North America attractions

Billed as the oldest residential street in the United States, Elfreth’s Alley dates back to 1702. A National Historic Landmark and a living museum, the narrow, cobbled alley features 32 buildings in Georgian and Federal styles. It’s also home to Elfreth's Alley Museum House.

Tucked inside the lush Kipahulu district of Haleakalā National Park, ʻOheʻo Gulch is a scenic series of tiered waterfalls and freshwater pools fed by mountain streams. Also known as the Seven Sacred Pools, this remote valley is a favorite stop on the Road to Hana for its natural beauty and cultural significance. Surrounded by bamboo forests and rugged cliffs, it offers a chance to stretch your legs and experience Maui’s rugged, unspoiled landscape.

Riverwalk Fort Lauderdale is a scenic waterfront promenade along the New River in Fort Lauderdale's historic downtown district. Stretching just over a mile (1.6 kilometers), it links a series of parks, plazas, and tropical walkways. Visitors come for relaxed riverside strolls, boat watching, and easy access to nearby shops, museums, movie theaters, cafés, and restaurants—the perfect mix of green spaces and city attractions.

Running alongside the famous Château Frontenac in Quebec City, Dufferin Terrace (Terrasse Dufferin) is a wide boardwalk offering views of the city and the St. Lawrence river. In the summer, gazebos along the promenade host street performers and musicians, while in winter, the popular Les Glissades de la Terrasse toboggan run draws locals and visitors alike.

With bright turquoise waters owing to Lake Tahoe’s clarity, there’s no question where Emerald Bay got its name—but it’s a gem in other ways, too. It is also home to the lake’s only islet, Fanette Island, while the eponymous state park, centered on the bay, draws visitors in the summer to boat, swim, and hike down a forested trail to the sheltered cove.

The well-preserved Maya ruins at Uxmal are considered some of the most beautiful in the Yucatan. Temple-pyramids, quadrangles, and a large ball court dot the archaeological site. Highlights include the Great Pyramid and the unusually rounded Pyramid of the Magician. A nightly light and sound show brings the magic of Uxmal to life.

A drive on at least one portion of this iconic road should be a part of any first-time visit to Los Angeles. Built largely in 1924 as the scenic highway it remains today, Mulholland (as it’s locally known) offers unparalleled views of the L.A. Basin, San Fernando Valley, the Hollywood Sign and more.

Oak Alley Plantation is one of the New Orleans area’s most significant historic landmarks. Located along the Mississippi River, and featuring a historic house flanked by 300-year-old live oak trees and acres of leafy grounds, the plantation’s idyllic setting belies its dark history. Guided tours shed more light on topics from enslavement to the Civil War, and are a great way for visiting history lovers to learn more.

If you’ve seen a scenic photo of Grand Teton National Park, you’ve likely seen Oxbow Bend. Without a doubt, this curved section of the Snake River is the park’s most photographed site, with the river meandering in the foreground reflecting the rugged peaks of Mt. Moran. It’s a beautiful setting, and a great place to spot birds and other wildlife.

Bryce Canyon National Park is an active traveler’s playground, featuring the red rock canyons and rugged horizon-stretching vistas that make Utah famous. Among its otherworldly geological formations are pinnacles, spires, and eroded-rock formations—called hoodoos—that reveal layers of red, orange, and white. Park highlights include the hoodoo-filled Bryce Amphitheater and the Rim Trail, which offers spectacular views.

Located in Cambridge, just northwest of Boston, Harvard University is synonymous with educational prestige and accomplishment. Known for a curriculum that challenges and inspires its students, this Ivy League university boasts numerous Nobel Prize winners and eight US presidents, including Barack Obama, among its faculty and alums.

During the 17th century, Quebec City’s charming Old Port (Vieux-Port) was bustling with European vessels and crews offloading supplies to New France. Now thronged with passengers from incoming cruise ships, the area is filled with historic buildings occupied by art galleries, boutiques, and inviting French-influenced restaurants.

Considered one of the most significant religious landmarks in North America, Quebec City’s Notre-Dame-de-Québec Basilica-Cathedral boasts nearly four centuries of history. Today a certified National Historic Site of Canada—and also part of the Historic District of Old Québec UNESCO World Heritage Site—the church is both a sightseeing highlight and an active place of worship. Pay no mind to its modest exterior: Its interior, which features lavish gilding and impressive works of art, is worth discovering.

The historic log cabins and barns that make up Mormon Row were constructed by Mormon settlers in the 1980s and still stand against the backdrop of the Teton Mountains in Grand Tetons National Park. Visitors to the site can photograph the historic structures, hike, bike, or snowshoe in the area, and spot the park’s wildlife in the open fields.

Visiting Bow Lake feels like stepping into a postcard—you’ll half-expect to see “CANADA” emblazoned in the sky in bold font. Its water shimmers an icy blue while the snow-capped mountains rise in the background, offering the quintessential Rocky Mountain view. This idyllic place is a perfect picnic destination, and you can take the chance to stretch your legs as you explore the scenic Icefields Parkway.

