Famous PALACES

Though not fortified, palaces, like castles, serve as residences of royalty or other high-ranking dignitaries. The name is derived from … More

Memories of Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. (formally the District of Columbia) is the capital city and only federal district of the United States. The city was named for George Washington, the … More

Aliʻiōlani Hale

Aliʻiōlani Hale, located in downtown Honolulu, is the building currently used as the home of the Hawaii State Supreme Court. Prior … More

Minneapolis City Hall

Minneapolis City Hall, which together with the adjoining Hennepin County Courthouse, was designed in 1888 by the architectural firm of Long … More

Rostock Town Hall

The historic medieval building of the Rostock Town Hall in Germany stands along the city’s Neuer Markt and was originally a composite … More

Memories of Beijing

Beijing (北京, alternatively Romanized as Peking), the capital of the People’s Republic of China, is also the world’s most populous national capital city, with over 21 … More

Monumento a la Revolución

Standing 220 feet high, the Monumento a la Revolución in downtown Mexico City is considered to be the tallest triumphal arch in the … More

Riverside Plaza

Minneapolis’s Riverside Plaza is a modern brutalist apartment complex that opened in Minneapolis in 1973. It was designed by Ralph Rapson, who also designed the city’s original Guthrie … More

‘Iolani Palace

The ʻIolani Palace, located in the capitol district of downtown Honolulu, served as the royal residence of the Kingdom of Hawaii, beginning with King … More

Mohammad V Square

Muhammad V Square, located south of the medina in central Casablanca, Morocco, is of historical and symbolic significance. Established in 1916 under Resident General Hubert … More

Holyrood Palace

Located at the bottom of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, opposite to Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood Palace (aka Holyroodhouse) has served as the official Scottish … More

Kennebunkport

Kennebunkport is a small town in Maine, about a mile from the Atlantic Ocean on the Kennebunk River. First incorporated in 1653 as Cape … More

Hennepin County Government Center

Located in downtown Minneapolis, the 24-story Hennepin County Government Center is the primary government administration building for the county. Dedicated in 1973, opened in … More

Qinhuangdao

Qinhuangdao, located in northeastern China and known nationally as “the backyard garden of Beijing and Tianjin”, has three main developed … More

Castel Gandolfo, Part 2: Apostolic Palace

The Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo is a 135-acre complex of buildings located in a garden setting overlooking Lake Albano in … More

Castillo San Felipe de Barajas

Dominating the approach to Cartagena, Colombia, whether by land or sea, lies the fortress of Castillo San Felipe de Barajas, named … More

Towers of Xi’an, Part 1: The Bell Tower

The Xi’an Bell Tower, built in 1384 during the early Ming Dynasty, is located near the geological center of Shaanxi Province’s capital, … More

Greenwich, Part 5: Old Royal Naval College

Designed by Christopher Wren (the architect of St. Paul’s Cathedral) and constructed between 1696 and 1712, the buildings of the Old Royal … More

Tallinn Town Hall

Tallinn Town Hall is notable for being the oldest and last surviving Gothic Town Hall in Northern Europe, which includes … More

Truman Little White House

The Truman Little White House in Key West, Florida was the winter White House for U.S. President Harry S. Truman during 11 visits totaling 175 … More

Shamian Island

Shamian is a small sandbank island (literally “sandy surface” in Mandarin) located in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou. Measuring only 300 … More

Memories of SCOTLAND

Scotland, the 2nd-largest country in the United Kingdom, covers the northern third of the island of Great Britain and accounts … More

Christiansborg Palace

Christiansborg Palace, located on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, is a Danish government building that is home to the Danish Parliament, the Danish Prime Minister’s … More

Palacio Nacional

Located along Mexico City’s Plaza de la Constitución, its main square also known as El Zócalo, the Palacio Nacional serves as the … More

Stockholm Royal Palace

Stockholm Royal Palace (“Kungliga Slottet” in Swedish) is the official residence of the Swedish monarchs King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia (with their actual residence being at Drottningholm … More

Sunnylands Center and Gardens

Sunnylands, located in Rancho Mirage, California, is the former estate of Walter and Leonore Annenberg. Owned by the Annenbergs up until 2009, it had served … More

The Royal Mile

The Royal Mile is a succession of streets forming the main thoroughfare of the Old Town of Edinburgh, Scotland. The term was first used … More

Travel Topic #57.7 (America’s Favorite Architecture)

The list of America’s Favorite Architecture from #91 – #110 is as follows: 91. Hollywood Bowl – Hollywood, CA 92. … More

Lock and Dam No. 1

Lock and Dam No. 1 is located between Minneapolis and Saint Paul, just north of the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota … More

Travel Topic #57.5 (America’s Favorite Architecture)

The list of America’s Favorite Architecture #51 – #70 runs as follows: 51. Cadet Chapel at the U.S. Air Force Academy … More

National Museum of Natural History

The National Museum of Natural History, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., is administered by the Smithsonian Institution. Opened in 1910, it was one … More