Architecture of USA. Must see and must visit landmarks

» 1 World Trade Center is the central building of the new World Trade Center complex. New Yorkers call it the Freedom Tower.
» Initially, the original idea to construct the tower of concrete has been criticized within the framework of fear of the new attacks. That resulted in the nickname of the building, the Tower of Fear.
» The tower is crowned with 124-meter spire weighing 758 tons that serves as the transmitting antenna.
» Building height of 1,776 feet isn’t accidental; it emblematize the year of the Declaration of Independence.
» New World Trade Center became the tallest building in the United States, as its height with a spire is 540 meters.

Location on the map:   Interesting facts: » The 50-story skyscraper tower is 235 meters high. The building is the fourth-tallest building in the city.
»  It’s located in the shopping area of Peachtree Street. It was built in the late 90s.
»  The exterior is faced with gray granite. Huge gray windows extend along the entire length of a wall. Sliding doors are a distinctive feature of the tower.
»  The office building was supposed to consist of 48 floors. But in the end, two more levels were added. Three years later, the construction itself began, and it was finished a year after.
»  The Peachtree Tower had been the most respectable skyscraper for almost 10 years.
»  In 2006, two largest organizations terminated the rental, and the building got empty. A financial company bought the skyscraper and placed its head office in the building.
»  The premises were rented out again. Two years later, 87% of offices were occupied.
»  Two towers are attached to the building. They are illuminated. The largest office is 31 meters high.
»  Under the building, there is a parking lot for up to 1,300 cars. 27 elevators are designed to move between the floors.
»  191 Peachtree Tower is called the Twin Tower.

» Jerry World, also known as AT&T Stadium, is a football stadium in Arlington.
»  The sports construction was named after Jerry Jones, the owner of the Dallas Cowboys team.
»  It was founded in 2009. The construction plan development cost $1.3 billion. It’s the most expensive stadium in the world. The construction was performed by an international architectural company.
»  The Dallas Cowboys, a professional football team, uses the sports arena for training. It competes in the National Football League.
»  Up to 105,000 people can watch the game simultaneously. Both seats and standing room are included in the figure.
»  The stadium can be seen from a distance of many kilometers. It is situated on a plain.
»  The sports complex is in the top 4 largest US stadiums.
»  A 60-meter TV screen is installed above the field.
»  There is a huge sliding wall behind the gate. It is made entirely of glass. It is 55 metres wide and 36.5 meters high. AT&T Stadium has a retractable dome.
»  A crowd of 108,713 fans gathered to watch the International NBA All-Star Game in February 2019. The number of basketball fans was recorded in the Guinness World Records.

» The Adler Planetarium was founded and financed by Max Adler. It was opened in 1930. In 1973, the planetarium was extended due to an underground area. Its total area is 10 000 m2. It is home to three theatres or pavilions with permanent exhibitions on the solar system and the Moon. Here, you can see the replica of a rover, soil from the Moon and Mars, and pieces of asteroids Ceres and Vesta. In the 3D cinema, visitors have an opportunity to become an astronaut and travel in space. The planetarium attracts fans of astronomy to NASA practical projects on signs from the Universe. To get an opportunity to see these signs, you just need to register on the website. In 1987, the Adler Planetarium was declared a national landmark.

» The National Museum of African American History and Culture is one of the popular tourist attractions.
»  The museum was founded in 1974. It houses a collection of exhibits taken from one college’s special collection. Africans used to study there until it was closed down in 1988.
»  The museum began to operate independently in 1979. It contains data on the African-American chronicle of Dallas.
»  It’s the only cultural center whose aim is to preserve and display the aesthetic, cultural, historical information about African Americans.
»  The construction and arrangement of the building cost $7 million. Money were raised through private donations and the issue of special bonds worth $1.2 million.
»  The total area is 38,000 square meters. The building is shaped like an elongated cross.
»  The external walls are faced with light stone. Only natural materials were used during the construction. This combination should remind of the pre-industrial culture of the Dark Continent.
»  The museum has four arched galleries for US folk art exhibits. There is a library with a science foundation.

» The Alamo Mission is one of the most unusual and most visited attractions in San Antonio. Every year, it is visited by about 2.5 million tourists.
»  The former Catholic Mission was established in the 18th century. It was a building complex that consisted of a temple and a construction surrounded by a fortification wall. The Indians converted to Christianity were educated here.
»  After some time, the Alamo Mission was even used as a fortress for the second Mexican air force.
»  During the Texas Revolution, the building complex of the former mission was seriously damaged. At that time, Mexican troops destroyed and burnt most constructions.
»  Nowadays, this complex serves as a museum.

» Alcatraz is the island in San Francisco Bay that is a popular attraction, which is annually visited by many tourists.
» Alcatraz has been featured in many movies, cartoons and TV shows; it’s mentioned in numerous books and computer games.
» Alcatraz has served as a military prison for a long time; after that it was a federal prison until 1963.
» The Alcatraz was a high-security prison with maximum security and minimum benefits for prisoners. The most famous criminals of the United States, gang leaders, and especially dangerous recidivists were among the prisoners of Alcatraz.
» According to the federal government, during the existence of a federal prison, none of the prisoners who tried to escape from the island could do that. However, from 1861 to 1933, when Alcatraz served as a military prison, successful attempts to escape from the island were reported.
» Today the island is turned into the museum, where you can get by ferry from San Francisco departing from the pier No. 33.

