The most famous buildings and monuments in the USA

Boasting the carved faces of four American presidents, South Dakota’s granite Mount Rushmore is among the country’s strangest—and most visited—monuments. Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln have gazed out from the peak since 1941, when the project was completed by sculptor Gutzon Borglum and his son Lincoln. Almost three million people visit the Mount each year, where they can hike up the Presidential Trail to get an up-close-and-personal look at the giant faces.

Price: No entrance fee or pass is required, but parking fees may apply. 

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One of the most complicated engineering feats in modern history, the Brooklyn Bridge, which stretches between Brooklyn and Manhattan and helps define New York City's iconic skyline, claimed the lives of about 27 men between 1869 and 1883. Things are a lot calmer now at the roadway bridge.

Price: Free

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Maya Lin’s arresting memorial to the dead and missing of the Vietnam War hosts around three million visitors annually. The main part of the monument, known as “The Wall,” consists of two long walls made of black volcanic stone and inscribed with the names of 58,318 casualties. In 2016, Lin, who was only 21 and an undergraduate when her design for the memorial was accepted, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Price: Free.

One of the most important buildings in the history of the United States, Philadelphia’s Independence Hall is where the young nation’s Declaration of Independence and its Constitution were debated and adopted into law. Predating U.S. independence, the Georgian-style hall was completed in 1753 and originally housed the Liberty Bell—now displayed across the street in its own building.

Price: Tickets are free, but there is a $1 administrative fee per ticket.

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Originally conceived of as a gift from France to the U.S., this 151-foot copper lady was, perhaps, the world’s first crowdfunded campaign: when the French government couldn’t afford to complete and ship the statue stateside, an 1885 drive started by New York World publisher Joseph Pulitzer attracted more than 120,000 contributors, most of whom gave less than a dollar. Lady Liberty arrived in pieces shortly thereafter and was assembled on the since-renamed Liberty Island, where she still welcomes visitors to the New York Harbor.

Price: General admission to the Statue of Liberty costs around $24 for adults.

When it opened in 1937, San Francisco’s instantly recognizable suspension bridge was the longest and tallest in the world, at 4,200 and 746 feet, respectively. Other structures have since surpassed it, but it remains an iconic landmark known worldwide. Open to cars and pedestrians, the bridge is crossed each day by about 10,000 walkers and 6,000 bikes.

Price: Free.

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The world’s tallest obelisk, a 554-foot stone structure that anchors D.C.’s National Mall, took a while to complete. Construction began in 1848 but was interrupted several times by the chaos of the Civil War. Though it is now closed—there’s an elevator for visitors—the monument is also renowned for the 898 steps that lead to 50 different landings.

Price: Free.

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The most recognizable skyscraper in the world was erected in the late 1920s and has been a mobbed tourist destination ever since. These days, it attracts about 4 million visitors each year. At 102 stories, it’s no longer the tallest building in the country—that title goes to the nearby One World Trade Center—but it’s still one of the most distinctive. Capable of displaying 16 million colors, its state-of-the-art LED light system changes for special events and holidays.

Price: $44 for adults, $38 for children.

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This “Gateway to the West” is the world’s tallest arch and the tallest man-made monument in the Western hemisphere at 630 feet. Designed by Eero Saarinen in 1947 and completed in 1965, the stainless steel-clad arch commemorates Western expansion in the U.S. One of the most visited tourist attractions in the world, the arch welcomes about four million visitors each year.

Price: Adults (16 and up) start at $15, children (3–15) start at $11, and infants (2 and under) are free.

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Erected in the 1870s in Boston’s Back Bay, this Romanesque, rough-stone church is one of the city’s most well-known landmarks. Each December, the church welcomes many visitors who line up for its free Candlelight Carols, performances of traditional carols and anthems offered by the Trinity choirs and instrumentalists since 1909.

Price: $10 for adults and $8 for seniors, students, educators, military, first responders, and Massachusetts residents.

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New York's Grand Central is as iconic as they come. Opened in  1913, the building is a feat of engineering, a design marvel, and a backdrop to important moments in real life and movies alike. Every day, nearly 750,000 people pass through on their way in and out of New York, gazing up at the 125-foot-high vaulted ceiling featuring paintings of zodiac constellations.

Price: Free.

What's more American than football? And what's more football than the Dallas Cowboys? That's what makes AT&T Stadium such an iconic U.S. building—with the ability to seat 80,000-100,000+ people, it is the largest stadium in the NFL by seating capacity. Featuring a retractable roof, it is not only home to the Dallas Cowboys but also the equally, if not more, famous Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders. It also hosts the Big 12 Championship Game, Southwest Classic, concerts, rodeos and other events.  

Price: Price of a ticket to attend an event or game, or guided tours start at around $18.55 per person.

Most Americans know the phrase “Remember the Alamo,” even if they’re not exactly sure what transpired at the 18th-century Spanish mission. Later secularized and used as a fortress, the Alamo was the site of a bloody and decisive battle of the Texas Revolution between Texas’s early Anglo settlers and the Mexicans (the latter won) in 1836. One of the most visited historic sites in the country, the fort welcomes about three million visitors annually.

Price: Free.

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This seaside fort in Charleston saw two battles of the American Civil War: one in 1861 and one in 1863, when the Union tried (and failed) to wrest it from Confederate control. Completely leveled at the end of the war, the fort was later restored by the U.S. Army and today welcomes visitors at an education center and museum.

Price: The standard pass is $10. 

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Baltimore’s Fort McHenry was built in 1798 and played a key role in the War of 1812. In 1814, U.S. armed forces successfully defended Baltimore Harbor from an attack by the British Navy. Later, during the Civil War, it served as a prison for captured Confederate soldiers and sympathizers. The fort is referenced in the Star-Spangled Banner and receives hundreds of thousands of tourists annually.

Price: $15 per adult.

In a city crowded with some of the most recognizable monuments in the world, the Lincoln Memorial stands out for its graceful elegance that evokes a Greek temple. Located on the western edge of the National Mall, architect Henry Bacon’s masterpiece features a larger-than-life, seated Abraham Lincoln exuding calm and steadfastness. Consistently D.C.’s most-visited monument with an average of six million visitors per year, the site looks even more special at night—and you can stop by 24 hours a day.

Price: Free.

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Formerly known as the Sears Tower, Chicago’s tallest skyscraper was built in 1970 by Sears, Roebuck & Co., then the largest retailer in the world. The black-banded building dominates the Windy City’s skyline and, at 108 stories, is the U.S.’s second-tallest building, surpassed only by NYC’s One World Trade Center.

Price: $32 admission.

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Built at the height of the Gilded Age by a Vanderbilt, this expansive estate outside Asheville mimics France’s Versailles Palace with its steeply pitched, slate-tiled roof. Inside, 250 rooms divided between four floors include 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, three kitchens, 65 fireplaces, and a formerly men-only “Bachelors’ Wing.” Today, visitors to the 8,000-acre estate can gawk at original art by Renoir and Singer Sargent, magnificent 16th-century tapestries, and a library that houses 10,000 volumes.

Price: Depending on the time of year, admission ranges from $70-$125.

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Downtown L.A.’s most recognizable building is a masterpiece designed by Frank Gehry. It is a distinctively rippled, stainless-steel-coated structure that houses the L.A. Philharmonic and the L.A. Master Chorale. Walt Disney’s widow Lillian donated the initial $50 million needed to get the project off the ground, and the concert hall was completed in 1996. Its renowned acoustics come courtesy of a fir- and oak-paneled interior.

Price: Free self-guided audio tours of Walt Disney Concert Hall are offered by the Music Center most days.

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