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California Alcatraz  Located in the San Francisco Bay, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) offshore from San Francisco, California, Alcatraz Island is often referred to as "The Rock". It is most famous as the federal prison - which it was from 1933 until 1963 - although the small island was first developed to provide a base and facilities for a lighthouse; it was then to become a military fortification and in 1868 a military prison. READ MORE
Calico  Famous today as a ghost town and tourist attraction, Calico was once a thriving silver mining town. Located in the Mojave Desert, California it was founded in 1881 when four prospectors discovered silver in the mountain, and opened the Silver King Mine, which was to become California's largest silver producer with a production of $13 – 20 million. READ MORE
Florida Orlando
  Kennedy Space Center  The Kennedy Space Center has been the primary launch centre for the United States human spaceflight programme since 1968. Today it contains a Visitor's Complex displaying numerous artifacts related to the exploration of space. READ MORE Georgia
The American Civil War (1861-1865) began when eleven southern states seceded from the Union in 1860 over the issue of slavery. These eleven states formed the Confederate States of America (CSA). The Civil War began in April 1861 when Confederate troops fired on Union forces at Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbour. This action led to the bloodiest conflict in American history. READ MORE
Savannah Historic District
 The Savannah Historic District corresponds roughly to the pre-civil war city limits. A number of buildings make the area a particular attraction, resulting in it being declared a National Historic Landmark District in 1966, and is one of the largest urban community-wide historic preservation districts in the United States. READ MORECathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist  Dating back to a church built in 1779, the present building of the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist in Savannah was the first building in Georgia to be constructed of brick and was dedicated in 1876, although it underwent a major renovation following a fire in 1898, which destroyed much of the building and its interior. Having undergone a number of renovation projects its interior now has a light bright appearance and displays many beautiful pieces of art and church architecture. READ MOREDavenport House  Built in 1820, the Davenport House is a three-story high Federal-style home, which was the first project of the Historic Savannah Foundation, launching Savannah’s historic preservation movement in 1955. Located at 324 East State Street, the building contains fixtures and fittings to match the original design by Isaiah Davenport and his wife Sarah. In 1827, following Isaiah’s death, it was converted by Sarah to a boarding house, which it was to remain until 1840 when she sold it. In 1963, the first floor of the house was restored and on March 9th it opened to the public. Over the years the second and third floors were opened, and now the entire house functions as a historic house museum. READ MOREMarshall House Hotel  The Marshall House is Savannah’s oldest hotel, this developed during the railroad boom of the 1840s and 1850s when Savannah doubled in size and population. Seeing a need for accommodations and housing, business-woman Mary Marshall in 1851, developed the hotel. In 1864-65, The Marshall House was occupied by Union troops led by General William Sherman, and the building was used as a Union hospital for wounded soldiers until the end of the Civil War. In 1880: The adjoining building, known as the “Florida House,” was annexed as part of The Marshall House, increasing the hotel's capacity by about one-third. Having undergone a number of renovations over the years, including the Courtyard Atrium being encased with a glass ceiling to give a sense of the area’s previous use as a courtyard; something that is now used as the breakfast room. READ MOREBarrington Hall
.JPG?460 "Barrington_Hall_(1)") Barrington Hall, built in the stately Greek Revival style, provides a glimpse of what must have been a very imposing building, with its three colonnaded sides having a total of fourteen Doric columns.The construction of Barrington Hall was begun in 1839 by Barrington King to be his new family home in Roswell, Georgia. It remained in his family for 154 years until being acquired briefly by a family friend and conservationist and, ultimately, by the City of Roswell in 2005. READ MORE
Primrose Cottage
 Located in Roswell, Georgia, Primrose Cottage was the town’s first permanent private home. The home was built by Roswell King for his daughter, Eliza King Hand, and her children following the death of her husband. Roswell King, together with his son Barrington King, founded the Roswell Manufacturing Company, building a textile mill there, which lead to the development of the new town. READ MOREDahlonega
