36 Best Sights in USA

You’ll find some of the country’s darkest skies—and brightest stars—at Great Basin. Due to its low light pollution, it was even named a Dark Sky Park by the International Dark Sky Association in 2016. As astrotourism has grown, Great Basin has responded by building an amphitheater for these ranger-led stargazing programs. Expect to be dazzled as you get a chance to see the wild blue yonder through a telescope. It’s often crowded, especially during the summer, when the program is held several times a week, so arrive early before the parking lot fills up. The program drops down to once a week in shoulder seasons.

Most visitors barely skim the surface of this gorgeous spot in the Santa Monica Mountains, but those in the know will tell you there’s more to the Griffith Observatory than its sweeping views and stunning Greek Revival architecture. The magnificence of the cosmos and humankind's ingenuity to explore the deepest depths of the universe are in the spotlight here, with its space-focused exhibits, free public telescopes, and shows at the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon Theater and the Samuel Oschin Planetarium. For visitors who are looking to get up close and personal with the cosmos, monthly star-viewing parties with local amateur astronomers are also on hand. For a fantastic view, come at sunset to watch the sky turn fiery shades of red with the city's skyline silhouetted.

With an array of free hands-on exhibits and state-of-the-art full-dome and IMAX theaters, Clark Planetarium is a great family attraction, and it's reasonably priced, too. Traipse across a moonscape and learn about Utah's contributions to spaceflight, but save a few minutes for the Planet Fun Store.

This dome on the University of Colorado campus puts on planetarium shows and star talks, as well as laser shows choreographed to music by the likes of Pink Floyd, Bob Marley, and Queen. Showtimes vary somewhat, but generally laser shows take place on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night, and star shows are sprinkled throughout the week, including some family matinees. The planetarium hosts live talks on Thursday evening. The Sommers–Bausch Observatory is open for free public viewing every Friday, weather permitting, when CU classes are in session.

In Ninigret Park but independently operated by a nonprofit, the observatory offers the state's best views of the night sky. Frosty Drew opens every Friday around sunset for stargazing and stays open until 10 pm or later if the skies are clear and visitors keep coming. It's also open on nights when meteor showers and other astronomical events are forecast. On cloudy nights, astronomers give presentations and offer tours. The place isn't heated, so dress for the season.

This 5-acre park on a 2,100-foot-elevation bluff just north of Goldendale's compact downtown contains one of the nation's largest public telescopes, and the town's remote location, far from the lights of any cities, is ideal. A major renovation and expansion in 2021 added a number of interesting interpretive exhibits to the observatory, and seating capacity has been tripled. Fascinating astronomy programs and sky-watching events are held during the day and evening, year-round by reservation only.

In 1894 Boston businessman, author, and scientist Percival Lowell founded this observatory from which he studied Mars. His theories of the existence of a ninth planet sowed the seeds for the discovery of Pluto at Lowell in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh. The 6,500-square-foot Steele Visitor Center hosts exhibits and lectures and has a stellar gift shop. Several interactive exhibits—among them Pluto Walk, a scale model of the solar system—appeal to children. Visitors can peer through several telescopes at the Giovale Open Deck Observatory, including the 24-inch Clark telescope and the McAllister, a 16-inch reflector telescope. The observatory is open and unheated, so dress for the outdoors.

Check out exhibits, examine sunspots and flares safely via film, or peer into the workings of giant research telescopes. Guided tours of the domed observatories are given several days a week following programs at 11 and 2. After nightfall, the observatory offers star parties (usually Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday). Online reservations are required for all public programs. It's a beautiful 15-mile drive from Fort Davis to the visitor center, at 6,235 elevation.

