There are so many places to see in the US. We typically hear of are those with big advertising budgets. Sometimes you need to head out to see places that are not quite so ‘high profile’. Even though they are lesser known places of interest, you may have heard of, or even visited, some of these destinations. They are all worthy of a visit.

Of these ten places, I have been to all of them except Pike Place Fish Market. Even though some of these are a little out of the way, they are well worth the effort to get to them.

In no particular order, I present:

Ten Lesser Known Places of Interest to See in the US

Library of Congress, Washington, DC

I have been to Washington DC many times, yet I am still discovering new places of interest. On my last trip, I went into the Library of Congress. How have I not heard about this building? It is probably one of the most beautiful buildings in our nation’s capital.

Congress’ library was originally authorized in 1800 as a collection of books for use by congressional members. Now open to the public, it is the largest library in the world.

The main building of the library was constructed in the Italian Renaissance style and opened in 1897.

There are numerous exhibitions and events that occur at the library throughout the year. Before your visit, check out the Library of Congress website to see what will be available to you at the time of your visit. If you can’t make it there in person, there are many services which you can utilize online, but you will miss the stunning beauty of the building.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA

A somber and sobering experience. A demonstration of military precision and ceremony. The changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is just something that everyone should see. Arlington National Cemetery itself is an amazing place, but please make sure you get to see the changing of the guard as well.

The changing of the guard occurs every hour on the hour from October 1st though March 31st when the cemetery is open from 8 am to 5 pm. From April 1st through September 30th the changing of the guard occurs every half hour, and the cemetery’s hours are 8 am to 7 pm.

The soldiers who make up the guard are active duty members of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment also known as the Old Guard. The individual soldiers volunteer for this duty and must meet very strict requirements and successfully complete a rigorous training program in order to qualify as a ceremonial guard.

The Changing of the Guard website provides more details.

USS Constitution, Boston, MA

Launched on October 21, 1797, the USS Constitution is the oldest commissioned naval vessel afloat. That means that the staff on board this ship are active duty US Navy personnel and this ship is in active service (in theory at least). The primary mission of the crew as stated on their website is “to preserve, protect and maintain USS CONSTITUTION, America’s Ship of State, for the people of the United States and to promote the U.S. Navy and Armed Forces.”

A tour of this ship located in Boston Harbor is an interesting walk back in time. To see how the sailors of old lived and traveled is eye-opening to say the least. But, the fact that this ship has been in active service for all of those years, just lends itself to being an interesting insight into our country’s history.

For more information, visit either the US Navy’s official website, or the USS Constitution Museum website.

National Museum of the Air Force, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio

If you have any interest in the history of flight, you need to see this museum. At no cost for admission, it is affordable for everyone. The National Museum of the Air Force encompasses four buildings and an outdoor missile gallery; it is BIG! You need to allot at least four hours to see the highlights; if you wish to take the free daily guided tours, plan on spending and entire day. If you are really into aviation, you might want to plan on taking two days. You can actually walk through some of the aircraft, including a several that have a history of having served as Air Force One.

Boys Town, Omaha, NE

I’m not sure why, but I had heard of Boys Town as a kid. Perhaps I saw the movie Boys Town on Saturday afternoon TV. This past summer while Art and I were driving out to pick up the grandkids in Wyoming, we stopped in Omaha for the night. At the hotel there were flyers for things to see and do in the area and there was a flyer for Boys Town. So, we decided we would go there on our way out of town the next morning. Low and behold, it was the actual historical Boys Town as well as the current thriving version.

I had no idea Boys Town was still in existence. Its mission has changed a bit with the times, but it is still the same organization. We toured the facility and the museum and were quite impressed with what they are doing.

Since 1917, Boys Town has been helping children. Although originally created to help young boys get off the street, it now helps girls and families as well. It now encompasses 12 different locations across the United States.

Boys Town embraces that “Father Flanagan’s simple dream to ​make the world a better place for children ​thrives today because people still believe that every child deserves to be valued and loved, and to live a healthy, positive life.” If you have the opportunity to stop in a spend a couple of hours visiting, I’m sure you will agree, it is a mission well worthwhile.

Gateway Arch, St. Louis, MO

I had no idea until I went up inside the Gateway Arch that there are windows up at the top! Those (what appear to be from the ground) tiny windows allow an incredible view of the Mississippi River, St. Louis and the surrounding area. The Gateway Arch, completed in 1965 is relatively young in terms of iconic landmarks. At 63 stories tall, it is the tallest manmade monument in the United States.

