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 6 of 8
Mexico City (KJM 2014)

Mexico City and Xochimilco (Inscribed)

Mexico City: Late 19th and Early 20th Century

Most reviews have covered the Zocalo, the Palace of Fine Arts, and Templo Mayor. However, I noticed no mention of the Regina Cultural Corridor (Street) which is clearly included in …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 02/01/15
Central University City Campus (KJM)

Central University City Campu… (Inscribed)

Monumental Project 1949-1952

I fell in love with this campus the more time I spent within its boundaries. Firstly, there are several dominant murals, but there are also several "hidden" ones that I …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 02/01/15
Chapultepec (KJM)

Chapultepec Woods, Hill and C… (On tentative list)

Monarchist Origins of Chapultepec Castle

There are four sections to this park, and I am unsure what sections would be included in a world heritage bid. If you are a visitor to Mexico City you …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 02/01/15
White Sands National Park (KJM)

White Sands National Monument (On tentative list)

Largest Gypsum Dune Field in the World

My visit in late November to White Sands National Park is truly a unique experience. White Sands is an easy inscription, there is little to persuade in any nomination file …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 02/12/14
Grand Canyon (KJM)

Grand Canyon (Inscribed)

North Rim & Grand Canyon West

I've waited to review the Grand Canyon until I visited the South Rim, North Rim, and "Grand Canyon West". I have now visited Grand Canyon National Park (5) times, and …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 02/09/14
Qhapaq Ñan Raqchi Segment (KJM)

Qhapaq Ñan (Inscribed)

Raqchi Archaeological Park

Having visited Cuzco and Pachacamac, I have covered some inscribed areas of Qhapaq Ñan. However, the site that informed me the most about the historic route was Raqchi, a primary …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 10/07/14
South China Karst (KJM)

South China Karst (Inscribed)

Meandering Down the Li River

The South China Karst is a wonder to behold. During my time in Guangxi province in 2006 the skies were blue, there was often a pleasant breeze, and the Li …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 07/07/14
The Forth Bridge (KJM)

Forth Bridge (Inscribed)

The Forth (Rail) Bridge: From All Angles

I visited the Forth Bridge in 2007. The picturesque monument is impressive. My experience at the bridge was based on an afternoon visit to Queensferry, and traveling across the Firth …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 11/03/14
El Pinacate (KJM)

El Pinacate (Inscribed)

Introduction to El Pinacate

Leaving Los Angeles at 5am, roughly 8 hours later my wife and I found ourselves crossing the border into Mexico at Lukeville, Arizona. No hassle and very quick. From here …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 03/03/14
Buseoksa (Sansa)

Sansa, Buddhist Mountain Mona… (Inscribed)

A Testament to Korean Buddhism

Many visitors to Korea visit Bulguksa or Haeinsa. Both contain Buddhist treasures and provide a great introduction to Korean temples. Yet, I would claim they are not the best representative …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 17/12/13
Taos Pueblo (KJM)

Taos Pueblo (Inscribed)

Living Culture of Taos

On the morning of November 30th, after a short drive from Santa Fe, my wife and I reached Taos Pueblo. I knew all the particulars about price, pictures, and the …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 03/12/13
Edinburgh (KJM)

Edinburgh (Inscribed)

Studying in Scotland: Edinburgh Weekends

I've had the great pleasure of spending 6 months in Scotland as a student from September to December 2007. During this opportunity I spent countless days exploring every corner and …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 15/11/12
The Summer Palace (KJM)

Summer Palace (Inscribed)

Unsustainable Extravagance

The Summer Palace is a great place to spend a couple hours. The site is large enough that it seems far less busy than some of the other WHS in …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 13/11/12
Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu (KJM)

Machu Picchu (Inscribed)

The Hidden Inca Citadel

One of the great world heritage sites, Machu Picchu is truly a natural and cultural wonder. The location is like a painting and the structures are in excellent condition. However, …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 13/11/12
Chaco Culture (KJM)

Chaco Culture (Inscribed)

The Center of an Ancient World (850 to 1250 CE)

Chaco is one of many great archaeological sites scattered throughout the Southwest, though what makes it exceptional is the culture that emerged here and flourished over centuries. Chaco Culture is …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 15/09/12
Cahokia Mounds (KJM)

Cahokia Mounds (Inscribed)

Mound Builders: Cahokia

Cahokia is worth a stop for anyone visiting St. Louis. It is a nice side trip from the city. If you are visiting the area solely for the Cahokia Mounds …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 14/09/12
Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor (KJM)

Mausoleum of the First Qin Em… (Inscribed)

Grand Funerary Monument of a Short-lived Dynasty

The highlight of any trip to Xi'an, the world famous Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses are magnificent to behold. The only downside is the sites are relatively quick to "view" …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 14/09/12
Temple of Confucius (KJM)

Temple, Mansion and Cemetery … (Inscribed)

Veneration of the Great Sage

Qufu is a quaint town. While this small city is fairly off the tourist map, the Family Mansion of Confucius can get crowded (like most WHS in China). Luckily, my …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 13/09/12
Imperial Tombs (KJM)

Imperial Tombs (Inscribed)

Changling Tomb (Beijing)

Like others I visited the Changling Tomb. I visited China the first time in 2006, and at the time I was only semi-aware of Unesco. I enjoyed my time at …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 12/09/12
Robie House (FLW Buildings)

Frank Lloyd Wright Buildings (Inscribed)

An Architectural Collection Spanning 50 Years

Frank Lloyd Wright is considered one of the great architects of the 20th century, with a far-reaching influence and legacy of design that we encounter frequently in our own homes …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 25/07/12
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