Boston, Massachusetts: Skywalk Observatory at the Prudential Tower. The “Pru” vaults 52 stories and 749 feet above Greater Boston. The 50th-floor Skywalk’s state-of-the-art Antenna Audio Tour details such noteworthy sites as the gold-domed State House, the Boston Common, and baseball’s legendary Fenway Park. On clear days you can scan the scalloped coast down to Cape Cod. Even locals stop by, usually networking at the 52nd-floor Top of the Hub or visiting the trendy Shops at Prudential Center.

Chicago, Illinois: The Skydeck at Willis (formerly Sears) Tower. The world’s fifth tallest building (1,451 feet; 1,730 including antenna) boasts killer views of Chicago’s “Gold Coast” skyline along Lake Michigan and the Chicago River. From the top you can see up to 50 miles and four states. Step out, if you dare, onto the “The Ledge”—a brilliantly designed and reinforced glass bay that juts out 4.3 feet from the building.

Denver Colorado: The Denver Museum of Nature and Science. The view is free from adjacent City Park, but this world-class museum brims with interactive edu-tainment and exhibits from Saturn’s moon Titan to totem poles. The outdoor Anschutz Family Sky Terrace offers the fab photo op of the downtown skyline silhouetted against the snowcapped Rockies, while the glass-enclosed Leprino Family Atrium—straddling three floors linked by architectural rings symbolizing the natural world’s circles, orbits, and cycles—oozes cushy sophistication. You can see 120 miles of mountains, including more than 200 named peaks: 32 soar above 13,000 feet, topped by “fourteener” Mt. Evans.

Las Vegas, Nevada: Top of the Stratosphere. The Strat rises 1,149 feet: the tallest structure west of the Mississippi. Unlike hipper-than-thou rooftop bars like Mix (THE Hotel at Mandalay Bay) and GhostBar (The Palms), there’s no steel-hand-on-velvet-rope door policy and the panoramas encompass not only the Strip’s surreal Top-40 International Architectural Hits but downtown (Glitter Gulch). There’s the obligatory observation deck and fancy restaurant, but three thrill rides elevate the cool factor, including X-Scream (a giant teeter-totter) and Big Shot (thrusting passengers straight up 160 feet at 45MPH—over 4 Gs). Though not that terrifying, locals quip you should have your chiropractor on speed dial.

Los Angeles, California: Griffith Observatory. Even the other kinds of stars come out to play at this handsomely designed working planetarium/astronomic facility nestling like a celebrity-owned mansion amid lush landscaping in Griffith Park. Free public telescopes are available for stargazing most evenings, but even by day the city views out to the Pacific and around the coastal mountains redefine stellar, thanks to its lofty 1,134-foot perch on the southern slope of Mount Hollywood.

New Orleans, Louisiana: Café du Monde. Though a local joke runs that the best Big Easy view is from any barstool, we prefer this institution revered for its downy beignets. It sits smack dab in the middle of the French Quarter by the mighty Mississippi. You can drink in river views with the strong chicory-laced coffee at the patio, which percolates with character and characters 24/7.

New York, New York: Top of the Rock. The Top of the Rock Observation Deck crowns Rockefeller Center’s GE Building, straddling the 67th-70th floors. Unlike the even more iconic (and crowded) Empire State Building, glass panels rather than wire mesh guarantee unobstructed views of the city from Harlem to Wall Street, as well as the Hudson and East Rivers and other landmarks like the Statue of Liberty. You can combine the deck with a tour of the 1933 Art Deco masterpiece for a discount.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: The Duquesne Incline & Observation Platform. Built in the 1870s, one of America’s few remaining funicular railways ascends to the stylish Mount Washington neighborhood in red cable car chugging like the little engine that could. From the summit observation deck, sightseers discover why Steel City is considered a shining example of urban renewal. The Allegheny and Monongahela rivers converge to form the Ohio, the watery troika ringing downtown’s glittering Golden Triangle with landmark skyscrapers and 15 modernistic bridges, all lit up like Christmas trees at night.

San Francisco, California: Coit Tower. Though imbibing at Top of the Mark is another tourist itinerary mainstay, it’s impossible to ignore this 1933 Art Deco beauty crowning Telegraph Hill. Avoid the only road up (often clogged with parking near-impossible). Instead climb the steep Filbert Steps: landscaped stairways and footpaths emanating from various directions. Zoning regulations ensure unimpeded 360-degree panoramas from the tower base, but take the elevator in the conical Coit for the really eye-popping look: Alcatraz, the Golden Gate, the Bay Bridge, Transamerica Building, Fisherman’s Wharf, Nob and Russian Hills, Lombard Street (itself in/famous for its zigzag of tight hairpin turns). The interior is just as magnificent, with dozens of 1930s WPA murals by local artists depicting various neighborhoods and daily scenes.

Seattle, Washington: The Space Needle. Opened in 1962 at the height of the architectural world’s futuristic fever, this 605-foot-tall civic symbol of progress showcases why eco-centric Seattle’s nicknamed the Emerald City. Views from the 520-foot Observation Deck encompass Puget Sound, Bainbridge Island, and Mount Rainier, with the distinctive skyline poking up amid the green spaces like manmade weeds. We can’t resist mentioning one revolving restaurant, so order a Lunar Orbiter at SkyCity. The Needle anchors Seattle Center, embracing the equally must-see Pacific Science Center and über-cool Experience Music Project.