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 WHS)
- Central Zone of the Town of Angra do Heroismo in the Azores
Baja California Mexico (1 WHS)
- Whale Sanctuary of El Vizcaino
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 (4 WHS)
- Historic Bridgetown (Barbados)
- Morne Trois Pitons (Dominica)
- Volcanoes and Forests of Mount Pelée and the Pitons of Northern Martinique (France)
- La Fortaleza (Puerto Rico)
China via Shanghai (2 WHS)
- Classical Gardens of Suzhou
- West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou
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)
Sweden via driving (2 WHS) *Malmö to Oslo
- Grimeton Radio Station
- Rock Carvings in Tanum
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
Zambia/Zimbabwe (1 WHS)
- Mosi-oa-Tunya / Victoria Falls
Recent Reviews Kyle Magnuson
Guanacaste
Kyle Magnuson California - United States of America - 30-Mar-24
I dedicated 3 days to exploring the Area de Conservación Guanacaste in March 2024. Every day we made sure to arrive at the park gate when it opened at 8am (pay attention to which parks are open each day). Our logic was - do the hike in the morning (avoid peak temperatures), higher potential of spotting wildlife, and to finish in time for a late lunch. In the end, we felt we succeeded as we arrived to all parks between 8:00 and 8:30 in the morning, the heat was not uncomfortable, and we did indeed spot plenty of wildlife. Access to each park was reserved in advance online, with the exception of the Junquillal Sector.
Read OnGuanajuato
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 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 01.04.24
-
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 3.5Southern 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
- Guanacaste
- 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
- Amalienborg and its district (T)
- Ancient Mountain Fortresses in Central Korea (T)
- Brooklyn Bridge (T)
- California Current Conservation Complex (T)
- Capital Fortifications of Hanyang : Hangyangdoseong Capital City Wall, Bukhansanseong Mountain Fortress and Tangchundaeseong Defense Wall (T)
- Central Park (T)
- Chapultepec Woods, Hill and Castle (T)
- City of York: historic urban core (T)
- City Walls of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (T)
- Civil Rights Movement Sites (T)
- Colonial Urban Plan and Fortifications of the Walled City of Manila (T)
- Daegokcheon Stream Petroglyphs (T)
- Early Chicago Skyscrapers (T)
- El Nido-Taytay Managed Resource Protected Area (T)
- Ellis Island (T)
- Ensemble of Alvaro Siza's Architecture Works in Portugal (T)
- Faya Palaeolandscape (T)
- Head Office and Garden of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (T)
- Historical Lisbon, Global City (T)
- Khor Dubai (T)
- Lake Titicaca (T)
- Mleiha, Late Pre-Islamic Center of a South-East Arabian Kingdom (T)
- Moravian Church Settlements (USA) (T)
- Mount Vernon (T)
- Mt. Soraksan Nature Reserve (T)
- Naganeupseong, Town Fortress and Village (T)
- Nuruosmaniye Complex (T)
- Oeam Village (T)
- Petrified Forest National Park (T)
- Plantations in West Curacao (T)
- Pombaline Lisbon (T)
- Rade de Marseille (T)
- Route of Magellan (T)
- Rural Temples of Cusco (T)
- Sharjah: the Gate to Trucial States (T)
- Sites of fossilized dinosaurs throughout the Southern seacoast (T)
- Sites of Globalization (T)
- Sites of the Busan Wartime Capital (T)
- Southwest Coast (T)
- The Central Axis of Beijing (including Beihai) (T)
- The Rise of Systematic Biology (T)
- Thomas Jefferson Buildings (T)
- Trading Posts and Fortifications on Genoese Trade Routes from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea (T)
- Upo Wetland (T)
- White Sands National Monument (T)
Reviewed TWHS
- Sharjah: the Gate to Trucial States (T)
- Mleiha, Late Pre-Islamic Center of a South-East Arabian Kingdom (T)
- Faya Palaeolandscape (T)
- Khor Dubai (T)
- City of York: historic urban core (T)
- Sites of the Busan Wartime Capital (T)
- Plantations in West Curacao (T)
- Petrified Forest National Park (T)
- Civil Rights Movement Sites (T)
- Moravian Church Settlements (USA) (T)
- Thomas Jefferson Buildings (T)
- Lake Titicaca (T)
- Rural Temples of Cusco (T)
- Mount Vernon (T)
- Route of Magellan (T)
- Sites of Globalization (T)
- Ensemble of Alvaro Siza's Architecture Works in Portugal (T)
- Head Office and Garden of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (T)
- Historical Lisbon, Global City (T)
- Pombaline Lisbon (T)
- Southwest Coast (T)
- Brooklyn Bridge (T)
- Early Chicago Skyscrapers (T)
- The Rise of Systematic Biology (T)
- Amalienborg and its district (T)
- Ellis Island (T)
- Central Park (T)
- California Current Conservation Complex (T)
- Nuruosmaniye Complex (T)
- Daegokcheon Stream Petroglyphs (T)
- Capital Fortifications of Hanyang : Hangyangdoseong Capital City Wall, Bukhansanseong Mountain Fortress and Tangchundaeseong Defense Wall (T)
- Chapultepec Woods, Hill and Castle (T)
- White Sands National Monument (T)
