The 50 Best US Tourist Attractions You've Never Heard Of
ALABAMA: Mobile Bay bills itself as "secretly awesome," and its many tourist attractions prove this to be true. Attend the world's oldest Mardi Gras celebration, eat some fresh seafood, go kayaking and fishing, and take in the beautiful views of the Gulf of Mexico.
ALASKA: The ocean, ice, and mountains all meet at Kenai Fjords National Park in Seward, Alaska. Enjoy the park by foot or take a boat cruise along the coast in the summer.
ARIZONA: It's very easy to take a great photograph of The Wave, but not so easy to get there. In order to visit this landmark, you must apply for a daily permit. Even if you receive the permit, you'll have a rigorous hike to this hidden gem. However, we think the view is worth the journey.
ARKANSAS: The Crystal Bridges Museum contains artwork from famous artists like Georgia O'Keefe and Benjamin West. It was built by Alice Walton, heiress of Wal-Mart, as a tribute to Bentonville, the town where Wal-Mart got its start as Walton's Five-and-Dime in the 1940s.
CALIFORNIA: William Randolph Hearst had the Hearst Castle built in 1947, and now it's open to tourists. You can tour the gardens and all of the notable spaces in this beautiful 165-room palace.
COLORADO: Visit the tallest dunes in North America at the Great Sand Dunes National Park. You can hike through the park, cool off in Medano Creek, and even go sand sledding.
CONNECTICUT: Gillette Castle was built in 1919 as a home for the famous actor and playwright William Gillette. Though the castle's exterior looks like a cold medieval fortress, its interior is full of homey touches. You can tour the inside of the home from Memorial Day weekend to Columbus Day.
DELAWARE: Located on Pea Patch Island, Fort Delaware was built in 1859 and used to hold Confederate prisoners of war. You can now access the fort via ferry and be transported back to the summer of 1854, with the help of costumed interpreters.
FLORIDA: If you’re visiting Key West, the southernmost point buoy is a must-see. This massive buoy marks the southernmost point in the continental United States, and is only 90 miles from Cuba.
GEORGIA: Providence Canyon is also known as Georgia’s “Little Grand Canyon.” It was formed because of poor farming practices back in the 1800s, but the area is now considered a geographic wonder.
HAWAII: The 333,000-acre Volcanoes National Park is home to two active volcanoes, Maunaloa and Kilauea. We suggest driving along Crater Rim Drive, which circles the summit of Kilauea.
IDAHO: Balanced Rock is exactly what it sounds like: a 48-foot tall rock that is perched precariously on an approximately 3-foot pedestal. After getting a close-up look at the rock, have a picnic in nearby Balanced Rock Park.
ILLINOIS: If you're interested in history, a visit to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum is a must while in Illinois. It is the largest presidential museum in the country, and prides itself on being highly interactive.
INDIANA: Indiana Dunes National Park offers 15 miles of beautiful beaches along Lake Michigan, with views of the Chicago skyline on the horizon. When you're not sunbathing, you can visit a historical cemetery or hike on one of the park's many trails.
IOWA: The Amana Colonies are seven culturally rich German villages located in the prairies of Iowa. There are more than 60 shops in the villages, including studios and galleries where you can watch artists at work. There are also several wineries and a handful of delicious restaurants in the area.
KANSAS: The Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center has the second largest space artifacts collection in the United States and the largest amount of Russian space artifacts outside of Moscow. In other words, it's a great place to learn about space.
KENTUCKY: The National Corvette Museum is a non-profit organization dedicated to "America's true sports car." Make sure to check out the performance area, where race cars are arranged on a racetrack, ranging from 1950s models to the most advanced cars of today.
LOUISIANA: The Oak Alley Plantation is one of the few southern plantations still in peak condition. You can tour the "Big House," visit the Civil War encampment, view the permanent exhibit on the living conditions of slaves, and more.
