10457 Best Sights in USA

The designed by the influential architect Henry Hobson Richardson and completed in 1888, is one of the country's outstanding Romanesque buildings. Once you get by courthouse security, don't miss the frescoes on the first floor, the grand staircase near the entrance to the old law library, or the "bridge of sighs" connecting the courthouse and former jail (now a court facility). There is a self-guided tour brochure available at the Mayor's Service Center near the Forbes Avenue side of the building.

Krystle and Jason Jorgensen make small-batch rye, single-malt whiskey, gin, peach liqueur, apple brandy, and candy-cap bitters in an industrial park distillery 2 miles north of Healdsburg Plaza. The rye derives its overlapping flavors from its "mash bill" of rye and malted barley aged in heavily charred American oak barrels that add further layers of spice and complexity. The Jorgensens pride themselves on crafting their spirits entirely on-site, from grain milling through bottling, a process they describe enthusiastically at their apothecarylike tasting room.

A popular site for photo shoots, weddings, and events, this landmark built in 1929 is known for its gardens, gorgeous Colonial Spanish architecture, and artist studios, where you can buy directly from the artists. The main Artisan Shop continues the guild’s mission to help the community, with profits going to the children’s hospital at Stanford. Docent tours are available, but it's also easy to tour around the 3.5 acres on your own. The on-site Café Wisteria is a picturesque choice for a leisurely lunch.

Interactive reptile shows, including an alligator-feeding demonstration, are the main attractions at this wildlife park. Boardwalks lead through marshes and swamps on the 15-acre property, where you'll see wildlife of the wetlands, including a rare white albino alligator, the largest known crocodile in captivity, giant Galápagos tortoises, river otters, and all manner of reptiles, including boas, pythons, and anacondas. Unusual plants and exotic birds, as well as mountain lions and ostriches, are also in residence.

Affectionately known as the Big House, this large Tudor-style building was home to members of the Allman Brothers Band and their families during the early 1970s. It was here that they collaborated and wrote some of the band's early songs, which would eventually bring them stardom and launch a new genre of music—Southern rock. In 2010, the home was restored and opened as a museum showcasing the band's guitars, clothing, photographs, posters, gold records, and other memorabilia. It's now home to the largest collection of Allman Brothers Band memorabilia in the world.

For two days in mid-November, the peculiar mix of ranching and artist culture that inhabits Alpine overflows the galleries and seeps into the town's main drag, Holland Avenue. Musicians play at the train depot, barbecue vendors crowd the streets, and local artists display their works in many downtown businesses.

This 2.7-mile trek loops past the beautiful Stella and Teresa lakes from the trailhead near Wheeler Peak Campground. You’ll rise and fall 440 feet in elevation as you pass through subalpine and alpine forest. The views of Wheeler Peak, amid wildflowers (in summer), white fir, shimmering aspens, and towering ponderosa pines, make this memorable. The trailhead is at nearly 10,000 feet, so make sure you’re adjusted to the altitude and are prepared for changing weather, with plenty of snacks and water. Allow up to three hours. Moderate.

The inspiring 63-mile Alpine Loop Scenic Byway joins Lake City with Ouray and Silverton. The road, typically open late May or early June through early October, has unpaved sections that require a high-clearance, four-wheel-drive vehicle. Dizzily spiraling from 12,800-foot-high passes to gaping valleys, past seven ghost towns, the trip is well worth the effort.

In summer, beat the heat by slipping down the dual waterslide or breezing down the twisting Olympic-style bobsled course. The facility also has an 18-hole miniature golf course, a mountain coaster, and go-karts. The arcade and snack shack make this the type of place families can spend an entire day.  Winter highlights include inner tubing down the hill, which is lit up at night, and taking the Magic Carpet lift back up.

At 11,796 feet above sea level, this is the highest visitor center in the National Park Service. Open only when Trail Ridge Road is navigable, the center also houses the park's only gift shop and snack bar.

A dirt path leads to the island's highest point, Altar Rock (101 feet), and the view is spectacular. The hill overlooks approximately 4,000 acres of rare coastal heathland laced with paths leading in every direction.

