Kyle Magnuson

United States of America \ Member since March 2010

#505 104 41 3

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 in my 20's, I provided educational services to communities throughout Los Angeles, which led to a career in Education. 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 the Republic of 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. While I'm not a completist World Heritage traveller, I certainly focus on World Heritage sites when planning. Listed below are the sites I hope to visit during the next few years.

My Flickr

Complete California

Next Trip December 2025: The Historic Town of St George and Related Fortifications, Bermuda

Next Trip March 2026: La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site in Puerto Rico

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World Heritage Planning 2025-2035

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) *Top 100
  • Iguacu (Brazil) *Top 100
  • Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
  • Valongo Wharf (Brazil)
  • Sítio Roberto Burle Marx (Brazil)

Australia (7 WHS)

  • K’gari Fraser Island (Queensland)
  • Gondwana Rainforests of Australia (Queensland)
  • Sydney Opera House (New South Wales)
  • Greater Blue Mountains Area (New South Wales)
  • Australian Convict Sites (New South Wales)
  • Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens (Victoria)
  • Budj Bim Cultural Landscape (Victoria)

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

Botswana/Namibia (3 WHS)

  • Okavango Delta *Top 100
  • Namib Sand Sea *Top 100
  • Twyfelfontein

Canada - East (9 WHS)

  • Grand Pré
  • Gros Morne National Park *Top 100
  • 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 *Top 100

Caribbean (3 WHS)

  • Historic Bridgetown (Barbados)
  • Morne Trois Pitons (Dominica)
  • Volcanoes and Forests of Mount Pelée and the Pitons of Northern Martinique (France)

China via Shanghai (3 WHS)

  • Classical Gardens of Suzhou
  • The Grand Canal
  • Migratory Bird Sanctuaries

China via Shenyang (1 WHS)

  • Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom

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/South Africa via Cape Town (2 WHS)

  • Forts and Castles, Central Region (Ghana) *Cape Coast/Elmina
  • Cape Floral Region
  • Robben Island

Gulf States (7 WHS)

  • Qal'at al-Bahrain (Bahrain)
  • Pearling, Testimony of an Island Economy (Bahrain)
  • Dilmun Burial Mounds (Bahrain)
  • Aflaj Irrigation System (Oman)
  • Bahla Fort (Oman)
  • Bat, Al-Khutm and Al-Ayn (Oman)
  • Al Zubarah Archaeological Site (Qatar)

India - Western Coast, Sri Lanka & Seychelles (12 WHS)

  • Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai (India)
  • Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (India)
  • Elephanta Caves (India)
  • Churches and Convents of Goa (India)
  • Valley de Mai Nature Reserve (Seychelles)
  • Sacred City of Kandy (Sri Lanka)
  • Old Town of Galle and its Fortifications (Sri Lanka)
  • Central Highlands (Sri Lanka)
  • Rangiri Dambulla Cave Temple (Sri Lanka)
  • Ancient City of Sigiriya (Sri Lanka)
  • Ancient City of Polonnaruwa (Sri Lanka)
  • Sacred City of Anuradhapura (Sri Lanka)

Japan (9 WHS)

ICN Flight to Tokyo

  • National Museum of Western Art (Le Corbusier)
  • Shrines and Temples of Nikko
  • Mount Fuji
  • Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama 
  • Hiraizumi Temples and Gardens

Busan to Fukuoka Ferry

  • Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region
  • Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution
  • Yakushima

ICN Flight to Hokkaido

  • Shiretoko

Jordan (4 WHS)

  • Petra *Top 100
  • Umm al-Jimal
  • Um er-Rasas (Kastron Mefa'a)
  • Wadi Rum Protected Area

Mongolia (2 WHS)

  • Deer Stone Monuments
  • Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape

Nordic/Baltic Nations (9 WHS)

  • Visby (Sweden)
  • Karlskrona (Sweden)
  • Birka and Hovgarden (Sweden)
  • Fortress of Suomenlinna (Finland)
  • Tallinn (Estonia) *ferry from Helsinki
  • Struve Geodetic Arc - Tartu Observatory (Estonia)

Sweden via driving *Malmö to Oslo

  • Grimeton Radio Station (Sweden)
  • Rock Carvings in Tanum (Sweden)

Train from Oslo

  • Bryggen (Norway)

Northern Mexico via driving (1 WHS)

  • Nuevo Casas Grandes: Archaeological Zone of Paquimé

Rwanda/Zambia (3 WHS)

  • Memorial sites of the Genocide (Rwanda)
  • Nyungwe National Park (Rwanda)
  • Victoria Falls *Top 100 

