1

South Dakota sits right in the middle of it all

Image: Intricate Explorer

Just outside the town of Belle Fourche, South Dakota, lies the geographic center of the United States when you include Alaska and Hawaii . It is not marked with neon signs or big crowds, but there is something satisfying about standing near the heart of the whole country. It feels like the center of gravity for the U.S.

2

Iowa is flanked by rivers on both sides

Image: Justin Wilkens

If you look at a map, you will see Iowa neatly tucked between two mighty rivers . The Mississippi River borders it to the east, and the Missouri River forms most of its western boundary. No other state can say that its entire east and west borders are made up of rivers. That gives Iowa a front-row seat to river life from both sides.

3

Kansas is flatter than a breakfast pancake

Image: Edson Saldaña

Believe it or not, a group of researchers once compared Kansas to a pancake and found that Kansas is actually flatter . This was not a joke. They used real measurements. If long, open roads and wide horizons are your thing, Kansas is the ultimate smooth ride.

4

Arizona has all the deserts in one place

Image: Keith Hardy

Arizona is not just dry, it’s uniquely arid. It is the only state that includes parts of nearly all of the major North American deserts . These include the Sonoran, Mojave, Chihuahuan, and Great Basin deserts. That makes it a desert lover's dream and a living science exhibit where four very different ecosystems meet in one sunbaked state.

5

Michigan lives and breathes freshwater

Image: Aaron Burden

Michigan has more freshwater shoreline than any other state in the country. It borders four of the five Great Lakes , features two peninsulas, and is even home to a floating post office that delivers mail by boat. If you enjoy water views and lakeside life, Michigan delivers the goods in a big way.

6

Connecticut gave counties the pink slip

Image: Rusty Watson

Unlike most states, Connecticut does not have county governments. The state decided back in the late 1950s and early 1960s to get rid of them entirely. Now, counties are just lines on a map and have no political power. If you live in Connecticut, you deal directly with your town or city. No middleman needed.

7

Delaware still uses ‘hundreds’ and no, not the money kind

Image: Gary Cole

In Delaware, land is still divided into areas called hundreds . These are old British-style subdivisions that originally represented areas able to support roughly 100 households. While they do not play a role in law or government today, the names still show up in property documents and tax records.

8

Kentucky hides the longest cave under its feet

Image: Joshua Sortino

Beneath Kentucky’s surface lies a giant underground wonder called Mammoth Cave. It holds the record as the longest known cave system in the world , with over 400 miles of mapped tunnels. That is a whole lot of rock and mystery. Whether you are into history, geology, or just cool natural landmarks, this cave system is something special.

9

Louisiana prefers parishes over counties

Image: Joe Lavigne

Louisiana does not have counties like the rest of the country. Instead, it has parishes , a term carried over from its French and Spanish colonial days. These parishes work the same way counties do elsewhere, but the name gives the state a unique cultural twist.

10

Montana provides the nation's platinum and palladium

Image: Calvin Chai

Montana is the only significant source of domestically mined platinum and palladium in the United States. These rare metals are used in things like jewelry, dental tools, and car parts. Tucked into its rugged mountains, Montana’s mines quietly produce some of the most valuable materials in the country.

11

Wisconsin has an official microbe, and it makes cheese

Image: Azzedine Rouichi

Of course, Wisconsin would go this route. The state named Lactococcus lactis as its official microbe. It is the helpful little organism behind the cheese-making magic. Without it, you would not have cheddar, Colby, or many other favorites. Leave it to the dairy state to give a tiny cheese-maker its moment of fame.

1

Mount Vernon (George Washington) - Mount Vernon, Virginia

George Washington's Mount Vernon isn't just a house—it's basically an 18th-century empire. Sitting majestically on the Potomac River, this sprawling estate was where our first president played gentleman farmer when he wasn't, you know, founding a nation.

The estate includes the mansion, beautiful gardens, Washington's tomb, and even a working distillery where they still make whiskey using his original recipe. Fair warning: the place is huge, so plan to spend at least half a day exploring.

