The 20 best cultural attractions

Words by Jill Fergus

no.01 MoMA // New York City

the Museum of Modern Art (www.moma.org), fresh from a multimillion expansion by Japanese architect Yoshio Taniguchi, is attracting even more art lovers. the new five-story Rockefeller building houses the museum’s permanent collection as well as several temporary galleries. Just about everywhere you turn in the MoMa are some of the world’s most recognizable paintings, including Van Gogh’s “Starry Night,” Picasso’s “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon,” Henri Rousseau’s “the Dream,” Edward Hopper’s “Gas” and Dali’s “the Persistence of Memory.” Other artists represented include Matisse, Chagall and Miro, and Rodin sculptures grace the Sculpture Garden. there is also a new fine-dining restaurant by Danny Meyer (Gramercy Tavern, Union Square Café) called the Modern.

no.02 Henry Morrison Flagler Museum // Palm Beach

the gilded age is alive and well at the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum (www.flaglermuseum.us), housed in a turn-of-the-century mansion known as Whitehall. It’s the former winter retreat of Henry Flagler, one of the founding partners of Standard Oil. To design the house, Flagler commissioned John Carrere and th omas Hastings, known in the beaux arts era for their French Renaissance style. Spread over two floors and spanning 55,000 square feet, Whitehall is decorated in a wide range of styles, from Louis XIV to Swiss chalet. there are 55 rooms in total including a music room, an art gallery and a billiard room, but the most ornate room is the Marble Hall with gilded and painted ceiling and marble floors. Also on display is a 1,200-pipe organ, Florida East Coast Railway exhibits and the oil tycoon’s private rail car, which is parked on the South Lawn.

no.03 Walker Art Center // Minneapolis

One of Minneapolis’ premier art museums is the Walker Art Center (www.walkerart.org), showcasing contemporary sculpture, prints, drawings and multimedia works from artists such as Frank Stella, Willem de Kooning, Mark Roth ko, Andy Warhol, Donald Judd and Roy Lichtenstein. the museum was recently expanded and the iconic new building with its shimmering façade and sun-lit galleries was designed by the renowned Swiss architectural firm, Herzog & de Meuron. the adjoining Minneapolis Sculpture Garden is home to the famous 55-foot-long spoon topped by a 15-foot bing cherry created by sculptors Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen—the whimsical sculpture has become synonymous with the Twin Cities.

no.04 Argo Gold Mine // Denver

the Argo Gold Mine (www.historicargotours.com), 35 minutes’ drive west of Denver in Idaho Springs, offers a fascinating look into the gold rush of Colorado at the turn of the century. You can take a guided tour of this National Historic Site, which includes the mill where the gold ore was processed (one of the most advanced of its day), and the tunnel built th rough the mountains, which was used to transport the gold. the staff will explain how mining equipment was used to extract the gold—you’ll even receive a gold-panning lesson. the mill’s main floor now houses a museum with displays of mining tools and photographs of the men who worked here. At the gift shop, you can buy gold nuggets, mineral deposits and gemstones.

no.05 Davenport House // Savannah

Learn what 19th -century Savannah life was like at the Davenport House (www.davenporth ousemuseum.org), formerly the family home of Isaiah Davenport, a prosperous builder. th reatened with demolition in 1955, the saving of the Davenport House was the first effort of the Historic Savannah Foundation and the beginning of the preservation renaissance in this southern port city. Highlights of the red-brick 1820 federal townhouse, which faces Columbia Square, include Ionic pilasters, an elliptical staircase and intricate plaster moldings. Other pieces of note include a set of four mahogany Chippendale chairs, an Italian marble fireplace in Davenport’s office and a mahogany Hepplewhite table in the dining room. the small formal garden is also open to the public.

no.06 Heritage Trail // Grand Bahama Island

Everyone knows that the Bahamas are brimming with gorgeous beaches, but as well as getting a great tan, you can learn about the country’s history on the Heritage Trail (www.grand-bahama.com). Before 1955, the main transportation artery on Grand Bahama Island was the Old Freetown Road, a dirt path leading from the island’s former center in the east, Old Freetown, to settlements in the west. After a new highway was built, the old road was abandoned. Nature did such a good job of reclaiming it that a stretch of the road has become one of the island’s best nature walks. Along the easygoing five-mile path , visitors will be able to spot more than 25 species of plants, 18 types of birds and seven species of butterflies. there are also the remains of the Hermitage, the oldest intact building on Grand Bahama, which dates back to 1901.

