuals are breathtaking, with dense jungles, seascapes, vast waterfalls, and alien plant life passing rapidly before your eyes. Even more astonishing, however, are the subtle smells and temperature changes that accompany different landscapes, immersing you totally in the experience. For guests with disabilities: Guests must transfer to a standard wheelchair and then on to ride vehicle. Individual Lightning Lane pass is highly recommended here, especially during summer and holiday times.

Some of Earth's tallest trees tower over this magnificent 32-mile stretch of two-lane blacktop, also known as Highway 254, that follows the south fork of the Eel River through Humboldt Redwoods State Park. The highway runs more or less parallel to U.S. 101 from Phillipsville in the south to the town of Pepperwood in the north. A brochure available at either end of the highway or the visitor center, 2 miles south of Weott, contains a self-guided tour, with short and long hikes through various groves.

A trail at Founders Grove passes by several impressive trees, among them the fallen 362-foot-long Dyerville Giant, whose root base points skyward 35 feet. The tree can be reached via a short trail that begins 4 miles north of the visitor center. About 6 miles north of the center lies the 10,000-acre Rockefeller Forest, containing the world's largest concentration of old-growth coastal redwoods.

With interesting varietals and sangrias, a hip vibe, and bottomless bowls of Cheetos to accompany tastings, AZ Hops & Vines rocks the Sonoita wine-tour scene. This spunky, women-owned, and family-friendly winery, which often hosts weekend events, boasts indoor and outdoor seating, games, and a petting zoo.

Guides helming vintage Land Rovers conduct spellbinding tours of this sanctuary for zebras, giraffes, antelopes, and other endangered African hoof stock. The self-guided tour in your own car costs less, but the guided one, slightly more expensive, is recommended for the personal touch and closer-up access and timing to giraffe-feeding time.  Reservations are a must for visits to the preserve, which maintains three cottages for overnight stays.

One of the city's most relaxing outdoor spaces, Back Cove Trail is a 3.6-mile paved loop with gorgeous views of the Cove, harbor, and downtown. It's a favorite route for walking, running, biking, and dog walking. Several benches and seasonal water fountains can be found along the trail.

At 282 feet below sea level, Badwater is the lowest spot of land in North America—and also one of the hottest. Stairs and wheelchair ramps descend from the parking lot to a wooden platform that overlooks a spring-fed pool, a small but remarkably persistent reminder that the valley floor used to contain a lake. Be sure to look across to Telescope Peak, which towers more than 2 miles above the landscape. You can continue past the platform on a broad, white path that peters out after 1 mile. Bring water and a hat since there's no shade whatsoever.

West of the Golden Gate Bridge is a mile-long stretch of soft sand beneath steep cliffs, beloved for its spectacular views and laid-back vibe (read: small chance you'll see naked people here on the northernmost end). Its isolated location makes it rarely crowded, but many San Franciscans know that there is no better place to take in the sunset than this beach. Kids love climbing around the old Battery Chamberlin. This is truly one of those places that inspires local pride. Amenities: parking (no fee); toilets. Best for: nudists; solitude; sunsets.

In the middle of Newport Harbor is a charming community filled with quaint streets and multimillion-dollar cottages and homes with personal docks in their backyard. The island doesn't have a hotel, just vacation rentals available on VRBO and Airbnb. Stroll along Marine Avenue lined with picturesque cafés and apparel, decor, and souvenir stores. There are bicycle and walking paths encircling much of the island for an easy and scenic visit. 

To get here, you can either park your car on the mainland side of the PCH in Newport Beach and walk or bike over the bridge onto Marine Avenue, or take the Balboa Island Ferry.

Suspended an arm's length away on this antique merry-go-round is the brass ring that could earn you an extra free ride (it's one of the few carousels in the world that continue this bonus tradition). Hand-carved in 1910, the original menagerie carousel features colorful murals, big-band music, and bobbing animals including zebras, giraffes, and dragons; real horsehair was used for the tails.