MAINE: Portland, Maine, is a gem on Maine's coastline. Make sure to visit Commercial Street, which has tons of shops and restaurants, and take a scenic harbor cruise on the Casco Bay Line.
MARYLAND: Assateague and Chincoteague are two beautiful islands off the coast of Maryland. Both islands are full of natural life, but the highlight of visiting is viewing the wild ponies that live there.
MASSACHUSETTS: Plum Island is the perfect summer getaway for nature lovers. Enjoy miles of sandy beaches that are home to more than 800 species of birds, plants, and other wildlife. You'll also find a couple of great year-round restaurants.
MICHIGAN: At Sleeping Bear Dunes on Lake Michigan, you'll find bluffs standing as tall as 450 feet above the water. There is a lot to do in the area, such as taking a drive on the 7-mile Pierce Stocking scenic drive route, visiting the U.S. Coast Guard Museum, or journeying to nearby South Manitou Island.
MINNESOTA: Minnehaha Park is one of Minnesota's oldest parks, and stands out from the rest with its majestic 53-foot waterfall.
MISSISSIPPI: Rock 'n' roll fans will love this tour of Elvis Presley's birthplace, which visits key spots including his childhood home and a story wall featuring memories of Elvis as a kid, written by some of his friends and family.
MISSOURI: Wilson's Creek Battlefield is one of the best preserved battlefields in the country. This was the site of the Battle of Wilson's Creek during the Civil War, where the first Union general was killed in combat. You can always tour the battlefield, but try to attend the annual candlelight tour or the ceremony for the battle's anniversary on August 10.
MONTANA: Experience the natural beauty of a limestone cavern during the Lewis & Clark Caverns Tour. Inside, you'll find stalagmites, stalactites, and other formations with the help of your tour guide. Regular tours only run from May 1 to September 30.
NEBRASKA: The Durham Western Heritage Museum is dedicated to telling the history of the western United States. It is the first museum in the heartland to be associated with the Smithsonian Institute, meaning it has a bunch of great visiting speakers and traveling exhibits.
NEVADA: The Neon Museum is a non-profit that collects and preserves the neon signs of Las Vegas. Visitors can view the approximately 150 signs within the museum and learn about how they were made and what role they played in Las Vegas history.
NEW HAMPSHIRE: At more than 4,000 years old, America's Stonehenge is possibly the oldest man-made structure in the United States. It is unknown who built the many stone chambers, walls and structures at this location, which makes it a mysterious place to explore.
NEW JERSEY: Kittatinny State Park is the hidden gem of New Jersey parks. You'll experience grassy meadows, mountains, glacial lakes, and 70 miles of hiking trails. The park is also the site of a small airport.
NEW MEXICO: Pecos National Historical Park features the remains of an Indian pueblo and offers plenty of areas to explore. Take a ranger-guided ruins tour or venture 1.25 miles to the Pecos pueblo on your own. On the weekends, van tours to Civil War sites and the Forked Lightning Ranch are available.
NEW YORK: Letchworth State Park is known as the "Grand Canyon of the East," probably because of its towering cliffs that reach as high as 600 feet. The gorge also features three major waterfalls formed by the rushing Genessee River. Take a guided walk, go white water rafting, or even take a hot air balloon ride.
NORTH CAROLINA: The NASCAR Hall of Fame is home to 150,000 square feet of artifacts and interactive exhibits that appeal to everyone, regardless of their car knowledge. Test drive a racing simulator to feel like you're actually racing in NASCAR, and make sure to visit the Race Week exhibit, which takes you behind the scenes to see how drivers prepare for a race.
NORTH DAKOTA: The International Peace Garden lies on the border of North Dakota and Manitoba, Canada, and serves as a token of friendship between the U.S. and Canada. This botanical garden is spread across 2,339 acres, and visitors can choose to visit a number of sites including a bell tower, a 9/11 memorial, and a large floral clock.
OHIO: Cedar Point Amusement Park is known as the rollercoaster capital of the world, with 17 coasters in total. The amusement park opened a new rollercoaster this year called Pipe Scream, which spins as it flies along the track.