no.07 the Art Institute // Chicago

While Millennium Park is Chicago’s latest cultural center, just across the street sits one of the city’s most beloved—the Art Institute of Chicago (www.artic.edu), which was founded in 1879 as both a museum and a school. the building, a beautiful beaux arts structure with a stately stone façade, has one of the world’s finest collections. You’ll find Impressionist paintings from masters like Renoir, Monet and Van Gogh. there are ancient Chinese bronzes, African wood carvings, Japanese screens and windows by Frank Lloyd Wright. All media are represented from photography to sculpture to textiles to prints. the Institute is also home to two of America’s most famous paintings, Edward Hopper’s “Nighth awks” and Grant Wood’s “American Goth ic.” When you need a break, head to the casual Court Café or the more elegant Garden restaurant.

no.08 Buffalo Soldiers National Museum // Houston

Houston has more than a dozen museums, including the Museum of Fine Arts and the Menil Collection. One that stands out is the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum and Heritage Center (www.buffalosoldiermuseum. com), which tells the story of African-American soldiers and all that they have contributed toward the development of the country. the six all African-American troops were created in 1866 by the United States Army. the men were nicknamed “buffalo soldiers” by the Cheyenne warriors, who admired them for their fierce fighting ability. the exhibits highlight the many accomplishments of the soldiers in various wars, including the Spanish-American War, and World Wars I and II. Check out the black and white photographs, old uniforms and other personal items.

no.09 Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site // Atlanta

One of Atlanta’s most popular attractions, the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site (www.nps.gov/malu) draws some 500,000 visitors each year. Start at the visitor center, which features exhibits of Dr King and the civil rights movement, then work your way around the park’s th ree main sites: the Victorian-style home in which Martin Luther King, Jr. was born in 1929 (daily tours are conducted by park rangers), the Ebenezer Baptist Church on Auburn Avenue, where he preached about non-violence and equality and where his funeral mass was held, and finally the King Center, where he is buried. the center is now also home to his late wife, Coretta Scott King, after her passing this January.

no.10 Mission Dolores // San Francisco

Two churches stand side by side at this mission, including the small whitewashed adobe Mission Dolores (www.missiondolores.org), also known as the Mission San Francisco de Asís, which is the oldest standing structure in San Francisco. Completed in 1791, it’s the only remaining mission of the 21 established by Father Junípero Serra in the 18th and early 19th centuries during the Spanish occupation of California. the tiny chapel includes frescoes and a hand-painted wooden altar. there is a small museum and a cemetery (made famous by a scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo) filled with graves of mid 19th -century European immigrants. Services are held in both the Mission Dolores and next door in the larger multidome basilica dating from 1913.

no.11 Philadelphia Museum of Art // Philadelphia

OK, we all know that everyone wants to visit the Philadelphia Museum of Art (www.philamuseum.org) because of its famous exterior steps. Yes, this is where Rocky Balboa made his triumphant sprint up the stairway in the original Rocky, and people have been re-enacting the famous scene ever since. Completed in the late 1920s, the neoclassical building ranks as one of the city’s most enduring landmarks. But once inside, you’ll quickly realize that this museum is jam-packed with world-class art. Particularly impressive is the European collection featuring medieval sculptures, stained glass and portions of a 13th -century cloister. You’ll also find works from Picasso, Matisse, Cézanne, Degas and Philadelphia artist th omas Eakins.

no.12 Baltimore Maritime Museum // Baltimore

the Baltimore Maritime Museum (www.baltomaritimemuseum.org), part of the National Historic Seaport of Baltimore, consists of th ree ships permanently anchored in the inner harbor as well as a transplanted lighth ouse. You can tour the vessels, which include the USS Torsk, the “Galloping Ghost of the Japanese Coast,” credited with sinking the last two Japanese warships in World War II; the US Coast Guard cutter Taney, which saw action in Pearl Harbor; and the Lightship Chesapeake, a floating lighth ouse that marked the entrance of the Chesapeake Bay for 33 years. Visitors can also look around the deep-red Seven Foot Knoll Lighth ouse, which guided mariners safely into Baltimore Harbor for 133 years before being moved to the museum.

no.13 United States Holocaust Memorial Museum // Washington, DC

Perhaps one of the most moving museums in the country is the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (www.ushmm.org), in the nation’s capital. the five-story museum tells the story of the Holocaust, where six million Jews perished in Nazi Germany from 1933-1945, th rough audiovisual displays including interviews with survivors, films, photographs and personal items such as concentration camp uniforms and religious artifacts confiscated from prisoners. At the end of the tour, take time to reflect in the austere Hall of Remembrance. the main exhibits are not recommended for children under 11, alth ough there is an exhibit called Remember the Children: Daniel’s Story, created specifically for kids.

