The Top 5  Buildings in the United States

Grab your favorite architecture buff and get ready to play "in which place will you find this important American building?" Brush up on your own knowledge of famous buildings and monuments in the United States by visiting them in person. Take in our country’s incredible historic sites, towering skyscrapers, iconic bridges and more by ticking off these essential destinations on your bucket list.

Must-visit locations like the Empire State building, the Alamo, Mount Rushmore, the Brooklyn Bridge, Trinity Church and Fort Sumter are historically significant, while newer buildings like the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles demonstrate new techniques in architecture and design. Some of these iconic buildings and monuments are even more impressive when seen in-person, offering amazing views. Others offer an immersive trip back in time.

While you’re researching famous buildings for your next trip, be sure to check out our guide to the most stunning castles in the U.S. When you’re done with architecture-spotting, consult our expert guides to the best beaches in the U.S. and the best national parks in the U.S. for some iconic natural beauty. Wherever you visit in the U.S., you’re sure to find some amazing views.

1. Mount Rushmore in Keystone, SD

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.

2. Brooklyn Bridge in New York

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

3. Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Maya Lin’s arresting memorial to the dead and missing of the Vietnam War hosts around three million visitors per year. 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.

4. Independence Hall in Philadelphia

One of the most important buildings in the history of the United States, Philadelphia’s Independence Hall is where both 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.

5. The Alamo in San Antonio

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, in 1836 the Alamo was the site of a bloody and decisive battle of the Texas Revolution fought between Texas’s early Anglo settlers and the Mexicans (the latter won). One of the most visited historic sites in the country, today the fort welcomes about three million visitors annually.