OKLAHOMA: Turner Falls Park is located within the Arbuckle Mountains in Oklahoma, and offers a bunch of outdoor activities. See the 77-foot waterfall, swim in the mountain water, and make sure to visit the abandoned Collings Castle.
OREGON: The Oregon Vortex and the House of Mystery are home to some super weird occurrences. Balls defy the law of physics by rolling uphill, brooms stand on their own, and people appear to change height while standing on a level platform. Skeptical? Come check it out for yourself.
PENNSYLVANIA: Philadelphia's Magic Gardens is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public about art. The gardens feature Isaiah Zagar's mosaic art and murals in both an indoor and an outdoor space. The outdoor mosaic sculpture garden is massive, taking up half a block on South Street.
RHODE ISLAND: The International Tennis Hall of Fame is located at the Newport Casino, the site of the first U.S. National Championships in 1881. Visitors can learn about the history of tennis through interactive exhibits, videos, and memorabilia.
SOUTH CAROLINA: Brookgreen Gardens was named one of the top 10 public gardens in the U.S. by TripAdvisor. This incredible attraction has art exhibits, a butterfly garden, and an accredited zoo, among other things. Luckily, if you can't see everything in one day, your admission ticket is good for one week.
SOUTH DAKOTA: The Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota, calls itself "The World's Only Corn Palace," and we're pretty sure that's correct. Every year, artists create new murals on the outside of the building made entirely of naturally colored corn as a tribute to the building's history. The Corn Palace also hosts concerts, sports games, and other events.
TENNESSEE: The Lost Sea, which is 140 feet below ground level, is the largest underground lake in the country. A guided tour will give you the chance to observe the area's caverns, which are full of interesting geological formations. You will also get to take a glass bottom boat ride along the lake.
TEXAS: Bracken Cave is home to the world's largest bat colony. Millions of the winged creatures can be spotted at dusk when they emerge from their cave to hunt for insects. It's best to view this natural wonder during July and August, because baby bats that were born in June will just be starting to fly.
UTAH: Natural Bridges National Monument was Utah's first national monument. It features three stunning natural bridges, named "Kachina," "Owachomo," and "Sipapu" in honor of Native Americans who previously lived in the area. Hiking trails and overlooks allow for close-up views of these natural phenomena.
VERMONT: Lake Champlain Ferries can take you from Vermont to upstate New York in just over an hour. Try taking a ferry from Burlington to Port Kent, N.Y., and take in the beautiful mountain views. You might even catch sight of "Champ," the rumored Lake Champlain monster.
VIRGINIA: Luray Caverns make up the largest series of caverns in the eastern U.S. As well as exploring this cave of stalagmites and stalactites, you can also visit the Car and Carriage Caravan Museum, get lost in the garden maze, and fly through the Rope Adventure Park.
WASHINGTON: Olympic National Park sits on more than 922,000 acres and contains three major ecosystems—forest, alpine and coastal—which means you'll have a wide variety of photograph opportunities.
WASHINGTON, DC: The International Spy Museum has the largest public collection of espionage materials in the world. Visitors will learn about the strategies used by spies during famous missions and can even complete a mission of their own in the Operation Spy exhibit.
WEST VIRGINIA: Harpers Ferry was the site of many historical events, including the largest surrender of Federal troops during the Civil War. Visiting this park is like stepping into another time period, especially when you attend one of the "Living History" workshops, where you experience realistic scenes from the 19th century with the help of costumed interpreters.
WISCONSIN: Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin Estate is an architectural masterpiece that served as a springboard for much of Wright's later work. You can take a variety of different tours of the estate and have lunch at the scenic Riverview Terrace Cafe.
WYOMING: Grand Teton National Park offers more than 200 miles of trails, some over challenging mountain terrain and some alongside scenic lake shores. You can also float along the Snake River, which runs through the park.
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