Landmarks have become the biggest tourist attractions for folks visiting a new place. Even the residents of areas with popular landmarks still manage to find a lot of fun by continuously checking out these fascinating attractions. Many of the great landmarks get judged based on pictures since it’s impossible for most people to visit them all. A look at these places from the outside may not tell the whole story when it comes to comparing them. Some of the landmarks are more important to witness on the inside. From having more interesting things to witness when going in to providing a great view, the inside of certain landmarks adds more to them.
We will discuss the places that you can’t be judged accurately from just the exterior. Many of the landmarks deliver a completely different experience once you truly soak in the experience. The places in question are located all over the world as our glance will be varied in countries and overall atmosphere of each. Find out if you have been looking at certain tourist attractions with the wrong perspective or if you need to give them another chance through a different experience. These are twenty landmarks that should NOT be judged from the outside.
20 Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is one of the most beloved landmarks in the United States. Most people visiting New York City for the tourist attractions will make the Statue of Liberty one of their first trips. However, there is more to the experience of witnessing the Statue of Liberty than just looking at it.
While the statue is beautiful, the option to go inside of it provides another dynamic. The climb up the statue is a very long one, but it is worth the trip for most people that did it. This view from inside the statue is a beautiful look at everything surrounding it which adds to the statue itself.
19 Sears Tower/Willis Tower
Despite currently being known as Willis Tower, many people still refer to the stunning Chicago landmark as the Sears Tower. Regardless of what you call it, the second tallest building in the country is a beautiful skyscraper that many people from all over the world come to visit.
At 110 stories high, the building is visually stunning. Skydeck Chicago allows visitors to get to “the ledge” where you can stand inside and look over the city. This is an experience significantly more memorable than looking at pictures of the Willis Tower from afar. Chicago residents will vouch for making the trip if you’re in town.
18 Burj Khalifa
Dubai is home to many beautiful visuals. Burj Khalifa is among the most beautiful places you can visit when there. The observation deck is home to a massive skyscraper that looks gorgeous from afar or in pictures.
However, it is a different experience when going into the building when visiting. The Burj Khalifa provides a breathtaking view of Dubai that one must experience to truly take in. It is a high price, but most people considering it likely would find it worth the money for such a beautiful view. Burj Khalifa deserves to be mentioned among the great landmarks to experience from the inside.
17 Space Needle
Seattle, Washington is among the most beautiful places to visit in the United States, and the Space Needle is its most beautiful landmark. It was initially built in the Seattle Center for a World Fair. Now the Space Needle is a landmark many people want to see when they visit Seattle.
The visual from afar is gorgeous on its own, but the trip inside will lead to a more memorable experience. Once you get to the top, you can see just how beautiful the city is while standing over 500 feet above the ground. Be sure to factor in the Space Needle for any visits to Seattle to take it in.
16 Shanghai World Financial Centre
Another fascinating landmark skyscraper can be found in China. The Shanghai World Financial Centre is the ninth tallest building in the world and stands out visually for its sleek look. While the outside certainly is more memorable than most of the other skyscrapers, this is another instance of the inside being better.
There are actually hotels, offices and shopping malls located here, but most people go there to visit the observation decks. It allows the average person to appreciate the beauty of the world with arguably the best look of Shanghai you’ll find. The outside is great, but the view from the inside puts it over the top.
15 The Duomo
The Duomo in Florence is a historic landmark listed at over 500 feet tall. It is a cathedral synonymous with Florence. While it does have a memorable look, visitors must walk nearly 500 stairs to get to the cupola.
If you are easily tired or suffer from health issues, the Duomo may not be the best landmark for you to visit. However, it is worth it to some folks that want the full experience of being at the top of the inside of the landmark. The view is beautiful and adds a different perspective to the experience of hitting up this historical location.
14 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Cleveland does not have many attractions, but they consider the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to be a landmark for the location. The physical Hall of Fame honors many of the great musicians to get inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
While the inductions take place in other venues all over the country, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame can only be visited in Cleveland. It is the visual most national media outlets use when attempting to discuss a story in the area. There’s no way to realize how special the place is without going inside. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame even started a larger landmark program to create structures celebrating important musical places in Ohio.
13 The High Line
The past couple of decades have seen New Yorkers change their tune on the High Line from an eyesore to a landmark. New Yorkers love to visit the High Line park and rail trail today for the unique nature of having such a beautiful view in a relaxing place in the city.
However, it was almost demolished in the 90s until it was made into a public space. This led to the High Line becoming a hot attraction in New York. Distant views can impress, but no one can truly realize the fun of the landmark until getting up there and looking at the rest of the city from the High Line.
12 Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is one of the most beloved landmarks in Australia. It is a performing arts center that also allows folks to visit for the view from inside. There are multiple venues within the Sydney Opera House that hosts over 1,000 events per year.
An estimated 8 million people visit the Sydney Opera House each year whether for events or to just soak in the experience. It looks impressive from the outside due to a beautiful design, but one must be inside to judge the overall atmosphere. The Sydney Opera House is breathtaking from the outside and delivers great fun for the events inside.
