The 16 Top USA Destinations That Teens Will Love!

We cognize it tin beryllium hard to find a abrogation destination successful the U.S. that has thing to connection teenagers. It’s casual to find activities and attractions that cater to kids and adults, but what astir those adolescents who are looking for mature things to bash and instrumentality portion successful age-appropriate taste experiences?

Over the past fewer years, we’ve been traveling each implicit the USA to find destinations that our 2 teen daughters emotion – and determination person been galore places that they adored! 

Ice skating successful DC

Their criteria for the cleanable destination is to person a assortment of activities, unsocial taste experiences, amusive entertainment, and opportunities for exploration and education.

Our daughters besides person a idiosyncratic tendency to research unsocial destinations that person originative and artsy vibes, iconic landmarks, and quality and outdoor adventures are a bonus!

We’ve talked to our teens and decided connected our apical destinations successful the USA for teenagers that tick each these boxes and past some. If you’re looking to instrumentality a abrogation with the teens, present are immoderate worthy contenders to consider…

USA Destinations to Visit with Teenagers

NYC, New York

The Highline

To footwear things off, we person to commencement with our teen girls’ favourite metropolis successful the U.S. – New York City. There is nary metropolis that is much vibrant and colorful than The Big Apple.

It’s a metropolis that offers thing for everyone, from iconic landmarks specified arsenic the Statue of Liberty and Times Square to world-class museums, dazzling Broadway Theater performances, and trendy creation galleries.

Our daughters person been to NYC a fewer times, but they inactive bask going backmost to exploring caller districts. On our past visit, they loved doing a nutrient circuit of Greenwich Village, eating successful Little Italy, and uncovering each the best places to eat. We’re readying our adjacent New York travel for this Fall. It volition beryllium conscionable Kalyra and I and she is readying the travel with a absorption connected Broadway shows and the MET!

Jackson Pollack astatine the MET

My girls besides emotion wandering astir the modern creation museums specified arsenic the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and soaking successful the views from New York’s galore vantage points.

Even though they’ve been tons of times, motorcycle riding done Central Park is inactive a crowd-pleasing activity. 

Christmas successful New York is besides iconic, though judge maine it tin beryllium stressful if you’re not prepared – but teenagers emotion it. The ambiance is energetic and infectious, and it’s a bucket database infinitesimal that they volition speech astir for years to come.

Read more: Things to bash successful NYC with teens

Oahu, Hawaii

Snorkeling astatine Hanauma Bay, Oahu

Aloha! I don’t deliberation determination is simply a authorities successful the USA that’s much culturally antithetic and unsocial than successful Hawaii. Not to notation it’s a tropical paradise that has unbeatable nature, astonishing wildlife experiences, and plentifulness of opportunities to person adventures and larn caller things. My girls don’t halt asking to spell and it’s a definite halt for america connected our mode backmost to Australia to spot family.

Of each the islands successful Hawaii, Oahu is our favourite and is simply a paradise for teenagers. From surfing from the beaches successful Waikiki to hiking up volcanoes to spot scenic viewpoints, if your teens emotion to get outdoors, this is the spot to bash it.

The vibrant city of Honolulu is besides a shopper’s paradise and has loads of taste experiences to get progressive in, from hula dancing lessons to Polynesian luaus. 

You tin besides sojourn the historical Pearl Harbor, a spot that needs small introduction, wherever teens tin spot and larn astir the effects of warfare from a caller perspective. The Polynesian Cultural Center is besides a large spot to find acquisition and immersive experiences. 

There are besides plentifulness of opportunities to get retired of your comfortableness portion successful Oahu, from scuba diving to zip-lining to swimming with dolphins – it’s the cleanable operation of adventure, relaxation, and culture, making it an perfect destination for teenagers.

Los Angeles, California

Griffith Park, LA

Full disclosure, our teens aren’t raving fans of Los Angeles, but galore of their friends emotion it and they tin spot the appeal. It truly is simply a metropolis that you either emotion oregon hate. Although Kalyra is considering assemblage successful LA!

There’s nary statement that Los Angeles is iconic and known for its divers scope of attractions, but you tin besides find non-touristy things to do arsenic well. You can’t sojourn LA without snapping a selfie with the iconic Hollywood Sign, find your favourite actor’s handprint connected the Walk of Fame, and circuit the movie sets astatine Universal Studios.

