The arrival of spring means that outdoor concert season is right around the corner. While there's no such thing as a bad place to see your favorite artists live and in person, a world-class open-air venue can elevate your experience.

California's Shoreline Amphitheatre has been around for more than three decades. Located between San Francisco and San Jose in Mountain View, the festival-size venue has seating for more than 6,000-plus concert-goers and a giant lawn space that can accommodate 16,000 more.

Red Rocks Amphitheatre outside of Denver is the one open-air venue on every music fans' bucket list. The iconic site, which has seating for more than 9,500, celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2016 and likely has many more great years ahead as it continues to attract the most popular acts in music.

Located on 40 acres of preserved land at Symphony Woods in central Maryland, Merriweather Post Pavilion has been attracting music's most beloved artists and bands for 50 years now and is perennially ranked as one of the nation's top amphitheaters. Architect Frank Gehry's masterpiece has a capacity of over 19,000 thanks to a sweeping lawn.

Washington's Gorge Amphitheatre rivals Red Rocks for the title of America's most scenic concert venue. Situated on the banks of the Columbia River 150 miles east of Seattle, the massive amphitheater features breathtaking views that complement the immense talent on stage during popular events like the annual Sasquatch! Music Festival, which takes place every Memorial Day Weekend.

As you might expect given this venue's location in Los Angeles' Hollywood Hills neighborhood, the Hollywood Bowl has played host to some of the biggest stars in music over the years, including Louis Armstrong, Elton John, Tom Petty and The Doors, among others.

The Jones Beach Theater underwent a pair of renovations in the 1990s that expanded capacity to 15,000. The scenic venue sits on the shores of Zachs Bay with seats facing the water and is a popular stop for Jimmy Buffett, who has played more than two dozen concerts in Wantagh, New York.

When major artists' summer tours come through the nation's capital they typically make a stop at Jiffy Lube Live, an expansive open-air venue a few dozen miles outside of Washington, D.C. in Bristow, Virginia. The amphitheater seats more than 10,000 under its roof while the lawn has room for another 14,000-plus.

Constructed for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra's summer concerts, the Riverbend Music Center opened on the banks of the Ohio River as one of the country's only outdoor music amphitheaters in 1984. Since then, the venue has expanded capacity to surpass 20,000 seats and hosted marquee music festivals like Lollapalooza and the Vans Warped Tour.

Chicago's Jay Pritzker Pavilion is one-of-a-kind in its design. The brainchild of renowned architect Frank Gehry-who also designed Merriweather Post Pavilion-features an eye-catching pavilion bandshell and vast lawn space in Millennium Park. The bizarre design isn't just for show though as the venue stands out for its top-flight acoustics.

Alpine Valley Music Theatre was the largest amphitheater in the U.S. for over a decade until it was surpassed in 1993. The venue, which is located near Milwaukee, Chicago, Madison and Rockford, can seat up to 37,000 concert-goers, including 7,500 under its covered pavilion.

The William Randolph Hearst Greek Theatre at the University of California, Berkeley is named after the iconic newspaper publisher, who financed construction of the 8,500-seat amphitheater all the way back in 1903. Not to be confused with Los Angeles' Greek Theatre, the historic venue was recently retrofitted with reinforced concrete and other safety upgrades.

The Starlight Theatre in Kansas City hosts Broadway shows in addition to outdoor concerts, making it one of the more unique stops in America. Opened as a not-for-profit organization in the early 1950s, the Starlight boasts seating for roughly 8,000 and offers guests dinner and a show with buffet-style dining at the Applause Club.

Chicago's "venue with a view" has undergone several name changes since opening on the Northerly Island peninsula in 2005. Currently named Huntington Bank Pavilion, the lakefront venue was recently expanded from 8,000 to 30,000 seats.

Just the second indoor/outdoor concert venue in America, Pittsburgh's Stage AE is incredibly versatile and can host shows year-round thanks to its indoor club and music hall. The outdoor amphitheater is able to host thousands of more guests during the outdoor season from May to September.

Tampa's MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre has seen its fair share of name changes since opening in 2004 but that hasn't stopped the 20,000-seat open-air venue from luring marquee acts to Florida's Gulf Coast year after year.