Holiday season is as good as here! Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s – it’s a feast of time off to spend with the family, hit the road for some adventure and explore some of the best sites, attractions and natural wonders the US has to offer.
To whet your appetite and inspire you, here’s a list of the top 25 hottest American attractions this fall as announced by travel giant TripAdvisor, based on year-on-year search activity, in its Seasonal Attractions Trend Index. So sit back, scroll down, pick your favorites and start planning. Let the countdown begin!
25. Griffith Observatory – Los Angeles, California
Set high on Mount Hollywood with perhaps the best views of anywhere over the City of Angels, Griffith Observatory remains a perennial favorite among visitors to the West Coast. Explore the cosmos through telescopes, drink in the awesome views of LA and the Hollywood sign and come face to face with James Dean.
24. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore – Munising, Michigan
The allure of the Great Outdoors remains high in most holidaymakers’ hearts. And with beautiful sandstone cliffs, beaches, waterfalls, lakes, forests, sand dunes and 40 miles of shoreline to explore, it doesn’t get much greater than the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Try hiking Twelvemile Beach for jaw-dropping views of the Au Sable Lighthouse.
23. The National WWII Museum – New Orleans, Louisiana
Discover the true stories behind American experiences in World War II at the National WWII Museum’s six-acre campus crammed with exhibits like the USS Tang submarine experience or Beyond All Boundaries, the exclusive 4D journey through the war introduced and narrated by Tom Hanks.
22. Space Needle – Seattle, Washington
Seattle’s 605-feet-high Space Needle gives you a literal bird’s eye view of the Emerald City’s sights and attractions so you can plan your visit from on high. Eat at the revolving Skycity restaurant or take the 41-second lift to the observation deck to gawp at the majestic mountains and towering skyscrapers, and try to spot the seaplanes coming in to land on Puget Sound.
21. Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens – Dallas, Texas
Spread along the shores of White Rock Lake, the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens are 66 acres of nature’s finest flora beautifully arranged with seasonal exhibits, cooking demos and tasting days, ornamental gardens and evening concerts every Thursday.
20. Pike Place Market – Seattle, Washington
One of the few remaining authentic farmer’s markets to be found in the US, Pike Place Market was established in 1907 and is a temple to all things edible (and a few things that aren’t). Whether you’re there for an early breakfast, light lunch or evening meal, the 200+ uniquestores and 80+ restaurants will leave you well sated. Just don’t forget your appetite.
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19. Stratosphere Tower – Las Vegas, Nevada
Not enough excitement for you in Vegas? No problem. Head to the Stratosphere Tower and ‘SkyJump’ the terror-inducing 829 feet back to ground level or for something marginally less terrifying, take one of the thrill rides rising 1,149 feet into the Vegas skyline. Gulp.
18. Luray Caverns – Luray, Virginia
The largest cave in the Eastern US, the extraordinary and otherworldly Luray Caverns is a true subterranean wonder of nature that’s only gaining in popularity since its discovery in 1878. Take in bizarre, beautiful caverns and formations like the Throne Room, Dream Lake, Titania’s Vale (named after Shakespeare’s fairy queen in A Midsummer Night’s Dream) and my favorite, the Stalacpipe Organ - the world’s largest musical instrument.
17. High Roller – Las Vegas, Nevada
The High Roller at the LINQ out-guns the London Eye and the Singapore Flyer to be the world’s tallest observation wheel at an ear-popping 550 feet above the Vegas Strip. Choose from the standard or luxury cabins, or if you’re not a huge fan of heights the open bar ‘happy half hour’ ticket might be your best bet.
16. Georgia Aquarium – Atlanta, Georgia
A nonprofit committed to preserving oceans and ocean life worldwide, Georgia Aquarium is the largest in the US and home to thousands of extraordinary sealife species. Whether it’s diving with whale sharks or having a sleepover under the sea (for adults as well as kids!), there’s plenty of fish-themed experiences on offer.
15. Great Falls Park – McLean, Virginia
Only 15 miles from the capital, Great Falls Park is Mother Nature on overdrive and an awesome easy escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. Named for where the Potomac River tumbles over a series of steep, jagged rocks through the narrow Mather Gorge, the park stretches of 800 eye-poppingly pretty acres. As perfect for a day trip as a camping expedition.
14. Dollywood – Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Clearly everyone loves a good theme park, as Dollywood is only getting more and more popular. This 150-acre site spread across the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains hosts more than 40 rides and attractions, 15 shows and five of the south’s biggest festivals as well of course as that legendary southern hospitality. There’s some damn fine eating too.
13. Jackson Square – New Orleans, Louisiana
Historic Jackson Square sits in the heart of New Orleans’ famed French Quarter, a globally recognised and loved hub of culture, music and fun. Visitors can take in the St Louis Cathedral, the Lower and Upper Pontalba Apartments (the old apartment buildings in the US) and the 50-year-old open air artist colony where street artists have been creating, displaying and selling their wares for generations.