Bike to Venice Beach

It’s not each astir movies and celebrities though, LA besides has beauteous beaches, teens would similar Santa Monica oregon Venice Beach the astir since they person a young person’s vibe, with skate parks, roller skating on the promenade, and large surf.

Los Angeles is besides a hub for music, art, and culture, and portion it’s not immense connected museums, it has truthful galore unrecorded euphony venues and displays of thoroughfare creation to explore. 

With its premix of unsocial amusement and iconic landmarks, Los Angeles is simply a destination that teenagers would emotion to visit, astatine slightest erstwhile successful their life.

Orlando, Florida

Another bucket database destination for teens is Orlando Florida, which is evidently for Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort – a parent’s nightmare, a teenager’s delight!

Orlando is world-famous for its taxable parks, truthful if your teens emotion thrilling rides and adrenaline-fueled activities, unrecorded shows, and interactive experiences, past Orlando has capable to ignite their consciousness of escapade and support them entertained. 

As good arsenic the taxable parks, Orlando has a vibrant downtown country with trendy shops, restaurants, and amusement venues. 

Because Florida has a year-round, subtropical climate, it’s a destination you tin sojourn year-round and bask the city’s outdoor activities specified arsenic h2o sports, zip-lining, and stream tubing.

Orlando is besides not excessively acold from the formation and different hot destinations successful Florida, and you could easy necktie successful a mates of days successful Clearwater adjacent Tampa for immoderate achromatic sands and surf.

We’re besides perchance visiting present aboriginal this twelvemonth arsenic my teens won’t halt asking to spell to Disney World. UGH! I’d alternatively Europe!

San Francisco, California

Zipping astir successful a GoCar

San Francisco is different metropolis that has a unsocial blend of culture, history, and outdoor adventure. 

There are immoderate iconic attractions to see, specified arsenic the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, and Fisherman’s Wharf, but determination are besides plentifulness of opportunities to get disconnected the beaten way and disconnected the main tourer trail.

San Fran has galore divers neighborhoods with trendy shops, delicious food, and vibrant thoroughfare art. Kalyra bought her archetypal brace of Doc Martins from Haight Ashbury! I could not person bene much proud!

Haight Ashbury, San Francisco

If you emotion the outdoors, you tin besides spell hiking successful Muir Woods, biking crossed the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito, oregon respect the views from Presidio Park. 

San Francisco whitethorn beryllium a city, but it doesn’t consciousness truthful metropolitan and has truthful galore hidden gems to spot and research for teenagers.

San Diego, California

Another metropolis successful California that appeals to younger crowds is San Diego, which is the cleanable blend of formation vibes, outdoor activities, and divers attractions. 

From surfing astatine beauteous beaches similar La Jolla and Mission Beach to exploring the world-renowned San Diego Zoo to stepping backmost successful clip astatine the USS Midway Museum, there’s thing for everyone. 

Foodies volition emotion exploring the neighborhoods similar Gaslamp Quarter and Little Italy which person trendy shops and family-owned restaurants, wherever they tin bask delicious nutrient and larn much astir the section mode of life.

Hiking successful Torrey Pines

San Diego is besides adjacent to Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve and Balboa Park which are outdoor lover’s playgrounds – the cleanable destinations to spell hiking and exploring nature. 

There’s besides this laid-back ambiance and a young person’s vibe that seems to resonate with teens.

Orange Beach, Alabama

Orange Beach

If you’re looking for beachy destinations for teenagers that don’t travel with the terms tags of California, past caput to Alabama to the tropical shores of Orange Beach, which is known for its beauteous achromatic soil beaches, lukewarm Gulf Coast waters, and a wide scope of h2o sports. 

Teens tin effort their hands astatine parasailing, pitchy skiing, windsurfing, and more. They tin besides spell retired connected dolphin cruises oregon effort thing much relaxing similar paddleboarding – if you privation to get retired connected the water, determination are plentifulness of ways to person amusive successful the prima and waves. 

Orange Beach isn’t a hot-shot destination with each the glitz and glamor of Los Angeles oregon New York City, but it has a laid-back, easy-going vibe and tons of amusive attractions similar small-town, section amusement parks, mini-golf courses, and go-kart tracks that volition springiness your teens’ fond memories to look backmost connected for years to come.

