1

Jurassic World Dominion

Image: Christopher Stark

We understand; bringing giant reptiles from millions of years ago to life isn’t easy… or cheap. Maybe that’s why Jurassic World: Dominion (2022) cost an incredible $465 million! But not all of that went to special effects. Filmed during the pandemic, the costs of safety measures and protocols for the large cast and crew were anything but low. The actors even spent months quarantining in the luxurious Langley Hotel near Pinewood Studios, which also inflated the film’s budget.

2

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Image: Lyman Hansel Gerona

There are Star Wars fans everywhere, and for good reason, as it’s considered one of the greatest movie franchises of all time. But creating something this good comes at a high price: $447 million, to be precise. In addition to the visual effects and incredibly detailed costumes, the movie was shot across multiple countries: England, Iceland, Ireland, and even the United Arab Emirates. On top of that, the production counted with a top-tier cast, including Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher.

3

Fast X

Image: Cook aynne

Fast X (2023) ranks among the most expensive movies ever made, with an incredible budget of $379 million. But it wasn’t just the explosions, wild rollovers, and high-speed chases that elevated the costs; a big part went into reuniting much of the original cast. On top of that, the production didn’t stick to Los Angeles alone; it also filmed in beautiful international locations such as Rome, Turin, and Lisbon.

4

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Image: Intricate Explorer

This film cost about the same as Fast X , but it came out 12 years earlier, when that budget was even more impressive. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) accumulated around $378.5 million in production costs, much of it going to star salaries, especially Johnny Depp, who reportedly earned $55 million for his role. And that’s not all; the film’s visual effects and far shooting locations (Hawaii, the UK, Puerto Rico) drove the budget even higher.

5

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Image: Jason Leung

The superheroes’ suits, the incredible effects that brought their powers to life, the amazing battle scenes, and all the destruction they caused pushed the budget of Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) to $365 million. But here’s the most interesting part: another film from the same saga, Avengers: Endgame , was released four years later and actually cost less (about $356 million).

6

Avatar: The Way of Water

Image: Luke Tanis

One thing’s for sure: making a movie is never easy, especially when it features a giant blue alien species living in an underwater world. That’s the case with Avatar: The Way of Water , released in 2022 with an astounding budget of $350 million. Costs climbed even higher thanks to its long filming schedule, which stretched from 2017 all the way through 2020!

7

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

Image: Intricate Explorer

Indiana Jones always gives his all, and his latest adventure, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023), was proof of that. The film cost around $327 million to produce, and the action didn’t stay confined to a studio, as the cast, crew, and equipment traveled to locations across the UK, Morocco, and Italy. In addition, the innovative visual effects and de-aging technology used to bring Harrison Ford’s character to life weren’t exactly cheap.

8

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning

Image: Nao Takabayashi

Powerful action scenes and chases, biplanes performing aerial stunts, fierce battles, and underwater sequences: you’ll find all this and more in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (2025). But all this didn't come out of nowhere; it cost $300 million! Beyond the vehicles and specialized equipment, security measures had to be a serious matter. On the other hand, bringing Tom Cruise back to the saga and having him perform his own stunts added more dollars to the equation, with the actor reportedly earning between $70 million and $120 million for the movie.

9

No Time to Die

Image: Marcel Eberle

We were all excited to see Daniel Craig back in James Bond’s shoes, and we were lucky enough to watch him do it! But, of course, it didn’t come cheap. Beyond Craig’s generous salary and advanced visual effects, the film’s $250 million budget also covered the costs of filming across multiple, distant locations, including Italy, Jamaica, Norway, the Faroe Islands, and the UK!

10

Snow White

Image: Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦

After so many scenes of action, aliens, weapons, and explosions, you probably didn’t expect Snow White (2025) to make this list, right? But it did! While the film’s budget wasn’t officially confirmed, estimates put it at around $270 million. So, where did all that money go? First of all, the film relied on high-quality visual effects to bring the magic and fantasy of the fairy tale to life. But that wasn’t all; lead actresses Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot reportedly requested substantial salaries.

1

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, California

Image: Nik Shuliahin 💛💙

Imagine camping beneath the biggest trees in North America and in the whole world . That incredible experience is possible in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, where some of these trees are thousands of years old.

You can choose from 14 scenic campgrounds—including Grant Grove Village, the foothills of Sequoia National Park, the Lodgepole and Giant Forest areas, Cedar Grove, and Mineral King—and make a reservation.

2

Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

Image: velichor

Open only during the summer months, Crater Lake National Park is home to the country's deepest lake and a dormant volcano , making it an incredibly photogenic location. Campers can pitch their tents or park their RVs in the forest at Mazama Campground.

As locals say, the best views are from the areas looking out over Annie Creek, but the whole place is a no-miss.

3

Olympic National Park, Washington

Image: Scott Goodwill

Camping along the coastline with the sound of the waves in the background is a beautiful experience that can be accomplished in the Olympic National Park, where you can camp right along the beautiful coastline , which is marked by several sea stacks.

There are many different campgrounds, some next to the ocean and others in the rainforest. While most are first-come, first-served, some allow reservations for stays in the summer.

4

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Image: Levi Jones

Few camping experiences beat waking up on the rim of the Grand Canyon . While the South Rim is easier to get to, the North Rim is usually less crowded. There's one North Rim campground inside the park and another just north of the park boundary, both open from mid-May to mid-October.

Several sites along the South Rim are open year-round, including the Mather Campground and Trailer Village in Grand Canyon Village. Only two other South Rim spots, Desert View and Tusayan Montane, are open seasonally.

