You don’t have to get your passport ready to have a fun-filled trip. There are so many destinations in the U.S. to experience.
TripAdvisor’s latest annual Travelers’ Choice Awards Best of the Best Things to Do ranks the highest-rated experiences and attractions according to its users.
So let’s get into which stops are most worth visiting, according to real globe-trotters.
1. Empire State Building
Location: Manhattan, New York City
The Empire State Building also landed in the first place spot for the highest-rated experience globally, thanks to its 60,000 five-star reviews. When it was first built in 1931, it was the largest skyscraper in the world, standing at 1,250 feet tall with 102 stories. Not only did it win the race to achieve such a title, but it did so in record time, taking only 20 months to construct.
2. ‘Iolani Palace
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
A registered National Historic Landmark, the construction of ‘Iolani Palace was finished in 1882. The palace was the home of the Hawaiian Kingdom’s last two monarchs. It’s not only an ornate structure for royalty and government officials, but it was also Hawaii’s first residence with an electric light system, intra-house telephones and flush toilets.
3. Central Park
Location: Manhattan, New York City
The idea of Central Park was born from poet-editor William Cullen Bryant and landscape architect Andrew Jackson Downing as Manhattan became increasingly urbanized in the 1840s. Their idea caught fire among others on the island. The state went on to buy $5 million worth of land in 1856 and began clearing the site just a year later.
Architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux designed the park and made it the first American park to be developed with landscape architecture techniques.
The rest of the top 10
These seven destinations also rank high among visitors, making them worth the trip.
- John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo, Florida
- Stetson Mansion in DeLand, Florida
- Alcatraz Island in San Francisco, California
- Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee
- Brooklyn Bridge in New York City
- Chihuly Garden and Glass in Seattle, Washington
- Diamond Head State Monument in Honolulu, Hawaii
