1

Central Park

Image: Harry Gillen

Let’s open the list with a classic one: Central Park. Located in the heart of New York, Central Park attracts local and foreign visitors by the millions. The reasons are just one too many to list in this article but to put it simply, the park offers a wide variety of activities with some of the most astounding views in the city.

Within the 843 acres, visitors can enjoy views of the Ramble and Lake, the Central Park Zoo, Hallett Nature Sanctuary, and more. No visit to New York is truly complete without a visit to Central Park!

2

Independence National Historical Park

Image: Miguel Ángel Sanz

Our vast country has proudly fought its way to independence and the landmarks that narrate that history are scattered all over the country. However, one city has more landmarks than any other: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Here, you’ll find the Independence National Historical Park, a federally protected area that comprises several historic buildings like the Independence Hall or the Liberty Bell. Do you want to go over history? This is the place for you, and it’s free!

3

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Image: NATHAN MULLET

If nature is your thing, National Parks are the best options. They offer the best views for a free entrance, what’s better than that?

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited park in our country and, big as it is, it offers more than just stunning mountain views. The park spans across the border of Tennessee and North Carolina and, in it, you can choose to visit the historic structures, walk along the hiking trails, enjoy the waterfalls, and more!

4

Cape May County Park & Zoo

Image: Daiga Ellaby

After two Snow Leopard cubs, the Cape May County Zoo was under the spotlight, and for good reason. This attraction will keep you entertained and won’t make you break the bank.

The animal exhibits, which feature more than 500 creatures , are amazing. Besides, you can also enjoy picnic areas, playgrounds, and walking trails.

Open every day except Christmas day, the zoo is a perfect opportunity to get to know the wildlife and enjoy an outdoor activity day for free!

5

Golden Gate Bridge

Image: Maarten van den Heuvel

This magnificent bridge has been the main character in many films and TV shows, it’s extraordinary, and imposing and it attracts thousands of visitors every year.

The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most recognizable constructions in America and the World. It is one of San Francisco’s gems and crossing it is just a must for anyone paying a visit to the city. Moreover, visitors can enjoy the Golden Gate National Recreational Area and the Golden Gate Park. Just amazing, isn’t it?

6

U.S. Mint

Image: Adam Nir

Have you ever wondered where the coins you handle every day come from? If that is so, you have to pay a visit to the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia.

Visitors can learn more about the history of the nation’s coins through a self-guided tour that takes only 45 minutes. Additionally, there is a gift shop that offers collectible coins and tokens about the U.S. financial system. And of course, you’ll be able to see how the coins are actually produced. If that’s not enough, meeting Peter the Mint Eagle, a real bald eagle will surely convince you, right?

7

Freedom Trail

Image: Brett Wharton

This is no short trail. The Freedom Trail spans for 2.5 miles and it goes through a variety of locations that are significant in the construction of our nation.

Starting in Boston Common, in downtown Boston, the Trail takes you through historic sites , important buildings, and churches. Note that not every stop in the Trail admits visitors for free, but most of them do at the same time accept donations.

8

JC Raulston Arboretum

Image: micheile henderson

In Raleigh, North Carolina, you can find JC Raulston Arboretum, a 10-acre botanical garden that features a massive collection of plants, bulbs, trees, and more from over 50 countries!

With just a visit, you’ll get to know the most diverse plant collection . In the Arboretum, you’ll find more than ten carefully curated gardens and enjoy educational programs and workshops for all ages.

9

Loggerhead Marinelife Center

Image: Giorgia Doglioni

Located in Juno Beach, Florida, Loggerhead Marinelife Center is devoted to marine conservation. It specializes in the treatment and rehabilitation of sea turtles and it offers its visitors the possibility to learn about sea animals’ ecosystems for free.

This place is perfect for children, but people of all ages can enjoy a visit through the guided tours and the educational programs it has. Now, the highlight of this place? You can also adopt a turtle and contribute to ocean conservation! How cute is that?

