13 Prettiest Downtown Strips In The United States
The prettiest main streets in America almost never run straight. Telluride dead-ends into a box canyon walled by towering peaks. Eureka Springs coils up Ozark ridges past dozens of hidden springs. Stillwater bends to follow the St. Croix River, and Lake Placid traces the shore of Mirror Lake. These downtowns grew around a river, a mountain, or a bit of stubborn history and never bothered to straighten themselves out. The thirteen below are proof.
Carthage, Missouri
The streets of downtown Carthage are threaded around the Jasper County Courthouse, one of the most photographed buildings in Missouri. Visitors who enter the courthouse can view a still-operating iron cage elevator, a display on Route 66, military artifacts, and a mural depicting the history of Jasper County. The Carthage Deli borders the courthouse square. Historically, it was a popular stop for people driving Route 66. It still maintains its Americana flair with a vintage 1950s soda fountain and a black-and-white checkerboard floor. The Woodshed Burger House specializes in gourmet burgers, steaks, salmon, and salads.
The Battle of Carthage Museum commemorates one of the first major land battles of the Civil War fought west of the Mississippi River through a wall-sized mural, an informative video, and numerous artifacts on display. The Boots Court Motel has retained its status as one of the oldest operating motels along the historic Route 66. Visitors can tour the premises and browse through the motel's collection of Route 66 souvenirs.
Stillwater, Minnesota
Main Street in Stillwater follows the flow of the St. Croix River. As the region's largest art cooperative, the Stillwater Art Guild Gallery showcases the works of over 60 artists that appear in a variety of media such as paintings, sculpture, pottery, stained glass, and more. Leo's Grill and Malt Shop is a 1950s-style diner serving classic comfort food like burgers, sandwiches, and malt. The Warden's House Museum holds artifacts from the lumber industry, early pioneers, and the Old Stillwater Territorial/State Prison.
Pioneer Park is on a bluff overlooking the river and the entire downtown of Stillwater. It has wide open green spaces and is equipped with children's playground equipment, large picnic shelters, and is laced with walking and hiking paths. The Stillwater Lift Bridge is a historic bridge built in 1931 and is a rare example of a vertical lift bridge of its kind. It was closed to vehicular traffic in 2017 and is now open to only pedestrians and cyclists.
Galena, Illinois
Main Street stretches half a mile through downtown Galena, where over 125 independent businesses are housed inside original buildings from the 1800s. DeSoto House Hotel is the oldest operating hotel in Illinois. It has remained largely unaltered since 1855, and still houses the Green Street Tavern in its original 1883 location. It is popular for lunch, dinner, or drinks while looking out onto Galena's historic Main Street. Fried Green Tomatoes serves Italian cuisine inside an 1854 building, which first operated as a leather store.
Grant Park is across the Galena River and is directly linked to Galena's historic district by a footbridge. The park is equipped with picnic tables, shaded gazebos, and historic cannons. Near the park, visitors will be able to tour Ulysses S. Grant Home, which was given to him by the citizens of Galena upon his return from the Civil War.
Natchitoches, Louisiana
Natchitoches' 33-block historic downtown district stretches out along the Cane River Lake. Lasyone's Meat Pie Restaurant has been favored among locals and visitors alike for authentic Creole and Cajun cuisine since it opened in 1967, with its meat pie being a staple. Fort St. Jean Baptiste State Historic Site is a full-scale replica built using 18th-century building techniques with the help of original blueprints for reference. Through exhibits and interactive media, the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame highlights the history and importance of Louisiana sports.
The Roque House and Gardens is one of the most accessible examples of the Creole style of French architecture in the Cane River area. Its three rooms, tool shed, and gardens are open for tours. The Natchitoches Art Guild and Gallery exhibits works by area artists in their gallery, as well as offering gifts and prints of the works displayed.
Telluride, Colorado
Colorado Avenue stretches through downtown Telluride, which sits at the bottom of a box canyon. From anywhere in the town's 12-block by 8-block radius, visitors will see peaks as high as 14,000 feet surrounding the town. The Telluride Historical Museum is housed inside a former miners' hospital. It now has ten themed rooms and one gallery showcasing Telluride's mining past. Baked in Telluride's expertise lies in baked items of all types, including breads, bagels, pastries, and pizzas. The Sheridan Opera House regularly hosts orchestras, theatre performances, and live music.
Ride the free Telluride Gondola, which takes people on a 12-minute journey where they can view the surrounding mountains from 10,500 feet in the air. The gondola runs all day, every day except during the off-season. Disembark the gondola at Mountain Village, providing access to ski runs in the winter, and hiking and biking trails in the summer.
Eureka Springs, Arkansas
Main Street in Eureka Springs coils up the steep ridges and hills of the Ozark Mountains, where over 60 natural springs are hidden down side streets. Basin Springs Park is a small park built around the original natural spring responsible for founding the town. It has a small bandshell where community performances and live music play in the summer. The Balcony Bar and Restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner on an open-air balcony overlooking Basin Springs Park and downtown Eureka Springs.
Eureka Springs Historical Museum covers the founding and history of Eureka Springs as a health resort over two floors of exhibition space. The Palace Hotel and Bath House Spa is the oldest remaining bath house in town, offering full spa services. The Christ of the Ozarks statue stands above the village as one of the largest statues of Christ in North America.
