Anyone with kids knows that time really flies. If you are in the US and looking for an old-fashioned family vacation or even a weekend trip, keep reading, fellow travelers. Without further ado, here are the 30 must-see places in the USA to take your family.

30 Must-See Places In The U.S.A. To Take Your Family

1. Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. is the country’s capital and the seat of the federal government. Start with the Lincoln and Washington Memorials. There’s also the Smithsonian Institution, the American History to Space Exploration, and the Native American to African American to Art.

Schedule visits to both the White House and Congress too. Take a trip to Adam’s Morgan neighborhood and enjoy a virtual cornucopia of international cuisines. Stay at the family-friendly Four Seasons D.C.

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New York City, New York

Get into the New York groove in New York City, a.k.a. “The Big Apple.” This major metropolitan mecca offers a lot for a family to see. There’s an assortment of interesting attractions including Central Park, the Empire State Building, Times Square, the Guggenheim Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. There’s also the Houdini Museum, Spyscape, and several family-friendly Broadway shows. Enjoy some samples at the popular Museum of Food and Drink too!  

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Niagara Falls, New York

Listed as one of the most dangerous and most beautiful falls, Niagara Falls is also one of the most famous official Natural Wonders of the World. It straddles Canada and the USA. Take the Hornblower Cruise or hop on the Maid of the Mist for a closer, wetter look at the 3,100+ tons of water that rush over the falls every second.  

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Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Experience that Philadelphia freedom. After all, it is the “birthplace of the nation.” Visit the historic district and see the Liberty Bell, and Independence Hall, where the well-known Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution was signed. Other highlights include the Elfreth’s Alley Museum, the Betsy Ross House, the Benjamin Franklin Museum, and the Franklin Science Institute. Stay at the Four Seasons Philadelphia.

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Acadia National Park, Maine

Acadia National Park is mainly located on popular Mount Desert Island. This New England park includes an interesting combination of seaside villages, pretty parkland, and private property. Here you can go camping, biking, relax on the beach, and hike more than 100 miles worth of hiking trails. Highlights here include Cadillac Mountain, Bar Harbor, the popular Porcupine Islands, and famous Frenchman Bay.

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Boston, Massachusetts

Take the family for a hike on the well-known 2.5-mile Freedom Trail. Here you can learn of the role Boston played in US history. In just a couple of hours, you can visit 16 different historic landmarks including Faneuil Hall, the site of the nation’s first official town meeting and the official “home of free speech”. Stay at historic Langham Boston.  

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Nashville, Tennessee

This must-visit Southern destination is also the biggest city in the state. Music City is obviously most famous for its music venues and music-related tourist attractions. Your stops should include the Grand Ole Opry, the well-known Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, and the Ryman Auditorium where you can learn about country music. Stay at the family-friendly Kimpton Aertson.

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 Austin, Texas

Texas’ capitol is a fave for its food, history, and family fun. Spend some time on lovely Lady Bird Lake. Rent kayaks or donut boats or sign on for an inexpensive sunset pontoon boat tour. Wildlife lovers will enjoy seeing all the Mexican free-tailed bats at sunset. Other highlights include Barton Springs and the kid-friendly LBJ Library. Stay at the Van Zandt.

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Orlando, Florida

Located in Central Florida, this is said by some travel writers to be “one of the most family-friendly destinations in the world.” Highlights here include both the world-famous Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Orlando. Check out the memorable view from the popular view from the Wheel at ICON Park Orlando. Visit the Space Coast and Kennedy Space Center and Sea Life too.  

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Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia

This place is basically a live history museum where visitors can learn all about life in the 1700s. Watch historically costumed actors explain and demonstrate the work of different tradespeople including weavers, milliners, silversmiths, and tinsmiths. Your admission also gives you access to the American Indian Encampment, and the Randolph Kitchen and Yard, which offers an interesting insight into life as a typical house slave. 

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Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta was founded in 1837 and torched during the Civil War. Steeped in history, it’s also the state capital. If you like conventions and festivals, the city hosts Dragon Con, Music Midtown, and the National Black Arts Festival. Visit educational Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park and such kid faves as the Atlanta Aquarium and the World of Coca-Cola. 

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Denver, Colorado

Denver, a.k.a. The Mile High City is the home of lovely Larimer Square, the U.S. Mint, and the educational History Colorado Museum. Visit during the winter and go ice skating at the Downtown River Rink or snow tubing at the famous Frisco Adventure Park. Catch a concert at the Red Rocks Amphitheater. Be like The Beatles and stay at Brown Palace.

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Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

This national park encompasses a 415-square-mile area of the well-known mountain range. Set up your base in Estes Park, known as “the Gateway to the Rockies.” From there you can enjoy a total of 150 lakes, 359 exceptional hiking trails, 450 miles of sparkling streams, and a wide range of ecosystems from verdant pine forests to wetlands teeming with wildlife.

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Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

More than 6.4 million travelers come to see this national park each year. Here you’ll find one of the largest canyons in the entire world. You can view the canyon from the Skywalk observation deck, but if you and your family are athletic types, consider doing what yours truly once did with his father and hike the entire canyon rim to rim.

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Chicago, Illinois

“Chicago, Chicago, that toddl’ing town…” The Windy City offers visitors many options. Here you can visit the Art Institute, Navy Pier, Millennium Park, and see Cloud Gate, a.k.a. The Bean, stroll the Chicago Riverwalk, take an educational architecture river cruise, see a play, or explore one of the popular museums such as the Museum of Science and Industry.