Old Court House and Gold Museum  Dahlonega Old Court House and Gold Museum is the oldest surviving courthouse in Georgia one of the most visited state historic sites. Built in 1836 it was the Lumpkin County Courthouse until 1965 when it was acquired by the State of Georgia and was converted to a museum, opening in 1967 to commemorate America's first gold rush and the mining history of Lumpkin County. READ MOREAtlanta History Centre  The Atlanta History Centre was founded to preserve and display the history of Atlanta. Located on a 33-acre site it contains a number of exhibitions displaying artifacts related to the local area which depict the events and way of life of its inhabitants in the past. It also includes a number of buildings showing how the people, ranging from slaves to the higher end of society, lived. READ MORECyclorama, Atlanta History Centre  The cyclorama in Atlanta is a large painting 49 feet high that completely circles a raised platform which is used as a viewing point. This creates the illusion that the viewer is part of the scene. Artificial scenery in a diorama extends down from the painting giving it a three-dimensional effect. Dating from the late 19th century it is used to tell the story of the Battle of Atlanta. It moved to its present location in 2017 as part of the Atlanta History Centre exhibition. READ MORESwan House  Swan House in Atlanta was built in 1928 for Edward Inman a wealthy businessman. The Inman family lived in the house until 1965 when it was purchased by the Atlanta Historical Society. In 2000 the house underwent a $5.4 million restoration, which was completed in 2004 and now shows a number of rooms in the style that was prominent in the 1930s for the wealthy at that time. READ MOREMartin Luther King Jr National Historical Park  The Martin Luther King Jr National Historical Park in Atlanta, Georgia, is located in the neighbourhood where he was born. The area includes a visitors center with a museum, Dr. King’s tomb, the house where he was born, and other buildings connected to his life and work. READ MORE Louisiana New Orleans
Cathedral Basilica of St Louis  Located in the French quarter of New Orleans the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis King of France (known as the “Old” Cathedral) is the oldest Catholic Cathedral in the United States and dates back to the mid-18th century when a log church was first built at that location. Erected in the period 1724-1727, the church was destroyed in the great fire of New Orleans in 1788. In 1789 the second church was begun and was dedicated as a cathedral on Christmas Eve 1794. READ MOREChalmette Battlefield
 The Chalmette Battlefield is the site just outside of New Orleans where the Battle of New Orleans took place in the War of 1812 between American troops and the British.
The Battle of New Orleans was the third and final advance by the British in the War of 1812 which was fought to secure US maritime rights, reduce British influence, and pave the way for the US to Annex Canada. This was much of a stalemate in the first two years but in 1814, following the defeat of Napoleon, the British were able to reinforce its army in the Americas which resulted in the burning of Washington, DC. READ MORE St Francisville Rosedown Plantation 
Rosedown Plantation was acquired by Daniel Turnbull from the 1820s through the 1840s and became one of the foremost cotton plantations. The house was built in 1834/35 and many of its original furnishings are displayed in the house today. The property was placed on the National Listing of Historic Landmarks in 2005. READ MORE
Darrow Houmas House  Houmas House, constructed in the Greek Revival is style, known as the Sugar Palace due to it being the mansion of the owner of a prominent sugar plantation. Dating back to 1775 it has been substantially extended and restored over the years and today provides an excellent view of what life was like during the Antebellum period of the Southern States of America. READ MOREMassachusetts  Granary Burying Ground  The Granary Burying Ground established in 1660, was the third cemetery in the city of Boston and continued to be used for burials until 1880. It contains the graves of three of those that signed the Declaration of Independence, John Hancock, Robert Treat Paine and Samuel Adams. It also holds the grave of Paul Revere, famous for his "Midnight Ride" on April 18, 1775, where he rode from Boston to Lexington to warn the colonial militia of the approaching British forces. READ MOREFaneuil Hall  Faneuil Hall is sometimes referred to as “the Cradle of Liberty", as it was the site that speeches were made encouraging independence from Great Britain, that ultimately led to the Boston Tea Party. Built by colonial merchant and slave trader Peter Faneuil in the