architecture

42 Buildings You Must See up Close & in Person

~ Linda Leier Thomason ~ Leave a comment

I’m in awe of buildings. Their size. Their function. Their design. Their history.

The architectural design and messages conveyed leave a lasting impression. Looking back on photographs, I easily recall the location and the feeling I had near it.

Buildings communicate the way people live, work and move in an area. They represent both history and progress.

I marvel at the gifted, creative minds and hard-working tradespeople who design and build such pieces.

I’ve been told I’m a “cheap date.”

Drop me in a location and I’m impressed with buildings.

Trees impact me equally.

I’m okay with this. Perhaps, it’s my petite size. Or, insatiable curiosity.

Either way, I’m not alone. The emotional impact of architecture | TED Talks

Here are some of the most impressive buildings I’ve seen and visited. Some are not the most well-known buildings in their communities. They are, however, the ones that instantly grabbed my attention and captured my interest.

Links by building and location sorted by state/region/country are provided under each image.

Click on them. Plan a visit.

All photography is mine.

What’s Your Favorite Building?

What message does it send you?

Let me know below.

Suggest a new building for me to explore. Be sure to send a photo and link along. Thank you.

Midwest

Kansas

CottonwoodFalls

Chase County Courthouse | City of Cottonwood Falls Kansas (cwfks.org) What to See & Do in Kansas Flint Hills – Linda Leier Thomason

Kansas City

100 Years Of Kansas City History | Union Station KC Home | Visit Kansas City, KS (visitkansascityks.com) Kansas City Must-See Attractions in One Day – Linda Leier Thomason

South Dakota

Sioux Falls

Services-Southeast South Dakota Tourism Experience Sioux Falls | Experience Sioux Falls, South Dakota

DeSmet

Welcome to De Smet, SD (desmetsd.com) Laura Ingalls Wilder (De Smet Development Corporation) (desmetsd.com) Little House on the Prairie Getaway – Linda Leier Thomason

Mitchell

Home – Mitchell Convention & Visitors Bureau, SD (visitmitchell.com)

Iowa

Clear Lake

Clear Lake, Iowa | Chamber of Commerce | Stay at the Shore and Explore! (clearlakeiowa.com) Surf Ballroom Win a Visit to Clear Lake, IA – Linda Leier Thomason %

Fort Dodge

Homepage – Fort Dodge (fortdodgecvb.com) Fort Dodge Grain Silo Project History | Fort Dodge Public Art

Winterset

The Covered Bridges | Madison County, Iowa Chamber & Welcome Center 9 Reasons Madison County Iowa is Worth Visiting – Linda Leier Thomason

Nebraska

McCook

Harvey P. and Eliza Sutton House, Scheme 3 | Frank Lloyd Wright Trust (flwright.org) Home – Visit McCook Faith, Family & Farming: McCook, Nebraska – Linda Leier Thomason

Kearney

The Archway – Kearney, NE Visit Kearney Nebraska – Sandhill Crane Capital of the World 5 Ways Kearney, NE Stole My Heart – Linda Leier Thomason

Red Cloud

Lodging at the Cather Second Home Guest House | Willa Cather Foundation – Red Cloud Nebraska (NE) 3 Generations Thrilled with Nebraska Adventure – Linda Leier Thomason

Tecumseh

Johnson County Courthouse City of Tecumseh, Nebraska – Home (tecumsehne.com)

Beatrice

NOTE: Roofline resembles a plow breaking through sod. https://www.nps.gov/home/index.htm Gage County Tourism Beatrice, NE (visitbeatrice.com) Nebraska’s Homestead National Park & Holy Family Shrine – Linda Leier Thomason

South

Kentucky

Louisville

Churchill Downs Racetrack | Thoroughbred horse racing in Louisville, Kentucky | Churchill Downs Racetrack | Home of the Kentucky Derby
Muhammad Ali Center | Be Great :: Do Great Things – Welcome to the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, KY

Georgia

Plains

Former President Jimmy Carter’s boyhood home. Plains | Official Georgia Tourism & Travel Website | Explore Georgia.org SAM Shortline | Home

Columbus

Attractions and Things To Do In Georgia | Visit Columbus, GA | Visit Columbus, GA (visitcolumbusga.com)

Louisiana

New Orleans

https://www.neworleans.com/

Home Page – Louisiana Supreme Court (lasc.org)

South Carolina

Charleston

United States Custom House (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov) 20 Free Natural Attractions in Charleston, South Carolina – Linda Leier Thomason
Colonial Lake Charleston, SC | Official Site for Charleston Vacations & Charleston Tourism | Charleston Area CVB (charlestoncvb.com)
The Citadel Military College The Citadel | The Military College of South Carolina

East

Maine

Augusta

Blaine House-Maine’s Governor’s Mansion http://blainehouse.org/

Caribou

Maine’s General Store https://sleepersmarket.com/

New York

New York City

The Official Guide to New York City | nycgo.com
https://www.smallbustoursnyc.com/ Insider Tips for 1st Time Visitors to New York City – Linda Leier Thomason

West

Arizona

Jerome

Jerome Chamber of Commerce – Jerome, AZ Home – The Haunted Hamburger Hint: Request Backside (not StreetSide) patio.