Sicily - Malta - Tunisia (11 WHS)

  • Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto (Italy)
  • Mount Etna (Italy)
  • Syracuse and the Rocky Necropolis of Pantalica (Italy)
  • Villa Romana del Casale (Italy)
  • City of Valletta (Malta)
  • Megalithic Temples (Malta)
  • Hal Saflieni Hypogeum (Malta)
  • Isole Eolie (Italy)
  • Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalú and Monreale (Italy)
  • Medina of Tunis (Tunisia)
  • Archaeological Site of Carthage (Tunisia)

Slovenia/Italy (3 WHS)

  • The Works of Jože Plečnik in Ljubljana (Slovenia)
  • Škocjan Caves (Slovenia)
  • Venice (Italy) *Top 100

Southern Spain (4 WHS)

  • Historic Centre of Cordoba *Top 100
  • Caliphate City of Medina Azahara
  • Cathedral, Alcazar and Archivo de Indias in Seville *Top 100
  • Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzin, Granada *Top 100

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) *Top 100
  • Koh Ker (Cambodia)

United Kingdom (12 WHS)

  • Flow Country
  • The Heart of Neolithic Orkney
  • Frontiers of the Roman Empire
  • Durham Castle and Cathedral
  • City of Bath
  • Great Spa Towns of Europe
  • Stonehenge
  • Kew Gardens
  • Westminster
  • Tower of London
  • Maritime Greenwich
  • Blenheim Palace

United States/Canada (2 WHS)

  • Alaska: Glacier Parks / Wrangell-St. *Top 100
  • Canada: Tr’ondëk-Klondike

Yucatán Peninsula Mexico via train (6 WHS)

  • Sian Ka'an
  • Pre-Hispanic City of Chichen-Itza *Top 100
  • Pre-Hispanic Town of Uxmal
  • Historic Fortified Town of Campeche
  • Pre-Hispanic City and National Park of Palenque *Top 100
  • Ancient Maya City of Calakmul, Campeche *Top 100

Travel Plans [Country List]

My most impressive site: Yellowstone, Machu Picchu

Recent Visits
  • 9
    6
    July 10, 2025
    Korea - Summer 2025: Ancient Mountain Fortresses in Central Korea, Capital Fortifications of Hanyang, Changdeokgung …
  • 4
    1
    June 19, 2025
    Southeast Asia - Summer 2025: Bali Subak system, FRIM Selangor, Melaka and George Town ...
  • 5
    0
    Dec. 15, 2024
    Spain - Christmas Season 2024: Mudejar Architecture of Aragon, Palau de la Musica Catalana & …
Top 10 Missing
  1. Angkor 4.72
  2. Rapa Nui 4.62
  3. Petra 4.62
  4. Galapagos Islands 4.60
  5. Rome 4.58
  6. Venice and its Lagoon 4.52
  7. Ancient Thebes 4.51
  8. Pyramids (Memphis) 4.51
  9. Victoria Falls 4.48
  10. Tikal National Park 4.46
Completed Countries

About Kyle Magnuson

Member since
March 2010
Country of Origin
United States of America
Visits
Rank
#505
WHS
104
Tentative Sites
41
Website Participation
Reviews
151
Ratings

Ratings

World Heritage Sites
Tentative Sites
101 40
Locations
93
Zones
0
Reserved for members.

Reviews by Kyle Magnuson

Page 5 of 8
Ellis Island (KJM)

Ellis Island (On tentative list)

Ellis Island + Angel Island = Worthy Nomination

Most visitors will visit Ellis Island as part of their ferry trip to the Statue of Liberty. Unfortunately, for many visitors it seems like Ellis Island is an afterthought. However, …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 25/04/17
Central Park (KJM)

Central Park (Nominated)

The Lungs of NYC

The lungs of NYC is perhaps one of the most visited and well known public areas in the world. It felt so familiar as I strolled through the seemingly endless …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 24/04/17
California Current Conservation Complex (KJM)

California Current Conservati… (On tentative list)

California Current Ecosystem

The California Current Ecosystem is an incredible, dramatic and ecologically important coastline and marine area stretching from Point Piedras Blancas in the South and Point Arena in the North. As …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 23/04/17
Nice, Winter Resort Town of the Riviera (KJM)

Nice (Inscribed)

A Winter Retreat for Elites

I visited Nice, France many years before inscription. For a so-called 'Winter Retreat' I found Fall somewhat cold! The holiday crowds were gone, the temperature required a light jacket, and …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 08/03/17
El Pinacate (KJM)

El Pinacate (Inscribed)

Cráter El Elegante & Dunas

I began 2017 with a return journey to Sonora, Mexico and the stunning "Reserva De La Biosphera El Pinacate Y Gran Desierto De Altar". I was determined on completing two …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 03/01/17
Nuruosmaniye Complex (KJM)

Nuruosmaniye Complex (On tentative list)

Nuruosmaniye Complex Extension?

