Top 100 Attractions in California

Popular California landmarks and tourist spots

• 1 Big Sur Region

  8.2 /10

  

  The Big Sur region is located in the central region of California in the United States. Considered one of the most sparsely populated coastal regions in this part of California, the Big Sur region is located 193 kilometers, or 120 miles south of San Francisco and 394 kilometers, or 245 miles, northwest from the city of Los Angeles. The name of the region has been said to have been derived from the Spanish term El Sur Grande, which is literally translated as 'The Big South' ...

  Read more about the Big Sur Region

• 2 Golden Gate Bridge

  8.1 /10

  

  Man has created many wonders in the world. It takes determination to change the face of the world and create history through revolutionary steps. The Golden Gate Bridge, a suspension bridge built from the San Francisco Peninsula all the way to Marin County, is no exception to this. The second-longest bridge in the United States and the seventh longest in the world, this bridge was completed in 1937 and became the symbol of pride for San Francisco and the United States ...

  Read more about the Golden Gate Bridge

• 3 Napa Valley

  7.9 /10

  

  The Napa Valley is part of Napa County, situated north of the San Francisco Bay area. Considered as one of the original counties that comprised California in the United States, Napa County was established in the year 1850, about the same time that the state of California joined the other states to form what is now the United States of America ...

  Read more about the Napa Valley

• 4 Alcatraz Prison

  7.8 /10

  

  Get ready for Alcatraz. Alcatraz is one of San Francisco's main tourist draws and favorite landmarks for all its checkered history and infamy. What attracts people to this bleak island with its sheer cliffs, swift currents, and frigid waters? Well, for one thing, this has been home to some of the world's most notorious criminals ...

  Read more about the Alcatraz Prison

• 5 Legoland

  7.7 /10

  

  Situated in Carlsbad, just 30 minutes away from the bustling city of San Diego, is Legoland California, a uniquely themed park that has become a longtime favorite of families all over the world. Unlike most amusement parks, Legoland prides itself on being an amusement park mostly made out of Lego blocks. Opened to the public on March 20, 1999, it is the third Legoland amusement park in the world and the only one that is not located anywhere in Europe ...

  Read more about the Legoland

• 6 Lake Tahoe

  7.7 /10

  

  Recognized as the highest lake in the United States and the largest alpine lake in the North American continent, Lake Tahoe is one of California's most popular destinations, visited by both locals and tourists all year round. This is partly due to the breathtaking sceneries that greet you the moment you arrive at Lake Tahoe. With its crystal blue water, snowcapped mountains, and lush pine forests, Lake Tahoe offers you the opportunity to relax and unwind as you escape the hustle and bustle of city life and spend some precious moments in nature ...

  Read more about the Lake Tahoe

• 7 Death Valley

  7.7 /10

  

  The Death Valley is perhaps the most popular desert region in the United States. Situated in the southwestern part of the country between the borders of the states of California and Nevada, the Death Valley is the lowest, driest and hottest region not just in the United States but in the entire North American continent. Contrary to its name, the Death Valley is actually a very much alive region with a unique range of flora and fauna ...

  Read more about the Death Valley

• 8 The Huntington

  7.6 /10

  

• 9 Black Star Canyon

  7.6 /10

  

• 10 Bowers Museum (Santa Ana)

  7.6 /10

  

• 11 Old Town

  7.5 /10

  

• 12 Petco Park

  7.5 /10

  

• 13 San Diego Automotive Museum

  7.5 /10

  

• 14 La Jolla

  7.5 /10

  

• 15 Legoland California

  7.5 /10

  

• 16 USS Midway Museum

  7.5 /10

  

• 17 San Diego Zoo Safari Park

  7.5 /10

  

• 18 Gaslamp Quarter

  7.5 /10

  

• 19 Seaport Village

  7.5 /10

  

• 20 San Diego Beaches

  7.5 /10

  

• 21 Sutter's Fort

  7.5 /10

  

• 22 Crocker Art Museum

  7.5 /10

  

• 23 Sacramento Zoo

  7.5 /10

  

• 24 Old Sacramento

  7.5 /10

  

