Must See Famous Landmarks in the United States

From the east coast to the west coast, the United States has a variety of extraordinarily beautiful landmarks. Here are just a few of the United States must see landmarks!

Top Landmarks to Visit in the US

Statue of Liberty

Statue of Liberty

Brought to America as a gift from the people of France to commemorate the alliance of America and France, the Statue of Liberty which now stands on Liberty Island in Manhattan, New York. “Lady Liberty,” stands bearing a torch in one hand and a tablet, with the date of when the Declaration of Independence was adopted (July 4th, 1776), in the other hand. At the bottom of the statue is a plaque engraved with the poem New Colossus by Emma Lazarus.

Mount Rushmore

Mount Rushmore

In 1923, it was envisioned by historian Doane Robinson to carve the faces of the U.S. presidents into the Black Hills region in South Dakota. After 400 workers spent 14 years carving into the side of the mountain, the faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln were commemorated as Mount Rushmore.

Washington Monument

Washington Monument

Standing at 555 feet tall, the Washington Monument was opened in 1884 as a dedication to the first president, George Washington. When it was first built, the memorial was the tallest building in the world; it was outdone once the Eiffel Tower was built. The idea to build this monument was in motion before Washington was even in office.

The Cloud Gate

The Cloud Gate

The Cloud Gate, also known as “The Bean,” by the locals, was created in 2004 by Anish Kapoor. “The Bean” closely resembles the imagery of liquid mercury and reflects Chicago’s famous skyline and the clouds the float above. The Cloud Gate is beloved by tourists and locals alike. The sculpture weighs at 110 tons and stands at 33-feet tall, with a concave chamber underneath.

Gateway Arch

Gateway Arch

Located in Missouri on the Missouri River, the Gateway Arch is the nation’s tallest monument. It stands at 630-feet and weighs about 886 tons. The arch stands as a memorial to Thomas Jefferson, and his expansionary vision of the Louisiana Purchase.

Space Needle

Space Needle

Created for the 1962 World’s Fair, the Space Needle currently stands as a 605-foot tower located in Seattle, Washington. The tower also includes SkyCity at the top, a restaurant that revolves around the Needle and shows the view of Seattle. There’s also an observation deck at the top to see a 360-degree view of Emerald City.

Hoover Dam

Hoover Dam

In the early 20th century, a plan was made to create a dam on the Arizona-Nevada border to help keep the Colorado River at bay and help provide water and power to the Southwest. The completion of the dam was in 1935 and was marked as the largest dam in the world, at that time. It stands at 800 feet tall, connecting to the canyon walls.

Hollywood Sign

Beginning in 1923, the famous Hollywood Sign first was created as Hollywoodland. Hollywood was created to advertise property in the Hollywood Hills. The sign was initially meant to only stand for about 18 months, but was left up and started to deteriorate during the 1960’s. The sign was soon restored in the late 1970’s and soon became an icon of Los Angeles.

Empire State Building

Standing at 102-stories tall, the Empire State Building stood as the tallest building in the world for nearly 40 years. After being the completion in 1931, the Empire State Building has become an American cultural icon.

Alcatraz

Located on an island in the bay of San Francisco, Alcatraz started as military fortification, a military prison, and a federal prison from 1934 to 1963. Alcatraz held some of the most notorious criminals in American history. No longer in use, Alcatraz has now become a National Historic Landmark managed by the National Park Service (NPS).

 

Sources:
https://www.nps.gov/stli/index.htm
https://www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam/aboutus.html
https://www.spaceneedle.com/home/
https://www.nps.gov/jeff/planyourvisit/gatewayarch.htm

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http://millenniumparkfoundation.org/places/cloud-gate/
https://www.nps.gov/wamo/index.htm
https://www.nps.gov/moru/index.htm

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