12. The Grand Ole Opry – Nashville, Tennessee
Mecca to any self-respecting country music lover, the Grand Ole Opry is an American icon and the Tennessee’s most visited attraction. Known to some as the ‘home of American music’ since its inception as a radio show more than 90 years ago, it still attracts the biggest names from around the world to its stage. If you’re really keen, don’t just take in a show but book a backstage tour as well.
11. Silver Dollar City – Branson, Missouri
Seeing a 14% rise in popularity since last year, Silver Dollar City’s unique blend of attractions rolled into an 1880s-style theme park is more popular than ever. Set atop one of Missouri’s deepest caves, it hosts more than 40 rides and attractions, 40 live shows daily, 60 unique shops, a dozen restaurants and more than 100 craftsmen demonstrating homegrown heritage crafts. Christmas should be particularly enchanting with the park illuminated by more than 6.5 million lights!
10. Heard Museum – Phoenix, Arizona
Kicking off the top ten upward trending tourist attractions in the US is the Heard Museum, which saw a 16% year on year growth in 2017. Dedicated to advancing American Indian art and culture, the Heard Museum tells the stories of ancient cultures alongside contemporary artists with changing exhibits and collections.
9. The Johnny Cash Museum – Nashville, Tennessee
Walk in the footsteps of the Main in Black in this vast collection of Johnny Cash artifacts and memorabilia. If you’re a Cash fan, this is about as seminal as it gets – just take his daughter Cindy Cash’s word for it, ‘Whatever anybody needs to know about my dad that they don’t know already is in that museum’.
8. Garden of the Gods – Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs’ registered National Natural Landmark really does live up to its name. Free to enter, the Garden of the Gods delivers dramatic views to the jagged snow capped Pikes Peak on the horizon broken only by towering 300-foot high sandstone rock formations. Try rock climbing, take a segway or open top jeep tour or just take a bite to eat with views the term ‘picture postcard’ was coined for.
7. Gateway Arch – St Louis, Missouri
The tallest manmade monument in the US needs no introduction and is more popular now than ever as it continues to commemorate Thomas Jefferson and the role St Louis played in the country’s expansion as the gateway to the west. Take the internal tram up to the 630-foot zenith where on a clear day you can see for 30 miles in every direction.
6. Newseum – Washington, D.C.
Celebrate free expression and the five freedoms of the First Amendment (religion, speech, press, assembly and petition) over seven floors of interactive exhibits at Washington’s extraordinary Newseum. Among the 15 theaters and 15 galleries, the 9/11 Gallery features the broadcast antennae from the World Trade Center while the Pulitzer Prize Photographer’s Gallery features pictures from every winning entry all the way back to 1942.
5. Biltmore Estate – Asheville, North Carolina
America’s largest home, George Vanderbilt’s Biltmore country estate has continued to grow and develop since its foundations were laid in 1895. Spread over 8,000 acres of rolling fields, Blue Ridge Mountains and sprawling vineyards, sustainability is now at its heart with field to table dining, different accommodations and tours of the extraordinary original house and grounds.
4. Coit Tower – San Francisco, California
A stalwart of San Francisco’s skyline since 1933, the Coit Tower juts skyward from Telegraph Hill to give its visitors unbroken 360-degree views across the city and bay, including the Golden Gate and Bay bridges. Don’t just go for the views though, make sure not to miss the once controversial frescoes inside the tower’s base, first painted in 1934 depicting life in California during the Depression.
3. Chapel of the Holy Cross – Sedona, Arizona
This extraordinary Roman Catholic chapel built into the dramatic buttes of Sedona in Arizona has to be seen to be believed. Inspired by the construction of the Empire State Building and originally intended to be built in Budapest but relocated to Arizona when World War II broke out, Hungary’s loss is The US’s gain. A landmark in itself, Chapel of the Holy Cross also affords visitors awesome views over the surrounding rock formations and is particularly beautiful at sunset.
2. Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, Tennessee
Our second out and out Nashville music venue on the list, the Ryman saw a huge 25% year on year increase in searches on TripAdvisor this year. One of America’s most famous music halls and the birthplace of bluegrass, it was home the Grand Ole Opry until it changed venues in the early 1970s and fell into disrepair only to be saved in the 1990s by Nashville locals who understood its cultural significance.
1. Grand Canyon South Rim – Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
America’s – and one of the world’s – most famous natural wonder goes from strength to strength with an amazing 45% year-on-year traffic increase on TripAdvisor from 2016 to 2017. Open year round (unlike the much less accessible North Rim), the South Rim’s incomparable views take in much of the one-mile-deep, 227 river miles-long and up to 18-mile wide canyon. Take a drive up the scenic Hermit Road to Hermit’s Rest, or the Desert View Drive and finish up in Grand Canyon Village, or if you’re anything like me, just linger and stare in awe at the sheer vastness of it all until the sun goes down. Either way, you’ll never forget it.
