Kyle Magnuson Profile
I live and work in Los Angeles, California, though I am originally from the Midwest. I graduated with a Bachelor's degree in History at the University of Wisconsin-Superior and a Master's degree in Teaching (Social Studies) from the University of Southern California (USC). As an undergraduate I completed coursework in China, Scotland, and Korea. As a member of AmeriCorps, I provided educational services to communities throughout Los Angeles. Today, I am a founding teacher at a middle school, where I teach United States History.
I have contributed an overabundance of information to the country page and forum for South Korea. I consider Korea to be one the great rewards for world heritage travelers. Firstly, a high number of accessible WHS reachable by efficient public transport. Secondly, excellent interpretation and management of each site, including translation. Lastly, the public awareness and domestic interest in world heritage in Korea is exceptional, including world heritage themed festivals and campaigns for aspiring nominations.
I often travel plan and create lists/goals regarding future trips. Listed below are the sites I hope to visit during the next few years.
My Flickr
World Heritage Planning 2024-2030
Argentina/Uruguay/Brazil (9 WHS)
- The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier (Argentina)
- ESMA Museum and Site of Memory (Argentina)
- Cordoba (Argentina)
- Colonia del Sacramento (Uruguay)
- Iguazu National Park (Argentina)
- Iguacu (Brazil)
- Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
- Valongo Wharf (Brazil)
- Sítio Roberto Burle Marx (Brazil)
Australia/Singapore (6 WHS)
- Sydney Opera House (New South Wales, Australia)
- Greater Blue Mountains Area (New South Wales, Australia)
- Australian Convict Sites (New South Wales, Australia)
- Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens (Victoria, Australia)
- Budj Bim Cultural Landscape (Victoria, Australia)
- Singapore Botanic Gardens (Singapore)
Azores-Portugal (1)
- Central Zone of the Town of Angra do Heroismo in the Azores
Canada-East (9 WHS)
- Grand Pré
- Gros Morne National Park
- Joggins Fossil Cliffs
- L'Anse aux Meadows
- Mistaken Point
- Old Québec
- Old Town Lunenburg
- Red Bay Basque Whaling Station
- Rideau Canal
Canadian Prairie Provinces (4 WHS)
- Writing-on-Stone / Áísínai’pi
- Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump
- Dinosaur Provincial Park
- The Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks
Caribbean (5 WHS)
- Historic Bridgetown (Barbados)
- Morne Trois Pitons (Dominica)
- Volcanoes and Forests of Mount Pelée and the Pitons of Northern Martinique (France)
- Blue and John Crow Mountains (Jamaica)
- La Fortaleza (Puerto Rico)
Costa Rica (1 WHS)
- Guanacaste Conservation Area
France (9 WHS)
- The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier
- Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France
- Chartres Cathedral
- The Palace and Park of Fontainebleau
- Roman Theatre and its Surroundings and the "Triumphal Arch" of Orange
- Historic Centre of Avignon: Papal Palace, Episcopal Ensemble and Avignon Bridge
- Pont du Gard (Roman Aqueduct)
- Maison Carrée de Nîmes
- Arles, Roman and Romanesque Monuments
Ghana/Rwanda (3 WHS)
- Forts and Castles, Central Region (Ghana) *Cape Coast/Elmina
- Memorial sites of the Genocide (Rwanda)
- Nyungwe National Park (Rwanda)
Gulf States (5 WHS)
- Qal'at al-Bahrain (Bahrain)
- Pearling, testimony of an island economy (Bahrain)
- Aflaj Irrigation System (Oman)
- Bahla Fort (Oman)
- Al Zubarah Archaeological Site (Qatar)
India - Western Coast (4 WHS)
- Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai
- Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus
- Elephanta Caves
- Churches and Convents of Goa
Japan (8 WHS)
- National Museum of Western Art (Le Corbusier)
- Shrines and Temples of Nikko
- Hiraizumi Temples and Gardens
- Mount Fuji
- Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama
Busan to Fukuoka Ferry
- Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region
- Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution
- Yakushima
Mongolia (2 WHS)
- Deer Stone Monuments
- Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape
Nordic/Baltic Nations (6 WHS)
- Visby (Sweden)
- Karlskrona (Sweden)
- Birka and Hovgarden (Sweden)
- Fortress of Suomenlinna (Finland)
- Tallinn (Estonia) *ferry from Helsinki
- Struve Geodetic Arc - Tartu Observatory (Estonia)
Northern Mexico via driving (1 WHS)
- Nuevo Casas Grandes: Archaeological Zone of Paquimé