10

National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center

Image: Levi Meir Clancy

Located in Columbus, Georgia, this museum with free admission goes over the history of the U.S. Army Infantry . The archive collects pieces from the American Revolution to the more current military operations. The exhibits are curated and displayed in different galleries depending on the era.

It is an interactive museum that takes visitors through the values that guide the military task, such as duty, loyalty, service, honor, integrity, and more. Which of these places are you visiting next?

1

A bar hidden in plain sight

Most visitors know the famous Oyster Bar, but few stumble upon The Campbell, an elegant lounge tucked inside Grand Central. Originally the office of 1920s finance tycoon John W. Campbell , this spot sat forgotten for decades until 1999, before being restored to its former Jazz Age glory. Step inside today, and you’ll find velvet couches, grand rugs, and cocktails that make you feel like you’ve time-traveled back to the roaring 1920s.

2

Two clocks worth a fortune?

Grand Central has one of the most valuable clocks in the world , although there’s a myth that says there are two. The Tiffany clock outside towers 14 feet across, framed by Roman gods carved in stone. This clock is worth around $20 million. Inside the terminal, the four-faced opal clock crowns the information booth. Contrary to popular belief, this clock was not made of an actual opal, but out of opal glass, so there’s nothing priceless about it.

3

Hidden oaks and acorns

Take a closer look around, and you’ll start spotting oak leaves and acorns carved into chandeliers, railings, and stonework. These aren’t random designs. They’re a nod to the Vanderbilt family’s symbol: The acorn. The family funded the terminal’s construction in 1871 and wanted everyone to know it. Now, their family symbol quietly decorates every corner of their legacy.

4

The mysterious whispering gallery

If you whisper into one corner of the tiled archway near the Oyster Bar, someone standing diagonally across can hear you perfectly. The "Whispering Gallery" is one of Grand Central’s quirkiest secrets . The Guastavino tiles that make up the arched ceiling carry sound in an odd way, creating an intimate little magic trick, though no one really knows whether it was designed that way or just a happy accident.

5

A sky painted backward

Look up, and you’ll see the breathtaking celestial mural that covers the concourse ceiling. But here’s the kicker: the constellations are painted backwards . Whether it was a mistake or an artistic choice remains debated, but the Vanderbilts claimed it was intentional—to give us the "divine perspective" of looking down at the heavens. Either way, it’s still one of the most photographed ceilings in the world.

6

Game, set, match (inside a train station)

If you think tennis in a train terminal sounds impossible, think again. The Vanderbilt Tennis Club, perched on Grand Central’s fourth floor, is open to the public . You can book a court, take a lesson, or just peek inside to see this unexpected slice of luxury tucked away above the bustling commuters below.

7

Secret walkways above the windows

Those grand arched windows in the main concourse aren’t just decorative; they hide narrow walkways used by staff to move unseen between offices . These catwalks give a bird’s-eye view of the terminal, though they’re strictly off-limits to the public. Only a select few with key passes get to experience the view from up there.

8

A hidden entrance to the Waldorf

Deep beneath Grand Central lies Track 61, a secret passage that once connected directly to the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. It was used by VIPs who preferred to travel without public attention —most famously, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who used it to conceal his polio and wheelchair from the public eye. Today, it’s sealed off, but the legend remains.

9

Almost lost to the wrecking ball

In the 1960s, plans were made to tear down Grand Central and replace it with skyscrapers. After the destruction of Penn Station in 1963, New Yorkers were not having it. Thanks to the efforts of preservationists , Grand Central was saved and officially declared a landmark in 1967. Their fight ensured we could still enjoy one of the city’s true architectural gems.

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A 21st-century makeover

While much of Grand Central dates back to 1913, its evolution continues. The massive East Side Access Project, completed in 2023, added a new terminal for Long Island Rail Road passengers, complete with 40 miles of new track buried beneath Park Avenue. It’s a modern expansion of a century-old masterpiece.

