Getty Center Museum - Los Angeles, California

In its billion-dollar in-the-clouds perch high above the city, the Getty Center presents triple delights: a stellar art collection (Renaissance to David Hockney); Richard Meier's cutting-edge architecture; and the visual splendor of seasonally changing gardens. On clear days, you can add breathtaking views of the city and ocean to the list.


Even getting up to the museum aboard the computer-operated tram is fun. From the sprawling arrival plaza, a natural flow of walkways, stairs, fountains, and courtyards encourages a leisurely wander between galleries, gardens, and outdoor cafes. Must-sees include Van Gogh's Irises, Monet's Wheatstacks, and Rembrandt's The Abduction of Europa.

When not wandering the galleries, take time to visit the lovely Cactus Garden for those amazing Los Angeles city views. Sunsets create a remarkable alchemy of light and shadow and are especially magical in winter, when the orange orb drops straight into the Pacific.

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Field Museum of Natural History - Chicago, Illinois

With more than 20 million artifacts, the Field Museum of Natural History is an engaging museum filled with both interactive and imaginative displays. The big attraction is the Tyrannosaurus rex named "Sue," a 13 foot (4 meter) tall, 41 ft (13 m) long beast who menaces the grand space with ferocious aplomb.


The most complete T-Rex ever discovered, it takes its name from Sue Hendrickson, the fossil-hunter who found the 90 percent complete skeleton in South Dakota in 1990.

Dinosaurs loom large in the Field Museum. At the Evolving Planet exhibit, you can also watch staff paleontologists clean up fossils, learn about the evolution of the massive reptiles, and even learn about Homo sapien's evolutionary ties to the extinct beasts. Away from the prehistoric giants, the “Inside Ancient Egypt” exhibit recreates an Egyptian burial chamber on three levels. The mastaba (tomb) contains 23 actual mummies.

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Sixth Floor Museum - Dallas, Texas

The Sixth Floor Museum chronicles the events leading to the assassination of President Kennedy in November 1963.


It’s a moving and eerie experience to visit the museum, taking up the very spot Lee Harvey Oswald fired the shots that perhaps killed the president.

Film, photographs, artifacts and exhibits examine the event and the ensuing investigations.

Oral history and eyewitness accounts form an important part of the museum’s collection, and you can take an audio walking tour of the area.

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Memphis National Civil Rights Museum

Built around the former Lorraine Motel, where civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968, the National Civil Rights Museum immediately emits its cultural and historical significance to all who visit. The museum tells the story of African-American's struggle for independence and equality, dating from the arrival of the first Africans to the British colonies in 1619 to King's assassination.

Grand Ole Opry House & Museum

A must-attend event while in "Music City," The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert that has highlighted the genre's biggest stars since 1925. Originally a radio broadcast, the Opry is the longest running radio program in history. Dedicated to honoring country music, the event showcases different artists each night to perform songs in genres including country, bluegrass, folk, comedy, and gospel.

Graceland

The second most visited home in the United States (behind only the White House), Graceland was home to Elvis Presley during the height of his career. The iconic rock and roll singer, called "The King of Rock and Roll," died in the white-columned mansion in 1977 at the age of 42.

Kennedy Space Center - Orlando, Florida

You don’t have to be a space junkie to enjoy NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, the only spot in the United States from which humans have been hurled into space. The plethora of hands-on exhibits, IMAX movies, and sheer magnitude of the shuttles will surely impress the most passive fan.



One of the highlights is the Shuttle Launch Simulator, where budding astronauts are strapped into a cockpit and given high-fidelity ride, which creates the impression of an actual lift-off.

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Polynesian Cultural Center

Hawaii means luaus, and some of the best and most authentic luaus in the Pacific are staged at the Polynesian Cultural Center. The center highlights the Polynesian cultures of many island people, including Hawaii, New Zealand, Tonga and Tahiti. Tour re-created villages then settle in to be wowed by the theatrical spectacle of the center’s live cultural shows.

9/11 Memorial & Museum

It is a rare greenscape in lower Manhattan, shaded by rustling white oaks that were chosen for their muted yellow hue come autumn. Two enormous fountains, designed by architects Michael Arad and Peter Walker, mark the footprints of the fallen towers with plunging waterfalls.

Mint Museum of Art - Charlotte, North Carolina

Named for its former status as a branch of the U.S. Mint, the Mint Museum was, when it originally opened in 1936, the first art museum in North Carolina. Having outgrown its original Federal-style building, the museum was split into two locations in 2010.