Slovenia/Italy (3 WHS)
- The Works of Jože Plečnik in Ljubljana (Slovenia)
- Škocjan Caves (Slovenia)
- Venice (Italy)
Thailand/Cambodia (5 WHS)
- Historic City of Ayutthaya (Thailand)
- The Ancient Town of Si Thep (Thailand)
- Dong Phayayen - Khao Yai Forest Complex (Thailand)
- Angkor (Cambodia)
- Koh Ker (Cambodia)
United Kingdom (10 WHS)
- Kew Gardens
- Westminster
- Tower of London
- Maritime Greenwich
- Blenheim Palace
- Stonehenge
- City of Bath
- Great Spa Towns of Europe
- Frontiers of the Roman Empire
- Durham Castle and Cathedral
United States (1 WHS)
- Alaska: Kluane/Wrangell-St. Elias/Glacier Bay/Tatshenshini-Alsek
Yucatán Peninsula Mexico via Train (6 WHS)
- Sian Ka'an
- Pre-Hispanic City of Chichen-Itza
- Pre-Hispanic Town of Uxmal
- Historic Fortified Town of Campeche
- Pre-Hispanic City and National Park of Palenque
- Ancient Maya City of Calakmul, Campeche
Recent Reviews Kyle Magnuson
Guanajuato
Kyle Magnuson California - United States of America - 08-Jan-24
Clearly, based on the reviews thus far there is no need to go into the magic of Guanajuato! The music of the Callejoneada, the beautiful plazas (personal favorite, Plaza de San Fernando), Teatro Juarez, and the University steps each offer their own reward. The numerous historic Churches are noteworthy, though I would highlight Templo de San Francisco and the surrounding small streets 'Manuel Doblado' and 'Del Campanero' as particularly worthwhile areas to explore. Based on the glowing reviews here, I determined 4 days in Guanajuato would be ideal, considering there would be some closures on Christmas Eve and Christmas day. The festive holidays only added to the city's beauty
Read OnSan Miguel de Allende
Kyle Magnuson California - United States of America - 06-Jan-24
One does wonder walking in San Miguel de Allende if each gallery and restaurant is trying to outdo the other to impress potential customers. The ambience, the decor, the presentation is often impeccable. Yes, the "upmarket" vibe in San Miguel is certainly felt and on full display. Yet, during the holidays families were filling up Jardín Allende and Plaza Civica, usually with an ice cream or snack in hand from a street vendor. There is a little bit of everything here to satisfy a wide range of travelers. Sometimes referred to as 'El Corazon' (the fiercely beating bohemian heart of Mexico), one can see an overabundance of charm, culture, and art throughout the town.
Read OnQuerétaro
Kyle Magnuson California - United States of America - 02-Jan-24
Querétaro does not exhibit the type of intact historic core as experienced in San Miguel de Allende and therefore is rightly or wrongly judged as inferior. As a visitor, I also preferred San Miguel de Allende overall, but I noticed something odd while reviewing pictures. I took a lot more pictures in Querétaro, because there are way MORE historic sites or monuments in Querétaro (258 ha) than compared with the relatively small historic centre of San Miguel de Allende (43 ha). More of something rarely means quality, but then I think of the Museo de Arte de Querétaro, the Aqueduct, and Santa Rosa de Viterbo Church, and more. Are these sites inferior to what I experienced in San Miguel de Allende? These are monumental, impressive historic properties
Read OnSharjah: the Gate to Trucial States (T)
Kyle Magnuson California - United States of America - 22-Dec-23
There are so few world heritage sites connected to Aviation. Ideally this nomination will eventually evolve into a transnational nomination with the UK, the UAE, Singapore, and other nations where these early 'air stations' remain preserved.
Croydon Airport (UK)
Mahatta Fort (UAE)
Kallang Airport (Singapore)
1935 Map of Imperial Airways Routes
After the UAE gets their 2nd WHS, perhaps as early as 2025 (Faya), Al Mahatta Airport might be the next dossier queued up for UNESCO. I believe ICOMOS in this case might be preferential to a narrowed UAE nomination focusing on the airport, while also being supportive of a transnational site.
Read OnMleiha, Late Pre-Islamic Center of a South-East Arabian Kingdom (T)
Kyle Magnuson California - United States of America - 09-Dec-23
You might wonder why Mleiha since 2017 has become an increasingly promoted excursion from Sharjah/Dubai? The interpretation and programing at Mleiha is exceptional. In February 2023, four new tentative nominations emerged from the Emirate of Sharjah. According to our guide, the Ruler of Sharjah and his daughter are obsessed with Archaeology and deeply invested in the discoveries at Mleiha.