The National Solar Observatory–Sacramento Peak, 20 miles south of Cloudcroft on the Sunspot Highway at an elevation of 9,200 feet, is designated for observations of the Sun. The observatory, established in 1947, has four telescopes, including a 329-foot Vacuum Tower that resembles a pyramid. One observation point has a majestic view of White Sands and the Tularosa Basin. During the day you can inspect the telescopes on a self-guided tour and watch live, filtered television views of the Sun. Interactive displays at the visitor center allow you to, among other activities, make infrared fingerprints. The community of Sunspot, home of the observatory, is an actual working community of scientists—not a tourist attraction—so you should stay within areas designated for visitors.

Learn about life on earth and in the heavens above at this hybrid nature center and observatory. The nature center focuses on exhibiting creatures found in Central Oregon, including owls and hawks, while the observatory allows visitors to turn their attention upwards to the great beyond. Come in the daytime to peep at the sun through one of the dozen-odd telescopes on-site, or sign up for one of the special evening programs, which offer visitors the opportunity to get a closer view of our solar system's stars and planets. 

With its 27 glistening-white 80-foot radio-telescope antennae arranged in patterns (their configuration is altered every four months or so), the Very Large Array is a startling sight when spotted along the Plains of San Augustin. The complex's dish-shaped "ears," each weighing 230 tons, are tuned in to the cosmos. The array is part of a series of facilities that compose the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. The antennas, which provided an impressive backdrop for the movie Contact, based on the Carl Sagan book, form the largest, most advanced radio telescope in the world. The telescope chronicles the birth and death of stars and galaxies from 10 to 12 billion light-years away. Hundreds of scientists from around the world travel to this windy, remote spot to research black holes, colliding galaxies, and exploding stars, as well as to chart the movements of planets. Visitors are permitted to stroll right up to the array on a self-guided walking tour that begins at the unstaffed visitor center. Staff members emphasize that their work does not involve a search for life on other planets.

The planetarium might take you back to grade-school field trips, but learning about stars never gets old. Clear night skies over the city's plateaus come to life during astronomy programs presented by society members and guest speakers. The facility, located on a mountain in Monte Sano State Park includes two telescope-equipped observatories, an astronomical library, and a solar telescope.

This broad-shouldered art-deco architectural masterpiece rises from the heart of downtown. An elevator to the 25th floor, then three flights of (unmarked) stairs take you to an observation deck; though you can't go outside, it has spectacular views of the city and the Lake Erie waterfront.

Get a look at Florida's native animals and habitats. Boardwalks and trails lead through subtropical wetlands, a birds-of-prey aviary, and a screened-in butterfly house. There are snake, alligator, butterfly, and other live-animal demonstrations several times daily. Museum exhibits include an Exotic Species room and the Insectarium. The domed, state-of-the-art, 90-seat planetarium hosts astronomy shows daily and special laser shows.

The Casper Planetarium has multimedia programs on astronomy. There are also interactive exhibits in the lobby and a gift shop. Public programs, which last an hour, are scheduled regularly year-round.

In a restored warehouse, the Center complex contains the Mill Mountain Theatre and several regional museums covering science, history, and art, and even a pinball museum! An open atrium and a butterfly garden are also included and a combo ticket is offered for all attractions.

Columbus State University's Coca-Cola Space Science Center, part of the Riverwalk, houses a multimedia planetarium with several showtimes offered daily, an observatory, a replica of an Apollo space capsule, a space shuttle, and other NASA-related exhibits, including cool flight simulators.

Taking advantage of some of the darkest night skies on Long Island, this observatory is a prime viewing spot for astronomy buffs and star-deprived urbanites. Atop the barnlike structure is a motorized dome with a telescope you can use to track the heavenly view. Clear skies are the best for observing; avoid coming during a full or almost-full moon.

The museum, a learning and activity center with connections to the county school system, sits in the 65-acre Fernbank Forest and focuses on ecology, geology, and space exploration. In addition to the exhibit hall, there's a planetarium as well as an observatory, which is open Thursday and Friday night from 9 to 10, weather permitting.

You can learn about the stars and watch science presentations that transport you to vast landscapes at the planetarium's full-dome theater. Entertainment shows, where images dance to music above you, are also sometimes offered. Public shows are typically on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday, as well as certain holidays. Private bookings also available.

