landmarks library

Landmarks designate places of interest and peek the interest of many. Discover the massive stones used to erect Stonehenge and the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

What is a World Heritage site?

Featured Article: What is a World Heritage site?

The next time you're pondering a big trip around the world, you might want to think about visiting a World Heritage site. Hundreds of them exist, and they're in some pretty cool spots. See more »

5 Modern Abandoned Cities

5 Modern Abandoned Cities

Imagine May Day decorations fluttering in the wind, empty freeway tunnels emblazoned with graffiti and hospital corridors littered with unattended medical equipment. What's wrong with this picture? There are no people.

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July 17 1955: Disneyland Opens in Anaheim Calif.

July 17 1955: Disneyland Opens in Anaheim Calif.

Disneyland means pure magic to people all over the world. Learn about the opening of Disneyland and how a theme park grew to be an essential part of American childhood.

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What is a World Heritage site?

What is a World Heritage site?

The next time you're pondering a big trip around the world, you might want to think about visiting a World Heritage site. Hundreds of them exist, and they're in some pretty cool spots.

See more »
Famous Landmarks

Famous Landmarks

The world's famous landmarks inspire wonder -- from lost cities to elegant houses of worship. Explore some of the world's greatest landmarks.

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Roadside Landmarks

Roadside Landmarks

For all their uniqueness, man-made roadside landmarks like corn palaces and giant whales can be just as memorable as natural wonders like the Grand Canyon. Read about these quirky roadside landmarks.

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Abu Simbel

Ancient Egypt's greatest egotist and builder, Ramses II erected more temples and statues -- of himself, naturally -- than any other pharaoh. His most impressive works are the two rock temples at Abu Simbel.

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Angkor Wat

A naturalist named Henri Mouhot stumbled across a city of more than 100 stone buildings hidden in the forests of Cambodia. It had been built long ago, the locals said, by a vanished race of giant gods. Learn all about Angkor Wat in this article.

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Arc de Triomphe

The Arc de Triomphe, the world's largest triumphal arch, rises at the west end of the famous Champs-Élysées in Paris. No less a figure than Napoléon commissioned the monument in 1806 to honor his military victories. Read about the Arc de Triomphe.

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Borobudur

The world's largest stupa, or Buddhist shrine -- required several thousand workers and the better part of a century to build. Learn more about Borobudur in Indonesia.

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Chartres Cathedral

As the sun travels across the sky, the famous stained glass windows within Chartres Cathedral change colors and patterns. Streams of tinted light pour across the lofty space, filling it with the glory of God. Learn more about Chartes Cathedral.

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China's Great Wall

Ancient Chinese emperors had the immense Great Wall built as a way to deter invaders. Originally snaking more than 4000 miles across the lush landscape of China this great structure still lures more than 10000 spectators a day to witness its grandeur.

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Christ the Redeemer Statue

Standing 2310 feet atop a mountain the 100-foot-tall Christ the Redeemer Statue rises in splendor above Rio de Janeiro Brazil. Learn how this magnificent statue came to watch over the sprawling city of Rio.

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CN Tower

The CN Tower stands 1,815 feet, 5 inches high, or the equivalent of 12 Statues of Liberty stacked on top of each other. And while we're making comparisons, it weighs 130,000 tons, equal to 23,214 large elephants. Read about vacations to CN Tower.

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Easter Island Statues

The stone figures gaze across Easter Island through eyes hooded in shadow. The place where they stand floats alone in the South Pacific, about 2,000 miles from the coast of Chile. Learn about Easter Island, the most remote inhabited island on Earth.

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Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle is exactly what you would expect a Scottish castle to look like -- standing high on a peak and hard as a rock, with stone walls and ramparts rising out of a volcanic crag. Find out more about the historic landmark, Edingburgh Castle.

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Eiffel Tower

Strong as iron and delicate as lace, the Eiffel Tower is the romantic symbol of Paris. Its design was disdained by the city's artists and writers, who protested the tower's construction for the Universal Exposition. Read about the Eiffel Tower.

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Ellora Caves

A series of 34 cave shrines transform Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain beliefs into three dimensions with elaborate designs and even freestanding structures. Read more about the Ellora Caves in India.

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Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

This Frank Gehry structure is almost as awe-provoking on the outside as the treasures it houses within, boasting works from artists such as Picasso, Pollack and De Kooning.

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Hagia Sophia

The name "Hagia Sophia" means "Divine Wisdom". When it was consecrated in Constantinople in 537, no one in the history of architecture had the sophistication or daring to erect such a building. Read about the inspired Hagia Sophia.

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Houses of Parliament

Big Ben, the River Thames, Westminster Hall: This is where the heart of London history lies. Fires and war bombs couldn't shake these structures that so grandly stand over the river.

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