The 15 most beautiful caves in the United States

America's most underrated places to visit

The United States is vast, with beautiful and fascinating cultural hubs, landmarks, and natural wonders to fill a lifetime of travel. These landmarks can be well-known and top everyone's bucket list, or they can fly under-the-radar. Here's a list of...

The best national parks in America for wildlife spotting

Park-goers hoping to catch a glimpse of local wildlife can turn to this breakdown of animal-related data from the National Park Service. Birdwatchers should visit Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, which has the highest density of bird types at 194 species per 100km². Interested in marine life? Head to Biscayne National Park in Florida to find nearly 700 species of colorful fish in crystal-clear waters.

Visit these offbeat attractions in each US state

Skip the lines, avoid the crowds, go against the grain: That's the spirit of this list of the 50 coolest offbeat attractions in every US state. From Alaska's museum of hammers to Wyoming's thermal pools, you can find somewhere a little different to...

The best beach in every US state

Not every state has coastline, but every state has a beach. This list highlights the best sandy shorelines in every US state, whether near the ocean, a lake, or a river.

Where to celebrate Halloween in the US

Whether you are seeking extravagant celebrations, historic tours, frightening experiences, or family-friendly fun, this list provides a number of thrilling options for Halloween enthusiasts. Discover how different places across the U.S. observe the holiday, and choose the spooky opportunity that speaks to your tastes.

Every type of US national park, explained

Ever wonder what kinds of sites comprise the US National Park System? Using the recent re-designation of New River Gorge as a national park as a jumping-off point, this engaging video breaks down the 19 different designations within the National Park System. This includes parks, reserves, monuments, and scenic trails.

America's best mountain towns

Thrillist compiled a list of the most well-rounded mountain towns in the US, from ski-friendly Park City, Utah, to austere desert hotspot Taos, New Mexico. Peruse this list for you next mountain adventure.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most popular national park

The Tennessee park attracted more than 12 million visitors in 2024, nearly three times the amount Zion National Park, the number two most popular park, brought in. The least visited park was the famously remote Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve in Alaska, which posted only 11,907 visitors.

The massive sinkholes of China

Parts of China's limestone-rich terrain is fertile ground for massive caves, where some of the world's largest sinkholes are located. Hidden away in dense, lush forests, geologists are frequently discovering new sinkholes to explore. This piece...

Browse a list of the most important scientific breakthroughs from each state

Although scientific discoveries involve experimentation, analysis, and collaborations among many individuals across a variety of locations, some observations, advancements, and breakthroughs have their origins in facilities within the US. These include the polio vaccine in Pennsylvania, the breathalyzer in Indiana, the observation of Pluto in Arizona, and the invention of nylon and Teflon in Delaware. (Some readers may experience a paywall.)

The world’s most beautiful cinemas

Oakland, Madrid, and Mexico City are home to some of the most beautiful movie theaters in the world according to this extensive list. This resource compiles photos and interesting tidbits from 50 stunning cinemas, located in historic buildings and glistening modern structures.

Enter the Mayan underworld through this 3-mile cave

Discoveries in Belize's Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) cave suggest the cave was once a significant site for sacred Mayan ceremonies in antiquity. New research reveals how the Mayans conducted rituals to re-enact a specific creation myth, often staged in desperate times and aimed to invoke the gods for a "rebirth" amid drought and turmoil. Read more on the enigmatic research here.

Yellowstone was the world's first national park

Before it was designated as such, it was home to 27 Indigenous tribes, including the Blackfeet, Crow, and Nez Perce. European trappers and traders traveling west were entranced by the area’s stunning beauty and natural resources, fueling a push for the government to preserve the land for future generations.

View a list of 50 minerals critical to US economic and national security

Most of the US's supply of critical minerals depends on countries that have historically competed with it, which has raised concerns in Washington. These minerals are needed for green technologies to meet greenhouse gas emission reduction goals.

Speleothems are diverse mineral formations that form in air-filled caves

Speleothems like stalactites and stalagmites form when water deposits minerals after a cave rises above the water table and fills with air. These formations preserve the mineral deposits, which may serve as climate proxies, for as long as a million years.

20 of the world's most iconic big rock wall climbs

Big wall climbs are tall rock faces that require climbers to "pitch" multiple times during the ascent—that is, reuse a rope. They also often portaledge, or sleep, at least once during the climb. Topping the list is California's El Capitan.

Explore a map of data centers worldwide

As of February 2026, the US has more data centers (over 4,000) than the next 15 countries combined, thanks to years of investment by cloud service providers and technology companies. The next largest data center footprints come from the UK and Germany, with about 500 facilities each, followed by China with about 370.

The Devil's Hole pupfish can be found in only one place in the world

The critically endangered fish species can be found in only one cave in the middle of the Mojave Desert called Devil's Hole. In 2016, three men broke into the protected area to purposefully harm the fish.