- Trading Posts and Fortifications on Genoese Trade Routes from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea (T)
- The Central Axis of Beijing (including Beihai) (T)
- Oeam Village (T)
- El Nido-Taytay Managed Resource Protected Area (T)
- Upo Wetland (T)
- Sites of fossilized dinosaurs throughout the Southern seacoast (T)
- Naganeupseong, Town Fortress and Village (T)
- Ancient Mountain Fortresses in Central Korea (T)
- Petrified Forest National Park (T)
- Mt. Soraksan Nature Reserve (T)
- City Walls of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (T)
- Rade de Marseille (T)
Top 50 Missing Sites
- Bagan
- Chicago School of Architecture
- Ciudad Perdida, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
- Concordia
- Dilwara Temples at Mt Abu
- Dzongs of Bhutan
- El Nido Taytay Managed Resource Protected Area
- Kaieteur National Park, Iwokrama Forest and the Kanuku Mountains
- Klondike and the Gold Rush Trails
- Laas Gaal
- Lake Titicaca
- Major Buildings of Frank Lloyd Wright
- Nan Madol
- Okavango Delta
- Plain of Jars / Sites Mégalithiques de la province de Xieng Khouang
- Silk Roads
- Sistema Vial Andino/Qhapaq Ñan
- Svalbard
- Torres del Paine National Park
- Ur
Top 200 WHS
- Volcanoes of Kamchatka
- Hawaii Volcanoes
- Teide National Park
- Ferrara
- Shibam
- Edinburgh
- Toledo
- Sana'a
- Old City of Jerusalem
- Rome
- Istanbul
- Venice and its Lagoon
- Qhapaq Ñan
- Silk Roads Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor
- Ayutthaya
- Ellora Caves
- Moenjodaro
- Sukhothai
- Angkor
- Vézère Valley
- Decorated cave of Pont d'Arc
- Altamira Cave
- Sundarbans National Park
- Iguazu National Park
- The Sundarbans
- Okavango Delta
- Victoria Falls
- Three parallel rivers of Yunnan
- Pantanal
- Kenya Lake System
- Central Amazon Conservation Complex
- Works of Antoni Gaudí
- Neolithic Orkney
- Çatalhöyük
- Stonehenge
- Palenque
- Chichen-Itza
- Caral-Supe
- Tikal National Park
- Teotihuacan
- Chan Chan
- Mesa Verde
- SGang Gwaay
- Chaco Culture
- Paris, Banks of the Seine
- St. Petersburg
- Florence
- Carthage
- Villa d'Este
- Classical Gardens of Suzhou
- Dinosaur Provincial Park
- Fontainebleau
- Potsdam
- Golestan Palace
- Changdeokgung Palace Complex
- Imperial Palace
- Rapa Nui
- Nemrut Dag
- Petra
- Persepolis
- Tchogha Zanbil
- Samarra
- Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch
- Machu Picchu
- Kilimanjaro National Park
- Sagarmatha National Park
- Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks
- Wieliczka and Bochnia Royal Salt Mines
- Great Wall
- Crac des Chevaliers
- Gwynedd Castles
- Agra Fort
- Statue of Liberty
- Genbaku Dome
- Auschwitz Birkenau
- Kutna Hora
- Vienna
- Dubrovnik
- Siena
- Belize Barrier Reef
- Great Barrier Reef
- Rock Islands
- West Norwegian Fjords
- Mexico City and Xochimilco
- Skocjan Caves
- Ha Long Bay – Cat Ba Archipelago
- South China Karst
- Selimiye Mosque
- Meidan Emam, Esfahan
- Sub-Antarctic Islands
- Temple of Heaven
- Sun Temple, Konarak
- Prambanan
- Khajuraho Group of Monuments
- Chola Temples
- Swiss Tectonic Arena Sardona
- Los Glaciares
- Te Wahipounamu
- Ilulissat Icefjord
- Yosemite National Park
- Glacier parks
- Rio Abiseo National Park
- Jiuzhaigou Valley
- Tropical Rainforest Sumatra
- Redwood
- Cape Floral Region
- Alejandro de Humboldt National Park
- Serengeti
- Ngorongoro
- Yellowstone
- Galapagos Islands
- Aldabra Atoll
- Komodo National Park
- Gulf of California
- Koguryo Kingdom
- Ancient Kyoto
- Fagus Factory
- China Danxia
- Grand Canyon
- Nubian Monuments
- Ancient Thebes
- Central University City Campus of the UNAM
- Jantar Mantar
- Museumsinsel (Museum Island)
- Olympic National Park
- Cerrado Protected Areas
- Lorentz National Park
- Virunga National Park
- Namib Sand Sea
- El Pinacate
- St. Kilda
- Pergamon
- Medici Villas and Gardens
- Uluru
- Bali Subak system
- Persian Garden
- Wadi Rum
- West Lake
- Thingvellir
- Guanajuato
- Québec
- Puebla
- Meroe
- Great Zimbabwe
- Cliff of Bandiagara
- Shushtar
- Kremlin and Red Square
- Sceilg Mhichíl
- Mount Athos
- Westminster
- Mont-Saint-Michel
- Piazza del Duomo (Pisa)
- Vatican City
- Meteora
- Lalibela
- Aachen Cathedral
- Mystras
- Göreme NP
- Royal Joseon Tombs
- Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi
- Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor
- Etruscan Necropolises
- Taj Mahal
- Pyramids (Memphis)
- Yungang Grottoes
- Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple
- Taxila
- Longmen Grottoes
- Mount Emei, including Leshan Giant Buddha
- Mogao Caves
- Mahabodhi Temple Complex
- Borobudur
- Potala Palace
- Sigiriya
- Dazu Rock Carvings
- Ajanta Caves
- Xidi and Hongcun
- Hué
- Kathmandu Valley
- Ping Yao
- Samarkand
- Medina of Marrakesh
- Damascus
- Aleppo
- Leptis Magna
- Pompei
- Villa Romana del Casale
- Cyrene
- Hierapolis-Pamukkale
- Acropolis
- Mycenae and Tiryns
- Olympia
- Hani Rice Terraces
- Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras
- Timbuktu
- Ghadames
- Djenné
- Ksar of Aït Ben Haddou
- Aksum
- Jeju