style of an English country market in 1740–1742 and given to the town. The building would serve as a meeting hall and a permanent central marketplace. Today the Great Hall is used for public meetings, for political rallies, grassroots activism, and other civic events while the Ground floor of the marketplace houses over 80 retailers. The building is one of the top 10 tourist destinations in the country and is one of the most popular places to visit in Boston. READ MORE Trinity Church, Boston was constructed from 1872 to 1877 to the design of Henry Hobson Richardson in a style that was to become known as the Richardsonian Romanesque style and what was subsequently to become popular for many churches and public buildings in North America. Renowned for its intricate carvings and contrasting layers of sandstone, and for the elaborate stained-glass windows, which are some of the finest in the country.READ MORE Vicksburg   The Vicksburg National Military Park was established in 1899 to preserve and commemorate the Battle of Vicksburg, which took place between May 19 to July 4, 1863. Within its 1,728 acres are the reconstructed trenches, canons, buildings, and bridges as well as numerous memorials and the remains of the ironclad gunboat raised from the riverbed. READ MORE Illinois State Memorial  The Illinois State Memorial is a public memorial that honours the Union Army soldiers from Illinois who fought in the siege of Vicksburg, the final major military action in the Vicksburg campaign in the American Civil War. The Memorial, modelled on the Roman Parthenon, commemorates all of the 36,325 Illinois soldiers who participated in the Vicksburg Campaign. READ MORE St Mary Basilica  St Mary Basilica was constructed as a cathedral between 1842 and 1886 in the Gothic Revival style. It became a church in 1977 when the Diocese moved to Jackson, Mississippi, but was designated a Minor Basilica in 1998. It contains a beautiful, bright, and airy interior with some beautiful statues, windows, and fittings. READ MORE Magnolia Hall  Magnolia Hall, also known as the Henderson-Britton House, is a brownstone structure constructed in the Greek Revival style in 1858. It now acts as a museum displaying the items used by its owners in the mid-nineteenth century. READ MORE Las Vegas Las Vegas Strip  Set in the Mojave Desert in Nevada near the west coast of the United States, Las Vegas is famous for its casinos and entertainment and is seen by many as the entertainment capital of the world, and its tolerance for most types of adult entertainment earned it the title of Sin City. READ MORE
Black Canyon
Hoover Dam
 The Hoover Dam is located in the Black Canyon on the Colorado River, spanning the state line between Arizona and Nevada. Constructed between the years of 1931 and 1935 during the Depression, its purpose was to control the flooding of the Colorado River, which, prior to its construction, would happen on a regular basis, causing destruction, misery, and loss of life. It would also enable the irrigation of the surrounding area, providing greater productive use of the land, and harness the power of the river enabling electricity to be produced in order to supply Arizona, Nevada, and California. READ MORE
New York
Empire State Building  The Empire State Building is located on the west side of Fifth Avenue in the centre of Midtown Manhattan and is one of the world’s most famous buildings. It was, at the time of its construction in 1930-1931, the world’s tallest building, consisting of 103 stories.
The site started its commercial life as farmland when, in 1799, the City of New York sold the land bounded by what is now Broadway, Sixth Avenue, and Madison Avenue for $2,600 to John Thompson for farming. READ MORE The Statue of Liberty
 Located on Liberty Island at the entrance to New York harbour, an island that was originally known as Bedloe's Island but in 1956 Bedloe's Island was renamed Liberty Island by a joint resolution in Congress and signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The statue itself was a gift of friendship from the people of France to the people of the United States. READ MOREEllis Island Immigration Centre  Ellis Island Immigration Centre is part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument in the mouth of New York Harbour. It functioned as an immigrant inspection station from 1892 until 1954 for people wishing to emigrate to the United States. The main building was converted into a museum of immigration in 1990 and tells the story of the immigrants and the process that they went through in order to be assessed prior to being allowed into the United States. READ MOREThe Chrysler Building  Located at the intersection of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, the Chrysler Building is a classic example of Art Deco architecture and is considered by many contemporary architects to be one of the finest buildings in New York.
