This document provides a list of potential tourist attractions across the United States, organized by state. Some highlights include national parks like the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and Glacier; cities like New York, New Orleans, Chicago, and Las Vegas; landmarks like the Statue of Liberty and Mount Rushmore; activities like hiking, skiing, water sports; museums and historic sites; breweries and distilleries; and annual festivals. The extensive list covers popular major attractions as well as many lesser-known local gems across the country.
Top US tourist attractions by state from multiple travel sites
1. From:
Discoveramerica.com
Roadsideamerica.com
Unitedstatestouristattractions.com
Sillyamerica.com&
planetware.com– still need!
Alabama
Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro
Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum
Walk from the Alabama Capitol building to the Alabama River- history walk
U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville
Dinosaurs in the woods on Letterman Rd in Elberta
Greek temple replica in Wetumpka (Jasmine Hill Gardens)
Waterville USA in Gulf Shores
National Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores
Alaska
Denali National Park and Preserve – specifically Mt. McKinley highest in North America
Cook Inlet
Northern Lights
Inside Passage region
Alaska Highway (From Canada through to the Yukon)
Seward Highway (South from Anchorage)
Glacier BrewHouse on a Beer Train
Arizona
Grand Canyon & skywalk (train?)
White Mountains (Camping, hiking, etc.)
White Water Rafting in Phoenix City, AZ
Lake Powell or Lake Mead
Bisbee Queen Mine Tour
World’s 2nd Tallest Fountain in Fountain Hills
Titan Missile Museum in Green Valley
Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain in Paradise Valley
Sedona
Havasu Falls in Havasupai (11 mile hike through desert)turquoise water
Beaver Street Brewery & Whistle Stop Café
Rock Bottom Brewery (German) in Phoenix
2. Hot Air expeditions in Phoenix
Castles and Coasters in Phoenix
Arkansas
thermal waters of Hot Springs
Seven-story high Christ of the Ozarks Statue atop Magnetic Mountain in Eureka Springs
Loco Ropes in Ozark Folk Center State Park (zip lines)
The Bible Museum in Eureka Springs, AR
All Aboard Grill in Little Rock (model trains serve your meal to you)
Crater of Diamonds in Mufreesboro
California
El Capitan and Half Dome
Lake Tahoe
Sequoia National Park
Redwoods National Park
Pacific Coast Highway & Big Sur
Yosemite National Park
Alcatraz Island
Golden Gate Bridge
Aerospace Museum in San Diego
San Francisco Jazz Festival
Legendary Boonville Beer Festival
Fishermans Wharf in San Fran
Cameron’s English Pub in Half Moon Bay
Bronson Caves in Los Angeles
Swinging Bridge in Arroyo Grande
Castle Air Museum in Atwater
Legoland in Carlsbad
Donnelly Chocolates in Santa Cruz
Kilarneys Irish Pub & Grill in Temecula
Palm Springs Aerial Tram
California Strawberry Festival (Mid May)
Route 66 starts in Lake Arrowhead
Death Valley National Park
Raging Waters (Water Park) in Los Angeles
Automobile Driving Museum in El Segundo
Jelly Belly Factory Tour in Fairfield
Moaning Cavern in Vallecito
Yoda Statue in Presidio
Mount Whitney (22 mile Trek- highest mountain in contiguous U.S.)