This parcel of open land on the banks of the Willamette River is named after the late publisher of Eugene's newspaper, the Register-Guard, and is the site of many community events. Live music is performed in summer at the Cuthbert Amphitheater. There's fine hiking and biking on a footpath that runs along the river for the length of the park, and an 18-hole disc golf course. Also worth seeing is the Whilamut Natural Area, an open space with 13 "talking stones," each with an inscription.

Two mountain ridges frame picturesque Alton Bay, which is the name of both a narrow 4-mile inlet and village at the southern tip of Lake Winnipesaukee, near Wolfeboro. Cruise boats dock here, and small floatplanes buzz just over the bay, sometimes flying in formation. There's a boardwalk, mini golf, a public beach, and a Victorian-style bandstand, and a few basic but fun short-order eateries near the waterfront, such as Pop's Clam Shell and Stillwells Ice Cream.

Home to one of the largest collections of Alaska Native materials in the world, the Alutiiq Museum contains archaeological and ethnographic items dating back 7,500 years. The more than 150,000 artifacts include harpoons, masks, dolls, stone tools, seal-gut parkas, grass baskets, and pottery fragments. The museum store sells Alaska Native art and educational materials. There are also ongoing workshops and live Alutiiq dance performances.

Larry and Linda Long made wine out of their home in Truckee for 15 years before opening their down-home Amador County winery. Their son Michael is head winemaker, daughter Ashley his assistant. Estate-grown Zinfandel is the biggest seller, but this small operation also does well with Syrah, Barbera, Tempranillo, the Portuguese varietal Touriga (one of the Port grapes), and a Rhône-style GSM (Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre) blend.

Tucked away on the campus of Amarillo College, this cozy three-floor museum has a generous range of art in its permanent collection, which has evolved only over the past four decades. You'll see 17th- to 19th-century European paintings, as well as works from 20th-century modernists. Designed by the architect for the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., this museum comprises galleries for photography and a substantial collection of Asian art and Middle Eastern textiles, made possible in part by donations from a local physician. Highlights include four Georgia O'Keeffe paintings.

Get lost in the maze at the Amazing Fun Center, a circuitous outdoor route made of plywood walls and ladders, with viewing areas where parents can watch their kids (and give directions when necessary). Other attractions include Bankshot Basketball, go-karts, 18 holes of miniature golf, thriller bumper boats in a pond, and a picnic area.

Opened in 2017, this museum offers a look into the Springfield childhood of Theodor Geisel (aka Dr. Seuss) with a wide range of interactive exhibits and wall drawings, all among rooms so colorful that the museum is like walking into a Dr. Seuss book. Part art gallery, part hands-on children's museum, the second floor re-creates Geisel’s studio and living room (with the furniture and art materials he actually used); you'll see never before publicly displayed artwork.

Three giant glass spheres filled with indoor gardens anchor the Amazon campus in South Lake Union. Living walls, 40,000 plants, and a café are part of the lounge space at Amazon's headquarters. The public must admire from afar most of the time; however, on the first and third Saturday of each month, the spheres open to the public by reservation only. Book online up to 15 days ahead of your visit, and make sure to bring government ID (for all adults in the party) and no large bags.

Nestled into a residential neighborhood, this spacious fine art gallery features both big national names with ambitious works in the main gallery and smaller local artists in its "Niche Market" space. The gallery focuses on contemporary art, with an eye to inclusivity and diversity. The exhibits tend to lean toward works with big, bold uses of color, such as by Gegam Kacherian, Johanna Goodman, and Chris Natrop.

Owned by the International Ninety-Nines Inc., a group of female pilots, Amelia Earhart's childhood home displays treasures celebrating her aviation career. Earhart was born in this wood-frame Gothic Revival cottage in 1897, a period reflected in the interior style and replica furnishings. There is also a lot of flying memorabilia and, in the butler's pantry, maps depicting theories about Earhart's ill-fated final flight.

