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Travel 101: What World Heritage Sites are in the United States?
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Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. Photo by Bob Riel.
In a previous article, we considered the question “What is a World Heritage Site?” and reviewed the criteria for gaining that prestigious UNESCO honor. Today, we’ll take a closer look at the 20 locations in the United States that have been designated as World Heritage Sites. There are eight cultural destinations and 12 natural sites.
I’ve highlighted a select few of these destinations, with brief overviews of their importance. Then, at the bottom of the article is a list of all 20 U.S. sites, with links to a UNESCO page about each place.
Independence Hall – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Independence Hall is important not for its architectural value, but for its role in forming the democracy of the new United States of America. The Declaration of Independence was signed there in 1776, setting the stage for the Revolutionary War and the eventual founding of the American nation. Then, in 1787, the Constitution was composed and signed there. Today, visitors can tour the rooms where the country’s Founding Fathers debated. Across the street is the Liberty Bell Center.
Monticello and the University of Virginia – Charlottesville, Virginia
Monticello is the home that Thomas Jefferson designed and built on the eastern edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The third president of the United States and author of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson was also a talented architect. He tinkered with this home throughout his life and put many of his ideas into physical form at Monticello. It is the only private home in the U.S. that is a World Heritage Site. Jefferson's architectural passion is also evident at the University of Virginia, which he founded and designed. The school has a beautiful campus, with a domed Rotunda modeled on the Pantheon in Rome.
Mesa Verde National Park - Colorado
Mesa Verde is home to a collection of cliff dwellings that were built by the Ancestral Pueblo Indians in the 12th and 13th centuries. Located in southwestern Colorado, these dwellings housed entire communities and are built in a similar manner to the mesa top villages that are also sprinkled throughout the region. The cliff dwellings are located in stunning settings that in many cases are only reachable by steep trails or by hand and toe holds that were carved into the rock face. They stand today as a remarkable testament to the prehistoric culture of the American Indian.
Grand Canyon National Park – Arizona
The Grand Canyon is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the country and has been a national park since 1919. The canyon is a 277-mile long gorge in the Earth that is 18 miles across at its widest point. It was created over six million years as the Colorado River carved its way through the rock of the Colorado Plateau. The Grand Canyon was also named recently as one of 28 finalists in the New 7 Wonders of Nature campaign.
Yellowstone National Park – Wyoming
Yellowstone was one of the country’s first national parks, and one of the first U.S. destinations named as a World Heritage Site. The park is located mostly in Wyoming, though parts of it are also in Montana and Idaho. Covering nearly 3,500 square miles, the park was formed by volcanic and glacial activity and has a variety of geothermal features. The most famous, of course, is the Old Faithful Geyser, but there are actually hundreds of geysers and hot springs bubbling beneath Yellowstone. The park is also known for its abundance of wildlife.
Here is a complete list of World Heritage Sites located in the United States.
Cultural sites:
- La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site in Puerto Rico (1983)
- Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site (1982)
- Chaco Culture (1987)
- Independence Hall (1979)
- Mesa Verde National Park (1978)
- Monticello and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville (1987)
- Pueblo de Taos (1992)
- Statue of Liberty (1984)
Natural sites:
- Carlsbad Caverns National Park (1995)
- Everglades National Park (1979)
- Grand Canyon National Park (1979)
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park (1983)
- Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (1987)
- Kluane / Wrangell-St Elias / Glacier Bay / Tatshenshini-Alsek (1979)
- Mammoth Cave National Park (1981)
- Olympic National Park (1981)
- Redwood National and State Parks (1980)
- Waterton Glacier International Peace Park (1995)
- Yellowstone National Park (1978)
- Yosemite National Park (1984)
An additional 14 sites have been added to the Tentative List and are likely to be nominated and perhaps accepted as World Heritage Sites in the future.
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