Overlooking the Manhattan island, stands the Castle Clinton National Monument -- a harbor fort built at the outbreak of the War of 1812. In 1975, the National Park Service began a restoration campaign to return the structure back to a fortress after acting as an entertainment complex, an immigrant processing station and finally, an aquarium. Over a period of 34 years, two-thirds of all immigrants to the United States had passed through the Castle Garden. In 1890, it finally closed as an immigration entry point when the federal government opened Ellis Island. Today, the monument acts as the ticket house for the Statue of Liberty, but is no less important since "the fort originally built to keep people out now welcomes visitors from all over the world."
From 1874 to1875, the U.S. Government sent several surveyors to southwestern Colorado to prepare topographic maps and to document the types of flora, fauna, scenery and "natural resource potential of the region." The survey included the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. Today, this national monument region (managed by the Bureau of Land Management) contains the highest concentration of archaeological sites in the nation. In fact, 209 archaeological sites are recorded as historic -- dating back thousands of years. These sites include Big Spring Ruin, Ismay Rock art site and Lowry Pueblo and Painted Hand Pueblo landmarks. The remains found in the 164,000-acre region, are of mostly prehistoric Anasazi-Pueblo origin.
Rainbow Bridge may just be the world's largest natural bridge. Spanning 234 feet, the monument is almost inaccessible, since it can only be reached by a two-hour boat ride or a several-hour hike. Located in Southeastern Utah, the Rainbow Bridge features coral-pink Navajo sandstone architecture. The amazing natural wonder formed when streams slowly cut through the canyon walls. Today, just over 300,000 tourists from all over the world, visit the 234 feet monument. Neighboring Native American tribes, who once thought the bridge was really a rainbow, still consider the monument to be sacred.
Booker T. Washington, George Washington Carver and George Washington all have national monuments that commemorate their place in history. In addition to the George Washington Birthplace Monument, the Washington Monument, located in downtown D.C., honors the nation's first president. The national monument was completed on December 6, 1884 -- roughly 125 years after Washington led the Independence movement from Great Britain. Peter L'Enfant's design plan made the federal monument the city's focal point, but it was Robert Mills' architectural design that was chosen. The obelisk measures 555 feet 5-1/8 inches, and stands in the National Mall. The National Park Service states that admission to the Washington Monument is free but requires a ticket.