Creation and Earth History Museum in Santee
Volcanic legacy scenic byway in Mount Shasta
Airplane Graveyard in Mojave
3. Roller Coaster Road (CA State Highway 120)
Suspension Bridge at corner of Spruce & Front St. in San Diego
Sea World
Cabazon Dinosaurs in Cabazon
Colorado
The Great Sand Dunes National Park
Georgetown Loop or the Durango to Silverton Railway
Highway 550 between Durango and Ouray ‘Million Dollar Highway’
Cherry Creek Shopping Center and Cherry Creek North
Denver Mint
The Fort (restaurant. Award winning buffalo) in Morrison
Rocky Mountain National Park
Aspen
Conundrum Hot Springs
Spyderco Outlet and Factory Tour in Johnstown
Mesa Verde National Park
Great American Beer Festival
White River National Forest
America’s Highest Suspension Bridge in Canon City
Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs
Telluride Mountain Village and Ski Resort
Glacier Gorge
Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park in Glenwood Springs
Connecticut
Delaware
Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge
Rehoboth (beach, boardwalk and restaurants)
First State Heritage Park in Dover
Dogfishhead Brewing &Eatss (320 Rehoboth Ave, in Rehoboth)
Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library
New Castle Farmers Market
Dewey Beach
World Championship PunkinChunkin in Nassau
The Wilmington Riverfront
District of Columbia
The National Mall
The Smithsonian
The White House and the US Capitol
Hillwood Museum & Gardens
International Spy Museum (800 F ST. NW)
Florida
The Maritime Heritage Trail in Biscayne National Park—shipwrecks for underwater explorers
4. Florida Caverns State Park in Marianna
Vizcaya in Miami
Miami’s South Beach
The Overseas Highway to Key West
Sawgrass Mills, 30 miles north of Miami
Everglades National Park
Kennedy Space Center
Walt Disney World
WeekiWachee Springs State Park
St. Cloud (4755 N. Kenansville RD.) Cypress Canopy Cycles
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Titusville
Welaka Maritime Museum (401 4th Ave., Welaka, FL
Bithlo (19164 E. Colonial Dr.) School Bus Races
Everglades Wonder Gardens in Bonita Springs (27180 Old US 41)
Celebration (Disney Owned Community)
Town of Christmas, Florida
Jungle Adventures (See World’s Largest Alligator)
Disney Cruise Line out of Lake Buena Vista
Captain Memo’s Pirate Cruise in Clearwater
Flamingo Gardens in Davie
Wreck Bar Mermaid in Fort Lauderdale (1140 Seabreeze Blvd)
The Holy Land Experience in Orland (4655 Vineland Rd)
Titanic: The experience in Orlando
Wonderworks – Upside down building in Orlando
Florida Keys to scuba dive
Georgia
Helen, in foothills of Blue Ridge Mountains (Oktoberfest)
Georgia’s Antebellum Trail (100 Mile Trek)
Georgia Aquariam& Downtown Georgia
The Appalachian Trail
Savannah Historic District
A hiding Place – cabin in Jasper
Classic City Brew Fest in Athens
Dwarf House Chick-Fil-A in Hapeville (461 N. Central Ave)
Hawaii
Mauis’ scenic road to Hana
AlaMoana Center (shopping)
Pearl Harbor
Hawai’I Volcanoes National Park
Haleakalā National Park
Waimea Canyon State Park
Na Pali Coast
Hanauma Bay
5. Hana Highway
Waikiki Beach
Mauna Kea
Haleakala
Idaho
The Center of the Universe sign in Wallace
Little Red Fish Lake outside Stanley
Mesa Falls on the Mesa Falls Scenic Byway
Thousand Springs on the Thousand Springs Scenic Byway.
Bruneau Sand Dunes (great for star and moon gazing)
Hells Canyon (boat rides, horse rides, white water rafting)
Yellowstone Bear World outside Rexburg
Middle Fork of the Salmon River
Sun Valley and Ketchum
Snake River Birds of Prey Conservation Area
Old Idaho Penitentiary in Boise
Illinois
Galena
Cache River wetlands (Canoeing, hiking)
Route 66
Taste of Chicago – Festival
Magnificent Mile (shopping)
Vosges Haut-Chocolat in Chicago
The Chicago Architecture Foundation's Architecture River Cruise
Millennium Park
SkydeckThe Ledge 1.353 straight down (233 S. Wacker Dr.)
