Doris Duke and her husband were travel fiends, and after traveling the world, they made their final stop in Hawaii, where they fell in love with the beautiful culture and scenery. In fact, they loved it so much that they bought a plot of land on the Honolulu waterfront, and they had a custom home built decorated with Islamic art.
Now, the house has transformed into a museum showcasing Middle Eastern art that she collected throughout her lifetime. Also in Hawaii: Liljestrand House is a house located in Honolulu that is privately owned by a doctor and a nurse. The house is seen as one of the finest and most prestigious pieces of modern architecture.
South Dakota - Laura Ingalls Wilder's House
This house is dubbed as “The Little House on the Prairie,” and rightfully so. The home is where Laura Ingalls Wilder spent her years reminiscing about childhood memories that inspired her most famous works. She was never materialistic, as she believed any home larger than this one would be deemed unnecessary for her lifestyle.
Tours today offer an inside look into Wilder's life, as well as offer plenty of events for the whole family to enjoy. Also in South Dakota: The Victorian Pettigrew Home is the residence of Senator Richard Franklin Pettigrew. He aided in the founding of many communities around Sioux Falls.
Iowa - American Gothic House
Though it may look like any ordinary run-down home, this American Gothic House is a must-see tourist attraction in the state of Iowa. This is due to it being the inspiration behind Grant Wood’s famously known painting, American Gothic. The American Gothic House Center has different props, like pitchforks, for tourists to take photos with standing in front of the historic house.
The house offers a gift shop and an exhibit gallery for visitors. Do you know what's also in Iowa? The Buffalo Bill Cody Homestead is a farmhouse that was built in 1847, where Buffalo Bill spent his childhood.
North Carolina - The Biltmore Estate
The Biltmore Estate is the largest private residence to ever be built in the United States. The 250-room house was home to George Vanderbilt. It is equipped with 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, a bowling alley, a 10,000-volume library, and 65 fireplaces. The home is so big that it has four whole acres of floor space.
Visitors can stay at the iconic location, as well as indulge in fine dining, activities, and even walk around the village on the estate. Also in North Carolina: Körner’s Folly is formerly the home to designer Jule Gilmer Körner. While it may not be North Carolina’s most famous house, it is definitely the most eccentric.
New Mexico - Georgia O'Keeffe Home
Famous painter Georgia O’Keeffe spent a lot of time living at her Adobe home and studio in Abiquiu. Her paintings were inspired by her home and her simple way of living. After she moved to Santa Fe, this house was transferred under the management of the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum.
Various tours, guided and unguided, are available that cover art exhibitions and Georgia's life and work. There is even a gift shop that visitors can shop at and take a memento home. Also in New Mexico: Taos Pueblo is a collection of multi-level adobe buildings. They have been continuously inhabited for the last 1,000 years or so.