Man made wonders like the Golden Gate, the Empire State Building, and the Statue of Liberty attract millions of visitors every year, both domestic and international. These historical monuments and buildings have helped ordinary people to connect with the past and explore the boundaries of human ingenuity.
Additionally, these man made wonders also generate significant revenue in the economy and provide job opportunities to thousands of people. Today, we take a look at 20 such buildings and structures that reflect the architectural innovation of the US.
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1. Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is an American hybrid bridge with the characteristics of a cable-stayed and suspension bridge. At the time of its completion in 1883, it was the world’s longest suspension bridge.
Brooklyn Bridge has a main span of 1595.5 feet along with a deck at a height of 127 feet from the mean high water. Also, it was the first suspension bridge built using steel as the cable wire and the first bridge to use explosives for its construction.
No. of Average Daily Commuters: 149000+
Tickets Required: No
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2. Hollywood Sign
The Hollywood Sign is an iconic historical landmark in Los Angeles, California. Located in the Mouth Lee of the Santa Monica Mountains, the sign is 50 feet tall and 450 feet long.
The sign was first completed in 1923, but it was later renovated using steel in 1978. It is used to represent the American pursuit of glamour. The Hollywood Sign is an ideal location for taking photographs and is also sometimes used as a spot for proposing to one’s partner.
No. of Average Annual Visitors: 50 Million
Ticket Required: No
3. Times Square
Times Square is a major tourist attraction located in Midtown Manhattan, New York. It is best known as a junction connecting 42nd Street, Seventh Avenue, and Broadway.
Times Square is a pop culture landmark with popular destinations like Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museum and the Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. The plaza has also been featured in iconic movies, including The Devil Wears Prada., Deep Impact, Spider-Man, Captain America: The First Avenger, and many more.
No. of Average Annual Visitors: 50 Million
Ticket Required: No
4. Disneyland Park
Disneyland is a theme park in Anaheim, California. Built in an area of 25000 acres (39 sq. miles), the park opened over 68 years ago on July 17, 1955.
The recreational park is divided into five sectors, including Adventureland, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, Frontierland, and Main Street, USA. Although it is relatively smaller in area and less facilitated than its relatively younger counterpart Disney World, Disneyland is more historically significant as it’s the original vision of Walt Disney.
No. of Annual Visitors: 16.9 Million (2022)
Ticket Price: $83.00 Per Day
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5. Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California, is one of the greatest examples of engineering wonder of the 20th century. Constructed between 1933 to 1937, the bridge has a height of 746 feet and the longest span of 4200 feet.
Ever since its construction, the Golden Gate Bridge was the longest suspension in the world until 1964 and the tallest until 1998. It is one of the most photographed landmarks and is considered a sign of architectural genius.
No. of Annual Visitors: 15.64 Million (2022)
Toll Charge: $8.75-$48.75
6. The White House
The White House is the official residence of the President of the United States. Designed by Irish-American architect James Hoban, the Washington, DC, building was constructed in the neoclassical style.
The residence opened on November 1, 1800, and was initially housed by the second US President John Adams. Covering an area of 18 acres, the White House building has 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, and 3 kitchens.
No. of Annual Visitors: 10 Million+
Ticket Required: No
7. Hoover Dam
The Hoover Dam is an arch-gravity dam located in Black Canyon, Colorado River. The dam contains Lake Mead with a total volume of 7.73 cubic miles, making it the largest reservoir in the US.
The dam became operational on March 1, 1936. At the time of its completion, the Hoover Dam was the highest dam in the world with a maximum height equivalent to a 60-story building. The structure also has a base with a thickness equaling nearly two football fields. Similarly, the concrete used in the dam is so much that it can be used to construct roads from New York to San Francisco.
No. of Average Annual Visitors: 7 Million
Ticket Price: $30.00 Per Person
8. The Bean
The Bean, officially called Cloud Gate, is a sculpture inside the Millenium Park in Chicago, Illinois. The structure is best known for its smooth surface despite being made by welding stainless steel plates together.
Designed by British-Indian sculptor Anish Kapoor, The Bean has dimensions of 33×66×42 feet along with a total weight of 110 tons. Visitors can walk around and under the structure; it is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Chicago.
Kapoor took inspiration from the shape of mercury at room temperature. The construction of The Bean started in 2004 and was completed in 2006.
No. of Average Annual Visitors: 5 Million
Ticket Required: No
9. The Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a 310 feet high sculpture on Liberty Island, New York Harbor. Gifted by the French people to the US, it was built entirely in France in 1884 before getting disassembled and shipped to the US.
The statue is often considered the universal symbol of freedom and the American dream. It also serves as a landmark to celebrate the abolition of slavery.
Only limited visitors are allowed due to concern for the statue’s safety. Tickets are available for access to the pedestal and crown.
No. of Average Annual Visitors: 4.44 Million+
Ticket Price: $24.60-$49.60 Per Person (Free for children under 4 years old)
10. Empire State Building
The Empire State Building in Midtown Manhattan, New York, was the tallest building in the world from 1931 to 1972. Architectural firm Shreve, Lamb & Harmon designed the building, whereas real estate developers Starrett Brothers completed the construction in 1931.
According to TripAdvisor, the Empire State Building was in the top position on the Top Attractions in the US list in 2021 and 2022. It is an iconic New York landmark with commercial and historical significance.