The ChooChoo Restaurant (meals delivered by train)(600 Lee St. in Des Plaines)
Snackville Junction (meals delivered by train)(9144 S Kedzie Ave. in Evergreen Park)
Indiana
Holiday World /Santa Claus
Brown County Cabin in Nashville
Popcorn Festival in valparaiso
Iowa
Annual Iowa State Fair in August
Adventureland – World’s largest amusement park in Altoona
Burlington’s tiny Mosquito Park offers a spectacular view of the Mississippi River
In Madrid, the High Trestle Trail’s half-mile long, 13-storey high bicycle-pedestrian bridge
Knoxville’s 106-foot Cordova Park Observation Tower
Highway 141 Garage Sale
The Historic East Village in downtown Des Moines (Shopping)
The Effigy Mounds
Lovers Leap Swinging Bridge in Columbus Junction (3rd St)
High Trestle Trail Bridge in Madrid (lights up at night)
6. Spook Cave: Underground Boat Tour in McGregor (13299 Spook Cave Road)
Kansas
Kansas Cosmosphere
Strong City Rodeo
Garden of Eden in Lucas
Kansas Underground Salt Museum
Tallgrass Prairie Preserve
Kansas Cosmosphere& Space Center in Hutchinson
Space-Themed Indoor Pool area in Hutchinson
White Cloud Platform (3rdst.) See four states?
Kentucky
Kentucky Derby (first Saturday in May)
Kentucky Bourbon Festival (September)
Mammoth Cave
Pinnacle Peak at Cumberland Gap in Middlesboro
Natural Bridge in the Daniel Boone National Forest.
National Corvette Museum
U.S. 68 from Lexington to Maysville on the Ohio River
Dinosaur World
Bourbon Distillery Tours
Hofbrauhaus in Newport (
Tom Moore Distillery in Bardstown (300 Barton Rd.)
Lost River Cave Boat Tours in Bowling Green
World’s Longest Go-Kart Track in Shepherdsville (315 Vine St.)
Machine Gun Shoot (Richey Lane in West Point)
Louisiana
Festival of Lights (December)
National World War 2 Museum
New Orleans Plantation Country
Bourbon Street
Bridge City Gumbo Festival in Bridge City
Moon Walk in French Quarter
Garden District
Mardi Gras
Maine
Route 1 from Kittery to Ford Kent
Maine Lobster Festival in Rockland
Theobservatory at Maine's Penobscot Narrows Bridge
Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park
Mount Katahdin
The Maine Solar System Model
The lighthouse Trail
Monhegan Island
Maryland
Chesapeake Bay
Fort McHenry in Baltimore
7. Antietam Battlefield
Assateague Island
Baltimore – John Hopkins University George Peabody Library
Ocean City
Massachusetts
North Shore
Boston Marathon (April)
Downtown Nantucket
Cape Cod
World’s End in Hingham
Hammond Castle Museum in Gloucester
State BBQ & Blues Festival in Hanover
Boston Gondolas, on the Charles river Esplanade
Sunset at Aquinnah Cliffs, Martha’s Vineyard
The estate and gardens at The Mount, Lenox
Boston Harborwalk
Boston’s Original Chocolate Tour
Lexington and Concord
Michigan
Mackinac Island
The Chocolate Garden in Coloma
Detroit’s Auto Museums
Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn
Isle Royale National Park
Air Zoo in Kalamazoo (6151 Portage Rd)
Iron Mountain Iron Mine Tour in Vulcan, MI
Minnesota
1910 Split Rock Lighthouse on Lake Superior
Itasca State Park (walk across Mississippi river)
Mall of America
Stillwater B & B
Voyageurs National Park
Niagara Cave in Harmony
Mississippi
Red Bluff Park – Grand Canyon of Mississippi in Foxworth
Irish Coast Pub in Gulfport
Natchez – historic mansions and plantation homes
Missouri
Ozark National Scenic Riverways
Branson Scenic Railway – Vintage Train Tour
Gateway Arch in St. Louis
Katy Trail State Park
Fantastic Caverns – Ride-Through Cave in Springfield
Longest Footbridge for Trainspotters in Springfield (N. Jefferson Avenue)
8. Meramec Caverns in Stanton
Branson Interactive Zoo aka Predator World in Branson West
Silver Dollar City (Marvel Cave)
Titanic: World’s Largest Museum Attraction in Branson (3235 76 Country Blvd)
Camdenton – Ruins of a Castle
Montana
Glacier National Park (Sunset Peak)
Montana Dinosaur Trail
Fort Peck Interpretive Center
Highway 89
Little Bighorn battlefield
Big Hole Country
Beartooth Scenic Byway
Flathead Lake
Lake McDonald
Nebraska
Nebraska Junk Jaunt (September)
Toadstool Geologic Park boasts unusual lunar-like terrain.