To visit Mleiha and specifically to have access to each historic component you must visit the Mleiha Archaeological Centre and reserve the Archaeology Tour (in advance online), but probably no trouble to arrive on-site and pay then. We had reserved both of our tours well in advance, each tour related to TWHS nominations (Mleiha and Faya). We were more intrigued by the Faya Palaeolandscape, while Mleiha gave us more to "see"
Read OnProfile Data
- Name
- Kyle Magnuson
- Country
- California - United States of America
- Most Impressive
- Yellowstone, Machu Picchu
- Proposal
- Native/Indigenous Sites in the United States: (1) Ancestral Lands of the Diné: Canyon de Chelly & Monument Valley (2) Coso Rock Art Historic District (3) Heritage of the Hawaiian Kingdom (4) Rock Art of the Chumash People (5) Sinagua Cultural Landscape 6) Southwestern Utah: Canyonlands and Bears Ears Cultural Landscape 7) Grand Canyon National Park (cultural criteria)
- Website
- website
Recently Visited WHS
- Update 05.03.24
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Visited WHS
Rating StatsChaco Culture 4.5El Pinacate 4.5Grand Canyon 4.5Hawaii Volcanoes 4.5Imperial Palace 4.5Istanbul 4.5Mesa Verde 4.5Redwood 4.5Jeju 4Segovia 4Sintra 4Toledo 4Al Ain 3.5Cuzco 3.5El Escurial 3.5Gyeongju 3.5Haeinsa Temple 3.5Macao 3.5Mammoth Cave 3.5Mount Taishan 3.5Namhansanseong 3.5Qhapaq Ñan 3.5Southern Öland 3.5Summer Palace 3.5Temple of Heaven 3.5Versailles 3.5Willemstad 3.5Aranjuez 3Belem 3Lima 3Carlsbad Caverns 2.5Drottningholm 2.5Hopewell 2.5Mafra 2.5Nice 2.5Poverty Point 2.5Skogskyrkogarden 2.5Reviewed WHS
- Guanajuato
- San Miguel de Allende
- Querétaro
- Al Ain
- Willemstad
- Hawaii Volcanoes
- Gulf of California
- Yellowstone
- Waterton Glacier International Peace Park
- Great Smoky Mountains
- Monticello
- Poverty Point
- Hopewell
- Carlsbad Caverns
- Monastery of Alcobaça
- Monastery of Batalha
- Sintra
- Convent of Christ in Tomar
- Belem
- Mafra
- Segovia
- El Escurial
- Aranjuez
- University of Coimbra
- Paseo del Prado and Buen Retiro
- Drottningholm
- Kronborg Castle
- Roskilde Cathedral
- Skogskyrkogarden
- Southern Öland
- Par force hunting landscape
- Olympic National Park
- Nice
- El Pinacate
- Gaya Tumuli
- Seowon, Neo-Confucian Academies
- Macao
- San Antonio Missions
- Works of Antoni Gaudí
- Great Wall
- Versailles
- Mesa Verde
- Paris, Banks of the Seine
- Statue of Liberty
- Independence Hall
- Temple of Heaven
- Teotihuacan
- Central University City Campus of the UNAM
- Mexico City and Xochimilco
- Grand Canyon
- Qhapaq Ñan
- South China Karst
- Silk Roads Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor
- Forth Bridge
- El Pinacate
- Sansa, Buddhist Mountain Monasteries
- Taos Pueblo
- Edinburgh
- Machu Picchu
- Summer Palace
- Chaco Culture
- Toledo
- Cahokia Mounds
- Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor
- Temple, Mansion and Cemetery of Confucius
- Imperial Tombs
- Frank Lloyd Wright Buildings
- Redwood
- Everglades
- Imperial Palace
- Baroque Churches
- Hahoe and Yangdong
- Getbol, Korean Tidal Flat
- Namhansanseong
- Baekje Historic Areas
- Gyeongju
- Haeinsa Temple
- Gochang, Hwasun, and Ganghwa Dolmen
- Jongmyo Shrine
- Mammoth Cave
- Istanbul
- Lima
- Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple
- Mount Taishan
- Hwaseong Fortress
- Royal Joseon Tombs
- New Lanark
- Cuzco
- Jeju
- Yosemite National Park
- Changdeokgung Palace Complex
Visited TWHS
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