• 25 California State Capitol

  7.5 /10

  

• 26 California State Railroad Museum

  7.5 /10

  

• 27 Governor's Mansion State Historic Park

  7.5 /10

  

• 28 Crest Theatre

  7.5 /10

  

• 29 California Automobile Museum

  7.5 /10

  

• 30 Winchester Mystery House

  7.5 /10

  

• 31 Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum

  7.5 /10

  

• 32 Japantown

  7.5 /10

  

• 33 The Tech Museum of Innovation

  7.5 /10

  

• 34 Mission Santa Clara de Asís

  7.5 /10

  

• 35 Downtown San Jose

  7.5 /10

  

• 36 Santana Row

  7.5 /10

  

• 37 San Jose Museum of Art

  7.5 /10

  

• 38 Hakone Gardens (Saratoga)

  7.5 /10

  

• 39 San Pedro Square

  7.5 /10

  

• 40 Lombard Street

  7.5 /10

  

• 41 Chinatown

  7.5 /10

  

• 42 Fisherman's Wharf

  7.5 /10

  

• 43 Pier 39

  7.5 /10

  

• 44 Golden Gate Park

  7.5 /10

  

• 45 Muir Woods National Monument

  7.5 /10

  

• 46 Alamo Square

  7.5 /10

  

• 47 Twin Peaks

  7.5 /10

  

• 48 The Castro

  7.5 /10

  

• 49 Palace of Fine Arts

  7.5 /10

  

• 50 Transamerica Pyramid

  7.5 /10

  

• 51 The Exploratorium

  7.5 /10

  

• 52 Sausalito

  7.5 /10

  

• 53 49-Mile Scenic Drive

  7.5 /10

  

• 54 3rd Street (between Wilshire Blvd. and Broadway)

  7.5 /10

  

• 55 Beverly Center

  7.5 /10

  

• 56 Universal CityWalk

  7.5 /10

  

• 57 The Grove at Farmers Market

  7.5 /10

  

• 58 Griffith Observatory

  7.5 /10

  

• 59 Hollywood Walk of Fame

  7.5 /10

  

• 60 Japanese American National Museum

  7.5 /10

  

• 61 Knott’s Berry Farm

  7.5 /10

  

• 62 LACMA

  7.5 /10

  

• 63 Los Angeles Beaches

  7.5 /10

  

• 64 Malibu Coast

  7.5 /10

  

• 65 Museum of Jurassic Technology

  7.5 /10

  

• 66 Rodeo Drive

  7.5 /10

  

• 67 Runyon Canyon Park

  7.5 /10

  

• 68 Six Flags Magic Mountain

  7.5 /10

  

• 69 Sunset Boulevard

  7.5 /10

  

• 70 The Getty Center

  7.5 /10

  

• 71 The Hollywood Sign

  7.5 /10

  

• 72 The Queen Mary

  7.5 /10

  

• 73 Venice Beach Boardwalk

  7.5 /10

  

• 74 Walt Disney Concert Hall

  7.5 /10

  

• 75 Watts Towers

  7.5 /10

  

• 76 Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens

  7.5 /10

  

• 77 Adventure City

  7.5 /10

  

• 78 Angel Stadium of Anaheim

  7.5 /10

  

• 79 City National Grove of Anaheim

  7.5 /10

  

• 80 Flightdeck Flight Simulation Center

  7.5 /10

  

• 81 Red Rock Canyon State Park

  7.4 /10

  

  The Red Rock Canyon State Park is situated along the southernmost edge of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, which connects with the El Paso mountain range. Once home of the Kawaiisu Indians, the picturesque desert cliffs and rock formations have served as landmarks for freight wagons and a haven for the survivors of the infamous Death Valley trek during the late 1800s. Today, the Red Canyon State Park, which is located some 120 miles just outside the city of Los Angeles in California, has become a vital excavation site where paleontologists continue to discover remnants of plant and animal life of species that had once flourished on the earth ...