Jones Brothers Cupcakes in Omaha
The Strategic Air & Space Museum
Carhenge
Chimney Rock National Historic Site
Sandhill Crane Spring Migration
Tanking
National Forest
The Niobrara River
Dinosaur Museum in Milford
John Brown’s Cave and Secret Tunnels in Nebraska City
Heartland of America Park in Con-Agra (Gondola Rides)
Nevada
Vegas Rodeo (December)
Vegas Strip
Lake Tahoe
Reno Arch
Lovers Lock Plaza in Lovelock
Great Basin National Park and Wheeler Peak
Highway 50—‘The Loneliest Road in America’
Hoover Dam in Boulder City
National Finals Rodeo in Vegas
Hofbrauhaus in Vegas
Mermaids at Silverton Casino
Hugo’s Cellar (Food)
Lehman Cave in Baker
9. New Hampshire
Pumpkin Festival (Autumn)
Winter Holiday Stroll and Celebration, Nashua (winter)
Annual Candlelight Stroll, Portsmouth (winter)
The Kancamagus Scenic Byway
New Hampshire’s Route 3 Retro Tour
White Mountain National Forest
Pie Guy in Plymouth
Jackson
Maple Country
Parker’s Maple Barn in Mason
New Jersey
Cape May
Pine Barrens Canoe Rental in Chatsworth
The Jersey Shore
Carlo’s Bake Shop
New Mexico
White Sands National Monument (Sled ride)
Rio Grande Rapids
The beach in Albuquerque
Ice Cave/Bandera Volcano in Grants
Route 66
Carlsbad Caverns
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
Georgia O’Keefe Trail
New York
Letchworth State Park – Grand Canyon of The East
The Adirondack Balloon Festival, Queensbury.
Route 9 in Hudson Valley
Middle Ages Brewing in Syracuse
World’s Highest and Longest Pedestrian Bridge over Hudson River in Highland
The Brooklyn Bridge
Middle Ages Brewing Co in Syracuse
Lake Placid Pub & Brewery
The Empire State Building
Watkins Glenn State Park near Seneca Lake in Finger Lakes
Lockport Caves – Boat Ride in Lockport
Coney Island
North Carolina
Blue Ridge Parkway
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
North Carolina Barbecue Society Historic Barbecue Trail
Biltmore, in Asheville
10. Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
Chimney Rock
Outer Banks, Shackelford Banks and Ocracoke
North Carolina’s Blackbeard Trail is a four-day, self-guided tour
Raonoke Island
Ocean Isle (Sunset Beach)
North Dakota
North Dakota State Fair (July)
International Peace Garden
North Dakota Badlands
Fort Mandan and the Lewis & Clark Trail
Theodore Roosevelt National park
Ohio
The Wilds
I.M. Pei glass pyramid at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Cleveland
Roebling Suspension Bridge, Cincinnati
Armstrong Air and Space Museum in Wapakoneta
Ride in a horse-pulled Canal boat in Coshocton
Short North District
Cedar Point in Sandusky
Rock & Roll Museum Hall of Fame
Glamorgan Castle
Ashtabuhla – longest covered bridge
94th Aero Squadron Restaurant - 5030 Sawyer Rd, Columbus, OH
Kalahari (world’s largest indoor water park)
National Museum of the US Air Force
Hocking Hills
Honda Performance Driving School
Mohican River
Oklahoma
Oklahoma City Stockyards
Little Sahara State Park
Lake Tenkiller (Scuba dive)
Alabaster Caverns State Park (Cave tours)
Natural Falls State Park
The castle - 3400 W. Fern Mountain Rd, Muskogee, OK
Black Mesa
Oregon
Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville
Sand dunes near Florence
Lava River Cave - US Hwy 97, Bend, OR
Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum
The Rogue River
World War 2 bomber gas station –Mcloughlin
Enchanted Forest in Turner
11. Crater Lake National Park
The Columbia River Gorge (Specifically Emerald Gorge)
Oregon Brewers Festival
Tree to Tree Aerial Adventure Park on Hagg Lake near Portland
Pennsylvania
Erie’s Presque Isle State Park
Mutter Museum?
