America's GREATEST National Monuments to Visit

Описание: There are many incredible places to see in America, and a lot of them are only a stone’s throw from our backyards. The United States is peppered with historical landmarks, memorials, and monuments alike, and millions of people visit them every year to experience the majesty that these places have to offer. We’ve compiled a list of just a tiny portion of some of the neater monuments there are to explore, so get ready to be inspired by 9 of America’s Greatest National Monuments to Visit.

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3. Devil’s Tower
Located in the Bear Lodge Mountains in Crook County in northeastern Wyoming, sits Devil’s Tower. It’s a laccolithic butte that rises to 867 feet from summit to base. The giant monument stands above the Belle Fourche River and was declared a United States National Monument in September of 1906 by President Theodore Roosevelt. It received its name during an expedition led by Colonel Richard Irving Dodge in 1875 when his interpreter heard and misinterpreted a native name for the mega-structure as “Bad God’s Tower.” Visitors can view the monument from afar, take a guided tour, or, if they’re adventurous, climb the thing. The park is open 24 hours a day, and many choose to view the tower at night, and the park is even going to begin offering astronomy programs in the fall of 2017. Devil’s Tower has been featured in documentaries, books, and movies alike, and was the location in Close Encounters of the Third Kind where humans made contact with aliens.

2. Statue of Liberty
Perhaps one of America’s most well-known monuments is the Statue of Liberty. This massive neoclassical sculpture is found on Liberty Island just off of New York City and was given to the United States as a gift from France. Dedicated on October 28, 1886, the statue has been a hugely popular destination for visitors from all over the world. Ellis Island was also made a part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument in 1965 and hosts a museum of immigration for all to visit. People traveling to see the statue used to be able to access the balcony around the torch for a magnificent view, but visitors from the public have are barred from the balcony and have been since 1916. That’s not to say that there aren’t some fantastic things to do at the statue these days, as tourists are taken to the island after paying a small fee, undergoing a security check, via ferry, and are then able to see the statue in all her majesty. People can enter the base of the statue after receiving a free pass alongside their ferry ticket, and some, who must reserve a pass long in advance, can climb the stairs to the crown. Only 240 people are allowed to make the climb every day, though, and the ascenders are subject to additional security screening. They are allowed to bring medication and a camera and not much else. Although pretty tightly controlled, this monument seems like a pretty great place to spend a day.


1. Jefferson National Expansion Memorial
This park, located in St. Louis, Missouri, was designated on December 21, 1935, and incorporates the Old Courthouse, the Gateway Arch, and will, in the future, incorporate a brand new museum. The old museum, the Museum of Westward Expansion, has been done away with to make room for the new project. At the Old Courthouse—and it is old, seeing as it was built in 1828—visitors can expect to learn about historical court cases, St. Louis’ role in settlers movements into western America, and visit the gift shop where there are lots of books, videos, toys, and apparel dedicated to the history of St. Louis. Those who decide to purchase a ticket for the Gateway Arch are in for a real treat. Inside the nation’s tallest monument, visitors can climb inside the space pod-like tram alongside others for an exciting, and slightly-terrifying ascent to the top. The pods, or capsules, seat five and tuck you in quite snuggly with other capsule-mates. Each capsule has a window so people can see the stairs and inner-workings of the arch on their four-minute climb to the top. Once at the peak of the arch, they find themselves in an observation area with 32 windows, 16 on each side, that overlook the city of St. Louis on one side, and the Mississippi River and Illinois on the other. Everyone is encouraged to stay as long as they’d like and photography is permitted out the tiny windows. Then back into the capsules for the four-minute ride back down. All in all Jefferson National Expansion Monument is a great experience and the more than 1.5 million visitors that flock every year would undoubtedly tell you the same.