If you appreciate architectural wonders, you'll love our list of the best cities for amazing architecture. That said, you don't need to travel far to see spectacular architectural feats. There are plenty of extraordinary buildings in every state, enough to inspire your interest and sense of wonder.
Here are three incredible buildings in the U.S. you need to see for yourself to believe.
Bishop Castle — Colorado
You may expect to see castles on your tour through Europe, but you probably won't find any on your ski trip to Colorado. If you're in Rye, Colorado, though, you should stop in at Bishop Castle to admire the incredible stonework and unbelievable views.
Bishop Castle is a labor of love that was designed and built by Jim Bishop. He bought a two-and-a-half-acre parcel of land and spent a decade laying the foundation for what was originally intended to be a family cabin. The stone cabin soon turned into a dreamy castle, with elaborate towers and bridges that provided beautiful views of the surrounding landscape.
Today, Bishop Castle is open to the public for free. It's still under construction, though. In fact, many tourists stop in on the weekends just to watch Jim work. He has personally held every single stone that makes up the castle, and so he is intimately familiar with its construction. Visitors will enjoy taking a self-guided tour through the 3-story building. Finally, don't forget to check out the grand ballroom and fire-breathing dragon statue!
Former Longaberger Basket Building — Ohio
Did you know that the only basket-shaped building in the world was home to Longaberger Baskets for two decades? Sadly, the company shuttered its business in 2018. Fortunately for us, however, the basket-shaped building that housed the company's headquarters has been purchased. So, the building still remains. You can't take tours anymore, but if you find yourself driving down Route 16 in Newark, Ohio, you may just want to pull over and get a closer look at this iconic building.
By all indications, the structure was the brainchild of Longaberger's eccentric founder, Dave Longaberger. He envisioned having every company building shaped like a basket, along with basket-shaped cars and even a basket-shaped luxury hotel. He was only able to get the massive basket-shaped headquarters built, but it was enough to keep his employees happy. In all, the headquarters provided comfortable office space for 8,000 workers.
In its heyday, the building housed many private offices along with open-concept work-spaces. It also had conference rooms, 25 underground parking spaces, a medical facility, cafeteria, multiple kitchens, several elevators, a 141-seat auditorium, and a fitness center.
Fallingwater Home — Pennsylvania
Originally built as a home and designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1935, Fallingwater is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Wright designed the home as a vacation destination for a department store owner who lived in Pittsburgh at the time. The city is about 70 miles from Mill Run, Pennsylvania, where the home is located. The family used the home until 1963 and then donated it and the 469 acres of land it sat on to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.
The home is widely regarded as a great testament to Wright's love of art and nature, as it's actually built on top of a waterfall. Meanwhile, the building itself is made up of native sandstone and other materials native to the area. The Fallingwater property is now open to the public as a museum. Visitors can tour both the home and the Bear Run Nature Reserve, which sits on about 5,000 acres surrounding the home. Interestingly, the Fallingwater Home is the only Frank Lloyd Wright home that has retained its original furnishings and artwork.