  Read more about the Red Rock Canyon State Park

• 82 Route 66

  7.4 /10

  

  No country is complete without its own set of historic landmarks. Oftentimes, these landmarks have been established for a purpose that is far from being a landmark. But, over the years, the popularity and its contribution to the culture and history to that particular country could not be disregarded that it eventually is granted this noble distinction ...

  Read more about the Route 66

• 83 Hotel del Coronado

  7.4 /10

  

  Hotel del Coronado is considered the crowning glory of Coronado's island, one of the most popular destinations in Southern California. Built in 1888, the Hotel del Coronado has been considered one of the world's most beautiful beach resorts. This is partly due to the breathtaking scenery it is surrounded by. The island of Coronado, after all, is home to some of the world's most pristine beaches offering breathtaking sunsets and captivating seascapes ...

  Read more about the Hotel del Coronado

• 84 Kings Canyon National Park

  7.3 /10

  

  The Kings Canyon National Park is located on the southern end of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, which cuts through the city of Fresno, California. Founded in 1940, Kings Canyon National Park covers an area of 462, 901 acres, or 187, 329 hectares. It is currently under the administration of the National Park Service, a U. S. Federal Agency which is in-charge of managing all the parks and monuments in the entire country ...

  Read more about the Kings Canyon National Park

• 85 Joshua Tree National Park

  7.3 /10

  

  The Joshua Tree National Park is one of the many natural parks that you can visit in the state of California. Located on the southeastern tip of the state, the Joshua Tree National Park is situated near some of the busiest and most cosmopolitan cities in California. It had been classified as a National Monument of the United States since 1936. In 1994, the park was declared as a U ...

  Read more about the Joshua Tree National Park

• 86 Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

  7.3 /10

  

  Located along the coast of Santa Cruz, California, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is the oldest surviving amusement park in the entire state of California. The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk was founded back in 1907, and has been operated by the Santa Cruz Seaside Company since 1915. It was only a hundred years later, in the year 2007, when the ownership of the park was transferred to Charles Canfield. Today, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is one of the two remaining seaside parks that can be found in the West Coast, and is a breathtaking reminder of what was considered to be amusement in an era gone by ...

  Read more about the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

• 87 Six Flags Marine World

  7.3 /10

  

  Located in the San Francisco Bay Area, Six Flags Marine World is situated in Vallejo, California, about 30 miles northeast of the city of San Francisco. Currently known today as Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, this amusement park is perhaps the most unique of all the amusement parks located in Northern California. It is the only amusement park in this region that features the best of wildlife parks, ocean-ariums and theme parks, all in one place ...

  Read more about the Six Flags Marine World

• 88 Montaña de Oro State Park

  7.3 /10

  

  Montaña de Oro is recognized as one of the largest and most popular state parks in the state of California. Located just six miles southwest of Morro Bay, Montaña de Oro is visited by about one million people each year. Literally translated in English, the park's name means "Mountain of Gold". The name is derived from the beautiful golden wildflowers that bloom during the springtime, making the entire state park to glitter in what appears to be fields of gold ...

  Read more about the Montaña de Oro State Park

• 89 Lassen Volcanic National Park

  7.3 /10

  

  Recognized as a national park in the United States since 1916, the Lassen Volcanic National Park is situated about eight miles northeast of the city of Mineral, California. The park has long been recognized as a popular destination for tourists and locals alike. Spanning an area of 106,000 acres, the Lassen Volcanic National Park is home to over 50 different crystal clear and serene mountain lakes, hydrothermal areas and different types of volcanoes ...

  Read more about the Lassen Volcanic National Park

• 90 Redwoods National Park

  7.3 /10

  

  Located in the northern region of California, the Redwood National Park was established as a means to protect the majestic redwoods from massive deforestation activities brought about by the western expansion during the 1800s.
  
  By the 1900s, the U. S. government saw this as an apparent threat to the overall growth of the redwoods growing in the region. As a result, it established three state parks: the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, the Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, and the Prairie Redwoods State Park during the 1920s ...

  Read more about the Redwoods National Park

• 91 Catalina Island

  7.3 /10

  

  Located just 22 miles off the southwest coast of the city of Los Angeles in California, Santa Catalina Island, more popularly known as Catalina Island, is one of the eight Channel Islands situated off the Southern Californian coastline. It is the only island in this archipelago that has been made into a permanent settlement mostly by people from the United States.
  