During my time wandering Istanbul in 2007, I spent much of my time on foot just exploring. The Nuruosmaniye Complex is noted for its “Ottoman Baroque” architecture, something that I …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 08/09/16
Gaya Tumuli (KJM)

Gaya Tumuli (Inscribed)

Goryeong Jisan-dong

So far 704 tombs have been identified at Jisan-dong, dates range from 400 - 562 CE. The Gaya Confederacy was located between Baekje and Silla, and ultimately annexed by the …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 10/07/16
Bangucheon Stream Petroglyphs (KJM)

Petroglyphs along the Banguch… (Inscribed)

Bangucheon on a Rainy Day

On the first day of July, early afternoon, rain pouring, we arrived at Ulsan Petroglyphs Museum. Once I entered the museum (in part as shelter), I was immediately impressed. This …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 09/07/16
Confucian Woodblocks (Sosu Seowon)

Seowon, Neo-Confucian Academi… (Inscribed)

Seonbi (Scholar) Academies of the Elite

I visited Sosu Seowon (Yeongju) on a warm, sunny day in June. As the first Confucian Academy established in the Joseon Dynasty, it holds special significance. Before its construction in …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 08/07/16
Hanyangdoseong (KJM)

Capital Fortifications of Han… (Nominated)

Rejected in 2017 - Back for 2027

I had visited Seoul City Wall previously, but two gates and two small hikes I feel was not sufficient to fully understand this nomination. Therefore, I planned 3 separate hikes …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 06/07/16
Historic Macao (KJM)

Macao (Inscribed)

Correcting a Missed WHS

From Hong Kong, I arrived in Macao at about 1pm and my ferry departure was scheduled for about 7:30pm. So with about 5-6 hours of exploring time, I set out …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 05/07/16
San Antonio Missions (KJM)

San Antonio Missions (Inscribed)

Forget the Alamo!

This chain of missions alongside the San Antonio river are amongst the finest examples of Spanish Colonial architecture in the United States. Unfortunately, these historic structures are all overshadowed by …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 29/12/15
The Great Wall (KJM)

Great Wall (Inscribed)

Huanghuacheng

I've visited the Great Wall on 3 separate occasions. Two visits to Badaling, and one visit to Huanghuacheng. While Badaling is the "tourist wall" it is undoubtedly stunning, particularly if …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 05/04/15
Mesa Verde (KJM)

Mesa Verde (Inscribed)

Largest Archaeological Preserve in the United States

The Southwest is filled with living and ancient Native American cultural sites. Mesa Verde is an absolute must when visiting the region. I visited Mesa Verde National Park twice, once …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 04/04/15
Palace and Park of Versailles (KJM)

Versailles (Inscribed)

The Royal Chapel & Gardens

Visual Review: Flickr Album

In this short mostly visual review, I wish to highlight two special places in Versailles to me personally. Not only are they memorable, but I think …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 04/04/15
Paris, Banks of the Seine (KJM)

Paris, Banks of the Seine (Inscribed)

The Icons of Paris and OUV

Visual Review: Flickr Album

In this short mostly visual review, I seek not to simply highlight some of the iconic monuments in Paris, but emphasize that all three individual …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 03/04/15
View from New Jersey's Liberty State Park

Statue of Liberty (Inscribed)

The New Colossus

I want to highlight the evolving meaning and symbolism behind the Statue of Liberty. For some Americans, the Statue of Liberty symbolizes 'freedom' in its most vague form. Yet, even …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 02/04/15
Independence Hall (KJM)

Independence Hall (Inscribed)

Origin of American Democracy (or was it)?

Independence Hall, according to one particularly enthusiastic National Park Service employee, "The most important historical site in the United States." I would disagree. As we approach America's 250 year anniversary, …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 02/04/15
Temple of Heaven (KJM)

Temple of Heaven (Inscribed)

Cosmological Beliefs of Heaven and Earth

The Temple of Heaven is one of the premier examples of Chinese traditional architecture. The exquisite wooden structure is one of a kind, and the wide circular layout of the …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 28/01/15
Teotihuacan (KJM)

Teotihuacan (Inscribed)

First of the Great Civilizations of Mesoamerica

We spent a good five hours exploring the full extent of the inscribe area. Teotihuacan is a place that you should consider careful planning. Don't mistake the Pyramid of the …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 02/01/15
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