23 Famous US Landmarks Throughout the Years
These photos of US landmarks' transformation throughout the years will have you traveling across the country — and through time.
Most countries have famous landmarks that are deemed iconic by people from all over the world. Italy has the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Coliseum. China has the Great Wall and the Forbidden City. France has the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre. The United States has. . . almost too many to count. Traveling around the world, or even cross-country, to see these landmarks isn't exactly ideal right now, due to COVID-19 restrictions. But these famous US landmark photos of some of its most iconic places at their inception and now will serve as a virtual road trip through time.
Some of these famous US landmarks look drastically different than they did when they were first built or discovered, while others appear the same on the surface but are surrounded by what seems like a whole new world. Seeing how these landmarks have transformed over the years (and watching America grow around them) from the comfort of your home may not be as fun as renting an RV and visiting them all, but it's the safest option now and will get you even more excited for your summer 2021 road trip.
Central Park, 1880
When New York State Legislature enacted the 750-acre land in the middle of Manhattan in 1853, Central Park became America's first major urban, public park and began the urban park movement, according to the park's official website.
Central Park, NOW
In 2019, about 42 million people visited Central Park, Statista reported, making it the most visited city park in the entire country.
Golden Gate Bridge, 1936
Chicago engineer Joseph Strauss and his team began building the Golden Gate Bridge in 1933, which opened to the public four years later, according to the History Channel. Strauss was given the job in 1921, but it took some time to convince local residents, businesses, and civic leaders who would be affected by the bridge that it would ultimately benefit them. The bridge was named after the Golden Gate Strait that it's suspended over, connecting San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean.
Golden Gate Bridge, NOW
The Golden Gate Bridge is the third most visited attraction in San Francisco, according to a San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau fact sheet. In addition to the 40 million people crossing the bridge via transportation each year, more than 10 million tourists visit it as well, according to the Golden Gate official website. From 1937 to 1964, the Golden Gate was the longest suspension bridge in the world, History reported. Now, it's the second largest in the US, 60 feet shorter than the Verrazano Bridge in New York.
Grand Central Terminal, 1900
The use of railroads in America really took off in the 1800s. According to its website, before Grand Central Terminal was built, there were already four competing lines in New York — the Hudson River, New York Central, New York & Harlem, and New York & New Haven. The Hudson, New Haven, and Harlem railroads were eager to expand and save money, so in 1871, they agreed to share one transit hub: Grand Central Depot. By 1900, the size of the Depot, now known as Grand Central Station, had doubled, and rail traffic had quadrupled.
Grand Central Terminal, NOW
Today, Grand Central is more than just a transit hub. It has five restaurants and cocktail lounges, 20 food stands in its lower level dining concourse, and specialty shops throughout the entire building. And in the winter, the terminal's former main waiting room is home to the Grand Central Holiday Fair, which brings in over 40 craftspeople and artisans.
Vizcaya, 1935
In 1910, James Deering, an industrial executive and antiquities collector, decided to make a European-style villa in Miami to serve as his winter escape from his home in Paris, Maine, The Culture Trip reported. Construction began in 1914. The main house was done by 1916, but the gardens took a little longer and were completed in 1923. After Deering passed away in 1925, he left the Villa and its flourishing gardens to his brother and two nieces.
Vizcaya, NOW
Vizcaya is a well-known landmark in South Florida. It was turned into a museum in the mid-1900s and remains one today. The beautiful property can be rented out for weddings and other formal events. Many teenaged girls also take Quinceañera (a Latinx celebration of a girl's 15th birthday) photos at Vizcaya.
Grand Canyon, 1873
According to the History Channel, the Grand Canyon was formed when the Colorado River began cutting a channel through layers of rock 5 to 6 million years ago. Since the last Ice Age, about 2.6 million years ago, humans have inhabited the area within the canyon and around it. President Benjamin Harris declared the Grand Canyon a forest reserve in 1893, granting the canyon its first federal protection.
Grand Canyon, NOW
The Grand Canyon receives around 5 million visitors from all over the world each year, the History Channel reported. The canyon is the ancestral home of the Havasupai people, who have lived in the area for more than 800 years. In 2017, there was a major development project called the Grand Canyon Escalade in the works that would have included hotels, stores, and a gondola. The Navajo Nation rejected it on environmental grounds.
