Yorktown Victory Monument

A 98-foot marble column on the bluff above the York River, authorised by the Continental Congress four days after the surrender in 1781 and then not actually built for another hundred years — the cornerstone was finally laid at the siege centennial in 1881.

Thirteen female figures representing the original states join hands around the base; Liberty stands on top, replaced in 1957 after lightning destroyed the original. The inscriptions run to a small essay on the alliance with France and the peace that followed. What carries it, though, is the setting: an open lawn on the edge of the bluff with the river, the Coleman swing bridge and the battlefield all in view at once.

Free, open at all hours, free parking, and a two-minute walk from Main Street. Best at the end of the day.