Lexington, Virginia
The brick-lined streets of downtown Lexington were once home to Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson and his second wife before his role in the Civil War. His time in Lexington is preserved at the Jackson House Museum, which visitors can tour to learn about his life as a professor, church leader, and businessman. Heliotrope Brewery pairs artisanal ales and lagers with wood-fired pizzas. Hopkins Green is a public downtown green space with benches and a garden that is the site of many town events, like art shows and the Christmas Tree lighting.
The Virginia Military Institute Museum houses over 20,000 artifacts from the civilian and military alumni who attended the college, including the mounted hide of Stonewall Jackson's favorite horse. Miller's House Museum celebrates the roads, rivers, and rails that were crucial to the industrial and transportation history of the Lexington area.
Leavenworth, Washington
Leavenworth's Bavarian-themed Front Street will have visitors questioning whether they are in Washington or in Germany. The Gingerbread Factory distributes gingerbread-inspired cookies, baked goods, and treats. Its exterior façade is designed to resemble a real-life gingerbread house. The Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum houses over 9,000 nutcrackers, some of which date back to the 12th and 13th centuries. Front Street Park is the cultural hub of Leavenworth, hosting many community events, such as Oktoberfest.
Waterfront Park is between downtown Leavenworth and the Wenatchee River, suitable for hiking and birdwatching in the summer, and snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in the winter. Leavenworth Sausage Garten serves authentic German cuisine, including a variety of locally made sausages, like bratwurst and currywurst, as well as warm pretzels and traditional German potato salad. Pair your meal with a wide selection of domestic and imported beers.
Cambria, California
Unlike other California coastal towns, Cambria is not a beach destination. It sits atop a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Its downtown is dotted with several art galleries, including the Vault Gallery, which is housed inside the historic Bank of Cambria building. The gallery specializes in contemporary work and Californian landscape photography. Artifacts Gallery has a much broader range, showcasing sculptures, oil paintings, art glass, home décor, and much more.
Other than classic barbecue items, Main Street Grill also serves local seafood like calamari and shrimp. Roam the trails through open meadows and forested ridges that culminate in sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean at the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve. Shamel Park is much closer to the water, making it one of the few places in Cambria with easy beach access. Park amenities include a gazebo, sports fields, and a playground.
Staunton, Virginia
Six different historic districts converge within Staunton's downtown strip. Downtown stretches along the award-winning Beverley Street, where many businesses, restaurants, and specialty stores are housed inside Victorian-era buildings. The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum comprises seven galleries that explore Wilson's life and presidency. Blackfriars Playhouse is the world's first re-creation of William Shakespeare's indoor theatre. Today, it hosts Shakespeare's plays and contemporary works year-round.
Mill Street Grill serves steaks, seafood, pastas, and sandwiches paired with local beers out of a former flour mill. The Camera Heritage Museum contains a collection of over 6,500 mostly antique cameras, camera accessories, and photographs. Step inside Sunspots Studios Glassblowing to observe live glassblowing demonstrations, with the option to assist the glassblower in making hand-blown ornaments.
Cape May, New Jersey
Cape May's downtown strip takes the form of Washington Street Mall, a pedestrian-only outdoor mall that spans three blocks of Washington Street. Whale's Tale is Cape May's premier gift shop for maritime and nature-themed gifts, jewelry, and toys. Roughly 190 pieces of abstracts, sculptures, Victorian art, and other pieces are contained in the Museum of Fine Arts and Popular Culture.
The Harriet Tubman Museum commemorates abolitionist Harriet Tubman and the pivotal role that Cape May played in helping to end slavery. Rotary Park is behind Washington Street Mall, acting as a year-round venue for concerts and leisure in town. The park is decorated with several benches, a gazebo, and a bandstand.
Deadwood, South Dakota
Deadwood's downtown transports visitors back in time to the Wild West as soon as they walk under the Main Street arch. The Wild Bill Hickok Memorial Statue will be the first thing that greets people. Saloon No. 10 enhances the Wild West atmosphere down to the sawdust strewn on the floors and the western antiques mounted on the walls. Outside of the saloon, shootouts and reenactments are carried out by costumed interpreters from Deadwood Alive.
At the Adams Museum, visitors can view the largest gold nugget ever found in the Black Hills, a rare marine reptile fossil, and possessions from outlaw Wild Bill Hickok. Wild Bill's final resting place is located in Mount Moriah Cemetery, on a mountain plateau overlooking town. The Days of '76 Museum is a repository of over 50 wagons, carriages, and buggies that are part of an exhibit which retells the story of how these early modes of transportation helped settle the West.
Lake Placid, New York
Main Street in Lake Placid unwinds along the shore of Mirror Lake. The Lake Placid Olympic Museum immortalizes the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympic Games held in Lake Placid with an Olympic torch collection and bobsled simulator. Mirror Lake Public Beach is used for recreation year-round. In the summer, people swim, fish, and launch kayaks and canoes on the lake, and in the winter, when the lake freezes over, it is possible to ski, snowshoe, and skate.
Lake Placid Pub and Brewery is regarded as one of the best breweries in New York, serving their own microbrewed ales and lagers, which they pair with pub staples like fish and chips and Shepherd's pie. The Bookstore Plus has a large selection of Adirondack Mountain literature, with guidebooks, history books, and art books lining the shelves.
13 Strips Across the Nation
The best downtown strips do more than provide a place to shop, dine, or attend community events. Each of these downtowns has a different style of downtown strip. Cape May's downtown is exclusively for pedestrians to roam. Deadwood's downtown is rooted in Old West heritage. Carthage blends Americana from Route 66 with Civil War history. While the towns on this list differ in size, age, and setting, each has a downtown that serves as both a focal point for local life and a reflection of its surroundings.