11 St. Peter's Basilica
St. Peter's Basilica will give you a breathtaking view of the Vatican City if you make your way inside to climb the stairs. At over 750 feet tall and 500 feet wide, the size of St. Peter's Basilica is impressive on its own when snapping pictures of it from the outside.
However, most would suggest going inside for the true experience. St. Peter's Basilica has a difficult process of walking over 500 steps, but it may be worth it for those wanting a memorable image of beauty when traveling the world. The landmark stands out among the best experiences when wanting to appreciate the Vatican City.
10 Great Wall of China
Many people would name the Great Wall of China first when listing the most fascinating tourist attractions in the world. The historic landmark is still around today with the ability climb the stairs to get to a beautiful view.
An impressive feat sees The Great Wall measuring at over 5,000 miles across China. If you are looking to reach the highest point, it is located at Beijing at Heita Mountain. The highest point is measured at over 5,000 feet above sea level. This view gives you the perfect experience when witnessing the Great Wall of China and is the best way to judge it.
9 The Alamo
The landmark of The Alamo is where the historic Battle of the Alamo took place in 1836. Today, folks visit it in San Antonio due to the historical importance of such a location. It doesn’t look special to the average eye from the outside until entering inside for the true experience.
Many history buffs consider The Alamo a must-visit for those that like to travel to various landmarks for the experience. Between being in an important place and learning more facts on the tour, the Alamo landmark is something you must go inside to truly take in. Looking up pictures or watching it from afar just is not the same.
8 Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal in India is one of the most standout landmarks in terms of the visual appeal from the outside. Many can even get a great glimpse of it during sunset without stepping in, but the true experience comes from getting admission into the Taj Mahal for one of the tours.
The tour provides a lot of information about the history behind the marble mausoleum. While the outside may be more beautiful, taking in both experiences is the best way to judge a trip to the Taj Mahal.
7 One World Trade Center
The One World Trade Center has become one of the most popular landmarks in the United States over the past few years. It is the main building of the rebuilt World Trade Center structure in New York City and receives huge crowds wanting to check it out.
The One World Observatory provides a stunning view over New York at over 1,200 feet above the street level. There’s also a fun visual of a time lapse showing the evolution of New York City through the decades as you ride the elevator to the top. The past, present and future of New York is celebrated while getting a stunning view from the inside.
6 Wrigley Field
Only a few sports venues get the honor of being referred to as landmarks, and Wrigley Field is certainly one of them. Many folks visiting the United States or specifically the Chicago area typically list Wrigley Field among the places they want to experience at least once.
The home of the Chicago Cubs hosts home games all season for the popular baseball team. Concerts and other fun events also take place at the stunning stadium. Wrigley Field is often shown from the outside in many pop culture depictions of Chicago but going inside and experiencing a game or event is the only way to judge it.
5 The White House
The White House is one landmark with a huge security staff all over. This is partially due to most people standing outside in the public area while taking photos of the White House from afar. It isn’t really a memorable experience due to how distant the White House is from the public.
There are tours that allow folks to go inside and visit a few historic places where big moments in United States history took place. Folks of all political parties enjoy the tour for the true experience when visiting such a historical landmark for the country.
4 The Shard
London is considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The Shard stands tall among the top landmarks in London that makes it such an appealing place to visit. At over 1,000 feet tall, The Shard is the tallest building in the United Kingdom. Much like most skyscrapers, that leads to a stunning view from inside of the landmark.
The climb to the top of The Shard will give you the best view of the city from 800 feet above the ground. An interesting new addition to The Shard saw it launch the Sky-High Tea option for those that want to indulge in a picnic with such a view (if willing to pay the $130). You don’t need the picnic for the best experience, but witnessing the view is worth going inside.
3 Petronas Towers
Malaysia is home to one of the most beautiful landmarks in the world with the Petronas Towers. The twin skyscrapers stand at just under 1,500 feet tall. It presents a gorgeous visual from the outside of two structures that stand tall.
However, the view from the inside is even more breathtaking to get a perfect image of the beauty of Malaysia. The observation deck inside is over 500 feet above ground and allows you to take a glimpse of the buildings, greenery and sky of Malaysia all at once when visiting Petronas Towers.
2 Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is arguably the most popular landmark in New York City and among the most popular in the world. Standing at almost 1,500 feet tall, the giant structure is impressive in general. However, it is impossible to appreciate it due to the amount of other tall buildings surrounding it.
The trip inside will always have a big crowd, but that is due to how enjoyable the experience is. A huge positive is that a quick elevator ride can get you to the top deck rather than having to walk a ridiculous number of stairs like others on the list. Once at the top, it is the perfect view of New York needed to judge the Empire State Building.
1 Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower may very well be the most popular landmark in the world. Most people would be able to recognize it by image just based on pop culture references alone. The unique design does make it a great look from the outside and it stands out as being a special landmark.
However, an experience on the inside adds another dynamic to the experience. The Eiffel Tower has a recently new glass floor 187 feet above ground that gives you the ability to get a gorgeous look over Paris. You will enjoy the Eiffel Tower from the outside, but the option of a beautiful image over the city while in a historic landmark is an experience of a lifetime to take in.
References: Travel and Leisure