UNESCO stands for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. It is an agency of the UN, which as a part of its 1972 World Heritage , works towards the preservation of those sites which have natural or cultural significance, across the world. The Unites States of America has 23 UNESCO world heritage sites. Sites like these are classified into 3 groups – sites having (a) natural significance (b) cultural significance or (c) mixed significance.
In late 2017, President Trump announced the US’ plan to withdraw from the UNESCO. But as an original signer, it will maintain status quo within the Convention, which means that sites recognized as world heritage sites can retain the tag. Moreover, the US is also eligible to submit sites for consideration in future.
This article gives a virtual tour of some of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites situated in the United States of America. Most of these sites double up as amazing tourist attractions, therefore some basic information regarding what’s in for tourists wishing to visit these sites, is also given. The government has also made sure that there are dedicated websites for each of these sites which provide useful information for tourists
Statue of Liberty
This monument stands as one of the most recognized monuments representing the US. It was a result of collective efforts from the US and France and stands to commemorate the friendship between the two countries. The statue depicts a woman holding a torch in her right hand and a tablet in her left, on which the date of adoption of the Declaration of Independence is engraved. The statue was sculpted by the French sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi while its steel framework was designed by Gustave Eiffel (who built the infamous Eiffel Tower). The monument was placed on a pedestal built by the American architect Richard Morris Hunt. It was dedicated by President Grover Cleveland in 1886. In 1986, as part of it centennial celebration, the monument underwent massive renovation Today it stands tall on a small island in Upper New York Bay called the Liberty Island. It was recognized as a UNESCO world heritage site in the year 1984.
For a detailed information regarding visiting Statue of Liberty, visit https://www.nps.gov/stli/index.htm, https://www.statueoflibertytickets.com/
Taos Pueblo
Pueblo refers to settlement of Native American people. Taos pueblo is an ancient settlement of Native American tribes. It is a special site because it is the only living Native American tribe which is designated as both a world heritage site and as a National Historic Landmark(in 1960). It is believed that this pueblo has been continuously inhabited for over 1000 years. The site is open for tourists throughout the week from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. From winter to spring, there is an annual closure of the site owing to some tribal rituals. There is no admission fee for children up to 10 years. Students and adult groups (>8 people) need to pay $14 per person. For other adults, the fee is $16 per person. Optional guided tours are available. They begin at 9:00 am everyday and last about 20-30 minutes. Private tours for large groups of people, are also available on request. The place might be of great interest to those passionate about archaeology as the Taos community is one of the most conservative. Their language is undecipherable as of today and therefore not much is known about their customs and practices. It was recognized as a World Heritage Site in the year 1992.
For more information on Taos Pueblo, visit http://taospueblo.com/ , http://www.taospueblo.org/
Mammoth Cave National Park
Situated in the state of Kentucky, Mammoth Cave lives up to its name in the sense that it is the longest known cave system in the world. It spans over 640 kilometers (400 miles). It was given the world heritage site tag in the year 1981. It is home to more than 130 species.Guided cave tours of up to 10 miles are available and are a major tourist attraction. Within Kentucky, is another cave known as the Lost River Cave, guided tours to which consist of 2 parts – a walking tour along the river and a boat tour which enables tourists to explore the inner parts of the cave and take a closer look at it. Other fun activities like zip-lining are also available.
For more details on visiting Mammoth Cave, visit https://mammothcave.com/
Grand Canyon National Park
The prime feature of the national park is the Grand Canyon, which is a magnificent gorge through which the Colorado river flows. Situated in the state of Arizona, it acquired the World Heritage Site status in the year 1979. It attracts tourists from all over the world for fun activities such as camping and hiking. Tours to the site are divided into north rim, south rim, east Canyon and west Canyon. The south rim is open throughout the year. There is a wide array of tours like – whitewater rafting, airplane/helicopter tours, bus tours, sunset tours, day tour, hiking and mule rides. The north rim is closed during winters and has relatively fewer number of tours – mule rides, Grand Canyon north air ground and Grand Canyon north air and ATV. The west Canyon has the Skywalk which is a horse-shoe shaped cantilever bridge with a glass walkway. Apart from the Skywalk, there are motorcoach, helicopter and airplane tours from Las Vegas. Main attractions of the east Canyon include the horse-shoe bend, Lake Powell, Tower Butte Landing tour, Antelope Canyon Boat tour, half day rafting tour and many more…
For more details on visiting visit https://grandcanyon.com/
Apart from the sites mentioned above there are other special world heritage sites too, like :
- Mesa Verde National Park, Yellow Stone National Park – Both were the first sites in the US to be designated as world heritage sites
- Waterton Glacier International Peace Park, Kluane / Wrangell–St. Elias / Glacier Bay / Tatshenshini-Alsek – these are the only two trans-boundary world heritage sites. Both sites are located at the US – Canada border.
- San Antonio Missions, Texas – was the most recent inclusion to the list
Apart from mainland US, there are some world heritage sites in territories like Hawaii and Puerto Rico. All of these sites have either a rich cultural heritage or are home to a horde of special species of flora and fauna. Some sites like the Independence Square have a great historical significance.
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