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New Orleans, Louisiana

Most people travel to New Orleans because they want to experience Mardi Gras. It comes complete with exciting parades, colorful floats, and flashing women. But New Orleans is also a great place to enjoy Cajun food, real jazz music at the popular Preservation Jazz Hall, old-fashioned steamboat cruises, and honest-to-goodness horse-drawn carriage rides too. You can tour the Big Easy’s bayou too.

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Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh’s the “City of Champions.” It also recently made it onto the official list of top hipster cities in the world. Highlights here include The City of Bridges, for cultural events, The Andy Warhol Museum, the trio of Carnegie-sponsored centers for Science Center, Natural History, and the popular Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh. There’s also the Pittsburgh Zoo and the Heinz History Center. 

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Cleveland, Ohio

“Cleveland Rocks!” So be sure to check out the world-famous Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. After you get your fill or rock, get ready to roll and go visit Cedar Point. Founded in 1796, Cleveland is now also famously known as the official Roller Coaster Capital of the World. See a show in Playhouse Square too!  

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Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston, with its educational historic center, is seeped with colonial history and features attractive antebellum architecture, and a distinctive, delicious food scene. Be sure to visit Waterfront Park, Pineapple Fountain, and Rainbow Row. There’s also Charles Town Landing Historic Park, the historic French Quarter, the Boone Hall Plantation, and Fort Sumter. Enjoy a real horse and buggy ride as well. 

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Yellowstone National Park And Grand Tetons, Wyoming

This neighboring pair of natural wonders are two of the best national parks in the country. The Grand Tetons offers visitors acres of peace and quiet, beautiful waterfalls, sparkling streams, lush greenery, and lovely lakes. Highlights of Yellowstone include the famous Old Faithful geyser, Mammoth Hot Springs, and the Grand Prismatic Hot Spring. (It also inspired Yogi Bear’s world-famous home — Jellystone Park.) Stay in Jackson Hole, which is also great for a winter getaway.

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San Francisco And Muir Woods National Monument

Are you going to San Francisco? Take an iconic trolley car ride. Go to Fisherman’s Wharf and watch the sea lions, go biking along the Pacific Coast to the Golden Gate Bridge National Park and visit the Gold Gate Bridge. Take the ferry to tour the infamous prison known as Alcatraz.

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Los Angeles, California

This famous major metropolis is the second most populous city in the USA. It’s famous for its surviving entertainment industry and marvelous. A list of “must-see” attractions in the L.A. area would include Disneyland, the nigh-iconic Hollywood sign, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, Griffith Observatory, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Universal Studios, Paramount Pictures, and Venice Beach.

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Joshua Tree National Park And Palm Springs, California

The desert cacti here in Joshua Tree look a lot like the “Trufula Trees” in Dr. Seuss’ book The Lorax. This odd desert landscape is unique. Take a trip up the Rotating Aerial Tramway to the very top of nearby San Jacinto Mountain too. Have a snowball fight on the same day you hiked in the desert.

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San Diego, California

Your family trip begins at beautiful Balboa Park and the San Diego Zoo, where you’ll discover jaguars, leopards, pandas, polar bears, and more. Next head to the famous Fleet Science Center and San Diego Natural Science Museum. Don’t forget to build some memories at Legoland either! Stay at the historic Hotel Del Coronado on Coronado Island. 

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Yosemite National Park, California

4 million travelers visit this park annually. The majority focus their visit on the seven-square-mile area called Yosemite Valley. Take the family to see the El Capitan and the popular Half Dome. See the 2,140-foot Snow Creek Falls, the well-known 2,425-foot Yosemite Falls, Mariposa Grove, and the skyscraping Giant Sequoias too.

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Mount Rushmore National Memorial And Crazy Horse Monuments, South Dakota

The 60-foot faces of a quartet of American presidents, Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, and Theodore Roosevelt, carved into granite in the South Dakota wilderness are unforgettable. Not far away is the massive monument to the well-known American chief Crazy Horse. Visit both of the dedicated museums there too.

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Zion, Bryce Canyon, And Arches National Parks, Utah

Plan a family road trip so that you can visit this well-known trio of Utah-based national parks. At Zion, you might see bald eagles, California condors, and Peregrine falcons. Hike through the sandstone cliffs, waterfalls, and pools as well. See Bryce Canyon’s unusual geological formations and the towering arches at Arches too.

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Seattle, Washington

Take the whole family to the “spaceship-like” Seattle Space Needle. Here, in this rockin’ rotating restaurant in the clouds, you can see everything all the way to massive Mount Rainier. Go down to the waterfront and see sea creatures in the Seattle Aquarium. Ride the Great Wheel too!

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Hawaii

This American island paradise offers visitors a lot of opportunities. You can go swimming and snorkeling just about anywhere here. But you should be sure to go island-hopping too. Highlights include Koko Head Park, Halona Cove, Waiānuenue Falls, Volcanoes National Park, Diamond Head, the Punalu’u Black Sand Beach, and the Pearl Harbor Memorial.

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The Inside Passage, Alaska

If you and yours enjoy frozen wonders, then head for the iciest state in the US. See the beautiful blue ice of the Mendenhall Glacier, watch for Beluga whales bubble feeding, and learn about Native American culture in Sitka. You can even admire this rugged locale from aboard a family-friendly cruise ship. It’s a cool trip, for sure!

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