USA TODAY 10Best
Discover the 10 best free attractions to visit across the United States
Best Free Attraction (2023)
When you visit one of these 10 attractions – chosen by a panel of travel experts and voted as the best in the United States – you can save big travel budget bucks for other things. They're all free and, in each case, you get way, way more than you pay for.
- Central Park - New York City, New York
- Golden Gate Bridge - San Francisco, California
- Redwood National and State Parks - California
- Independence National Historical Park - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park - North Carolina and Tennessee
- Freedom Trail - Boston, Massachusetts
- Venice Beach - Venice, Florida
- Loggerhead Marinelife Center - Juno Beach, Florida
- TECO Manatee Viewing Center - Apollo Beach, Florida
- The Alamo - San Antonio, Texas
Photo courtesy of johnandersonphoto // Getty Images
No. 10:
New York's iconic Central Park burst from the minds of visionaries Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, setting a new standard for urban park design. Joggers, nature lovers and bikers use the park daily. Visitors enjoy skating at Wollman Rink, touring the Central Park Zoo and riding the Michael Friedsam Memorial Carousel. The Great Lawn is home to free live performances by the New York Philharmonic, while the Delacorte Theater sets the stage for Shakespeare in the Park, and SummerStage takes over Rumsey Playfield during warm months.
Photo courtesy of Don White // Getty Images
No. 9:
Easily recognizable to many people as the symbol of San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge is a historically significant suspension bridge across the Golden Gate, the strait that connects the San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. It’s between Golden Gate National Recreational Area and Golden Gate Park – both great for outdoors lovers – and no visit to the Golden City is complete without crossing the bridge.
Photo courtesy of Pgiam // Getty Images
No. 8:
Northern California’s Redwood National and State Parks are best known as the home to some of the tallest trees in the world. However, there is much more to see here. Visitors can enjoy approximately 40 miles of rugged coastline in addition to large prairies and lovely oak woodlands. You can enjoy a scenic drive or go for a walk in the woods. Camping and biking are popular here, too.
Photo courtesy of Independence National Historical Park
No. 7:
Everyone should enjoy a visit to Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, where you can learn about the history of the American Revolution and the nation's founding. It includes iconic landmarks, such as Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed, as well as the Liberty Bell.
Photo courtesy of WerksMedia // Getty Images
No. 6:
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park in the United States, and there are many free things to do within this massive, preserved space that spans the North Carolina-Tennessee border. Cades Cove is one of its most popular places to visit with its abundant wildlife and historical buildings. Biking and hiking trails lead to scenic marvels across the Smokies, and picnic pavilions and campsites can be found throughout much of the park.
Photo courtesy of Massachusetts Port Authority
No. 5:
Starting at the Boston Common, but easily picked up at any point along the way, the Freedom Trail offers historical insight into the city and its surroundings. Easy to "hop on and off," the Freedom Trail weaves throughout the city and highlights some of Boston's most special places, including Park Street Church, the Old State House, Faneuil Hall, Paul Revere House and the USS Constitution.
Photo courtesy of Photo by Don Hubbard/City of Venice
No. 4:
Southwest Florida’s Venice is called the “shark tooth capital of the world” because many fossilized shark teeth have been found at the beach. This lovely white sand stretch also draws people in with its free parking, sand volleyball courts, picnic area and boardwalks.
Photo courtesy of Sarah Edwards, Loggerhead Marinelife Center
No. 3:
Situated in Juno Beach, the Loggerhead Marinelife Center is focused on ocean and sea turtle conservation, and it’s free and open to the public each day. Since the goal is to rescue and return wildlife to their natural habitats, there may not be any resident sea turtles when people visit. However, there are always plenty of sea creatures to observe, and volunteers are helpful and willing to answer questions from visitors.
Photo courtesy of Bob Waselewski
No. 2:
Situated in Apollo Beach, Florida, the TECO Manatee Viewing Center is a protected marine sanctuary that offers visitors the rare opportunity to see manatees up close. They can enjoy beautiful butterfly gardens, an impressive observation tower, a boardwalk and walking trails. The park is open seasonally, from November to April.
Photo courtesy of Alamo Trust, Inc.
No. 1:
Located in what is now known as San Antonio, Texas, the Alamo is a historic landmark that was founded by Catholic missionaries in the 18th century. The Church is one of the most recognizable spots to see at the Spanish mission, as it played a key role in the famous 1836 Battle of the Alamo – and some traces of the battle can still be observed on the church grounds. Timed tickets to see the church are available for free.