Lincoln Memorial, 1922
Two years after Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, Congress created the Lincoln Monument Association to build a memorial to the former president. The location wasn't selected until 1901, and it took another 10 years for the funds to be released, according to the landmark's website. Construction began later that year, and in 1922, the memorial on the National Mall was completed. Thirty-six columns surround the memorial, each one representing a state of the union at the time of Lincoln's death, as noted on the National Park Service website.
Lincoln Memorial, NOW
Statista reported that upwards of 7 million people visit the Lincoln Memorial each year, making it the most visited memorial in all of Washington DC. The long reflecting pool that stands between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument is also a part of the 16th president's memorial and was rebuilt in 2010.
Alcatraz, 1900
Alcatraz Island was once the United States' go-to maximum-security prison. According to the History Channel, from 1934 until 1963, Alcatraz was home to some of America's most notorious criminals, like Al Capone, George ‘Machine Gun’ Kelly, and Alvin ‘Creepy’ Karpis. Most of the inmates were considered violent or dangerous. Before becoming a federal penitentiary in the 1930s, Alcatraz was an army fortress and military prison. The prison closed in 1963 because it was too expensive to maintain.
Alcatraz, NOW
Today, Alcatraz is one of San Francisco's most popular tourist attractions. According to the NPS, about 4,500 tourists visit the island daily. They can tour the main cellhouse, dining hall, lighthouse, morgue, library, and prison yard, among other things. Every year since 1980, hundreds of athletes participate in the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon, which starts with the swim from Alcatraz and is followed by an 18-mile bike ride and an 8-mile run throughout San Francisco.
Fisherman's Wharf, 1954
Fisherman's Wharf was established in 1900 to serve as a hub for commercial fishing boats. Many of these fishermen came from generations of fishermen who carried on their families' legacies. There were previous docks in the area, but when the San Francisco Bay continued to expand, the state decided to move commercial fishing away from the busy areas they were in before and into the Wharf, according to an essay in San Francisco's Digital Archive. Fishermen would dock there and sell directly to people from their boats. Slowly, some fishermen began to notice that they could set up stalls on the pier and sell meals made with their catch. Over time, seafood restaurants started popping up.
Fisherman's Wharf, NOW
The Wharf is an iconic landmark in San Francisco. According to Fisherman's Wharf's 2014-2015 annual report, anywhere between 10 and 12 million people visit Fisherman's Wharf every year, averaging about 24,000 daily — sometimes even up to 100,000, if it's peak tourist season or a really nice day. Pier 39 stands on the east of Fisherman's Wharf and his home to those silly little sea lions who like to lie around the docks all day.
Vieux Carré Historic District, 1915
The Vieux Carré. The Old Square. The French Quarter. The oldest neighborhood in New Orleans goes by many names. Established by the French in 1734, the Vieux Carré is located on the banks of the Mississippi River, close to Lake Pontchartrain, the French Quarter Management District reported. The district was the only part of New Orleans for decades, but as the city began expanding, suburbs came with it.
Vieux Carré Historic District, NOW
With New Orleans' open container laws and countless bars up and down Bourbon Street, the Vieux Carré Historic District is seen by many as more of a party place than anything else — and with good reason. But there is so much more to New Orleans and even the French Quarter. It's rich with history of pirates, voodoo, ghosts, and delicious food.
Space Needle, 1965
The Space Needle was dreamt up by the chief organizer of the 1962 World’s Fair in Seattle, as noted on its official website. He visited Germany a few years before the Fair and was inspired by a broadcast tower he saw when he was there. He encountered challenges with the structure's final design, location and financing. A little over a year before the World Fair opening, he got the money he needed and the location. By December 1961, eight months after they began construction, the Space Needle was completed.
Space Needle, NOW
Between 1962, when the Space Needle opened to the public, and 2017, about 60 million people visited it, making it the number one attraction in the Pacific Northwest, the Space Needle Fact Sheet noted. The saucer-shaped top of the Needle is home to Seattle's largest observation deck, providing indoor and outdoor panoramic views of the entire city and beyond.
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