Within the visitor center is the which presents various shows and lectures. The star-sighting program, an interactive show, is held the second Saturday of each month at 1 pm.

After much discussion back in the late 1950s, tribal leaders of the Tohono O'odham nation agreed to share a small section of their 4,400-square-mile reservation with the National Science Foundation to house sophisticated research telescopes. Currently, Kitt Peak Observatory houses two dozen active research telescopes, the largest number in one place. The visitor center has hands-on astronomy activities and exhibits, information about the telescopes, and hour-long guided tours ($20 per person) daily. Complimentary brochures enable you to take self-guided tours of the grounds, and there are picnic areas and walking trails outside. The observatory also offers an outstanding nightly program, recommended for ages eight and older ($79 per person); reservations are necessary. Some snacks and drinks are sold here, which is good to know, because there are no restaurants (or gas stations, for that matter) within 20 miles of Kitt Peak.

One of largest in the state, this museum offers a wide variety of art and science exhibitions, a planetarium, mini-zoo with live animals, interactive Discovery House, rotating temporary exhibits, and nature trails to explore outside the building. The 44-foot full dome Mark Smith Planetarium was recently rebuilt and expanded, and now features state-of-the-art digital projection that truly brings the cosmos to life. Check online for the latest programs and offerings.

Regular events at this planetarium include Saturday films in the full-dome theater, aired episodes of Carl Sagan's Cosmos on Wednesday evenings, and live shows presented by staff or members of the Arrowhead Astronomical Society. These shows cover niche topics like NASA projects or "astronomy lessons" from Star Wars movies. Dark-sky shows are a highlight as they simulate the sky conditions that early Native Americans would once have seen.

The Memphis Pink Palace Museum and Planetarium, the converted pink marble mansion of Clarence Saunders, Memphis-based founder of the modern supermarket, houses a mix of natural history and cultural history exhibits, focusing on 20th-century Memphis. A planetarium with lasers and star projectors and an IMAX theater present seasonal shows.

At the University of Arizona's research observatory on Mount Lemmon, visitors can plumb the night sky on the highest mountain in the area using the largest public-viewing telescope in the Southwest. A five-hour stargazing program is offered nightly (weather permitting), and includes an interactive astronomy presentation, telescope viewing, and a light dinner.

The multistory structure that houses the New Mexico Museum of Space History gleams metallic gold when the sun hits it at certain angles. Its centerpiece is the International Space Hall of Fame, into which astronauts and other space-exploration celebrities are routinely inducted. A simulated red Mars landscape is among the indoor exhibits. Outside, the Stapp Air and Space Park displays a rocket sled from the 1950s and other space-related artifacts. The scenic Astronaut Memorial Garden has a view of White Sands National Monument. The Clyde W. Tombaugh IMAX Dome Theater and Planetarium screens films and presents planetarium and laser light shows. Weeklong annual space-shuttle camps for children take place from the first week in June through the first week in August.

This octagonal observatory on Munjoy Hill was built in 1807 by Captain Lemuel Moody, a retired sea captain, as a maritime signal tower. Moody used a telescope to identify incoming ships and flags to signal to merchants where to unload their cargo. Held in place by 122 tons of ballast, it's the last remaining historic maritime signal station in the country. The guided tour leads all the way to the dome, where you can step out on the deck and take in views of Portland, the islands, and inland toward the White Mountains.

Get a good look the night sky at this city-owned observatory next to the public library. The complex includes five high-powered telescopes—four on the deck and a main telescope in the 360-degree observatory dome that's designed to look like a comet. There is a 3 pm tour on weekdays, and stargazing parties are usually scheduled two times a week. Astronomy lectures are also held regularly. 

Early televisions and kitchen appliances are part of a vast General Electric archive that traces the city's scientific and cultural history. Interactive children's displays explore science and technology.