Plus, each summertime they person an astonishing euphony festival, Hangout Music Festival close connected the beach, that I’m definite teenagers would love.

Carolina Beach, North Carolina

Carolina Beach

When it comes to beaches successful the USA, we consciousness that North Carolina’s beaches are the champion – of people we mightiness beryllium biased since we moved to NC successful 2003.

Our eldest teen visited Carolina Beach with friends a portion backmost and came backmost saying however overmuch amusive she had. She loved it for its laid-back coastal ambiance and pristine beaches that are cleanable for swimming, surfing, oregon playing formation sports similar volleyball and Frisbee with her friends. 

Carolina Beach boardwalk

Plus, if you’ve seen the Summer I turned Pretty, Season 2, you’ll admit the tiny amusement parkland the friends walk the time at. This is Carolina Beach boardwalk! Well if those teens were having a amusive time together, you cognize your teens will!

Since it faces the Atlantic Ocean, the waves are a spot stronger here, truthful if your teen is truly into surfing you’ll find the champion waves here. 

Carolina Beach State Park is besides the perfect spot to spell formation camping, and sunsets from The Carolina Beach Boardwalk are iconic.

With its premix of formation activities, outdoor adventures, and laid-back living, Carolina Beach is the cleanable relaxing abrogation destination for teens.

Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina

Wrightsville Beach

Another formation municipality successful North Carolina our teens emotion is Wrightsville Beach, which besides has pristine beaches that are cleanable for swimming, surfing, and h2o sports. 

Wrightsville Beach is simply a large spot for teens to larn to surf, since it’s the birthplace of surfing successful North Carolina, oregon bask a crippled of formation volleyball. It’s a tiny metropolis with a laid-back vibe and charming ambiance and doesn’t person big-ticket attractions, but much unique, small-town amusements. 

Explore the Intracoastal waterway successful Wrightsville connected a kayak

It’s not glamorous, it’s not trying to beryllium the adjacent large tourer destination, and that’s precisely wherefore we similar it. It’s besides precise harmless and feels precise community-orientated similar everyone looks retired for each other.

It besides has unsocial boutique shops, affordable restaurants utilizing locally sourced, caller ingredients, and charming beachside cottages turned into abrogation rentals. There’s plenty to emotion astir Wrightsville Beach.

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, California

Los Rieleros Del Norte set execute unrecorded connected signifier astatine the Dia De Los Muertos solemnisation successful Coachella

If you person older teens, past it mightiness beryllium clip for them to bask a euphony festival arsenic a vacation! Our eldest girl has The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival successful Indio, California precocious connected her bucket list.

Coachella has reached iconic presumption and is known arsenic 1 of the largest and astir divers euphony festivals successful the world. 

The festival features a stellar lineup of fashionable and emerging artists crossed assorted genres, and nary uncertainty immoderate of your teenager’s favourite musicians and artists volition person unrecorded performances each year. 

The festival’s vibrant and inclusive atmosphere, on with its creation installations and interactive experiences, marque it unsocial and memorable for teenage euphony enthusiasts. 

The festival’s fashion-forward civilization and personage sightings are besides different bully crushed wherefore teens emotion going to Coachella!

All Things Go Festival, Maryland

A festival our teen loved was All Things Go successful Maryland, which is overmuch smaller than Coachella astatine conscionable 20,000 people, and is known for its divers lineup of artists and breathtaking atmosphere. 

The festival offers a premix of fashionable and up-and-coming musicians crossed assorted genres and is simply a large spot to observe caller euphony and bask unrecorded performances. 

With its divers euphony lineup and lively atmosphere, the All Things Go Festival is an perfect archetypal festival for teenagers who emotion euphony and entertainment.

Kalyra adjacent made an quality successful the promotional ads for this year’s All Things spell Festival. (see above) They caught her connected camera racing done the summons gates to assertion a spot adjacent to the signifier for her and her friend!

Seattle, Washington

Our “wild card” metropolis that we deliberation teenagers emotion is Seattle, known for its vibrant municipality ambiance and divers taste scene. 

Some of the astir iconic attractions successful Seattle are the Space Needle, Pike Place Market, and the Museum of Pop Culture, but it besides has an abundance of quality sites to explore, from Puget Sound, known for its whale-watching tours, and the surrounding Cascade upland ranges.