I do recall feeling a bit claustrophobic in the little tram cars that take you 630 feet up to the top of the arch, nor was it a particularly smooth ride. However, it was worth it to get up to the top. The Gateway Arch Visitor’s Center and Museum is undergoing a significant renovation and will be re-opened in July 2018. In the meantime, you can get your tickets at the Old Courthouse located nearby.

Corn Palace, Mitchell, SD

Okay, I am not sure I would really dub this place a palace, but it is actually covered in corn!

Since those ears of corn have a limited life span, the murals are replaced every year. So, the Corn Palace I saw back in the eighty’s will not be the same as the one you see today.

The Palace is actually a multiuse building for the locals and is home to the annual fall festival as well as graduations, industrial exhibitions and basketball championships to name just a few of the many events that are held there each year.

If you are diving out west on Interstate 90, take a break and visit the Corn Palace.

Pike Place Fish Market

Pike Place Fish Market is another experience on my to do list. I have seen videos of the location many times and everyone I have known that has gone says it is great fun. Just to see people who are so excited and motivated selling…fish? Yep, I gotta see that in person.

Golden Spike Tower, North Platte, ND

This is another place we just stumble upon while driving out west. At our hotel we found a brochure about the Golden Spike Tower and decided to take a drive out to see it. It was really interesting.

When we arrived we found a character (I don’t know if it had a name, but I’ll just call it ‘Spike’) outside along with a representative of the facility, quite a welcome considering they didn’t even know we were coming! We headed over to see Spike and found out they were waiting to welcome some VIPs. We were able to snap a quick picture before we entered the building.

Admission to the tower was reasonable, I think it was $6.00 for each of us with the military discount. The gift shop has tons of (surprise, surprise) railroad themed items. If you have a rail aficionado in your family, this is the place to find the perfect gift!

Admission gets you up into the tower where you can view the world’s largest rail classification yard. It was amazing. The 8th floor is a fully enclosed (i.e. climate controlled) 360 degree viewing station. There is always a volunteer available to answer questions and describe what is going on in Bailey Yard.

Bailey Yard is HUGE! It covers 2,850 acres, totaling eight miles of track, and each day manages 10,000 rail cars! It is really an eye opener. I mean, we see trains traveling the rails every day, but you never think about what goes into getting each car from its origin to its destination. https://goldenspiketower.com/

Exhibits in Golden Spike Tower

There were a couple of interesting exhibits in the tower. The first was about the orphan trains the second was about the North Platte Canteen. I’m not sure if the Orphan Train exhibit is a permanent exhibit, but I believe the North Platte Canteen is.

The Orphan Train exhibit was very moving. I had never heard of it. But between 1854 and 1929, nearly a quarter of a million homeless, abandoned or orphaned children were taken from New York City and placed in homes throughout the U.S. and Canada. It is widely regarded as the birth of the foster care in America.

It was very sad, but I guess for the children it was better than living alone of the streets of New York City. There is a lot more to it than what I have just described, learn more about it at The National Orphan Train Complex.

The North Platte Canteen Exhibit was a little more upbeat. During World War II, troop trains traveling through North Platte would stop for ten minutes at the station. During these ten minutes locals of North Platte provided snacks and beverages to the more that 6 million service men and women who traveled through the town between the years of 1941 to 1946. There were photographs and memorabilia from the Canteen. What a great tribute to the community’s support of those who served during that war.

 

Vehicle Assembly Building, Cape Canaveral, FL

There are certain places you go in your lifetime that you just never forget. The big event at my elementary school was the sixth-grade class trip, going to Cape Canaveral.

I lived in Florida at the time and you must remember this was 1968, during the height of the space race; it was a BIG deal. Both sixth grade classes would pile into school buses for the 150-mile trek from Jacksonville to Cape Kennedy (as it was known at the time).

My most vivid memory of that trip is of the Vehicle Assembly Building. We walked right up to it and looked straight up to the top. It was so tall (525 feet), that you would get dizzy just looking up toward the top.

This massive building was where the rockets and space craft were assembled and rolled out in one piece to the launch pads. It was impressive to me as a kid, and when we took our kids there many years later, it was still pretty darned impressive! Unfortunately, current day tours do not allow visitors to walk up to the building, but the tours do include a drive by. For details: Visit the Kennedy Space Center website.

So, there you have it.

Ten lesser known places of interest to see in the U.S. Have you been to any of these places? What did you think about them? Any places you would add to this list? I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

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