WEBVTT 00:00:05.995 --> 00:00:09.850 From nature’s loveliest landmarks to incredible man-made marvels, 00:00:09.850 --> 00:00:14.251 America the Beautiful has some of the world’s most popular sightseeing spots. 00:00:14.251 --> 00:00:16.086 Welcome to WatchMojo.com, 00:00:16.086 --> 00:00:20.752 and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 United States landmarks. 00:00:20.752 --> 00:00:25.355 For this list, we chose landmarks that are representative of America and its culture, 00:00:25.355 --> 00:00:28.431 and tried to keep the choices spread out through the country as much as possible. 00:00:29.631 --> 00:00:32.387 #10, the Las Vegas Strip. 00:00:32.387 --> 00:00:35.485 From ornate casinos to death-defying live shows, 00:00:35.485 --> 00:00:38.766 comedy acts to performances by the world’s top musicians; 00:00:38.766 --> 00:00:43.195 the Las Vegas Strip symbolizes the glitz and glamor of the American dream. 00:00:43.195 --> 00:00:49.891 'Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas,' the famous sign declares, inviting guests to enjoy all it has to offer. 00:00:49.891 --> 00:00:53.987 The 'Vegas Strip' is also appropriately named – topless showgirls debuted there 00:00:53.987 --> 00:00:57.880 in the late-‘50s and still perform today! 00:00:57.880 --> 00:01:00.233 #9, the Hollywood Sign. 00:01:00.233 --> 00:01:05.658 Emblematic of Hollywood’s Golden Age, this U.S. landmark has been imitated the world over. 00:01:05.668 --> 00:01:07.599 Located in LA’s Hollywood Hills, 00:01:07.599 --> 00:01:14.549 the sign debuted in 1923 as an advertisement for the upscale Hollywoodland housing development, 00:01:14.549 --> 00:01:17.075 but it quickly became an icon. 00:01:17.075 --> 00:01:23.102 It replaced a painted board overlooking the village that stood until the lots under it were sold. 00:01:23.102 --> 00:01:26.512 After the removal of the last four letters in 1949, 00:01:26.512 --> 00:01:31.898 the sign required constant repairs until it was completely rebuilt in 1978. 00:01:31.898 --> 00:01:35.694 #8, the USS Arizona Memorial. 00:01:36.474 --> 00:01:38.501 Drawing over a million tourists each year, 00:01:38.501 --> 00:01:46.022 the submerged USS Arizona remains a reminder of the December 7th, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. 00:01:46.022 --> 00:01:51.892 It was kind of more, like, sadness and, but honor for the people who've lost their lives. 00:01:51.892 --> 00:01:56.649 From a floating bridge, visitors to the Hawaiian monument can view the ship’s remains, 00:01:56.649 --> 00:01:58.879 which still leak oil to this day. 00:01:58.879 --> 00:02:05.678 The Memorial pays tribute to the first of thousands of Americans who lost their lives during WWII. 00:02:05.678 --> 00:02:08.217 #7, the Grand Canyon. 00:02:08.217 --> 00:02:11.627 Deemed one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, 00:02:11.627 --> 00:02:14.950 Arizona’s Grand Canyon is a truly majestic sight. 00:02:14.950 --> 00:02:20.748 At 277-miles long, a mile deep, and at times 18-miles-wide, 00:02:20.748 --> 00:02:25.160 it’s among the world’s largest landmarks – and with its array of colors, 00:02:25.160 --> 00:02:30.146 natural structures, flora and fauna, it’s considered among the most beautiful. 00:02:30.146 --> 00:02:34.160 The Canyon is also populated by several Native-American tribes, 00:02:34.160 --> 00:02:37.545 making it an important part of American culture. 00:02:37.545 --> 00:02:39.850 #6, the Hoover Dam. 00:02:40.210 --> 00:02:46.026 At the time, this gargantuan structure was considered one of the world’s greatest engineering feats. 00:02:46.026 --> 00:02:51.932 Today, the 726-foot-high, quarter-mile-long dam is no less impressive. 00:02:51.932 --> 00:02:55.448 Spanning the Colorado River between Arizona and Nevada, 00:02:55.448 --> 00:03:01.160 it was conceived as a way to provide power and water to dry regions in America’s west. 00:03:01.160 --> 00:03:07.655 The concrete arch-gravity structure is open to the public and draws millions of visitors each year. 00:03:07.655 --> 00:03:10.710 #5, Mount Rushmore. 00:03:10.710 --> 00:03:15.487 South Dakota’s Black Hills are home to four of America’s most iconic presidents: 00:03:15.487 --> 00:03:19.317 the 60-foot-tall faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, 00:03:19.317 --> 00:03:23.680 Abraham Lincoln, and Teddy Roosevelt are carved into Mount Rushmore. 