America on Whells in Allentown
Peeps Factory in Bethlehem
Route 6 ( Susquehanna River and Endless Mountains)
Valley Forge in King of Prussia
Pocono Mountains
Gettysburg (Dinosaur Bridge)
Falling Water
Hershey
Mercer Museum in Doylestown
Toboggan Ice Slide Eagles Mere
Crayola Factory in Easton
Laurel Caverns – Cave Mini Golf in Hopwood
Crystal Cave in Kutztown
Cabels in Hamburg
Pine Hill Farm in Milford in Pocanos
John Harvards Brew Hours (English Pub) in Monroeville
Paddle Wheel Ferry Boat in Millersburg
Herr’s Factory in Nottingham
Board Game Art Park in Philadelphia
Center for PostNatural History
Yuengling Brewery in Pottsville
Daffin’s Chocolate Kingdom in Sharon
Hershey’s Chocolate World in Hershey
Pennsylvania’s Grand Canyon in Wellsboro
American Helicopter Museum in West Chester
Rhode Island
Mohegan Bluffs on Block Island
Culinary Arts Museum?
Beakers Mansion in Newport
Newport Mansions
South Carolina
Blue Ridge Mountains
Caesars head State Park
Table Rock Mountain
Raven Cliff
Matthews Creek suspension bridge
Carriage ride in Charleston
12. Hilton Head
Myrtle Beach (Skywheel)
The Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge
Bull Island
Moonshine Distillery – in Anderson
Luke Skywalkers House, Marshall Blvd, Sullivans Island
Landsford Canal State Park
UBS Bank on Main Street in Greenville (ice skating in winter)
Kiawah Island
Alligator Adventure in Atlantic City
North Myrtle Beach Intracoastal Christmas Regatta (First Saturday after Thanksgiving)
South Dakota
Mount Rushmore
Crazy Horse Memorials
Black Hills
Black Hills Stock Show & Rodeo (January/February)
Custer State Park
Mickelson Trail
Badlands National Park
Tennessee
Dogwood Arts Festival in Knoxville (Spring)
Graceland
127 Corridor in Jamestown (outdoor flea market)
National Cornbread Festival in South Pittsburg
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
National Civil Rights Museum
Dragon Museum in Chattanooga
Lynchburg Jack Daniel’s distillery tour
Jack Daniels Championship BBQ in LLYnchburg
Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga (Hang-gliding) and the Incline
Dale Hollow Lake (Houseboat)
Lumberjack Feud in Tennessee
Wonder Works in Pigeon Forge
Colorado Bend State Park (State 16 through Llano and Ranch Road 510) & Gorman Falls
Outdoor Adventures of the Smokies (Monster Truck Ride) in Sevierville
Hollywood Star Cars Museum in Gatlinburg
Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge
Texas
Texas Barbeque Trail
Big Bend Country
Battle of the Alamo
River Walk
Bitter End (Beer_ in Austion
Fall Creek Vineyards in Tow
Alamo in San Antonio
Spoetzel Brewery in Shiner
13. The Galleria in Houston (Shopping)
The Greenhouse in Arlington
Space Center Houston
Battleship Texas in La Porte
Medina River Kayak
Edelweiss German Restaurant in Fort Worth
Dinosaur World in Glen Rose right before Dinosaur Valley State Park near Creation Museum
Round Rock – Doughnuts larger than your head (106 West Liberty)
Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo
