Best Architecture

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Back to CaliforniaBest California Architectural Landmarks

The Golden Gate Bridge (San Francisco): More tomato red than golden, the famous bridge remains the cheery hallmark of the San Francisco skyline. It's also an excellent expanse to walk.

California State Capitol (Sacramento): The Golden State's dazzling white capitol was built in 1869 and renovated in 1976. Its dome, which looks like a Faberge egg from inside, and original statuary along its eaves remain, and antiques from the original offices furnish its historic rooms. The collection of California governors' portraits is strangely compelling.

Mission San Carlos Borromeo del Río Carmelo (Carmel): The second mission founded in California, in 1770 by Father Jun?pero Serra, is perhaps the most beautiful. Its stone church and tower dome have been restored, and a garden of poppies adjoins the church.

Hearst Castle (San Simeon): This 165-room estate of publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst is one of the last great estates of America's Gilded Age. It's an astounding, over-the-top monument to unbridled wealth and power.

Walt Disney Concert Hall: You would have to fly to Spain to see Frank Gehry's other architectural masterpiece, and this one is sufficiently awe-inspiring. And the dramatically curvaceous stainless-steel exterior houses one of the most acoustically perfect concert halls in the world.

The Gamble House (Pasadena): The Smithsonian Institution calls this Pasadena landmark, built in 1908, "one of the most important houses in the United States." Architects Charles and Henry Greene created a masterpiece of the Japanese-influenced Arts and Crafts movement. Visitors can tour the spectacular interior -- designed by the Greenes down to the last piece of teak furniture and coordinating Tiffany lamps, and executed with impeccable craftsmanship.

Balboa Park (San Diego): The Spanish Revival-style buildings along El Prado were built as temporary structures for the Panama-California Exposition (1915-16). The ornately decorated and imposing facades create a sort of romantic fantasia amid the beautifully landscaped mesas and canyons that constitute one of the country's finest city parks, home to many of the city's top museums.