This 6,000-seat arena (formerly Lifeguard Arena) serves as the practice facility of the Henderson Silver Knights, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Vegas Golden Knights. When the home team isn’t on the ice, there are adult and youth hockey leagues and clinics and camps to keep the puck moving. Open skate sessions and skating classes are offered as well. To keep energy levels up, visit the Public Works Coffee Bar in the northeast corner of the arena. On the building’s second floor, there’s MacKenzie River Pizza, Grill & Pub for bar bites and brews.

On the edge of the lagoon, directly opposite Disney's magnificent bit of colonial imagery, is this open-air, partially tree-shaded venue for concerts and shows. Most performances are hot tickets with themes tied to EPCOT events, such as Disney On Broadway during the International Festival of the Arts in the winter, Garden Rocks concerts with pop legends during the March through July EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival, and Eat to the Beat concerts during the late July through mid-November EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival. Check the festival schedules before your trip, and plan to visit EPCOT on an evening with a musical guest you'll enjoy.

This is also the setting for the annual yuletide Candlelight Processional—a not-to-be-missed event if you're visiting during the holidays. The Candlelight Dinner Package (available through Disney's dining reservations hotline) includes lunch or dinner in a select World Showcase restaurant and preferred seating for the moving performance. Roomy restrooms are behind the Kidcot Fun Stop. Arrive more than an hour ahead of time for holiday and celebrity performances, though the first show is always the least crowded.

The main focuses at this natural history museum are bald eagles and associated fauna of the Chilkat Preserve. Lectures, displays, videos, and a taxidermy-heavy diorama help tell their stories, and there's a raptor center that has live presentations and an aviary displaying live eagles.

In 1935, at a time when segregation laws banned African Americans from Florida beaches, this historic beach was founded as a safe haven for people of color. It's the first stop on Florida's Black Heritage Trail, and the nearby A.L. Lewis Museum has exhibits that explore both segregation and the history of the beach. Although parking is limited, this historic beach is a prime spot for quiet walks, sunbathing, and searching for shells. Amenities: parking. Best for: solitude; walking.

This museum weaves the stories of the Union, Confederate, and African-American experiences during the Civil War into a national context. The permanent exhibit, In the Cause of Liberty, is housed in the old gun foundry, where more than 1,100 Confederate cannons were made. The museum also operates the Museum and White House of the Confederacy and the Museum of the Confederacy in Appomattox.

One of the few museums in the country devoted entirely to clocks and watches, this 1801 house has more than 5,500 timepieces on display. Though the majority of them are American timepieces dating 1800–1940, the museum does have clocks dating to 1680 and watches dating as far back as 1595. Many of the clocks are kept running and chiming, making the museum a prime place to be when the big hand strikes "12." The gift shop is worth a stop to browse the clock-themed items including jewelry and ornaments made from clock gears and chocolate alarm clocks and gear-shaped chocolates.

This three-screen, state-of-the-art center for film is a restoration of architect John Eberson's art deco Silver Theatre, built in 1938. The AFI hosts film retrospectives, new releases, on-stage appearances, and tributes to stars that have included Jeanne Moreau and Russell Crowe. Each June, in partnership with the Discovery Channel, the AFI hosts the glitzy SILVERDOCS. This documentary film festival is one of the world's best, supporting independent storytellers and honoring artistic excellence of the caliber of Spike Lee and Martin Scorcese through the Charles Guggenheim Symposium.

The focus of this museum near Lincoln Center is its incredible collection of work by folk and self-taught artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, including the single largest collection of reclusive Chicago artist Henry Darger, known for his painstakingly detailed collage paintings of fantasy worlds. The gift shop has an impressive collection of handcrafted items.

Ever since Philadelphian Harold Pitcairn made the first rotorcraft flight in 1928, southeastern Pennsylvania has been considered the birthplace of the helicopter industry, and the impressive aircraft filling this museum in a business park near Brandywine Regional Airport reflect this heritage. A number of leading manufacturers remain in the region. About three dozen vintage and modern aircraft, a room of models, and information boards and short videos reflect the copter's historic roles in war and rescue missions, agriculture, and police surveillance. Docents provide context, and visitors can climb aboard a few aircraft and try the (nonmoving) flight simulator to get a sense of the helicopter experience. The museum is packed with information, but older children will appreciate it.