Natural Bridge Caverns – underground zip line and hidden passages
Utah
Lake Powell at Glen Canyon National Recreation
Bryce Canyon National Park
Natural Bridges National Monument
Salt Lake City
Hill aerospace Museum in Hill AFB
Moab & Red Rock Country
Dinosaur National Monument
Park City Skiing
Vermont
Plymouth
Lake Champlain
New Life Hiking Spa in Killington
Lake Willoughby
The One Hundred Mile view on U.S. Route 9 west of Bennington
Cabot Visitors Center Cheese Factory Tours
Virginia
Natural Bridge
Natural Bridge Elephant rides at the Zoo
Air power Park in Hampton
Luray Caverns
Shenandoah Valley
Blue Ridge parkway
Mount Vernon
Williamsburg
Museum of American Presidents in Strasburg
Jamestown Settlement
Virginia Safari Park – drive through Zoo
Newseum in Arlington
Arlington National Cemetery
National Firearms Museum
Dinosaur land in Whitepost
National D Day Musem
Flying Circus Airshow in Bealeton (5114 Ritchie Rd.)
Washington
14. Mount Storm King Trail in Olympic National Park & Lake Crescent
Seattle’s Space Needle
Museum of Flight in Seattle
Seattle’s Underground Tour
Olympic Mountain Range & Mt. Rainier
Washington State International Kite Festival
Deception Pass Bridge, connecting Whidbey and Fidalgo Islands in Puget Sound
The 268-foot Snoqualmie Falls
Tacoma’s Museum of Glass
EMP Museum in Seattle (Darth Vader helmet)
World’s longest drivable beach in Long Beach
Walk-Thru space shuttle
Cascade Loop
The Grand Coulee Dam Laser Light Show, in Grand Coulee
Future of Flight Aviation Center and Boeing Tour.
Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Underground Tour in Cougar
Olympic National Park
Boeing in Everett (see assembly)
World’s Fair Monorail in Seattle
West Virginia
The Highland Scenic Highway—through the Potomac Highlands
New River Gorge Bridge (parachute jumping)
Appalachian National Scenic Trail in Harpers Ferry
West Virginia State Penitentiary Tour
Harpers Ferry National Historic Park
Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park
Philippi Bridge
DeFluris Fine Chocolates in Martinsburg and Holl’s Swiss Chocolatier in Vienna
Glade Creek Grist Mill at Babcock State Park
Waterfalls at Blackwater Falls State Park
Wisconsin
The Great River Road
Harley-Davidson Museum
Lake Michigan
The Apostle Islands
Castlerock Arms & Armor museum in Alma
Wisconsin Dells( go on boat tour)
Top Secret Upside Down White House in the Dells
National Brewery Museum in Potosi
Honey Acres in Ashippun
Great Wisconsin Cheese Festival in Little Chute
Wizard Quest in the Dells
Jelly Belly Tour in Pleasant Valley
Leinenkugel Brewery Tour in Chippewa Falls
15. EAA AirVenture
Wyoming
Yellowstone National park
Sanfords Grub & Pub in Casper
Snake River Overlook in Grand Teton National Park
Devils Tower National Monument
MuSeum of Flight and Aerial Firefighting in Greybull
Jackson Hole to Yellowstone (drive the lower loop), back over Togwotee Pass to Dubois
Sinks Canyon State Park
Skydiving at Teton Village and Jackson Hole