While you may not have been able to enjoy a vacation trip this summer, you can easily take a trip around America’s landmarks just by looking at your stamp collection! Here are 10 American destinations that were used on US Postage.
1. Redwood Forests: California
Redwood Forests exist in multiple locations along the coast of Northern California. The Redwood trees that grow here are some of the tallest and oldest trees in the world. This stamp, first printed in January 2009, depicts a couple walking in one of these forests- completely dwarfed by these gigantic trees.
2. Statue of Liberty: New York, NY
The Statue of Liberty, dedicated in 1886, is one of the U.S.’s most famous landmarks. So much so that in 1954, it was the face of the “Liberty Issue” of stamps, featuring on 3, 8, and 11 cent stamps of the series. Printed between 1954-1968, this series also featured Presidents, National Landmarks, and other historical figures such as Benjamin Franklin.
3. Devils Tower: Wyoming
The Antiquities Act of 1906 grants the President of the United States the power to create national monuments on areas of land owned by the Federal government. President Theodore Roosevelt was quick to use this new power, making Devils Tower in Wyoming the first national monument in the United States. This stamp was printed in 1956 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of this occasion.
4. Gateway Arch: St. Louis, MO
The Gateway Arch, dedicated in 1968, is one of the tallest man-made monuments in the world at 630 feet. It was built to commemorate St. Louis as the “gateway” to the west for early pioneers in the United States. This $23.75 stamp was released in 2017, nearly 50 years after the Arch was dedicated.
5. The Great Lakes Soo Locks: Sault Ste Marie, Michigan
The Soo Locks are a number of locks that exist between Lake Superior to the lower Great Lakes- Huron, Michigan, Erie, and Ontario, and allow ships to travel not just between these lakes, but all the way to The Atlantic Ocean. The locks, which have existed in the Great Lakes beginning in 1855, are still in use to this day under the control of the US Corps of Engineers. This stamp commemorates 100 years of the locks, printed in 1955.
6. The Alamo: San Antonio, TX
The Battle of the Alamo in 1836 occurred during the Texas Revolution- part of the events leading up to the eventual addition of Texas as part of the United States. The battle was won by the opposing Mexican army - and the loss acted as a motivation for Texans to push forward and win the Texas Revolution. The Alamo Mission now stands as a representation of Texan liberty. This stamp from 1956 depicting the Alamo Mission was also part of the “Liberty Issue,” along with the previously mentioned Statue of Liberty Stamp.
7. Liberty Bell: Philadelphia, PA
The Liberty Bell was once housed in the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia- now known as Independence Hall- where both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were adopted. The bell itself- with its signature crack down the side due to extended use- acts as a symbol of the American Revolution. This 2007 Forever Stamp depicting the Liberty Bell is also history within itself- as it was the first-ever Forever Stamp!
8. Space Needle: Seattle, WA
The Space Needle in Seattle, Washington was built for the 1962 World’s Fair whose theme was “The Age Of Space”- during the time of the “Space Race” and just a few years before the moon landing in 1969. This stamp, printed in 1962 was to commemorate the World’s Fair and the newly-built Space Needle- which is now an iconic part of Seattle’s skyline.
9. Everglades National Park: Florida
Everglades National Park, which covers part of the southern tip of Florida, is the third-largest national park in the world after Death Valley and Yellowstone. The Everglades were designated as a National Park in 1934 and dedicated by President Harry Truman in 1947. This stamp was printed that same year in celebration of this dedication, depicts a Great White Heron- one of the many species of animals found in the Everglades.
10. Hawaii
Hawaii- a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean- was admitted to the United States in 1959. Tourism to the islands is a large part of Hawaii’s economy- especially for its surfing, which has existed for centuries as part of the islands’ indigenous Polynesian culture. This stamp, printed in 2009, celebrates 50 years of Hawaii’s statehood and depicts both a surfer and a fishing boat- both representations of Hawaii’s Polynesian culture.