About 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For any questions or comments, please read the FAQ or email USA TODAY 10Best.
The Experts
Allison Tibaldi
Allison Tibaldi is a travel and food writer based... Read More
Allison Tibaldi is a travel and food writer based in New York City. She has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne Australia, Toronto and Los Angeles. She studied early childhood development in graduate school and firmly believes that travel is the best education. She writes for numerous publications including CNN, Travel Channel, HGTV, am New York, Emirates Open Skies, Family Traveller and Travel Weekly.
Allison Tibaldi
Allison Tibaldi is a travel and food writer based in New York City. She has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne Australia, Toronto and Los Angeles. She studied early childhood development in graduate school and firmly believes that travel is the best education. She writes for numerous publications including CNN, Travel Channel, HGTV, am New York, Emirates Open Skies, Family Traveller and Travel Weekly.
Catherine Parker
Catherine Parker has a passion for travel that’s... Read More
Catherine Parker has a passion for travel that’s driven her across North America, visiting all 50 U.S. states, seven Canadian provinces, six Mexican states along with top destinations in the Caribbean, Europe and Asia. Logging close to 100,000 miles behind the wheel, Catherine has explored 43 of the 63 U.S. national parks, 10 Canadian national parks in addition to national parks across the world. She is always willing to stop the vehicle for a great hike and has even been chased by a protective mamma bear. As an awarding-winning journalist, she contributes to U.S. News and World Report, Trip Advisor, Popular Science, Chron.com and Meredith Media’s Family Fun and Chicago’s Suburban Family. Her writing was featured in the onboard Alaskan travel guides: Compass—The Onboard Magazine of Holland America Line and Disney Cruise Line Wonder Onboard Guide. Catherine also contributes to several Texas magazines as a monthly contributor well as online travel publications. Catherine publishes a family travel website, CarfulOfKids.com. She lives in Central Texas in a 100-year-old house with a menagerie of animals and adult-sized kids.
Catherine Parker
Catherine Parker has a passion for travel that’s driven her across North America, visiting all 50 U.S. states, seven Canadian provinces, six Mexican states along with top destinations in the Caribbean, Europe and Asia. Logging close to 100,000 miles behind the wheel, Catherine has explored 43 of the 63 U.S. national parks, 10 Canadian national parks in addition to national parks across the world. She is always willing to stop the vehicle for a great hike and has even been chased by a protective mamma bear. As an awarding-winning journalist, she contributes to U.S. News and World Report, Trip Advisor, Popular Science, Chron.com and Meredith Media’s Family Fun and Chicago’s Suburban Family. Her writing was featured in the onboard Alaskan travel guides: Compass—The Onboard Magazine of Holland America Line and Disney Cruise Line Wonder Onboard Guide. Catherine also contributes to several Texas magazines as a monthly contributor well as online travel publications. Catherine publishes a family travel website, CarfulOfKids.com. She lives in Central Texas in a 100-year-old house with a menagerie of animals and adult-sized kids.
Cheryl Rodewig
Cheryl Rodewig is an award-winning journalist... Read More
Cheryl Rodewig is an award-winning journalist specializing in travel. When she’s not planning her next trip — preferably to a waterfall or garden — she’s putting her MBA to use crafting marketing stories for brands. You can read her words in Thrillist, AARP, USA Today, Insider, The Guardian, and all over cherylrodewig.com. She loves it when people reach out on Twitter and sometimes Instagram.
Cheryl Rodewig
Cheryl Rodewig is an award-winning journalist specializing in travel. When she’s not planning her next trip — preferably to a waterfall or garden — she’s putting her MBA to use crafting marketing stories for brands. You can read her words in Thrillist, AARP, USA Today, Insider, The Guardian, and all over cherylrodewig.com. She loves it when people reach out on Twitter and sometimes Instagram.
Danielle Fear
Danielle Fear is one of the UK’s most recognized... Read More
Danielle Fear is one of the UK’s most recognized and trusted cruise bloggers and is better known to her audience as CruiseMiss. As well as maintaining an award-winning cruise blog, she also works as a freelance writer, content manager and social media professional covering all aspects of sea travel. Having embarked on more than 75 sailings, including 2 world cruises, it’s fair to say that Danielle knows a thing or two about cruising.