2

Monticello (Thomas Jefferson) - Charlottesville, Virginia

Thomas Jefferson didn't just write the Declaration of Independence—he also designed one of America's most ingenious homes. Monticello is an architectural marvel, packed with Jefferson's clever inventions, from a seven-day clock to a bed alcove between two rooms .

Perched atop a mountain with stunning views of Virginia's countryside, Monticello reflects Jefferson's obsessions: architecture, science, wine, and collecting artifacts. You'll see his extensive library, scientific instruments, and even the desk where he penned some of America's most important documents.

3

Hermitage (Andrew Jackson) - Nashville, Tennessee

Andrew Jackson's Hermitage proves that Old Hickory had a softer side—at least when it came to interior decorating. This Greek Revival mansion near Nashville showcases surprisingly elegant taste for a guy who basically invented political mudslinging. The home features original wallpaper, family furnishings, and enough period detail to make any history buff swoon.

The grounds include Jackson's tomb, beautiful gardens, and the Tulip Grove mansion where his nephew lived . There's also a museum that doesn't shy away from the more controversial aspects of Jackson’s legacy, including his policies toward Native Americans.

4

Sagamore Hill (Theodore Roosevelt) - Oyster Bay, New York

If you've ever wondered what a president's "Summer White House" looks like, Sagamore Hill delivers in spades. Teddy Roosevelt's Long Island retreat is filled with hunting trophies, books, and artifacts from his adventures around the globe .

The rambling Victorian mansion overlooks Oyster Bay and perfectly captures TR's larger-than-life personality. You'll see the study where he conducted presidential business while supposedly on vacation, because apparently, Teddy Roosevelt didn't understand the concept of "unplugging."

5

Springwood (Franklin D. Roosevelt) - Hyde Park, New York

Springwood is where Roosevelt returned throughout his presidency, seeking refuge from Washington's pressures and the challenges of polio. The house tour includes the room where he was born .

The estate also features his presidential library—the first of its kind—and the rose garden, where both Franklin and Eleanor are buried. The Top Cottage, FDR's personal retreat on the property, shows insight into how he adapted to living with paralysis.

6

Harry S. Truman House - Independence, Missouri

Harry Truman's home in Independence is refreshingly normal—which makes sense for a man who went from haberdasher to president without losing his everyman touch. This white Victorian house belonged to his wife Bess's family, and the Trumans lived there before, during, and after his presidency.

The house looks like the Trumans just stepped out for groceries, with original furnishings, Harry's hat hanging in the hall, and Bess's piano in the parlor . It's a time capsule of mid-20th-century American life, proving that you don't need a mansion to make history.

7

Lyndon B. Johnson Ranch - Stonewall, Texas

The Texas White House, as LBJ called it, is where the 36th president went to escape Washington's fishbowl and reconnect with his Hill Country roots. The ranch is still a working cattle operation, which somehow makes it even more authentically Texan. You can tour the ranch house, see LBJ's famous Amphicar (half car, half boat, all LBJ showmanship), and visit the one-room schoolhouse where his education began .

The ranch is part of Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park, which also includes his birthplace and the family cemetery where he's buried. The house itself is modest but comfortable, filled with Western art and the kind of leather furniture you'd expect from a Texas rancher.

8

Jimmy Carter Boyhood Farm - Plains, Georgia

Before he was president, Jimmy Carter was just a peanut farmer's kid growing up in rural Georgia without electricity or running water. The restored farmhouse and grounds show what life was like in 1930s rural America . The pump in the yard wasn't decorative; it was how they got water.

Visiting the Carter farm is like stepping into a time machine. You'll see the commissary where tenant farmers bought supplies, the blacksmith shop, and the outhouse that served as the family's "facilities."

9

Ronald Reagan Ranch - Santa Barbara, California

Perched in the Santa Ynez Mountains with sweeping Pacific views, this 688-acre ranch was where the Gipper went to ride horses, clear brush, and make decisions that shaped the 1980s. The rustic adobe house is surprisingly modest : no movie-star mansion here, just a comfortable retreat.

