America's Top Structures
From minimilast to eclectic, America picks its favorite buildings.
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Empire State Building,
New York
America's overall favorite building is the Empire State Building. Located in the heart of the Big Apple, it is one of the nation's most popular tourist attractions.
At 1,454 feet tall, the skyscraper took a year and 45 days to build and was completed in 1931. It is the second-tallest building in the U.S. after Chicago's Sears Tower. -
Bellagio Hotel,
Las Vegas
Steve Wynn's Bellagio Hotel and Casino, inspired by the Lake Como resort in Bellagio, Italy, brought a burst of class to the Las Vegas strip in 1998.
Featured in 'Ocean's Eleven,' the Tuscan-themed resort invites visitors with its world-famous choreographed water-ballet extravaganza. -
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Apple Store,
New York
The iPod and computer maker's location on New York's trendy 5th Avenue greets shoppers with a 32-foot glass cube that leads to an underground, round-the-clock store, featuring an iPod Bar and live customer service. -
Delano Hotel,
Miami Beach, Fla.
The epitome of cool, Ian Schrager's beachfront paradise is a favorite among the rich and famous.
The hotel welcomes guests with a unique indoor-outdoor lobby, cascading 40-feet sheer curtains and a virginal white decor that continues into the guest rooms. The Delano's critically-acclaimed Blue Door Restaurant was once co-owned by Madonna. -
Camden Yards,
Baltimore
Let's go Orioles, let's go. Home to the Baltimore Orioles, Camden Yards is one of the most highly praised retro-style ballparks.
Situated in downtown Baltimore, the park is just minutes from the birthplace of baseball legend 'Babe Ruth.' -
White House,
Washington
The nation's most prestigious address since President John Adams took residence in 1800 was modeled after a ducal palace in Dublin, Ireland, by Irish-born architect James Hoban. His original three floor creation of pale grey sandstone cost just $232,372 to build, but over the years the White House has evolved into a 55,000 square feet three building complex. -
National Cathedral, Washington
The Washington National Cathedral is a Gothic revival with details like pointed arches, flying buttresses, stained-glass windows and more than 100 gargoyles.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the building was finished in 1990 after 83 years of construction and the central tower is the highest point. -
Jefferson Memorial, Washington
Directly south of the White House, the Jefferson Memorial was inspired by the Pantheon in Rome.
Paying tribute to the nation's third president, the site features a neoclassical dome with a portico, reflecting President Jefferson's own well-documented architectural tastes. -
Golden Gate Bridge,
San Francisco
Acclaimed as one of the world's most beautiful bridges, San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, painted "International Orange," stretches 1.7 miles across the mouth of San Francisco Bay.
When it was completed in 1937, the $35 million bridge was the world's longest and tallest suspension structure, but now trails behind New York's Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. -
U.S. Capitol,
Washington
The United States Capitol in one of the most architecturally superior buildings in the world.
Started in 1793, its 19th-century neoclassical architecture combines function with aesthetics. Originally designed by Wiliam Thornton, the bulding is home to the House of Representatives and the Senate. -
Lincoln Memorial, Washington
Modeled after the great temples of Greece and Italy, the Lincoln Memorial features a 19-feet seated sculpture of Abraham Lincoln and inscriptions of two of his speeches.
Surrounded by 36 massive Doric-styled columns, the neoclassical monument is also featured on the underside of the penny and the $5 bill. -
Chrysler Building,
New YorkBest known for New York's Chrysler building, architect William Van Alen was challenged to design the tallest building in the world. He succeeded, at least from 1930-1931, creating what many believe to be the quintessential skyscraper design. Boasting a tower that culminates in a tapered stainless steel crown, the Empire State Building, then the Sears Tower later took the crown for the tallest U.S. building.
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Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington
Known for her aesthetically minimalist and intellectually complex sculptural works, Maya Lin designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial as a 21-year-old architecture student at Yale University in 1981. The Memorial Wall, made up of two black granite walls, is a testament to the concept that less is more. -
Fallingwater/Edgar J. Kaufmann Sr., Bear Run, Pa.
Fallingwater was designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1936 for the owner of Pittsburgh's Kaufmann's department stores.
The house represents a synthesis of organic architecture, built of sandstone, rock ledges and boulders that embrace a breathtaking waterfall. -
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Gateway Arch,
St. Louis
At 630 feet tall, the Gateway Arch, located on the banks of the Mississippi River, is the tallest momument in the U.S.
The stainless steel-plated structure, in the shape of an inverted, weighted catenary curve, is one of several memorials dedicated to former president Thomas Jefferson. -
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Transamerica Pyramid, San Francisco
San Francisco's Transamerica Pyramid is one of the most recognizable structures on the city's skyline. With a four-sided pyramid and two "wings" on opposite sides of the building, William Pereira's design, originally considered an intrusion, is now accepted as a creative city symbol. -
Twin Towers, WTC
New York
The World Trade Center, a seven-building complex which included the iconic Twin Towers, was mostly crafted by architect Minoru Yamasaki.
The glitzy 110-story towers, a must-see attraction before being destroyed during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, was one of the most definining pieces of the Big Apple's skyline. -
Texas State Capitol, Austin, Texas
Texas is not only home to big hair, its massive state capitol is the largest in the United States. Designed by Elijah Meyer, one of the premier architects of government buildings in the 19th century, the Renaissance revival is based on the architecture of 15th-century Italy with classical orders, round arches and symmetrical composition. -
Grand Central Station, New York
One of several transportation sites on the list, New York's Grand Central Station is the largest rail station in the world by number of platforms.
The midtown Beaux-Arts beauty, which opened in 1913, has also evolved into a destination for fine dining and cocktails. -
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St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York
Constructed of white marble, Saint Patrick's Cathedral is the seat of the Roman Catholic archbishop of New York.
The massive but elegant Gothic-styled structure features bronze doors and a bronze canopy ceiling, and is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful cathedrals in the country. -
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