7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites to Visit in the United States

Statue of Liberty, New York

Statue of Liberty, New York — Unsplash

1/ Statue of Liberty

• A gift from France in 1886 celebrating 100 years of American independence
• Made in Paris by French sculptor Bartholdi in collab w/ Gustave Eiffel
• Located at the entrance of the New York Harbour


Cliff Palace — CC BY-SA 4.0 Rationalobserver

2/ Mesa Verde National Park

• Ancestral Pueblo Indian dwellings
• Built from the 6th-12th centuries
• Located in SW Colorado


Independence Hall — Unsplash

3/ Independence Hall

• Where the Declaration of Independence (1776) was signed
• And where the Constitution of the United States (1787) was signed
• Early 18th century building in Philadelphia


La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site

Fortaleza — CC BY-SA 2.0 Ulises Jorge

4/ La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site

• Built between 16th-20th century
• Historic military architecture in a port city
• Used as a fortress, arsenal, prison and residence of Governor-General

Today it is used as the seat of government and Governor's residence.


Taos Pueblo New Mexico

Taos Pueblo — CC BY-SA 2.0

5/ Taos Pueblo

• Built between 13th-14th centuries
• Pueblo Indian settlement in Taos New Mexico
• Continuously inhabited with some houses rising 5 stories


Chaco Canyon

Chaco Canyon — CC BY-SA 4.0 Gerd Eichmann

6/ Chaco Canyon

• A major cultural site for Ancestral Puebloans
• Located in Northwestern New Mexico
• Dating from the 9th-13th centuries


San Antonio Missions

Mission Espada complex — Robert Howen @National Park Service

7/ San Antonio Missions

• Five Franciscan mission complexes
• Built in the 18th century by the Spanish
• Situated along the San Antonio River in southern Texas


Have you been to any of these cultural UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the US?

Previous
Previous

Paris—3 Historical Places to Visit

Next
Next

What is a UNESCO World Heritage site?