Danielle Fear
Danielle Fear is one of the UK’s most recognized and trusted cruise bloggers and is better known to her audience as CruiseMiss. As well as maintaining an award-winning cruise blog, she also works as a freelance writer, content manager and social media professional covering all aspects of sea travel. Having embarked on more than 75 sailings, including 2 world cruises, it’s fair to say that Danielle knows a thing or two about cruising.
Dave Stamboulis
Dave Stamboulis is a travel writer/photographer... Read More
Dave Stamboulis is a travel writer/photographer based in Bangkok. Born in Athens, Greece and growing up in the U.S., Dave first discovered Bangkok while on a 45,000-kilometer bicycle trip and moved there for good in 2005. Dave's photos appear in publications around the world. He's the author of Odysseus' Last Stand, which received the Silver Medal for Travel Book of the Year from the Society of American Travel Writers. In addition to updating the Fodor's Guidebook to Thailand, he is the author of 500 Hidden Secrets to Bangkok, and his travel stories and photography appear in publications around the globe.
Dave Stamboulis
Dave Stamboulis is a travel writer/photographer based in Bangkok. Born in Athens, Greece and growing up in the U.S., Dave first discovered Bangkok while on a 45,000-kilometer bicycle trip and moved there for good in 2005. Dave's photos appear in publications around the world. He's the author of Odysseus' Last Stand, which received the Silver Medal for Travel Book of the Year from the Society of American Travel Writers. In addition to updating the Fodor's Guidebook to Thailand, he is the author of 500 Hidden Secrets to Bangkok, and his travel stories and photography appear in publications around the globe.
Jamie Davis Smith
Jamie is an attorney, writer and photographer. She... Read More
Jamie is an attorney, writer and photographer. She was born with deeply ingrained wanderlust and has visited 45 countries and counting. She often brings her children along for the adventure and is passing her love of travel on to the next generation. Jamie has written for Insider, Fodor's Travel, Yahoo, the Huffington Post, the Washington Post, Viator and Reviewed among many other publications. Jamie is from Philadelphia and now lives in Washington, DC, where she takes advantage of everything the region has to offer. Jamie can be reached at jamiesmithwrites@gmail.com and can be found on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.
Jamie Davis Smith
Jamie is an attorney, writer and photographer. She was born with deeply ingrained wanderlust and has visited 45 countries and counting. She often brings her children along for the adventure and is passing her love of travel on to the next generation. Jamie has written for Insider, Fodor's Travel, Yahoo, the Huffington Post, the Washington Post, Viator and Reviewed among many other publications. Jamie is from Philadelphia and now lives in Washington, DC, where she takes advantage of everything the region has to offer. Jamie can be reached at jamiesmithwrites@gmail.com and can be found on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.
Lauren Mack
Lauren Mack is a freelance travel and food... Read More
Lauren Mack is a freelance travel and food journalist whose work has appeared in 150+ publications, including The Daily Meal, Culture Trip, Cheapflights.com, TripSavvy, Booking.com, Newsweek International, ThoughtCo, and more. She currently writes for INSIDER, Thrillist, Time Out USA, Seeker, Goldbelly, Savory Traveler, and BestColleges. A journalist for 23 years, Lauren has edited and written travel guidebooks on Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taipei, Miami, and New York for Zagat, Time Out, GuidePal, and Explorer Publishing. Lauren has a master's degree in journalism from Columbia Journalism School. She has traveled to 54 countries on five continents and counts Beijing and Taipei, two cities where she lived for many years, as favorites. Lauren is a 2023 recipient of Columbia Scholastic Press Association's Gold Key award. Facebook: laurenmackny | Twitter: @lmack | Instagram @mack_lauren | Website: www.laurenmack.com.
Lauren Mack
Lauren Mack is a freelance travel and food journalist whose work has appeared in 150+ publications, including The Daily Meal, Culture Trip, Cheapflights.com, TripSavvy, Booking.com, Newsweek International, ThoughtCo, and more. She currently writes for INSIDER, Thrillist, Time Out USA, Seeker, Goldbelly, Savory Traveler, and BestColleges. A journalist for 23 years, Lauren has edited and written travel guidebooks on Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taipei, Miami, and New York for Zagat, Time Out, GuidePal, and Explorer Publishing. Lauren has a master's degree in journalism from Columbia Journalism School. She has traveled to 54 countries on five continents and counts Beijing and Taipei, two cities where she lived for many years, as favorites. Lauren is a 2023 recipient of Columbia Scholastic Press Association's Gold Key award. Facebook: laurenmackny | Twitter: @lmack | Instagram @mack_lauren | Website: www.laurenmack.com.