  Catalina Island has been recognized as one of the top romantic getaways where couples celebrate their weddings and spend their honeymoons ...

  Read more about the Catalina Island

• 92 Belmont Park

  7.3 /10

  

  Located just a mile outside SeaWorld San Diego is Belmont Park, one of the most popular destinations for locals and tourists in the city especially during the summer months. Belmont Park is situated right at the heart of Mission Beach, and was first opened to the public during the Roaring 20's. Today, the park has been visited by millions of locals and tourists coming from all over the world, making it a definite must-visit place if you are planning a trip to the city of San Diego ...

  Read more about the Belmont Park

• 93 Balboa Park

  7.3 /10

  

  Originally known simply as the City Park when it opened its doors at the turn of the century, Balboa Park became known as such as a result of a naming contest held in 1910. The winner, Mrs. Harriet Philips, named the park after Vasco Nunez de Balboa, the first explorer to view the Pacific Ocean. Just like the explorer, Balboa Park offers a spectacular view to locals and tourists visiting the city of San Diego, California, of the Pacific Ocean ...

  Read more about the Balboa Park

• 94 San Diego Zoo

  7.3 /10

  

  Located in Balboa Park on the northern downtown district of San Diego, California, the San Diego Zoo is one of the oldest existing zoos in the entire state of California. Opened to the public back in October 1916, the San Diego Zoo was established for the sole purpose to provide a haven to ensure the conservation and protection of various species of wildlife within a setting that is both enjoyable to visitors as well as educational ...

  Read more about the San Diego Zoo

• 95 San Francisco Cable Car System

  7.3 /10

  

  In most of the popular cities in the United States, you are sure to find one iconic symbol that the moment you see it, it immediately brings to mind that particular city. San Francisco's cable car system sparks such imagery.
  
  The San Francisco Cable Car System traces back its history as far back as the late 1800s. Back in those days, the steep slopes of the streets which are common in the city of San Francisco have made it extremely difficult for street cars that were pulled by horses to traverse, especially during the rainy season ...

  Read more about the San Francisco Cable Car System

• 96 San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival

  7.3 /10

  

  Each year, this event brings in upwards of 10,000 food and wine aficionados from all over the country, making it the largest wine and food festival in Southern California. The weeklong festival features 170 Wine & Spirit Purveyors, 70 of San Diego's Top Chefs and Restaurants, Cooking Classes taught by celebrity chefs, Wine Tasting Classes led by Master Sommeliers, and over 800 different wines to taste from.
  
  Held in San Diego on November 17-21, there is sure to be something for everyone with the Festival's wide variety of events to choose from ...

  Read more about the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival

• 97 Disneyland

  7.2 /10

  

  Disneyland, located in the city of Anaheim, California, is the oldest Disneyland theme park ever built. Opened to the public back in July 1955, Disneyland was the product of the vision of Walt Disney who wanted to establish a place where "Dreams Come True" and where families would be able to spend a day full of enjoyment and fun as they immerse themselves among a surrounding that is rich in detail and storytelling ...

  Read more about the Disneyland

• 98 Universal Studios Hollywood

  7.1 /10

  

  Universal Studios Hollywood is the largest movie studio and theme park in the world. It is located in Universal City, on the outskirts of Los Angeles, in California. If you want to discover how the movies are made, then a visit to Universal Studio is must for you. This studio offered tours to the public earlier and over the years various other activities were added ...

  Read more about the Universal Studios Hollywood

• 99 Coit Tower

  7.1 /10

  

• 100 Fort Ross

  7 /10

  

  Fort Ross (Russian: Крепость Росс, krepost Ross) was a Russian fort in California established in 1812 by the Russian American Company and sold to John Sutter in 1841. Located 50 miles north of San Francisco, it was the southernmost point in what was known as Russian America. This unique site in what is now Sonoma County has recently been the subject of intense archaeological research and is now a National Historic Landmark ...

  Read more about the Fort Ross