Reaching a height of 1,046 feet (318.9 m), It was the first man-made structure to stand taller than 1,000 feet (305 m) and was the world's tallest building for 11 months before it was surpassed by the Empire State Building in 1931. READ MORE
World Trade Centre 9/11 Memorial and Museum  The 9/11 Memorial and Museum stand on the site of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre which was destroyed when two hijacked aircraft were deliberately flown into the buildings on September 11, 2001, resulting in the loss of nearly 3,000 lives. READ MORE St Patrick's Cathedral  Built of brick and clad in marble, St Patrick’s Cathedral was completed in 1878 to become a prominent New York City landmark. It is the largest neo-Gothic-style Catholic cathedral in North America and can hold 3,000 people. The cathedral has undergone a number of renovations over the years since its completion. It contains some beautiful artifacts, including a Pietà, sculpted by William Ordway Partridge, which is three times larger than Michelangelo's Pietà found in St Peter’s Cathedral in the Vatican, Rome. READ MORE St Bartholomew's Episcopal Church (St Bart’s)  Saint Bartholomew’s (St Barts’s) Church is the third Episcopal church since its foundation in 1835. The current one was consecrated in 1918 but not being completed until 1930. The original design was changed in 1924 upon the death of the original architect. The church is on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, a U.S. National Historic Landmark, and a New York City Landmark and displays some beautiful carvings and stained-glass windows and contains one of the ten largest pipe organs in the world. READ MORETrinity Church  Trinity Church, located at the intersection of Broadway and Wall Street in New York dates back to 1697 and is the third building on the site. Until 1869 its’ tower made it the tallest building in the United States. Its churchyard provides the tombs of a number of the people instrumental in the formation of the United States. READ MORE
North Carolina
Biltmore House  Constructed by George Vanderbilt in the 1890s, Biltmore House consists of 250 rooms spread over a floor plan of over 4 acres, it is the largest privately-owned house in the United States. The family seat of the Cecil family, the descendants of the Vanerbilts'; it has been open to the public since the 1930s. READ MORE Ohio
Greenville
Garst Museum  The Garst Museum exhibits many objects and photographs recording the history of the roots of America relating to the area of Darke County. Two special areas of exhibits relate to Greeneville, which was the largest stockade fort ever built in North America and was the scene of the most significant American-Indian treaty ever negotiated. It also houses the National Annie Oakley Centre and contains artifacts relating to Annie Oakley who was born and buried in Darke County. READ MORESouth Carolina
Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon  Built between 1768-1771 as the office of the King’s Customs Collector, a public meeting place, and a place for entertainment, the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon with its’ striking Georgian Palladian architecture was one of the last formal structures built by the British Colonial Government in the American Colonies. Prior to the construction of the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon, the Court of Guard building stood on the site. This held a jail that imprisoned many pirates and had a meeting room above it. READ MORETennessee
Memphis
Graceland (Home of Elvis Presley)  Purchased by Elvis Presley in 1957, Graceland was to be his home until his death there in 1977. In 1982 it opened to the public, enabling them to tour the house where he lived, and to see many exhibits displaying his possessions such as his outfits, cars, and two aircraft, and to trace his life and success. READ MOREPeabody Hotel  One of the premier hotels in Memphis, the Peabody Hotel was constructed in 1925 to replace the original hotel built in 1869. Following refurbishment in the late 1970s it consisted of 13 floors. It is most renowned for its ducks which parade down from the 13th floor to the ground floor fountain every day, where they spend the day and then parade up again to their accommodation each evening. READ MOREParthenon  The first full-scale replica of the Parthenon of the Acropolis in Athens was constructed as the centrepiece of the Tennessee Centennial Exposition in 1897. This was made of brick, wood lath, and plaster. The reason it was chosen was due to Nashville having the reputation as the “Athens of the South”. READ MORE The Hermitage, Home of Andrew Jackson
 The Hermitage, home of General Andrew Jackson, the 7th President of the United States is one of the Nation’s oldest and largest historic site museums. It incorporates the home and grounds and a number of outbuildings and displays many of Jackson's personal effects showing them as they would have been seen in Jackson’s days. It also includes his tomb and that of his wife Rachel. READ MORETexas The Alamo  Originally known as the Misión San Antonio de Valero, the mission is now better known as the Alamo and forms part of the World Heritage Site of the San Antonio Missions which are located in San Antonio, Southern Texas. The Alamo is famous for a stand by around 200 personnel made against the army of Mexico in 1836. This resulted in the deaths of all the defenders, who included Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie and became a rallying point leading to the independence of Texas. READ MORE
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All Photographs were taken by and are copyright of Ron Gatepain
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