The Triangle
A fine example of Greek Revival architecture, North Carolina’s handsome state capitol was completed in 1840. Despite the risk of running into legislators…
Must-see attractions in Southern USA
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
The homestead farthest from the Cades Cove Loop Rd, this multi-building property sits at the end of a half-mile stroll through the woods. The cabin was…
Mississippi Delta
Local luminary Jim Henson, the creator of the Muppets, is from Leland, and his life and work are celebrated at this small exhibit on the bank of Deer…
North Georgia
This good-time distillery churns out a moonshine for all desires: 40-, 93-, 100- and 140-proof liquid served from a bar that was one of the original four…
Memphis
On the corner of 4th St, this shotgun shack once belonged to the composer called the 'father of the blues.' He was the first to transpose the 12 bars and…
Mississippi Delta
Tutwiler is where the blues began its migration from oral tradition to popular art form. Here, WC Handy, known as the 'Father of the Blues', first heard a…
Louisiana
Artspace is a nice shot of creative energy and arts-based civic mindedness for downtown Shreveport. Changing gallery exhibitions, poetry readings,…
Atlanta
Atlanta has the largest Jewish population in the South (outside of South Florida, which is its own region). The Breman Museum explores this history of…
Alexandria Riverfront Amphitheater
Alexandria
Concerts and community events often kick off at this outdoor stage, especially during spring. Even if no shows are going on, this is a nice jumping off…
F Jay Taylor Visual Arts Center
Ruston
Located on the campus of Louisiana Tech, this center includes two galleries that display changing art exhibitions throughout the year. The choices are…
International Museum of Muslim Cultures
Mississippi
This small museum has a few interesting exhibitions on Timbuktu and Moorish Spain, and hosts rotating exhibitions on other Muslim majority societies…
Faubourg Marigny & Bywater
As New Orleans cemeteries go, this one feels completely off the tourist radar. And yet, it's as atmospheric and gloomy as any other 'city of the dead.' Be…
Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum
Arkansas
This museum showcases two World War 2–era vessels – the Hoga, a tugboat that was present at Pearl Harbor, and the Razorback, a submarine that served…
New Orleans
Behind a handsome wrought-iron fence, this papaya-hued house was named for the Louisiana historian and author who lived here from 1905 to 1932. It was…
Nashville
Just west of downtown, sections of 16th and 17th Aves, called Music Sq West and Music Sq East, are home to the production companies, record labels, agents…
Cajun Music Hall of Fame & Museum
Cajun Country
This small collection of instruments and cultural ephemera feels a little cluttered, but you're witnessing a pretty fascinating trove of material Cajun…
Alabama
This is the most commercial beach-y bar in greater Gulf Shores. You'll find open-air pavilions, picnic areas, volleyball nets, and during the summer, a…
Nashville
A creek, a hollow and a thick forest are your scenic distractions on a hike through this pleasantly rugged park 15 miles north of downtown. You won't have…
North Louisiana Military Museum
Ruston
This museum is basically the ultimate attic of someone who is very into military paraphernalia – exhibits range from Medals of Honor and service uniforms…
New Orleans
There are no rides at Storyland, located next to Carousel Gardens, but the fairy-tale statuary provides plenty of fuel for young imaginations. Children…
Sonny Boy Williamson II's Grave
Mississippi Delta
Acclaimed harmonica player and host of the King Biscuit Time radio hour, Williamson – aka Aleck Miller – is buried amid a broken-down jumble of…
Lower Mississippi River Museum
Mississippi Delta
Downtown Vicksburg's pride and joy is this low-key museum, which delves into such topics as the famed 1927 flood and the Army Corps of Engineers, who have…
Savannah
Florence Martus, aka the Waving Girl, was known for greeting passing ships by waving a handkerchief by day and a lantern by night for more than 40 years…
Thomas D Clark Center for Kentucky History
Bluegrass Country
This museum and research facility features more than 3000 artifacts on display, tracing the state's story from prehistoric settlements to the emergence of…
Arkansas
Learn about the sinful glory days of Prohibition, when this small town in the middle of nowhere turned into a hotbed of lavish wealth thanks to Chicago…
Bluegrass Country
Architecture buffs will want to explore the impressive-looking building, which was the seat of power from 1830 to 1910. Tours depart from the nearby…
Mississippi
The state's Greek Revival capitol building from 1839 to 1903 now houses a Mississippi history museum filled with films and exhibits. You'll learn that…
Alabama
This museum, located near the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge, tells the tale of the Selma to Montgomery march, and includes exhibits on women's suffrage…
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
This two-tiered stone-walled structure overlooking two states commemorates the $5 million contribution John D Rockefeller Jr made to help make the…
Alabama
Few artists have influenced a genre like Hank Williams has impacted country music. This small museum, located in the heart of downtown Montgomery, is…
Faubourg Marigny & Bywater
This formerly empty lot has been transformed by its Bywater neighbors into a neat little park filled with murals and generally appealing weirdness…
Louisiana Art & Science Museum
Louisiana
This multifaceted museum has exhibitions on everything from space and ancient Egypt to dinosaurs and photography. It's a good spot to take the kids, or…
Alabama
This gem of a library occupies an enormous building and boasts several classic reading rooms with nice views looking out onto town. It also has an…
New Orleans
The Fly is a popular spot for river viewing, picnics, Frisbee tossing, or just plain lazing about. Joggers trot by, families push strollers or release…
Charlotte
This small park celebrates the African American artist and writer Romare Bearden, born in Charlotte in 1911. A pretty spot to admire the Uptown skyline or…
Memphis
Give the kids a chance to let loose and play in, on and with exhibits such as an airplane cockpit or an earthquake 'shake' table at this museum targeted…
French Quarter
Ally Burguieres' artwork demonstrates plenty of technical skill, but there's also a lot of heart in her paintings and sketches, which focus on animals and…
Laurel Valley Village Plantation
Cajun Country
Among the cane fields, about 2 miles east of town on Hwy 308, this is one of the best-preserved assemblages of sugar-plantation structures in Louisiana…
Alabama
Studio spaces and arts classes are contained within this art center, which is a focal point of Fairhope's First Friday Arts Walk. Rotating exhibits…
Faubourg Marigny & Bywater
This small green space has a playground. It's a popular spot for Bywater families, and a good place to let younger kids run off some energy, especially…