Tours are limited and require advance booking, but they're worth the effort. You'll see Reagan's Jeep, the tack barn where he kept his horses, and the house where he and Nancy entertained world leaders like Mikhail Gorbachev.

10

George W. Bush Prairie Chapel Ranch - Crawford, Texas

While Bush's Crawford ranch isn't open for public tours (yet), it deserves mention as a modern presidential retreat that captured the nation's imagination. The environmentally conscious "Western White House" featured geothermal heating, a rainwater collection system, and lots of brush for W to clear while contemplating post-9/11 America . It's where he hosted everyone from Vladimir Putin to Tony Blair, proving that Texas hospitality works in any era.

1

Clock change

Image: Jonathan Borba

US currency is full of symbolism, and the $100 bill is no exception. Since 1928, we have seen Independence Hall depicted on the back of this bill. But in 2013, it was redesigned, and one change stands out: the clock tower, which previously showed 4:10, now reads 10:30. Did you notice?

2

Jackie Kennedy’s choice

Image: Florida Memory

Jackie Kennedy played a key role in designing the coin that would feature the portrait of her ex-husband. When the U.S. Mint planned the Kennedy half dollar in 1964, she was consulted and provided input on various aspects of the coin, including its imagery and symbolism.

3

Not paper

Image: Giorgio Trovato

Although it is called paper money, our bills do not contain any paper at all. In fact, they are made of a blend of 75% cotton, 25% linen, and fine silk fibers embedded. This mixture is not random; it was specially chosen so that your bills can withstand everything: folds, wrinkles, stains, and even an accidental shower in the washing machine.

4

The unfinished pyramid

Image: Marek Studzinski

The one-dollar bill also has its secrets and details. On its back, you’ll find an unfinished pyramid, part of the Great Seal of the United States designed in the 1780s. Why unfinished? The pyramid has 13 steps, representing the original 13 colonies, and its incomplete form symbolizes the nation’s ongoing growth and expansion.

5

50% larger

Image: Bozhin Karaivanov

Before 1929, US banknotes were significantly larger, measuring approximately 7.375 x 3.125 inches. Today, collectors refer to these as "large-size" notes, sometimes even nicknamed "Horseblankets." In contrast, modern bills measure just 6.14 x 2.61 inches. The government decided to reduce the bill's size to cut production and design costs.

6

Andrew Jackson’s preference

Image: Giorgio Trovato

Andrew Jackson has been the face of the $20 bill since 1928, when he replaced Grover Cleveland. Ironically, Jackson was opposed to paper money. He didn't trust that form of payment, believing it could be easily manipulated. According to historians, the 7th U.S. President favored "hard money": gold and silver coins.

7

Alexander Hamilton’s portrait

Image: engin akyurt

Most portraits on US bills face left, with one exception: Alexander Hamilton on the $10 bill, the only one facing right (toward the viewer’s left). You might wonder why, but there’s no official explanation; it seems to have been simply a design choice.

8

"In God We Trust"

Image: rc.xyz NFT gallery

In 1956, Congress passed a law declaring "In God We Trust" the national motto, making it mandatory on all U.S. coins and banknotes. But this wasn’t its first appearance: the phrase first appeared in 1864 on the two-cent coin. Beyond faith, it also carried political weight, suggesting that God favored the Union during the Civil War.

9

The change that never happened

Image: Ryan Quintal

In 2015, the Treasury announced plans to redesign the $10 bill, stating that Hamilton's portrait would be replaced by that of an influential woman from US history. However, the change never happened. Why? Those years saw a surge in Hamilton's popularity thanks to the hit musical of the same name, leading the Treasury to backtrack on the replacement plan.

10

Criteria

Image: Live Richer

As is well known, not just any portrait can appear on US currency. But beyond historical significance, the figures on our bills and coins must meet other criteria you might not know: They must also be deceased and well recognized by citizens, ensuring that the people represented are familiar and meaningful to the public.