Iconic And Most Famous California Landmarks
Are you visiting the West Coast anytime soon? What are some famous California landmarks that should not be missed? The state of California has some of the best things to see through a scenic drive.
With a population of almost 40,000,000, there are so many things to see in this Golden State of the nation.
So many iconic landmarks and famous landmarks to visit. It’s filled with popular tourist attractions and some of the best places to eat.
Golden Gate Bridge
- Golden Gate Bridge in the San Francisco Bay Area is a must place to visit.
- The bridge construction started in 1933 and was completed by 1937. It is 1.7 miles long.
- The total length of the bridge is 8,981ft or 1 mile long. This can’t miss the list of the famous California landmarks.
Santa Monica Pier
- If you are Southern California, you just cannot bypass the infamous Santa Monica Pier. It opened in 1909 and is 1651.5 feet in length. it has a small amusement park with a few concession stands as well.
- The view is outstanding and many will be seen fishing as well.
- Santa Monica mountains are near by
Griffith Observatory
- It’s location is at the Griffith Park in the downtown Los Angeles area.
- Great exhibits and and the planetarium are seen inside the Griffith Observatory
Yosemite National Park
- Yosemite valley is located in the Sierra Nevada of California and is about eight miles long with small valleys within.
- It has one of the tallest trees in the state.
- Yosemite falls is known to be the highest waterfall in the park with the depth of 2,425 feet.
Hollywood Sign
- Hollywood Sign can be seen through the Hollywood Boulevard as it exemplifies why its part of the California landmarks.
- This 45 Foot letter landmark has a few trails that leads to it with some awesome views to capture.
Disneyland
- Disneyland Park is one of the happiest place on earth and should be on the list of places to visit, especially if you have kids.
- A perfect place for a theme park visit would be Disneyland in California. amusement park
- One of the popular attractions or as to say the main attractions would have to be the parade in the evening. Not all amusement park has this special event.
Alcatraz Island
- It’s a small island that once used to be a military prison.
- It’s one of the California historical landmark that has a guided tour in the Northern part of California.
Joshua Tree National Park
- The name came from the twisted, bristled Joshua trees.
- It’s about 1,242 miles.
Death Valley National Park
- The lowest point in California and it’s 282 feet below the sea level. Can you believe it?
- It has a record of the highest temperature anywhere in the world with 134 degrees in July 1936.
Sequoia National Park
- It has huge sequoia trees like the General Sherman Tree.
- The area is about 404,064 acres.
Hearst Castle
- Located in the Central Coast of California, this castle is about 127 acres.
- There are 42 bedrooms and 61 bathrooms.
- Over 70,000 tress are present here.
Related : Places To Visit In California
Great Places To Explore
Great place and time are all different aspects of being able to enjoy the various famous California landmarks.
Being able to enjoy some of these smaller landmarks also gives you not only the tourist feel but also an unforgettable experience.
San Diego Zoo
- San Diego Zoo is one of the most famous zoos of all time.
- Various species and animals are present.
Big Sur
- Visiting here will leave you with unforgettable memories filled with nature beauty, rugged coastline, and colorful waters.
- McWay falls trail is also popular at the Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park in Big Sur too.
San Francisco Cable Cars Tour
- There are about 40 cable cars presently, but originally started with over 600 cable cars.
- It is mainly used by tourists for the city tours.
Walt Disney Concert Hall
- Opened in October 23, 2003, it is the 4th hall of the Los Angeles Music Center.
- It’s one of the most sophisticated concert halls in the world.
- The interior and the exterior designs are amazing.
Hollywood Walk Of Fame
- Did you know that the first star to ever be placed was around 1960?
- Now there are about 2781 stars as of May 2024.
Lake Tahoe
- If you’re looking for a good vacation spot, here is one.
- One of the best places for the ski lovers and hikes too.
Universal Studios
- It’s known to everyone as a film studio and a theme park in the San Fernando Valley area.
- The nostalgic 60-minute studio tour is a must for many. Keep in mind though that the newly updated tour has a 3D indoor sensitive section, so beware.
World’s Tallest Thermometer
- Did you ever drive to Las Vegas from California on the 15 Fwy and see the world’s tallest thermometer in Baker?
- Built around 1991, it is 134 feet high. Isn’t this one of the most unique famous California landmarks?
Carlsbad Flower Field
- If you’re ever in the Carlsbad (near San Diego) area, you must visit the Carlsbad Flower Field.
- It’s usually opened from March to May every year.
- The field is covered with over 500 million flowers and 10 weeks of color.
TCL Chinese Theater
- With the biggest IMAX auditorium, it’s the only IMAX theater with a curtain.
- It has over 200 handprints, footprints, and autographs, Marilyn Monroe being the most popular handprint of them all.
Huntington Library
- An art museum and a botanical garden as a tourist attraction.
- Famous for the collections of the nation’s founders like George Washing and Thomas Jefferson.
- You can visit the Huntington gardens for free every first Thursday of each month.
If you drive up to Northern California, you can visit Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz beach boardwalk. and San Francisco Bay area,
There are countless amount of famous California landmarks that we could go through for days and weeks.
The one’s that are mentioned here were/are some of the most favored ones.
I want to go to California to visit my cousin
California is lovely place to visit ( if you get away from the cities and crowds).
This post should be useful for anyone familiarizing themselves on what CA has to offer.
Great list! Hopefully, I’ll be able to visit some of these places one day, especially the National Parks. They look amazing! Thanks for sharing!
Great list. My son just moved to California and I can’t wait to explore!!
A detailed post..thanks.. now I know what to do in California..
Great post! California is beautiful! Whenever I’m in San Francisco I love to also go north and visit the redwoods and wine country!
How big are those Sequoia trees at the Sequoia National Park? Wow! And I am fascinated by Yosemite National Park as well. Would love to visit those. Thank you for a great post. 🙂
This is such an interesting read. It blows my mind that the Santa Monica Pier opened 115 years ago. Thank you for sharing!
Most of these famous california landmarks are in my california bucket list but there were a few I had never even heard before like the library or the flower field. Thanks for this super detailed california travel guide!!