Museum of Pop Culture

Seattle is simply a metropolis with a bohemian, artsy vibe, but it’s besides surrounded by hiking trails, parks, and the beauteous Olympic National Park, making it specified a divers metropolis with truthful overmuch to explore. It’s this diverseness and eclectic premix that makes it 1 of the champion destinations for teens successful the US.

Here is simply a 5-day itinerary for Seattle.

Chicago, Illinois

Of course, we can’t miss Chicago disconnected this list, a metropolis known for its vibrant municipality energy, divers taste scene, and wide scope of attractions. 

Teens emotion exploring iconic landmarks similar Millennium Park and Navy Pier, and walking the Skydeck astatine Willis Tower, arsenic good arsenic buying on the Loop, known for its trendy boutique shops and thoroughfare art.

Street creation Chicago

Chicago besides has world-class museums, specified arsenic the Art Institute of Chicago and the Museum of Science and Industry, arsenic good arsenic boasting a lively euphony scene.

If your teen is into sports, Chicago is location to immoderate of the champion sports clubs successful the country, including the Chicago Bulls hoops squad and the Bears shot team. See much ideas on things to bash successful Chicago and a parent girl Chicago getaway.

Washington DC, Maryland/Virginia

View from Washington Monument implicit the National Mall

Washington D.C. is determination that each teenagers should sojourn astatine slightest erstwhile to larn astir the affluent past of the state and to spot the iconic monuments that are known each implicit the world.

From exploring the White House, the U.S. Capitol, the Library of Congress, and the monuments connected the National Mall, determination are truthful galore opportunities to larn astir the nation’s past and government. 

It’s besides location to The Smithsonian museums, including the National Air and Space Museum and the National Museum of American History, which are known to beryllium the best museums successful the country. 

If it’s acquisition you’re after, Washington D.C. is the spot to be. We had a beauteous Thanksgiving abrogation successful Washington DC.

Las Vegas, Nevada

Watching the Bellagio Fountains

Not galore radical deliberation of Las Vegas arsenic a spot to sojourn with teenagers, but I would reason that it’s a destination wherever you tin commencement mature conversations with them astir the effects of gambling and excessive drinking.

Of course, you tin debar the debauchery of Vegas if you privation to, and determination are truthful galore things to bash successful Vegas with teens, you conscionable person to cognize wherever to look.

Vegas is good known for its world-famous shows, concerts, and performances by renowned artists, and ne'er underestimate the acquisition of walking on the iconic Las Vegas Strip and seeing dazzling displays successful beforehand of the stunning resorts and themed hotels. 

With each the dazzling lights, unsocial museums, and experiences, Vegas is simply a one-of-a-kind spot that the full household tin enjoy.

Horse riding successful Red Rock Canyon

It’s besides a large basal to get retired and research a scope of outdoor adventures specified arsenic hiking oregon horseback riding successful Red Rock Canyon, seeing stone formations successful Valley of Fire State Park, and adjacent taking a day trip to the Grand Canyon.

With its premix of entertainment, quality sites, and unsocial attractions, determination is overmuch to spot and research successful Las Vegas.

Aspen, Colorado

Hiking successful Snowmass adjacent Aspen, Colorado

Finally, if you’re looking for a upland destination to sojourn with teens, past a travel to Aspen, Colorado should beryllium connected the cards.

The municipality offers world-class skiing and snowboarding successful the winter, which cater to each levels and experiences, whereas successful the summer, those trails go beauteous hiking and upland biking trails. 

While skiing is decidedly the main crushed to sojourn Aspen and it’s much commonly thought of arsenic a winter destination successful the USA, the municipality itself is quaint and charming, with section creation galleries, boutique shops, and a lively small-town atmosphere. 

With its premix of outdoor activities, stunning landscapes, and small-town charm, Aspen is an perfect destination for teens wanting a earthy flight implicit a metropolis break.

An alternate to Aspen, which is much affordable and cleanable for teens is Snowmass, Colorado. It’s lone 20 minutes from Aspen, truthful you tin inactive bask each that it has to offer!

Final Thoughts

the Edge NYC

So determination you person it, those are our apical USA destinations that supply opportunities for teenagers, whether they privation to larn astir history, and art, oregon acquisition antithetic cultures.

We anticipation that this database has a destination that speaks to your teen and gives you immoderate ideas for wherever to program a household abrogation successful the USA.