No. of Average Annual Visitors: 4 Million
Ticket Prices: $38.00 (Children), $44.00 (Adults), $42.00 (Senior citizens)
11. One World Trade Center
One World Trade Center is a skyscraper in New York. It is built at the site of the twin towers of the original WTC which were destroyed during the 9/11 attacks.
Also called One World Trade and One WTC, the building is currently the tallest building in the US with a height of 1776 feet (541 meters). Construction of the building started in 2006; the project took over eight years and $3.9 billion to complete.
Average No. of Annual Visitors: 3.3 Million
Ticket Price: $39.00-$69.00 Per Person
12. Saturn V Rocket
Saturn V is an American retired rocket best known for launching the Apollo 11 crew from the Kennedy Space Center. Operational from 1967 to 1973, the rocket had a total cost of $6.417 billion from production to launch.
Saturn V was used for the launch of 13 space missions, including Apollo 11, Apollo 12, Apollo 13, Skylab 1, and more The 363-feet tall vehicle is currently exhibited at the Kennedy Space Centre, Florida.
No. of Average Annual Visitors: 2 Million+
Ticket Price: $78.75 Per Person (Kennedy Space Center Entry Fee)
13. Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore National Memorial is famous for the gigantic sculptures of the faces of US Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson. Completed in 1941, it is located in Black Hills, South Dakota.
In addition to visiting the famous landmark, visitors can also take pictures of the man-made wonder from multiple angles, participate in the Evening Lighting Ceremony, and take a hike across the Presidential Trail.
No. of Average Annual Visitors: 2 Million
Ticket Required: No
14. Alcatraz Prison
Alcatraz Prison was an American Federal prison that operated in Alcatraz Island from 1934-1963. It housed several notorious criminals like Al Capone, James “Whitey” Bulger, Mickey Cohen, Machine Gun Kelly, Alvin Karpis, and Roy Gardner, among others.
The prison was ultimately shut down due to its extremely high maintenance cost. Today, you can take a ferry from San Francisco Bay to Alcatraz Island to visit this historic landmark.
No. of Average Annual Visitors: 1.7 Million
Ticket Price: $25.00-$96.00
15. Gateway Arch
The Gateway Arch is a 58-year-old monument located in St. Louis, Missouri. It is currently the tallest arch in the world, standing at a height of 630 feet.
Construction of the Gateway Arch was completed on October 28, 1965. What makes it so special is that the two halves of the arch were constructed separately. An error of 1/64th of an inch would have made it impossible for the two to join. Another interesting fact about the arch is that its height and width are the same, i.e. 630 feet.
While you don’t need to pay a single penny to visit the monument, taking the tram services to the top costs money.
No. of Annual Visitors: 1.62 Million (2022)
Tram Charge: $15.00-$19.00 (Adults), $12.00-$16.00 (Child) [Rates may vary depending on the day of the week]
16. Crazy Horse Memorial
The Crazy Horse Memorial is an under-construction monument in Black Hills, South Dakota. The mountain carving structure is a memorial to the Native American leader Crazy Horse.
Scheduled to be completed in 2035, the monument will have a length of 641 feet and a height of 563 feet. Similarly, Crazy Horse’s face is 87 feet 6 inches, bigger than the faces at Mount Rushmore. The sculpture is being built nearly 17.8 miles from the US Presidents’ faces at Mount Rushmore.
No. of Average Annual Visitors: 1.5 Million
Ticket Price: $7.00-$35.00 (Charges vary based on the vehicle and no. of people in it)
17. The Space Needle
The Space Needle is a 605-foot tall tower located in Seattle, Washington. It is often considered a signature landmark of Seattle.
Construction of the tower started in 1961 and was completed in 1962. Today, the building offers three viewing areas with 360-degree views. The Space Needle is also a significant source of income for Seattle as it is visited by over 1.3 million people every year and generates annual revenue amounting to over $25 million. The tower currently employs 274 people.
No. of Average Annual Visitors: 1.3 Million
Ticket Price: $30.00-$42.50 Per Person
18. Dole Plantation Maze
The Dole Plantation Maze, also called the Pineapple Garden Maze, is a botanical maze in Wahiawa, Hawaii. The maze is unique as it was built with flowers instead of walls.
The maze covers an area of over three acres and consists of more than 14000 local plants. The average time for solving the maze takes around 40 minutes. You can check if you are below or above average by simply calculating the time. The Hawaii-based landmark was established in 1998.
No. of Average Annual Visitors: 1 Million+
Ticket Price: $11.00 (Child), $13.00 (Kama’aina/Military), $14.00 (Adult)
19. Fallingwater
Fallingwater is a historical house located in Springfield Township, Pennsylvania. Designed by legendary American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, the house was built back in 1935.
Fallingwater partly rests over the tributary Bear Run which gives the impression that the water is flowing from inside the house. The property is a great example of the architectural innovation of the 20th century.
No. of Average Annual Visitors: 135,000+
Ticket Price: $87.00 Per Person
20. Lake Compounce
Lake Compounce is the oldest amusement park in the US. Owned by the Parques Reunidos Group, the park was first opened in 1846.
The theme park is built in an area of roughly 332 acres. It has 55 major attractions, among which 13 are roller coasters. Situated in Bristol, Connecticut, Lake Compounce remains operational from May to December.
Ticket Price: $19.99-$69.99 Per Person