Tourist attractions in the United States
This is a list of the most popular individual tourist attractions in the United States, lists of tourist attractions organized by subject region, and a selection of other notable tourist attractions and destinations.
Top tourist attractions
In 2011, the most visited tourist attractions in the U.S. were:
Landmarks
As of 2007, there are 2,462 registered National Historic Landmarks (NHL) recognized by the United States government.[3] Each major US city has thousands of landmarks. For example, New York City has 23,000 landmarks designated by the Landmarks Preservation Commission. These landmarks include various individual buildings, interiors, historic districts, and scenic sites which help define the culture and character of New York City.[4]
Natural monuments
There are many natural monuments in the United States and they are a large tourist venue.
Sports
Sporting events and their associated venues make up a significant percentage of tourist dollars in the US. Estimates of the US sports industry's size vary from $213 billion[5] to $410 billion.[6] In 1997, 25% of tourism receipts in the United States were related to sports tourism; this would have valued the market at approximately $350 billion annually.[7] Many US sporting events routinely attract international visitors. The 1997 New York City Marathon attracted 12,000 participants from outside the US, out of 28,000 participants.[8]
Hotels
Hotels can be both housing for tourists visiting a particular region or city, and destinations themselves, with many hotels having historic and cultural status.
Lists of tourist attractions in the United States
Lists by type of attraction
- Art museums
- List of botanical gardens and arboretums in the United States
- Amusement parks
- List of aquaria in the United States
- List of beaches in the United States
- List of casinos in the United States
- List of castles in the United States
- List of festivals in the United States
- Mexican fiestas in the United States
- List of heritage railroads in the United States
- List of museums in the United States
- List of areas in the National Park System:
- National Battlefield Parks
- National Historic Parks
- National Lakeshores
- National Military Parks
- National Monuments
- National Parks
- National Recreation Areas
- National Seashores
- List of National Wildlife Refuges of the United States
- List of nature centers in the United States
- List of open-air and living history museums in the United States
- List of Renaissance fairs
- List of shopping malls in the United States
- List of ski areas and resorts in the United States
- List of auto racing tracks in the United States
- List of indoor arenas in the United States
- List of NASCAR tracks
- Seaside resorts
- List of U.S. stadiums by capacity
- Tennis venues
- Reenactment sites
- List of U.S. National Forests
- List of U.S. state parks
- List of zoos in the United States
- Wine festivals
Lists by city or region
- List of attractions and events in Indianapolis
- List of attractions and events in the Louisville metropolitan area
- List of Orlando, Florida attractions
- Attractions in Silicon Valley, California
- List of Wilderness Areas in the Adirondack Park
- List of lands at Disney theme parks
- List of attractions and events in Jacksonville, Florida
Other tourist attractions and destinations
- Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
- Charleston, South Carolina
- Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
- Atlantic City, New Jersey, and the Boardwalk
- California's Wine Country
- Richmond Strip, Houston, Texas
- New Orleans, Louisiana with the French Quarter
- Hollywood, California
- Outer Banks of North Carolina
- Pennsylvania Dutch Country
- Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania
- Salem, Massachusetts
- Alamo Mission in San Antonio, Texas
- Hanauma Bay, Hawaii
- Miami, Florida
- Key West, Florida
- Aspen, Colorado
Former tourist attractions
- Borscht Belt, New York
- Salton Sea, California
- World Trade Center, New York
See also
Notes
- Orcutt, April (5 December 2012). "America's Most Visited Tourist Attractions". Travel + Leisure. Retrieved 11 September 2015.
- Sederstrom, Noel (November 15, 2018). "Minnesota's top tourist destination: Mall of America with 40-million visitors". KTTC-TV. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
- National Park Service (June 2010). "National Historic Landmarks Program: List of National Historic Landmarks by State" (PDF). Retrieved 2011-03-23.
- text by Andrew S. Dolkart; Matthew A. Postal. (2003), Guide to New York City Landmarks, John Wiley & Sons, ISBN 0-471-36900-4CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
- "The Sports Industry", SportsBusiness Journal, Street & Smith's, 2008, retrieved May 19, 2008
- "Sports Statistics", Plunkett's Sports Industry Almanac, Plunkett Research, 2007, retrieved May 19, 2008
- Standeven & De Knop 1999, p. 176
- Standeven & De Knop 1999, p. vii
References
- Standeven, Joy; De Knop, Paul (1999). Sport Tourism. Champaign, Ill: Human Kinetics. ISBN 0-87322-853-7.