As of 2026, the majority of US states have unsafe radon exposure levels

Alaska, South Dakota, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Washington top the list of states with exposure levels above 4 picocuries per liter for this naturally occurring radioactive gas. While these state-level averages vary from one county, municipality, and home to another, the EPA encourages those in the highest-risk states to test their homes.

22 fascinating discoveries of massive gold coin hoards

The gallery highlights major gold coin treasures from ancient to modern times, from the Saddle Ridge hoard in California in the 1800s (now worth $10M) to finds in Baltimore, Kentucky, and more. Each discovery reveals something about the period, with some buried and others left in vaults.

The booming fossil industry on the Jurassic Coast

Ever since the Jurassic Coast was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2001, professional and amateur fossil-finders have increasingly set out for its craggly cliffs to discover ammonites, icthyosaurs, and even new discoveries. This photo essay takes a human look at the growing interest and industry in fossil discoveries along the famed 95-mile strip of England.

The US stores hundreds of millions of oil barrels in caves along the Texas-Louisiana coast

The US has a Strategic Petroleum Reserve that it taps into, releasing barrels into the economy, during times of emergency (think: major storms and wars) to try to stabilize markets.

The American Battle Monuments Commission maintains 26 overseas military cemeteries in 16 countries

The cemeteries honor more than 218,000 American war dead, with the majority of sites located in France and Belgium, where some of the heaviest fighting of both World Wars took place.

What do the Lascaux cave paintings look like?

The Lascaux cave paintings, initially discovered in 1940, hold a special place in the hearts of archaeologists and art historians alike. Examine the Paleolithic art in this virtual tour that takes users through the different segments of the cave and...

Some North American bats can glow in the dark

After examining 60 museum specimens from six different species, scientists found that all of them emitted light after being exposed to ultraviolet radiation. Researchers are perplexed by this natural phenomenon and are currently unable to deduce the reason behind it.

44% of Americans say they pray at least once a day—discover how your state's religiosity stacks up against the rest of the country.

Explore the animals that populate the depths of the ocean, from fish and coral in the first few hundred feet, all the way down to the bottom of the Mariana Trench.

View the ten deadliest tornadoes in US history.

'Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone,' a work by American painter Thomas Moran, inspired Congress to establish Yellowstone National Park.

The United States is one of only around two dozen countries with a fully federal system of government, in which power is divided between national and state governments.

In 1963, a basement renovation in Turkey revealed a passageway to a hidden, multilevel underground city that once housed as many as 20,000 people

Explore fun facts from the USPS, including unique post office buildings, a stamp that traveled past Pluto, and more.

See the 25 of the best photos of auroras from around the world.

See how Budweiser's famous Clydesdales spend their days at Warm Springs Ranch, where roughly 70 to 80 of the beer brand's giant horses can be found at any given time.

See photos of Meteora, a mountainous site in central Greece, home to 14th-century monasteries perched atop soaring outcroppings.

The American Society of Civil Engineers' infrastructure report card gave the US a C in 2025, its highest grade since the project launched in 1998.

See this overview of the firework rules across all 50 states, ranging from a complete ban on non-professional fireworks in Massachusetts to states with more lax rules like Indiana.

For centuries, Niagara Falls has been a magnet for daredevils seeking to conquer one of nature's most powerful wonders, with its 200-foot drop and water rushing at 32 feet per second with 280 tons of force.

In 2009, the nation was gripped by the story of a missing young boy who was believed to be floating over Colorado in a homemade balloon, until it was revealed that he was at home the whole time.

Louisiana's 'Cancer Alley' is infamous for having some of the highest industrial pollution, toxic air emissions, and cancer risks in the US.

Lesser-known phobias include turophobia, or the fear of cheese, and nomophobia, the fear of being without your cell phone.

Explore a list of the 100 best novels of all time, compiled by some of the world's best living writers, including Salman Rushdie, Stephen King, and Jennifer Egan.

The United States has had a tumultuous relationship with Cuba since its 1959 revolution, highlighted by a nuclear crisis and a decades-long trade embargo.

Explore an interactive map of battles from the American Revolution, along with detailed summaries of each engagement

Frank Lloyd Wright's houses are historically hard to sell because they're old, subject to local landmark commissions, and often unfashionable

A 2019 Facebook event called on attendees to "Storm Area 51, They Can't Stop All of Us," resulting in countless memes, the creation of a music festival, and eventually the arrests of those who did try to approach the area.

Walt Disney's early film 'Alice's Wonderland' was a groundbreaking innovation in the silent film era

In 2018, 26-year-old missionary John Allen Chau was killed by tribesmen after attempting to reach and evangelize on India's isolated North Sentinel Island

The Nasdaq's 'Magnificent 7' companies are responsible for roughly 40% of the Nasdaq 100 index's gains, while the remaining 93 companies account for the other 60%.

The use of fungi to detoxify land and water—a process known as mycoremediation—has been used to clean up natural resources affected by the 2025 California wildfires.