Melissa Curtin
Melisa Curtin is a travel and food writer who has... Read More
Melisa Curtin is a travel and food writer who has documented her globetrotting adventures for over a decade. A Connecticut girl madly in love with California, her work has appeared in Lonely Planet, LA Weekly, Canadian Traveler, AAA, Roadtrippers, JohnnyJet, Travel Awaits, and many southern California print publications. Melissa is always on the hunt for the best local bites and destinations with few tourists, splitting her non-travel time between Malibu and Palm Springs with her husband and ever-growing collection of plants. Traveling around the world at age 20 on Semester at Sea sparked Melissa's desire for learning about other cultures. As a 20+ year educator and new travel advisor with Fora, she inspires others to reach their goals and pursue their travel dreams. Some of her recent favorite jaunts include a Viking river cruise from Paris to Normandy with her mom, truffle hunting in Tuscany, and eating her way through Florence. Get to know the Best of L.A. and California by checking out her website LaLaScoop.com or following the @lalascoop on Instagram.
Melissa Curtin
Melisa Curtin is a travel and food writer who has documented her globetrotting adventures for over a decade. A Connecticut girl madly in love with California, her work has appeared in Lonely Planet, LA Weekly, Canadian Traveler, AAA, Roadtrippers, JohnnyJet, Travel Awaits, and many southern California print publications. Melissa is always on the hunt for the best local bites and destinations with few tourists, splitting her non-travel time between Malibu and Palm Springs with her husband and ever-growing collection of plants. Traveling around the world at age 20 on Semester at Sea sparked Melissa's desire for learning about other cultures. As a 20+ year educator and new travel advisor with Fora, she inspires others to reach their goals and pursue their travel dreams. Some of her recent favorite jaunts include a Viking river cruise from Paris to Normandy with her mom, truffle hunting in Tuscany, and eating her way through Florence. Get to know the Best of L.A. and California by checking out her website LaLaScoop.com or following the @lalascoop on Instagram.
Melissa Locker
Melissa Locker is a freelance travel, lifestyle,... Read More
Melissa Locker is a freelance travel, lifestyle, and culture writer and world-renowned fish telepathist. You can learn more about Melissa at melissalocker.com and connect on Instagram and Twitter via @woolyknickers.
Melissa Locker
Melissa Locker is a freelance travel, lifestyle, and culture writer and world-renowned fish telepathist. You can learn more about Melissa at melissalocker.com and connect on Instagram and Twitter via @woolyknickers.
Olivia Christine Perez
Olivia Christine Perez is an outdoor + travel... Read More
Olivia Christine Perez is an outdoor + travel wellness expert, author, and the creator of O. Christine: a travel and wellness platform inspiring thousands of people to travel more and get outdoors for their wellness. Living with an autoimmune disease herself, Olivia helps people find wellness through the outdoors, self-care adventures, and mindful travel experiences. You can follow her work at ochristine.com and instagram.com/ochristine.
Olivia Christine Perez
Olivia Christine Perez is an outdoor + travel wellness expert, author, and the creator of O. Christine: a travel and wellness platform inspiring thousands of people to travel more and get outdoors for their wellness. Living with an autoimmune disease herself, Olivia helps people find wellness through the outdoors, self-care adventures, and mindful travel experiences. You can follow her work at ochristine.com and instagram.com/ochristine.
Catherine Smith
Catherine Smith, Expert and Award Eligibility... Read More
Catherine Smith, Expert and Award Eligibility Coordinator for the USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Awards, has a special interest in health and wellness, family travel, women's solo travel and off-the-beaten-path adventures. Catherine is the founder of Her Bags Were Packed where she focuses on helping women release emotional baggage through solo travel and self-discovery.
Catherine Smith
Catherine Smith, Expert and Award Eligibility Coordinator for the USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Awards, has a special interest in health and wellness, family travel, women's solo travel and off-the-beaten-path adventures. Catherine is the founder of Her Bags Were Packed where she focuses on helping women release emotional baggage through solo travel and self-discovery.
10Best Editors
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original,... Read More
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
10Best Editors
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