Hawaii’s volcanic activity creates beaches that range from powdery white sands to fine black pebbles, and Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach is one of the most striking. Part of the Big Island’s Volcanoes National Park, the black sand shoreline is framed by tall coconut palms and crashing waves, making it a popular photo spot. It’s not only the views that pull in the crowds—the beach is also known for its population of sea turtles.

An anomaly amidst the skyscrapers of Lower Manhattan, this sprawling defensive fort was built in the early 1800s following Britain’s declaration of war on the United States. It was positioned strategically to overlook the Hudson River. Castle Clinton went on to predate Ellis Island as the nation’s first immigrant processing center, as well as an opera house and aquarium. Today, the fort is a protected monument and an important piece of New York City history.

A suspended viewing deck with glass walls, Edge NYC is one of Manhattan’s most dramatic lookout points. Jutting out over Hudson Yards in Manhattan’s west side, the Edge’s SkyDeck offers 360-degree views and even an area with a see-through glass floor—peer down 100 stories if you dare. Visitors are drawn to the attraction not only for the unforgettable views but also for the Champagne bar, which offers a range of signature cocktails.

The white steeple of St. Michael’s Church towers above Charleston, guiding visitors to the site of the city’s oldest church. While a still-functioning place of worship, this church is also notable as an architectural landmark with its Tiffany stained-glass windows and an original organ dating back to 1768. Services are held on Sundays, and access to the building for tourists is limited during times of worship.

Downtown Container Park is an open-air shopping and entertainment destination made from stacked shipping containers. Here, visitors can explore a variety of shops, restaurants, and entertainment options—including boutiques, bars, a kids’ playground, a stage for live music, and even a dance studio. However, one of its most memorable and photoworthy attractions is a giant flame-throwing praying mantis sculpture that speaks 20 different languages.

Simple but profoundly moving, the John F. Kennedy Memorial in Dallas lies just one block from Dealey Plaza, where the president was famously assassinated on November 22, 1963. Designed by architect Philip Johnson, the towering, white-concrete cenotaph features a granite slab with the president’s name etched in gold. It provides a peaceful space to contemplate one of the most pivotal moments in American political history.

The largest authentic Japanese gardens outside of Japan, Lili‘uokalani Gardens brings green-ified Japanese culture to Hawaii’s pretty Hilo Bay—it’s right on the famous Banyan Drive in downtown Hilo. Arched stone bridges, moats, stone lanterns, pagodas, and a tea house make up the walkable gardens, which were named after Hawaii's last reigning monarch and dedicated to the immigrants who worked in the sugar fields.

Opened in 1897 as Chicago’s first public library, the Chicago Cultural Center is the city’s hub for arts and cultural events—it’s also one of the city’s most beloved architectural monuments. (Look up inside, and you’ll see two spectacular stained-glass domes.) The center is among Chicago’s most popular venues, hosting more than 1,000 free concerts, films, art exhibits, and other cultural events each year.

Like the Empire State Building, the Flatiron Building, or the Chrysler Building, the United Nations Headquarters is among New York City’s most iconic structures, as well as its most significant political sites. A number of buildings comprise the complex, including the domed General Assembly Hall and the Secretariat Building, a high-rise completed in the early 1950s. Visitors can get a peek behind the scenes during guided tours.

For views of downtown Seattle, the Space Needle, and Mount Rainier, the hilltop Kerry Park (Franklin Place) is hard to beat. Popular with photographers, Kerry Park looks out across the city skyline, the leafy streets of the Queen Anne Hill neighborhood, and Puget Sound, where you can spot ferries leaving the Seattle waterfront for the San Juan Islands.

Located just outside Squamish within Stawamus Chief Provincial Park, the Sea to Sky Gondola soars high above the trees, taking travelers up to the top of Mount Habrich while offering brilliant views of Howe Sound, the surrounding North Shore Mountains, and the deep green forest below. The floor-to-ceiling windows mean there are no bad views, while the network of trails at the summit lets you immerse yourself in the natural beauty of the mountain.

Home to San Francisco’s main governmental offices, major museums, and performing arts venues, Civic Center is one of the city’s key sightseeing destinations. The tree-lined UN Plaza leads to the impressive, gold-leaf dome of City Hall, while the surrounding Beaux Arts-style buildings are of interest to architecture lovers. Today, Civic Center is a National Historic Landmark and listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The George Washington Bridge, which spans the Hudson River, connects New Jersey with Manhattan. This double-decker suspension bridge may be less famous than the Brooklyn Bridge, but it’s still an engineering feat. Dating back to 1931, the bridge offers stunning views of the city, as well as options to drive, cycle, or walk across it, making it a functional and scenic way to see New York from a new vantage point.

Eagle Point, a popular stop in Grand Canyon West, is the site of a Native American village, amphitheater, and the famous Grand Canyon Skywalk—a horseshoe-shaped glass bridge that extends 70 feet (21 meters) over the canyon for views of the Colorado River 4,000 feet (1,219 meters) below.

The swooping view of the Colorado River from Dead Horse Point is iconic, but there’s much more to this desert park than a single overlook. A network of trails here ranges from intermediate mountain biking to wheelchair-accessible pavement, with scenic overlooks, shade shelters, and interpretive signs throughout.