California

Coronado Island

Coronado Visitor Center | Discover Coronado Island

Napa Valley

Napa Valley | Explore Napa Valley Online

Hawaii

Honolulu

Home (hvcb.org) Hotels Near Waikiki Beach – Hilton Waikiki Beach

Nevada

Las Vegas

https://www.lvcva.com/
Taken outside the Aria Resort https://aria.mgmresorts.com/en.html

Boulder City

Hoover Dam | Bureau of Reclamation (usbr.gov)

Washington

Seattle

Visit Seattle Washington | Travel & Tourism | Official Site Downtown Seattle-A Review of 7 Attractions – Linda Leier Thomason

Caribbean

Antigua

Antigua: Everything You Need to Know for a Memorable Trip – Linda Leier Thomason
Antigua and Barbuda / Homepage (antigua-barbuda.org)

Costa Rica

Visit Costa Rica | Costa Rica Tourism Official website

Dominican Republic

The Official Travel Guide to Dominican Republic · Visit Dominican Republic The Best & Worst of Traveling to the Dominican Republic – Linda Leier Thomason

Canada

British Columbia

Victoria

Tourism Victoria | Explore Everything Victoria, BC Has to Offerhttps://www.tourismvictoria.com/see-do/activities-attractions/statues-landmarks/parliament-buildings

Vancouver

Tourism Vancouver – official source of tourist information, things to do, restaurants for Vancouver BC Canada https://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/stanley-park.aspx
http://harbourcentre.com/ 3 Stunning Days In Victoria & Vancouver Canada – Linda Leier Thomason

Which building do you want to see, or have you seen? Jot me a note below.

Suggest another building for me to explore. Be sure to include a link or two. Thanks!

©Copyright. May 2021. Linda Leier Thomason
All Rights Reserved. This means seek permission before using copy or images from this site. Images are available for purchase.

Linda Leier Thomason is a former CEO who writes freelance business and travel stories, along with feature articles. Her work experiences include a Fortune 500 corporation, federal government, entrepreneurship and small business.

You will most often find her outdoors enjoying natural settings, wherever she’s at.

Find out more about Linda by clicking the “Meet Linda” tab above. Interested in working together? Send me a note today. Let’s connect.

10 Unique Churches to See in USA

~ Linda Leier Thomason ~ 1 Comment

Churches are often landmarks of fascinating history and awe-inspiring architecture.

Here are 10 such churches in 8 states well worth a visit when in the area.

All photographs were taken by me with one noted exception.

Arizona

Holy Family, Jerome

LOCATION: 101 County Rd, Jerome, AZ 86331

Holy Family Church, Jerome Az | Facebook

Holy Family is the oldest Catholic structure in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix.

Iowa

Sts. Peter & Paul, West Bend

Location 206 1st Ave. NW West Bend, IA 50597
Click for Directions

Sts. Peter & Paul | Five Saints Community

Next door to the Shrine of the Grotto of the Redemption.

Home – The Shrine of the Grotto of the Redemption | West Bend, Iowa (westbendgrotto.com)

World’s largest man-made Grotto and often called “eighth wonder of the world.”

Nebraska

St. Michaels, Tarnov

Location: 309 3rd Street Tarnov, NE

:: Historic St. Michaels Catholic Church in Tarnov, Nebraska ::

First Polish Catholic parish still operating in Nebraska. Opened in 1901.
Tour the museum, grotto and cemetery on the property. Call ahead for personal tour.

Holy Family Shrine, Gretna

LOCATION: 23132 Pflug Road, Gretna, NE 68028

Home Page – Holy Family Shrine

A place of respite and reflection for I-80 travelers near Omaha, NE.

Louisiana

Cathedral-Basilica Saint Louis, New Orleans

Cathedral-Basilica Saint Louis is commonly known as St. Louis Cathedral

LOCATION: 615 Pere Antoine Alley New Orleans, LA 70116

St. Louis Cathedral | New Orleans, LA

Photo taken in October 2016.
Built in 1793. Oldest cathedral in continuous use in the USA.

New York

St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York City

Location: 460 Madison Ave, New York, 10022, NY

St. Patrick’s Cathedral | New York, NY (saintpatrickscathedral.org)

History & Heritage | St. Patrick’s Cathedral | New York, NY (saintpatrickscathedral.org)

North Dakota

Sts. Peter & Paul, Strasburg

LOCATION: 503 N 2nd St Strasburg, ND  58573-0322

emmonscatholics.org – Emmons County, ND

Built in 1910. German Russian community.

Strasburg is home to bandleader Lawrence Welk. Welk Homestead State Historic Site – State Historical Society of North Dakota (nd.gov)

South Carolina

Saint Mary of the Annunciation, Charleston

LOCATION: 95 Hasell Street Charleston, SC 29401

Saint Mary of the Annunciation – Home (sma.church)

Oldest Catholic parish in southeastern USA and where we married.
Charleston is called the “Holy City” and has array of beautiful churches. Credit: Pat Ring (RIP).

Stella Maris, Sullivan’s Island

LOCATION: 1204 Middle Street Sullivan’s Island, SC 29482
 Stella Maris Catholic Church – Charleston, SC (stellamarischurch.org)

Across the street from Fort Moultrie.
Stella Maris: Church History (catholic-doc.org)

South Dakota

St. Joseph Cathedral, Sioux Falls

Location: 521 North Duluth Avenue Sioux Falls, SD 57104

Cathedral of Saint Joseph | Sioux Falls, SD (stjosephcathedral.net)

History of the Cathedral | Cathedral of Saint Joseph | Sioux Falls, SD (stjosephcathedral.net)

Plan a church tour.

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©March 2021. Linda Leier Thomason All Rights Reserved.

This means seek permission before using copy or images from this site. Images are available for purchase.

Linda Leier Thomason writes freelance business and travel stories along with feature articles. Her work experience includes a Fortune 500 corporation, federal government, entrepreneurship and small business. Read more about her background and qualifications by clicking on the “Meet Linda” tab above.