Singing Beach in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts, gets its name from the friction caused by grains of sand that emits an unusual “singing” sound. But if you’re expecting a sweet seaside symphony, you may be a little disappointed — the sand offers more of a creaking or squeaking sound than a soaring melody. Still, it is a rare phenomenon not heard on many other beaches.

The entire 1,100-mile long California coast, from Mexico to Oregon, is a protected ecosystem thanks to a 2000 proclamation by President Bill Clinton. The California Coastal National Monument extends 12 nautical miles from the shore to the continental shelf — islands, cliffs, rocks, reefs, shore line, and anything above the high-tide line in this area are all part of the monument.

There are only four green beaches in the world, caused by a silicate called olivine, a relatively heavy mineral that tends to stick around instead of washing out to sea. The only one in the United States is Papakolea Beach on Hawaii’s Big Island. The olivine comes from ancient lava flows, and the color can range from a pea soup green-gold to deep jade.

Coney Island began as a seaside resort in the mid-19th century, and many iconic institutions from its storied history remain, including the Coney Island Cyclone, which is one of the country’s oldest wooden roller coasters still in operation. Nathan’s Famous continues to serve up hot dogs and crinkle-cut fries to patrons from around the world, and it hosts the annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest every Fourth of July.

Towering 235 feet above the shoreline of Cannon Beach, Haystack Rock is one of the most photographed natural attractions along the Oregon coast. It’s not only famous with tourists; it’s a bona-fide movie star — you may recognize it from its role in the 1980s film “The Goonies.” Known as a sea stack, Haystack Rock consists of a vertical column of rock near a coast that is formed by wave erosion.

Alaska has the longest coastline of any state, but in the lower 48, that honor goes to Florida. Approximately 850 miles of Florida’s 1,350 miles coastline includes beaches — more than any other state. These sandy beaches stretch from the Gulf of Mexico around to the Atlantic, and include some of the most popular shores in the country.

A unique outdoor weight room right on the beach, Muscle Beach has attracted bodybuilders from all over the world, including celebrities like Arnold Scharwaggner, since it opened 1951. Crowds still come to watch the bodybuilding contests throughout the year. Muscle Beach Venice was inspired by the original Muscle Beach, located just a few miles north in Santa Monica.

Revere Beach is a 4.5-mile stretch of coastline just outside Boston that was declared America’s first public beach on July 12, 1896. On that day, 45,000 beachgoers showed up to party on Revere’s shores in celebration of the historic occasion. Today, around 900,000 annual visitors visit the North Shore for a single event: the New England Sand Sculpting Festival.

Built in 1870, the original purpose of the Atlantic City Boardwalk on the Jersey Shore was to keep sand out of the lobbies of the area’s ritzy beachfront hotels. The Atlantic City Boardwalk has since turned into one of the most widely visited tourist attractions on the East Coast. At over five miles in length, it is also the longest boardwalk in the U.S.

Although Hawaii is considered the birthplace of modern surfing, Southern California’s Huntington Beach is the official Surf City USA. The trademark caused some dispute with rival Californian surf city Santa Cruz, but ultimately, Huntington retained the title. The town holds more than 50 surf contests each year, including the US Open of Surfing.