Kyle Magnuson

United States of America \ Member since March 2010

#492 104 36 3

View Kyle Magnuson's profile on LinkedIn

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 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. 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

World Heritage Planning 2025-2030

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) *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 - Bermuda (2 WHS)

  • Central Zone of the Town of Angra do Heroismo in the Azores
  • The Historic Town of St George and Related Fortifications, Bermuda

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 (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 (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

Malaysia/Singapore/Indonesia (3 WHS)

  • Singapore Botanic Gardens (Singapore)
  • Melaka and George Town, historic cities of the Straits of Malacca (Malaysia)
  • The Cultural Landscape of Bali Province: the Subak System as a Manifestation of the Tri Hita Karana Philosophy (Indonesia)

Mongolia (2 WHS)

  • Deer Stone Monuments
  • Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape

Nordic/Baltic Nations (8 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 (2 WHS) *Malmö to Oslo

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

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

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

My proposal for a new site: 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)

Check out my website: http://completecalifornia.weebly.com/

Recent Visits
  • 0
    1
    July 30, 2025
    Unjusa: Stone Buddhas and Pagodas at Hwasun Unjusa Temple
  • 0
    1
    July 9, 2025
    Seosan Getbol: Getbol, Korean Tidal Flats (Extension)
  • 0
    1
    July 4, 2025
    Hoeamsa: Hoeamsa Temple
Top 10 Missing
  1. Angkor 4.72
  2. Petra 4.61
  3. Galapagos Islands 4.60
  4. Rome 4.57
  5. Venice and its Lagoon 4.52
  6. Pyramids (Memphis) 4.51
  7. Rapa Nui 4.49
  8. Victoria Falls 4.47
  9. Tikal National Park 4.46
  10. Florence 4.45
Completed Countries

About Kyle Magnuson

Member since
March 2010
Country of Origin
United States of America
Visits
Rank
#492
WHS
104
Tentative Sites
36
Website Participation
Reviews
147
Ratings

Ratings

World Heritage Sites
Tentative Sites
98 35
Locations
0
Zones
0
Reserved for members.

Reviews by Kyle Magnuson

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Early Chicago Skyscrapers by Kyle Magnuson

Early Chicago Skyscrapers (On tentative list)

Early Chicago Skyscrapers

All nine sites of this serial nomination can be covered in a 30 minute walk, in fact several of these iconic early skyscrapers are adjacent to each other. I visited …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 17/03/18
Drottningholm by Kyle Magnuson

Drottningholm (Inscribed)

Drottningholm

Drottingholm is a very easy and (weather permitting) enjoyable half-day trip from Stockholm. After visiting several palaces and castles during my time in Denmark and Sweden, the main interior (however …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 12/07/17
Kronborg Castle by Kyle Magnuson

Kronborg Castle (Inscribed)

Kronborg Castle

I tried my best to really enjoy this castle, I achieved middling success. After already visiting Frederiksborg and Rosenborg, my efforts to visit even more castles were not filled with …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 11/07/17
Roskilde Cathedral by Kyle Magnuson

Roskilde Cathedral (Inscribed)

Roskilde Cathedral

Roskilde, as a former capital is well-worth the excursion from Copenhagen. The dizzying cathedral is a towering structure that should be admired by a full 360 degree exploration of the …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 10/07/17
Skogskyrkogarden by Kyle Magnuson

Skogskyrkogarden (Inscribed)

Skogskyrkogarden

Taking the metro train to the easily accessed Skogskyrkogarden, I was immediately confronted by the awkward dynamic of being a tourist amongst grieving families. There were 2 different funeral parties …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 07/07/17
The Rise of Systematic Biology by Kyle Magnuson

The Rise of Systematic Biology (On tentative list)

The Rise of Systematic Biology

Reports seem to point to a 2022-23 (?) nomination from Sweden (likely premature). Perhaps, but this nomination will have to overcome some major challenges to be inscribed. Number one is …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 07/07/17
Amalienborg and its district by Kyle Magnuson

Amalienborg and its district (On tentative list)

Amalienborg and its district

Since I was visiting Copenhagen for 3 days, I decided a 10 minute walk to Amalienborg would be worth the effort! Actually, since sunrise and sunset was at approximately 4am …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 05/07/17
Southern Öland by Kyle Magnuson

Southern Öland (Inscribed)

Southern Öland

I had one full week in Öland, so I knew I would have ample time to fully explore and comprehend this somewhat elusive WHS. My ancestors are from 2 small …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 05/07/17
Par force hunting landscape by Kyle Magnuson

Par force hunting landscape (Inscribed)

Par force hunting landscape

This site was inscribed in 2015 and I am positive I was not the only one wondering why? Based on the subsequent lackluster reviews, my conclusion was I would visit …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 04/07/17
Olympic National Park by Kyle Magnuson

Olympic National Park (Inscribed)

Olympic National Park

Olympic National Park offers a diverse landscape that includes glaciers, rainforest, and tide pools. With a rental car and early starts beginning at 5:45 AM, my wife and I explored …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 31/05/17
Ellis Island by Kyle Magnuson

Ellis Island (On tentative list)

Ellis Island

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 by Kyle Magnuson

Central Park (Nominated)

Central Park

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 by Kyle Magnuson

California Current Conservati… (On tentative list)

California Current Conservation Complex

The California Current Conservation Complex 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. …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 23/04/17
Nice by Kyle Magnuson

Nice (Inscribed)

Nice

I visited Nice, France during the later part of October 2007. The holiday crowds were gone, the temperature required a light jacket, and the day I spent the most time …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 08/03/17
El Pinacate by Kyle Magnuson

El Pinacate (Inscribed)

El Pinacate

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 by Kyle Magnuson

Nuruosmaniye Complex (On tentative list)

Nuruosmaniye Complex

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 by Kyle Magnuson

Gaya Tumuli (Inscribed)

Gaya Tumuli

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
Petroglyphs along the Bangucheon Stream by Kyle Magnuson

Petroglyphs along the Banguch… (Inscribed)

Petroglyphs along the Bangucheon Stream

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
Seowon, Neo-Confucian Academies by Kyle Magnuson

Seowon, Neo-Confucian Academi… (Inscribed)

Seowon, Neo-Confucian Academies

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
Capital Fortifications of Hanyang by Kyle Magnuson

Capital Fortifications of Han… (Nominated)

Capital Fortifications of Hanyang

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
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