Location on the map:   Interesting facts: » The Alley Theatre situated in the building of the same name is recognized as the oldest professional theatre in Texas.
»  This cultural institution is the third oldest theatrical unit in the USA.
»  The Alley Theatre was established in 1947 as a company but some sources say that it was founded on February 8, 1949. However, it was opened its doors to visitors only in 1968.
»  The grand opening of the theatre was celebrated nationwide.
»  The main old architectural construction was designed in a Brutalist style. This term comes from the word combination “raw concrete”, which is a material used during the construction.
»  Originally, the cultural building was built by the project of architect Ulrich Franzen.
»  The architectural construction is distinguished by the lack of right angles. So, construction elements have been replaced by much free space and terraces.
»  The Alley Theatre and its neighborhood are associated with the legend about the ghost of a director haunting visitors of the building. In 1982, he was murdered by a former guard at the fourth level of the building.

» The American Airlines Center is a multi-purpose stadium hosting home games of local basketball and hockey teams.
»  The opening of the arena in 2001 was so impressive that it was listed in the Guinness World Records.
»  The construction of the complex cost 420 million dollars. New taxes were introduced to cover some of the expenses.
»  The American Airlines company spent 195 million dollars to acquire the naming rights. The size of the stadium is impressive, but its capacity is 21,000 people.
»  Competitions of various kinds and entertainment events are organized in the sports center.
»  The American Airlines Center is located in Victory Park.
»  The Eagles, a famous American band, was invited to perform their melodic guitar country rock at the opening of the stadium.
»  Huge screens are hung along the perimeter of the arena, which allows for a closer look at the playing field.
»  The complex building is made of brick blocks. It has an arched entrance.
»  The architects of the complex won many prizes for their design.
»  The roof resembles a roof of a hut from the outside. That’s why the stadium has been called The Hangar by fans.

» The American Museum of Natural History is one of the largest and most famous museums in the world.
» One of the sponsors of the museum was Theodore Roosevelt.
» Striking property of the museum is the library that contains the most comprehensive collection of exhibits. Today there are more than 450 thousand volumes stored in the library.
» The library of the museum also features a lot of interesting information and reports on research expeditions and travels to all corners of the world.
» The most valuable item in the museum is the skeleton of Lucy, the female Australopithecus that is 3.2 million years old.

» The Amway Center is a sports and entertainment complex in Orlando. The rights to its name belong to the Amway Company.
»  In the sports complex, basketball, hockey, and lacrosse matches are held.
»  Besides, ice shows, a rodeo, circus performances, concerts, and other events take place in the complex.
»  The Amway Center is one of the most modern sports constructions in the world.
»  In spacious lobbies of the center, there is an art collection that includes 340 works, including 200 high-quality photos.
»  In the corner tower of the center, there is Grey Goose Lounge, a restaurant that you can visit not only during matches, but also on other days.

» The total area of the botanical park is over 250 000 m². There are a lot of different landscape gardens in its territory.
»  The part of it is occupied by the ranch of famous geophysicist’s family. DeGolyer’s House that has a total area of 2 000 m² is designed in the Spanish style. Behind it, there is a cafe that has a view of the lake and fountains.
»  The first green area is called “A Woman’s Garden”. Here, you can see beds with seasonal plants. 2 000 species of azalea grow on these lands. Gardeners have a special electronic device that displays the data on the upkeep of the plot.
»  The next green area with paths is “Calm Garden”. The paths take you to the limestone bridge, hanging bridge and colorful well.
»  In the Virginia Cedar Stream Square, these trees grow. There are over 80 species. The trees are planted along the stream. You can see a big maple in the center. It is 100 years old.
»  In the Dallas Arboretum, there are a lot of unique gardens.
»  Different festivals are annually held in their territory. During the Flower Festival, almost 500 000 representatives of flora are displayed here. The Autumn Festival will present tens of thousands of vegetables brought from all over the country.

Location on the map:   Interesting facts: » Arneson River Theater is located in the historic center of the city on the namesake embankment.
»  Here, you can watch theatrical performances in the open air.
»  Spectators sit right on the stairs covered with grass.
»  Near the theatre, there is the stone Rosita's Bridge that is often used during performances.
»  Today, the Arneson River Theater is visited by thousands of tourists. Here, you can listen to folk music, visit different concerts, take part in games, dance, and watch an opera performance.

» The Atlanta History Center is an area of about 20 hectares, which houses historic sites and museum pavilions related to the history of the city.
»  To discover what life of local people used to be like, you need to visit the Swan House, where the Inman family lived. The owner built the villa in 1928. It is a luxurious house surrounded by a park with fountains and flower beds.
»  A few parts of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire were filmed there. Today, this small palace often hosts wedding ceremonies.
»  You can see the life of ordinary citizens by visiting the Tullie Smith House. The farm with all the buildings was moved here in 1969 so as to preserve it as a historical monument.
»  The pavilions have an exhibition dedicated to the 1996 Olympic Games, and there are many exclusive items on display: a full set of medals, athletes' sneakers, souvenirs, and the podium.
»  After the Civil War, the Ku Klux Klan movement arose in southern states. A special exhibition tells visitors about this period of the state’s history.