Every state has a building that could serve as its unofficial postcard—or at least a must-see attraction. From Art Deco skyscrapers to mid-century marvels and modern masterpieces, here’s where you’ll find the most interesting buildings in every state. Some define skylines, while others fall more into the quirky roadside attraction category—but either way, they're worth a visit.
When the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad erected its grand headquarters and home terminal in Mobile in 1907, it created a rare architectural hybrid: Mission Revival grace enlivened with Gothic drama, complete with limestone gargoyles, a red tile roof, and terracotta. Designed by architect P. Thornton Mary—who was better known for his stately Beaux-Arts style—the building today serves as the home of the South Alabama Regional Planning Commission.
Located 55 miles north of Juneau, this octagonal Eldred Rock Lighthouse was built in 1906 to guide gold rush-era steamships safely through the water. Today, the Eldred Rock Lighthouse Preservation Association is restoring this remote maritime beacon (Alaska’s oldest lighthouse) and will eventually create a museum to celebrate the nautical history of the Lynn Canal. It’s set to reopen in summer 2026 for limited visits and rentals of the keepers' quarters.
Open to the public for tours and events, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West sits in the desert foothills of the McDowell Mountains in Scottsdale. This World Heritage Site exemplifies desert masonry, reflecting Wright’s preference for using local materials in his designs. Keep an eye out for unique design treasures throughout, including boulders etched with petroglyphs scattered across the property, a citrus grove, a hammer embedded in the light tower left behind by an apprentice, and seven pools fed by a well nearly 500 feet underground.
Arkansas is home to some breathtaking, light-filled chapels set amid nature, but none are more striking than the Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel. Framed by 15 soaring arches that rise 50 feet high and wrapped in 4,460 square feet of glass, it offers sweeping views of the surrounding woods and Lake Norwood. The first wedding took place here in 1988.
A must-stop on any Highway One road trip, Hearst Castle—the lavish estate of newspaper magnate and art collector William Randolph Hearst—was brought to life by Julia Morgan, California’s first licensed female architect. The main hillside mansion, Casa Grande, sprawls 68,500 square feet and boasts 38 bedrooms, 42 bathrooms, 30 fireplaces, and 14 sitting rooms. The estate’s two pools are showstoppers; there's the Indoor Roman Pool, which is lined with intricate tilework and statues of gods and heroes, and the outdoor Neptune Pool, adorned with marble sculptures of Venus, cupids, and mermaids.
Denver’s Union Station is a restored Beaux-Arts landmark that serves as both a transit hub and a lively gathering place, home to restaurants, shops, and the boutique Crawford Hotel. At the Cooper Lounge, a glamorous bar perched above the Great Hall, three arched windows flood the space with light and frame original wrought-iron and plaster Columbines, a nod to Colorado’s state flower.
Visitors can tour the medieval-style stone castle once home to William Gillette (famed for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes) and explore the wooded trails surrounding the estate. Perched on a hillside overlooking the Connecticut River, the 14,000-square-foot castle offers sweeping views and a glimpse into Gillette’s eccentric imagination.
Built in 1787, Dover’s Georgian-style Old State House was Delaware’s first permanent capitol. From 1791 to the 1930s, it housed the General Assembly. Now restored, it stands as a reminder of the state’s democratic beginnings and anchors Dover’s historic Green, near the Golden Fleece Tavern where delegates met in 1787 to ratify the U.S. Constitution and make Delaware the “First State.”
The Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida, is an architectural landmark as surreal as the artist himself. Its glass Enigma, made from 1,062 triangular panels, soars 75 feet high, echoing Dalí’s museum in Spain. Inside, the must-see helical staircase reflects his fascination with spirals and the double helix form of DNA
This Hindu temple, the largest outside of India, opened in 2007 after 17 months of construction and 1.3 million volunteer hours. It’s built from 12,300 tons of Italian marble, Turkish limestone, and Indian pink sandstone. Artisans carved each piece in India, shipped the materials to the Atlanta area, and assembled the temple like a giant 3D puzzle.
Set amid the Koʻolau Mountains on Oʻahu, the Byodo-In Temple is a smaller-scale replica of Japan’s nearly 1,000-year-old World Heritage Site in Uji. Surrounded by lush gardens, it features a meditation pavilion and a Bell House with a three-ton brass bon-shō, whose resonant tone is believed to bring peace and blessings.
The Coeur d’Alene’s Old Sacred Heart Mission, built between 1850 and 1853 by Catholic missionaries and members of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, is the oldest building in Idaho. Its Italian Baroque design rises unexpectedly from a hill off Interstate 90, captivating travelers with its elegance in such a remote setting. The ceiling was stained blue with smashed huckleberries, which are the official state fruit of Idaho.
Chicago is a city defined by its architecture, and the Chicago Tribune Tower is one of its crown jewels. Built between 1923 and 1925 after architects Howells & Hood won a design competition, the Neo-Gothic skyscraper stands 463 feet tall (495 with its antenna) and spans 36 floors. Designated a national landmark, it’s a symbol of the city’s architectural ambition.
The Bottleworks Hotel anchors the $300 million Bottleworks District, built on the site of what was once the world’s largest Coca-Cola bottling plant—the hotel’s white terra-cotta exterior even still bears the Coca-Cola name, a nod to its storied past. Enter through the brass doors and you’ll find an Art Deco lover’s dreamscape, with terrazzo floors, ornate plasterwork, original chandeliers, and colorful ceramic tiles.
Iowa’s State Capitol is the only one in the nation crowned with five domes. Built between 1871 and 1886, the 275-foot-tall landmark was constructed using 29 types of marble, 12 types of wood native to the state (except mahogany), and more than a hundred uniquely designed rooms. The gold leaf that covers the central dome is 250,000th of an inch thick and is just shy of 24 karats.
With an impressive Gothic tower, Topeka High School was built in 1931 and became the very first $1 million high school west of the Mississippi. Architects Thompson Williamson and Ted Greist designed the high school, which also has stained glass windows, terrazzo stairways, and, legend has it, brick from ancient Rome’s Appian Way.
Overlooking Jackson Square in the heart of New Orleans’ French Quarter, St. Louis Cathedral is one of the city’s most iconic landmarks. Originally built in 1724 and thought to have been inspired by Notre Dame, it was rebuilt twice after disaster, and the current church was remodeled in 1849 with a tapestry of Greek Revival, Gothic, and Renaissance elements. Inside, stained glass windows and frescoes add to its beauty.
Set on 110 acres of rolling bluegrass farmland, The Kentucky Castle invites guests to stay, tour, and take part in events from murder-mystery dinners to holiday markets. Originally begun in 1969 by a couple inspired by European castles, it stood unfinished for decades before new owners restored it in the early 2000s. A 2004 fire led to yet another rebirth, cementing the castle’s place as one of Kentucky’s most intriguing landmarks.
Maine is synonymous with picturesque lighthouses, and the Portland Head Light is essentially the state’s unofficial postcard. Built in 1791, it’s Maine’s oldest lighthouse and one of the most photographed in the world. Although it’s generally closed to the public, it opens for a single day each September during Maine Open Lighthouse Day, when 300 visitors are allowed inside.
Built between 1806 and 1821, the Baltimore Basilica is the first cathedral constructed in the United States. A masterpiece of architecture, it was dreamed up by Benjamin Henry Latrobe, who also helped design the U.S. Capitol. Back then, Bishop Carroll tasked the architect with coming up with two plans, choosing Latrobe’s neoclassical design over a Gothic one to signal that the Catholic Church was a modern, forward-looking force in the building of America.
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