United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites are places that have significant cultural or natural importance. Many places around the world that are designated as World Heritage Sites have historical significance. Here in the United States, we have 23 sites that are considered important enough to our heritage to be called a World Heritage Site. Probably the most famous one would be the Grand Canyon. Here is a list of eight others which you should try to visit at some point in your life.
World Heritage Sites
- San Antonio Missions, San Antonio, Texas. Although San Antonio is probably best remembered for the Alamo, this mission complex of five missions is an excellent example of weaving Catholic culture with the indigenous peoples in the area. Built by Franciscan missionaries in the 1700s, these structures demonstrate a unique look into the architecture and heritage of the Coahuiltecan culture.
- Monumental Earthworks of Poverty Point, West Carroll Parish, Louisiana. Archaeological digs have established that this location was built between 1650 and 700 BC. The original purpose of the site has not been completely determined, but it is believed to have been a religious site, a trading center and settlement for early Native Americans. The transformed landscape is impressive when you consider it was established by a society of hunters and gatherers, not agricultural peoples.
- Taos Pueblo, Taos, New Mexico. Established between the 13th and 14th centuries, this ancient site belonged to the Pueblo people. Both the original indigenous spiritual traditions and that of Roman Catholicism are practiced in the area. Saint Jerome is the patron saint of the pueblo.
- La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Although technically a territory of the United States, Puerto Rico has an important heritage. La Fortaleza is an example of military architecture from the Middle Ages. These structures were adapted to port cities in the new America.
- Independence Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Although early designs for the hall were thought to have been created by Andrew Hamilton, a famous lawyer, it is likely that his plans were not the final design. Still, the Hall was home to the Second Continental Congress when the Declaration of Independence was signed. It also served as the location of the Constitutional Convention when the new government debated the U.S. Constitution.
- Mesa Verde National Park, Montezuma County, Colorado. The first designated UNESCO World Heritage Site in the United States, this national park is another ancient site for the Pueblo peoples. The cliff dwellings are suspected to have been built between the 6th and 12th centuries but not discovered until 1874.
- Kluane / Wrangell–St. Elias / Glacier Bay / Tatshenshini-Alsek, Southeast Fairbanks, Alaska, and other locations. This site is jointly located in both the United States and Canada. It is the largest non-polar ice field and has some of the world’s longest glaciers. Its significance is the natural beauty of the icefield landscapes and that it is the natural habitat for many different animal species.
- Cahokia, St. Clair County, Illinois. This UNESCO site covers about 4,000 acres and is thought to be the largest urban settlement in the Southeast United States some 500 years before the Europeans came to America. Many hand tools and pottery have been excavated from the mounds, demonstrating the capability of the early indigenous peoples.
Learning more about sites around the United States that show our history helps us become more aware of our future. Choose one UNSECO World Heritage Site to visit every year or so and appreciate what makes America such a land of opportunity. America is a wonderful place to live, and there’s so much to see to understand your heritage.