no.14 Levine Museum of the New South // Charlotte

If you have an interest in southern history, head to the Levine Museum of the New South (www.museumofthenewsouth . org), an interactive museum housing the nation’s most comprehensive interpretation of post-Civil War southern history. Learn about the people—men, women, children, black, white, rich, poor, long-time residents and newcomers—who have shaped the South since 1865. the museum’s centerpiece is Cotton Fields to Skyscrapers, an award-winning permanent exhibit on how the New South moved from the field to the factory to finance. You can also visit Courage: the Carolina Story that Changed America, honoring the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark Supreme Court decision that desegregated public schools.

no.15 the Paul Revere House // Boston

Boston is renowned for its Freedom Trail, the th ree-mile red-brick line that links 16 key historic sites, and one of the most visited is the Paul Revere House (www.paulreverehouse.org), where you can get to know the famous patriot. His home, which dates from about 1680, features many of the original doors, windows and fireplaces, and there is period furniture on display. Learn about Revere’s Midnight Ride, in which he rode to Lexington on April 19, 1775, to warn his compatriots that the British were coming. You can also visit the Old North Church, where two lanterns were hung in the steeple by Robert Newman warning that the Redcoats were coming by sea—a backup plan in case Revere was intercepted by the British en route.

no.16 the Andy Warhol Museum // Pittsburgh

Opened in 1994, the Andy Warhol Museum (www.warhol.org), one of the four Carnegie museums of Pittsburgh, features 4,000 works, including paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, sculpture and film, by one of the most influential American artists of the 20th century. the museum traces the Pittsburgh native’s legacy from his early design work to his silk-screened masterpieces. Highlights include his portraits of Marilyn, Liz and Elvis as well as works featuring Campbell’s soup cans and Brillo boxes, plus collaborations with innovative young artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. One of the most popular exhibits is “Silver Clouds,” which places visitors in a room filled with silver balloons that are propelled around by oscillating fans. there are also many self-portraits on display.

no.17 Pabst Mansion // Milwaukee

this treasured Milwaukee landmark was built in 1892 for sea captain and beer baron Frederick Pabst and his family. the Pabst Mansion (www.pabstmansion.com), which is listed on the National Register of Historic Homes, is considered one of the finest examples of Flemish Renaissance architecture in the country. the exterior is pressed brick with terracotta ornamentation, while the interior features 37 rooms, including a music room and lavish reception hall, plus 14 fireplaces. th roughout the home, you’ll find intricate woodwork and ironwork, elaborate wall coverings, period furnishings, stained glass windows and original artwork. In the gift shop, pick up the ultimate Milwaukee souvenir: a Pabst Blue Ribbon beer glass.

no.18 Memphis Rock ’N’ Soul Museum // Memphis

Love music? then you are in the right city. the Memphis Rock ’N’ Soul Museum (www.memphisrocknsoul.org) chronicles the history of music in this vibrant southern city with rare recordings and videos, archival photographs and interactive multimedia displays. Social Crossroads, the first exhibition ever presented by the Smith sonian Institution outside of Washington, DC, focuses on the achievements that black and white musicians have made together. the collection includes several Elvis costumes, BB King’s guitar (which he nicknamed “Lucille”), Ike Turner’s first piano, Grand Ole Opry radio transmitters and Dick Clark’s “American Bandstand” podium. there are also impressive displays on Sun and Stax recording studios, where many of the greats got their start.

no.19 Bonnet House // Fort Lauderdale

the historic Bonnet House (www.bonneth ouse.org), dating from 1920, is a magnificent two-story, 35-acre waterfront mansion that served as the winter home of artists Frederic Clay Bartlett and his wife Evelyn (the estate was given to the Florida Trust by Mrs. Bartlett in 1983). Named for a yellow water lily that grows on the property’s marshland, the house and gardens are available for guided tours. You can see trinkets like carved animals and wooden trunks from the pair’s world travels as well as paintings by Bartlett in the art gallery. Stroll the subtropical gardens where you can spot birds, swans—maybe even a few monkeys. Check the schedule of events as concerts are occasionally held here.

no.20 Mennello Museum of American Art // Orlando

the Mennello Museum of American Art (www.mennellomuseum.org), located in a beautiful mansion that was once a private residence, is dedicated to Maine-born Earl Cunningham. the museum houses the self-taught folk artist’s permanent collection of some 50 works, including “Tranquil Forest,” “the Big Storm” and “New England Autumn”—his style has been called “primitive genius.” A frequent topic in his colorful works was nature; in particular, the Florida Everglades. Several of Cunningham’s pieces appear in DC’s Smith sonian and New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. the museum also has rotating exhibits: Past shows have included Hudson River School artists and paintings by John James Audubon.