The World’s 100 Best Landmarks · 2026
The Best Landmarks in the United States
6 of the 100 landmarks in The World’s 100 Best Landmarks 2026 are in the United States. The highest placed is Heceta Head Lighthouse in Florence, at number 52 in the world. Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco (number 55) and Portland Head Light in Cape Elizabeth (number 61) follow.
Lighthouses
Heceta Head Lighthouse stands on a bluff above the Pacific in an Oregon Coast state park near Florence, and park hosts at its base explain the lighthouse. Portland Head Light looks out over the bay and islands from the rocky coast of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, and visitors walk the cliff paths.
New York
The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco skyscraper at 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, with a steel spire and a marble and mural lobby. SUMMIT One Vanderbilt in Midtown Manhattan is an observation space over three floors with mirror rooms and installations, and visitors watch the sunset from its outdoor terrace.
Bridge and memorial
The Golden Gate Bridge, completed in 1937, is a suspension bridge that joins San Francisco to Marin County, and visitors walk or cycle its east side. The USS Arizona Memorial stands over the wreck of the battleship USS Arizona, which sank in the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and visitors read the names on the wall.
Landmarks
Best by region
- The NordicsStegasteinAurland, NorwayN° 82
- EuropeAntwerp Central StationAntwerp, BelgiumN° 1
- AsiaRegistan SquareSamarkand, UzbekistanN° 6
- The Middle EastNaqsh-e Jahan SquareIsfahan, IranN° 11
- North AmericaHeceta Head LighthouseFlorence, United StatesN° 52
- The CaribbeanSantiago R. Palmer PlazaCaguas, Puerto RicoN° 100
- Latin AmericaTeatro ColónBuenos Aires, ArgentinaN° 5
- OceaniaSydney Opera HouseSydney, AustraliaN° 31