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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Macao by Kyle Magnuson

Macao (Inscribed)

Macao

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 with a very …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 05/07/16
San Antonio Missions by Kyle Magnuson

San Antonio Missions (Inscribed)

San Antonio Missions

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
Great Wall by Kyle Magnuson

Great Wall (Inscribed)

Great Wall

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
Versailles by Kyle Magnuson

Versailles (Inscribed)

Versailles

Nothing particularly fascinating about Versailles with the exception of two specific elements. Firstly, the Royal Chapel is stunning. Surprisingly, during my visit it was all but deserted. Secondly, the vast …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 04/04/15
Mesa Verde by Kyle Magnuson

Mesa Verde (Inscribed)

Mesa Verde

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

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 04/04/15
Paris, Banks of the Seine by Kyle Magnuson

Paris, Banks of the Seine (Inscribed)

Paris, Banks of the Seine

I visited Paris in 2007, and at that time I only had a vague notion of UNESCO. Therefore, when I wandered Paris it certainly was not UNESCO themed, but instead …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 03/04/15
Independence Hall by Kyle Magnuson

Independence Hall (Inscribed)

Independence Hall

Independence Hall, according to one particularly enthusiastic National Park Service employee, "The most important historical site in the United States."

Logistics first, the boundaries of the inscribed property. All …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 02/04/15
Statue of Liberty by Kyle Magnuson

Statue of Liberty (Inscribed)

Statue of Liberty

Stunning, but after a whole lot of pictures in a circular 360 degree pattern one wants to learn and experience more. This is especially true after the double security, both …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 02/04/15
Temple of Heaven by Kyle Magnuson

Temple of Heaven (Inscribed)

Temple of Heaven

One of my very first WHS in 2006, the Temple of Heaven is one of the premier examples of Chinese traditional architecture. The exquisite wooden structure is one of a …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 28/01/15
Chapultepec Woods, Hill and Castle by Kyle Magnuson

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

Chapultepec Woods, Hill and 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
Teotihuacan by Kyle Magnuson

Teotihuacan (Inscribed)

Teotihuacan

We spent a good 5 hours exploring this vast WHS. Teotihuacan is a place that you should consider careful planning. Firstly, besides what you may find online, its open on …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 02/01/15
Central University City Campus of the UNAM by Kyle Magnuson

Central University City Campu… (Inscribed)

Central University City Campus of the UNAM

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
Mexico City and Xochimilco by Kyle Magnuson

Mexico City and Xochimilco (Inscribed)

Mexico City and Xochimilco

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
White Sands National Monument by Kyle Magnuson

White Sands National Monument (On tentative list)

White Sands National Monument

My visit in late November to White Sands National Monument 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 by Kyle Magnuson

Grand Canyon (Inscribed)

Grand Canyon

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 by Kyle Magnuson

Qhapaq Ñan (Inscribed)

Qhapaq Ñan

I've visited three major elements of the Qhapac Nan WHS in Peru.

- Pachacamac

- Cuzco

- Inca Gaka - Qollotayoc

- Raqchi

1) Pachacamac …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 10/07/14
South China Karst by Kyle Magnuson

South China Karst (Inscribed)

South China Karst

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
Silk Roads: Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor by Kyle Magnuson

Silk Roads: Chang'an-Tianshan… (Inscribed)

Silk Roads: Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor

Xi'an is probably the starting point for visiting this massive WHS. How appropriate, because during the golden age of Tang Dynasty China, "All roads led to Chang'an." My visit took …

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 30/04/14
Forth Bridge by Kyle Magnuson

Forth Bridge (Inscribed)

Forth Bridge

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

Keep reading Kyle Magn… 11/03/14
El Pinacate by Kyle Magnuson

El Pinacate (Inscribed)

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
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