00:03:23.680 --> 00:03:29.240 A carving of suprising delicacy, fashioned with jackhammers, and dynamite. 00:03:29.240 --> 00:03:34.136 Although the project exhausted its funding before the Presidents could be carved from the waist-up, 00:03:34.136 --> 00:03:39.252 more than 450-thousand tons of rock were removed to create their likenesses. 00:03:39.252 --> 00:03:44.143 It’s a massive monument for passionate patriots across America to enjoy! 00:03:44.143 --> 00:03:47.054 #4, Independence Hall. 00:03:47.054 --> 00:03:50.957 It’s the birthplace of American freedom – Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, 00:03:50.957 --> 00:03:54.422 where 56 men put their lives and reputations on the line 00:03:54.422 --> 00:03:58.547 to defy the King of England and declare America’s independence. 00:03:58.547 --> 00:04:03.883 The Hall remains arranged and decorated as it was during the Constitutional Convention. 00:04:03.883 --> 00:04:08.012 Both the Declaration and the Constitution were signed in Independence Hall, 00:04:08.012 --> 00:04:13.831 whose famous bell tower once housed another of America’s national symbols, the Liberty Bell. 00:04:13.971 --> 00:04:16.540 #3, the Golden Gate Bridge. 00:04:16.540 --> 00:04:20.341 This project realized a century-old dream: 00:04:20.341 --> 00:04:23.048 to span the three-mile-long Golden Gate Strait, 00:04:23.048 --> 00:04:26.354 the entrance to San Francisco Bay from the Pacific. 00:04:26.354 --> 00:04:31.813 Built between 1933-37, the stunning bridge was painted 'orange-vermillion 00:04:31.813 --> 00:04:36.599 to blend with the warm landscape and to contrast the blue waters below. 00:04:36.599 --> 00:04:38.267 Billions of cars have crossed it, 00:04:38.267 --> 00:04:42.754 and millions more admire its contribution to the San Francisco skyscape. 00:04:42.754 --> 00:04:46.261 #2, the Statue of Liberty. 00:04:46.261 --> 00:04:51.729 Since 1886, Lady Liberty has greeted immigrants and travelers to New York City, 00:04:51.729 --> 00:04:55.100 standing tall in times of prosperity and tragedy. 00:04:55.100 --> 00:05:00.831 The Statue of Liberty is more than a landmark – she represents a nation’s hopes and dreams. 00:05:00.831 --> 00:05:04.035 Broken shackles at her feet symbolize freedom from oppression, 00:05:04.035 --> 00:05:07.570 and her tablet marks the birth of American Independence. 00:05:07.570 --> 00:05:10.746 If there’s one monument that encapsulates the American Dream, 00:05:10.746 --> 00:05:14.580 it’s the nation’s 305-foot-tall torchbearer! 00:05:15.080 --> 00:05:17.984 #1, the National Mall. 00:05:17.984 --> 00:05:22.250 Our number-one U.S. landmark houses the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, 00:05:22.250 --> 00:05:26.888 the Capitol Building, WWII and Vietnam Memorials, and more. 00:05:26.888 --> 00:05:29.126 Such iconic features pepper the Mall, 00:05:29.126 --> 00:05:32.590 the stage for important events like the anti-Vietnam War rally, 00:05:32.590 --> 00:05:38.460 Estimated at about 50,000 persons, was a loose confederation of some 150 groups 00:05:38.460 --> 00:05:41.743 that included adults, students, even children. 00:05:41.743 --> 00:05:44.341 Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 'I Have a Dream' speech, 00:05:44.341 --> 00:05:51.436 I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation 00:05:51.436 --> 00:05:54.465 where they will not be judged by the color of their skin 00:05:54.465 --> 00:05:56.819 but by the content of their character. 00:05:56.819 --> 00:05:58.983 and Presidential inaugurations. 00:05:58.983 --> 00:06:07.468 Ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of men. 00:06:07.468 --> 00:06:11.368 It’s been called 'America’s Front Yard' – a place for gathering, remembering, 00:06:11.368 --> 00:06:15.140 and looking forward to the next chapter in America’s history. 00:06:15.140 --> 00:06:16.560 Do you agree with our list? 00:06:16.560 --> 00:06:18.386 What’s your favorite U.S. landmark? 00:06:18.386 --> 00:06:21.546 For more interesting and informative top 10s published every day, 00:06:21.546 --> 00:06:24.424 be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com! 00:06:24.424 --> 00:06:29.776 Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.