1

Alaska is so big, it could fit Texas inside twice

Image: Paxson Woelber

Sure, everything’s bigger in Texas… but where does that leave Alaska? The Last Frontier spans about 663,000 square miles , while the Lone Star State covers roughly 268,000 square miles. So yes, you could comfortably fit Texas inside Alaska twice, and still have room left over for California.

2

You could stack 10 Washington Monuments inside the Grand Canyon’s depth

Image: Sonaal Bangera

At its deepest point, the Grand Canyon plunges more than 6,000 feet. That’s more than a mile of height, to give you an idea. To put that in perspective, the 555-foot-tall Washington Monument could fit inside the canyon roughly ten times from top to bottom.

3

The Statue of Liberty’s sandal is the size of a small car.

Image: A n v e s h

Have you ever paid attention to the Statue of Liberty’s feet? Yes, they are visible, right next to the broken shackles at her base. You can’t stand next to the feet, of course, but if you could, you’d see that each sandaled foot measures about 25 feet long , which is a bit over the length of a Chevy Suburban.

4

The Empire State Building was built faster than a modern kitchen remodel

Image: Kit Suman

Did you know that one of the most famous buildings in the world was pretty much speed-built? Construction took just 410 days , starting in 1930 and finishing in 1931. This rapid progress was possible thanks to prefabricated steel parts and a workforce of roughly 3,400 workers each day. Nowadays, your average kitchen renovation takes 6 months to a year.

5

If the Earth were the size of a basketball, the Moon would be a tennis ball 24 feet away

Image: Anne Nygård

This is a fun way to illustrate the relationship between our planet and its satellite. If Earth were the size of a basketball (about 9.5 inches in diameter), the Moon would be roughly the size of a tennis ball (about 2.5 inches).

But they would be a whopping 24 feet away, about the length of a stretch limousine (or a Statue of Liberty sandal). This scale model helps explain just how far apart and disproportionate they really are!

6

A single cloud can weigh as much as 90 elephants

Image: Volodymyr Dobrovolskyy

Clouds may not look heavy, but these giant beauties are surprisingly massive. Scientists estimate that an average fluffy cumulus cloud contains about 1.1 million pounds of water, which is roughly the weight of 90 adult African elephants .

7

You could fit 7 Yankee Stadiums inside the Mall of America

Image: David Vives

With over 5.6 million square feet, the Mall of America is one of the largest indoor spaces in the country . Imagine trying to meet your friends in just one of its 500+ stores!

The mall also features an indoor amusement park and an aquarium. To give you an idea, Yankee Stadium covers roughly 800,000 square feet. You could fit about seven of them within the Mall of America.

8

A hummingbird flaps its wings faster than a car engine runs

Image: James Wainscoat

Hummingbirds beat their wings between 50 and 80 times per second , roughly eight times faster than the revolutions per second of a typical V8 engine at idle. No wonder they have enough force to seemingly fly in place!

9

Comparing lightning bolts with defibrillator shocks

Image: chutipon Pattanatitinon

The energy in lightning bolts can vary, but it’s not uncommon for them to unleash 5 billion joules . Roughly, a biphasic defibrillator delivers about 200 joules in a single shock. And, to give you an idea, it takes roughly 50,000 joules to toast a single slice of bread.

10

Yellowstone sits on top of a supervolcano the size of Rhode Island

Image: Denys Nevozhai

You might have heard of Yellowstone’s supervolcano and how tourists leave mesmerized by the geysers, hot springs, and wildlife.

But the size of its caldera is even more astonishing: it stretches 20 by 45 miles , covering nearly 1,350 square miles. That’s roughly the same area as Rhode Island, the smallest U.S. state.

11

Niagara Falls could fill an Olympic pool in less than a second

Image: Hadi Yazdi Aznaveh

A standard Olympic-size swimming pool holds about 660,000 gallons. Niagara Falls, however, pours roughly 700,000 gallons of water every second, meaning it could fill a pool in under one second, approximately 0.94 seconds to be exact.

If you were filling the same pool with a standard hose, it could take about 19 days .