5

Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests, Colorado

Image: Mike Erskine

The Rocky Mountains offer magnificent scenery for a beautiful day and a night out. The Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests have 56 campsites set in a variety of landscapes, including open meadows and evergreen forests, amid mountains, and on lakeshores .

While most are open seasonally, a select few stay open all year long, so make sure to check the website for road conditions beforehand if you plan to camp during the winter months.

6

Sawtooth National Recreation Area, Idaho

Image: Andreas Rønningen

The Smoky Mountains are a picturesque part of Idaho, with dozens of places to camp. The Sawtooth National Recreation Area is a fantastic place to go hiking, canoeing, or cycling, and you'll be treated to awe-inspiring mountain views in every direction.

About half the campgrounds welcome campers on a first-come, first-served basis, but you can also make reservations ahead of time to secure a site. The camping season is open in the summer months.

7

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Image: Rahul Bhosale

Don’t mind the name, there is nothing bad about the Badlands. Between the many rock formations you'll see throughout Badlands National Park, you'll also find prairies and places to peek at ancient fossils . The Cedar Pass campground is larger and offers more amenities, but the smaller Sage Creek campground puts you in a better position to see bison wandering around .

8

Ozark–St. Francis National Forests, Arkansas

Image: Alex Holt

The Natural State has 1.2 million acres of recreational space including beaches, lakes, and streams, and more than 400 miles of hiking trails , in the Ozark–St. Francis National Forests. Campers can choose between several developed campgrounds for both RV and tent camping, some of which are open year-round.

Other campgrounds are open from May through October. Primitive camping is also permitted within designated areas—just remember to bring your water (or a water filtration device), and leave the place untouched.

9

Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida

Image: Blake Wisz

At Dry Tortugas National Park, in Key West, Florida, you can camp right outside of one of the world’s largest barrier reefs . Visitors can rent snorkel gear, spend their days relaxing on the beach, or check out Fort Jefferson, a 19th-century fortress used by the Union army to blockade Confederate shipping channels during the Civil War.

This pristine area, perfect for stargazing and bird-watching, requires campers to bring everything they will need, including water, fuel, ice, and food. Ferry transportation from Key West must also be secured as early as possible.

10

Minnewaska State Park Preserve, New York

Image: Esther Tuttle

More than 2,000 feet above sea level and surrounded by rocky terrain, Minnewaska State Park Preserve offers a lot of space to hike, bike, and enjoy the view . Reservations for the Sam F. Pryor III Shawangunk Campground can be made online starting each March, as it is closed during the winter.

The campground features 50 parcels, as well as five car-camping sites, and amenities such as Wi-Fi, coin-operated showers, communal fire pits, and picnic pavilions.

1

World’s first national park

Image: Kedar Gadge

In March 1872, Congress passed the law establishing Yellowstone National Park as a protected public reservation: the first national park ever created on Earth.

By dedicating 2.2 million acres to preservation rather than development, the U.S. set a precedent for conservation worldwide, inspiring national park systems around the world.

2

First sustained and controlled, powered airplane flight

Image: History in HD

In 1903, the Wright brothers successfully flew a powered, heavier-than-air controlled aircraft , known as the Wright Flyer, at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

​

That breakthrough marked the beginning of the aviation age and forever redefined travel, warfare, and global communication.

3

Self-service grocery store

Image: Raul Gonzalez Escobar

In 1916, American grocers opened the self-service supermarket. Instead of clerks fetching food, customers helped themselves to the items they wanted from the shelves.

This change transformed retail: it lowered costs, sped up shopping, and laid the foundation for modern supermarkets all over the world.

4

First cinema house

Image: Elijah Mears

New York City saw the first public "movie theater" in 1894, when a parlor opened using the Kinetoscope, a peep-box device for viewing short motion pictures .

That small parlor marked the beginning of the cinema business, an idea that would grow into a global film-making and entertainment industry.

5

Drive-in movie theater

Image: Josh Sanabria

One could argue that with the rise of cinemas and the boom in automobiles, the drive-in theater was an obvious business idea. But somebody had to do it first.

​

In 1933, Richard Hollingshead Jr. opened the first drive-in theater in New Jersey , where people watched films from their cars.

6

First affordable and mass produced car

Image: Andrew Lancaster

In 1908, the U.S. auto industry delivered the Ford Model T, the first reliable, affordable automobile that was mass-produced for everyday Americans (and not just millionaires).

It revolutionized transportation by enabling mobility for the masses, reshaping how Americans lived, worked, and traveled across the country.

7

Fast food

Image: Jonathan Borba

As it couldn’t be otherwise, this concept was born in America. In 1916, a Wichita stand began selling hamburgers prepared hygienically and cooked quickly : The foundation for what became the fast food culture.

​

That modest stand evolved into larger chains and helped launch a global phenomenon of quick and affordable meals.

8

Film studios

Image: Vincentas Liskauskas

Another concept spawned from a previously mentioned American first, the commercial moving pictures studio was all ours. During the late 19th century, the U.S. saw the creation of the first film studio system .

​

This early film production set the stage for storytelling, entertainment, and cultural exports that would spread worldwide.

9

Diving flippers

Image: Jakob Owens

In 1717, long before modern diving became common, the U.S. saw the first patent for swim-fins (flippers) , attributed to none other than the great Benjamin Franklin.

A small invention, perhaps, but one that revolutionized swimming, diving, and underwater exploration equipment worldwide.

10

Standardized patent-office system

Image: Ray Shrewsberry

When the U.S. patent law was reformed in 1836, a central patent office was established, creating a system to review, grant, and catalogue inventions in a formal and systematic manner .

This institutional framework helped make the U.S. a global hub of invention and innovation, sustaining centuries of technological growth.