American sightseeing operates at continental scale, but a few regions concentrate it usefully. The national capital's museum complex — eighteen institutions free of charge — covers everything from air and space to the African American experience in new buildings of genuine architectural ambition. The great art museums of New York require separate days. The civil rights sites of the Deep South, the independence heritage of Philadelphia, the jazz culture of New Orleans, and the national parks of the West extend a sightseeing geography that no single visit can contain. Tours by locals often show the softer side of the country — the details that stay with you longer. That's where the magic happens.