Whenever you’re traveling across the United States of America, you might have the proclivity to visit the notable and famous landmarks that make this country iconic, outstanding, and special such as Arizona’s Grand Canyon National Park, Nevada’s Hoover Dam, or South Dakota’s Mount Rushmore National Monument. The only problem is that because these are some of the most notable tourist attractions in the country, countless other travelers will have already beaten you to the destination, which can lessen the experience. Thankfully, TravelPulse has compiled a list of the most underrated American attractions to be found in each state in the country, allowing you to explore unforgettable hidden gems like peculiar rock formations, often-forgotten national parks, and one-of-a-kind museums without a crowd of tourists at your heels.
While the total list features one American attraction per each of our fifty states, below is only a snippet of a few locations that each stands out from the pack in terms of iconography, natural majesty, and peculiarity. Be sure to independently look into any attraction before setting off to visit, as many have specific visiting guidelines and operations hours.
Downtown Oklahoma’s “Center of the Universe”
Located on the street north of Tulsa’s Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame is an attraction that is said to be the “Center of the Universe.” In reality, this is a quirky acoustic anomaly that looks pretty unremarkable; it’s a small concrete circle located within a larger circle of bricks, but it’s the auditory sounds of this attraction that make it a must-visit for whenever you’re in Tulsa. When someone stands in the center of the circle and makes a noise, the sound is then echoed back several times louder than it was initially made, remarkably creating one’s own private echo chamber.
Pennsylvania’s Magic Gardens
The Magic Gardens of Pennsylvania aren’t just cutely-named; they are the features of truly transcendent ecosystems of beauty, wonder, and life that you’re able to visit and feel as though you’re in another point in time entirely. The Magic Gardens is a triple-threat: a non-profit organization, folk art environment, and gallery space that’s located on Philadelphia’s South Street. Spanning three city lots, the Magic Gardens is an expansive collection of works created by mosaic artist Isaiah Zagar, encompassed in the form of indoor art galleries, a large outdoor labyrinth, and bounding collections of botanical gardens. Outside of the city, you can step foot into iconic centers of flora and fauna spectacle by visiting the 50-acre public garden and National Historic Landmark at Bartram’s Garden; over 1,077 acres of woodlands, gardens, and meadows at the Longwood (botanical) Gardens; or the other-worldly grounds surrounding the 17th Century-style home and nationally-ranked garden at West Fairmount Park’s Shofuso Japanese House and Garden.
Clear Lake, Iowa’s Surf Ballroom
Supplied with Ames, Des Moines, and the actual Field of Dreams which is located in Dubuque County, the state of Iowa has a lot of attractions worthy of a pitstop or full-intentioned visit. Despite this, there’s only a singular location in Iowa, specifically the town of Clear Lake, that is in and of itself a Historic Rock and Roll Landmark that could honestly be considered the setting of “The Day the Music Died,” otherwise known as the final performances of Rock and Roll titans Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson. These three greats all performed for the last time on February 2, 1959, in Clear Lake’s The Surf Ballroom, which is a destination that you can step foot in to see just what Don Mclean was singing about in the ubiquitous ballad “American Pie.” Inundate yourself in Rock and Roll history by touring the Surf Ballroom, a venue that has monumental importance to an entire genre indebted to it the next time you’re considering a trip to Clear Lake’s waterfront.
All of these American attractions are definitely worth the trip. For more travel-related news and information, click here.