The Ghost Forest of Copalis

Discover Ghost Forest of Copalis in Copalis Crossing, Washington: This grove of ghostly cedars was killed in 1700 by an enormous tsunami that was felt from the U.S. to Japan.

Ruins of Schoolmaster Hill

Discover Ruins of Schoolmaster Hill in Boston, Massachusetts: Ralph Waldo Emerson spent two years living here decades before it became a Frederick Law Olmsted-designed park.

Jim Morrison Hotel Room

Discover Jim Morrison Hotel Room in West Hollywood, California: Room 32 of the Alta Cienega Motel has grown into a shrine to the Lizard King.

Værnhytterne

Discover Værnhytterne in Nørre Nebel, Denmark: This quiet bird sanctuary on the Danish coast is home to something not usually found in a conservation area: hunters' cabins.

Two Princes Staircase

Discover Two Princes Staircase in London, England: Richard III supposedly disposed of his nephews' bodies here in an effort to seal his claim to the throne.

Oklahoma’s Pioneer Woman Statue

Discover Pioneer Woman Statue in Ponca City, Oklahoma: A larger-than-life monument to the overlooked women who braved Western expansion and broke down societal barriers.

Rothwell Bone Crypt

Discover Rothwell Bone Crypt in Rothwell, England: Under a church hides a forgotten 13th-century ossuary containing the remains of around 2,500 people.

The Mysterious Sajama Lines

Discover Sajama Lines in Sajama, Bolivia: A mysterious ancient network of thousands of perfectly straight lines stretching across miles of Bolivian desert.

7000 Oaks

23 trees each paired with a basalt stone line a street in Chelsea, continuing an urban project started by German Fluxus artist Joseph Beuys.

Bali’s Black Sand Beach

The inky volcanic sand leads to reefs teeming with aquatic life waiting to be discovered by snorkelers and divers.

Šalinac Grove

Discover Šalinac Grove in Šalinac, Serbia: An eerie, protected forest of old-growth oak trees, many of which are now dead.

Dr. Seuss Museum

Discover Dr. Seuss Museum in Springfield, Massachusetts: A museum dedicated to the quirky and colorful world created by Springfield's favorite son.

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i
To represent a masterpiece of human creative genius.
261
ii
To exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design.
480
iii
To bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared.
514
iv
To be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history.
642
ix
To be outstanding examples representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals.
137
v
To be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is representative of a culture (or cultures), or human interaction with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change.
172
vi
To be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance. (The Committee considers that this criterion should preferably be used in conjunction with other criteria).
256
vii
To contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance.
151
viii
To be outstanding examples representing major stages of earth's history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features.
98
x
To contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation.
168