The 'Notre Dame' Of Each State

KB4/18/2019 11:03 PM

Using advanced analytics, data, and polls, I was able to determine the “Notre Dame” (most iconic and historic monument/landmark/building/structure/landform) of each state, based on factors like how meaningful and important it is to the state’s residents.

Alabama

The Saban House (Tuscaloosa)

Home to 6 national championships, Nick Saban’s Tuscaloosa estate is more rich in history and meaningful to the state of Alabama than any other monument or landmark in the state.

Runner Up: The Civil Rights Memorial (Birmingham)

Alaska

The Hammer Museum (Haines)

Runner Up: Denali

Arizona

El Hefe (Tempe)

The historic and highly-photogenic landmark is famous for offering Arizona State students and tourists souvenir Bulldog-Garitas, 32-ounce margaritas with a Dos XX bottle flipped over inside the drink.

Runner Up: Grand Canyon

Arkansas

Walmart Supercenter (Little Rock)

Runner Up: Christ of the Ozarks (Eureka Springs)

California

Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory (Los Angeles)

As one of the most internationally recognized symbols of California, and the United States, Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory has been declared one of the Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Runner Up: The Golden Gate Bridge (San Francisco)

Colorado

Red Rocks Amphitheater (Jefferson County)

One of the most ancient sites in the country, Red Rocks was once the stomping grounds of historic humans like Marshmello and Skrillex.

Runner Up: Mesa Verde (Montezuma County)

Connecticut

UConn Women’s Basketball Arena (Storrs)

Runner Up: Vineyard Vines Outlet (Westport)

Delaware (a state)

Maryland Welcome Sign (Delaware/Maryland State Line)

Visible to Delaware drivers for hundreds of feet, the famous landmark on the DE/MD state line is a charming reminder to travelers that things will get better soon.

Runner Up: Pennsylvania State Welcome Sign

Florida

Pi Kappa Alpha Mansion (Tallahassee)

One of the most iconic fraternity houses in the world, Florida State’s Pike Headquarters is home to an upstanding group of gentlemen from a wide variety of suburban backgrounds and European ancestries.

Runner Up: Walt Disney World (Orlando)

Georgia

Waffle House Headquarters (Norcross)

Runner Up: Fox Theatre (Atlanta)

Hawaii

PacSun (Honolulu)

Perfectly embodying the state’s unique and rich culture, the famous PacSun monument in Honolulu showcases a wide variety of authentic Hawaiian customary clothing.

Runner Up: Pearl Harbor (Honolulu)

Idaho

Uncle Rico’s Historic Van (Preston)

Runner Up: Idaho Potato Museum (Blackfoot)

Illinois

Portillo’s (Harwood Heights)

Runner Up: Willis Tower (Chicago)

Indiana

Purdue University (West Lafayette)

As the most influential and magnificent piece of architecture in the entire state, Purdue’s campus earned the honor of “The Notre Dame of Indiana.”

Runner Up: The University of Notre Dame (South Bend)

Iowa

Casey’s General Store (La Porte City)

Runner Up: Carver Hawkeye Arena (Iowa City)

Kansas

World’s Largest Ball of Sisal Twine (Cawker City)

Runner Up: Tie Hay Bails Painted Like Cow (Overland Park) and Westboro Baptist Church (Topeka)

Kentucky

The Kentucky Museum of Modern Art (Ashville)

Offering art that appeals to the majority of Kentucky residents, the famous museum is the state’s (not mine) favorite attraction.

Runner Up: Churchill Downs (Louisville)

Louisiana

Cash Money Records Head Office/Studio (New Orleans)

Cash Money Records is the birthplace of famous American lines like “Weezy F baby and the ‘F’ is for phenomenal” and “Red Bone With A Tongue Ring, We Get Home And She Go Straight For That Head….Gun Range.”

Runner Up: St. Louis Cathedral (New Orleans)

Maine

The Ellis Manor (Freeport)

Runner Up: Stephen King’s House (Bangor)

Maryland

Noah’s Ark (Frostburg)

Runner Up: H20 Night Club (Ocean City)

Massachusetts

Plymouth Rock (Plymouth)

It’s the most historic and aesthetically-pleasing landmark, and noun, in the state of Massachusetts.

Runner Up: Fenway Park (Boston)

Michigan

Eminem’s Childhood Home (Detroit)

Runner Up: The Henry Ford Museum (Dearborn)

Minnesota

Rosedale Center Mall (Roseville)

One of the most iconic malls in America, Rosedale Center offers tourists a unique shopping experience, which includes the likes of a Macy’s, Spencer’s, and JC Penney.

Runner Up: Como Park Zoo and Observatory (St. Paul)

Mississippi

Golden Corral Buffet & Grill (Hattiesburg)

Runner Up: Golden Corral Buffet & Grill (Horn Lake)

Missouri

Penguin Park (Kansas City)

Runner Up: Gateway Arch (St. Louis)

Montana

Flathead Video VHS/DVD Rental (Bigfork)

Runner Up: Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument (Big Horn County)

Nebraska

Sherwin-Williams Paint Store (Omaha)

Runner Up: Runza (North Platte)

Nevada

The Statue of Liberty (Las Vegas)

Runner Up: The Hoover Dam (Clark County)

New Hampshire

Cumberland Farms Gas Station (Concord)

Runner Up: Target (Bedford)

New Jersey

Bar Anticipation (Lake Como)

This sprawling, indoor-outdoor hangout offers VIP cabanas, state-renowned DJs, sand volleyball, and second-hand STDs to east coast thrill-seekers.

Runner Up: New York Welcome Sign

New Mexico

The Four Corners Monument (Southeast Corner)

The famous quadripoint has fortunately managed to avoid burning down.

Runner Up: International UFO Museum (Roswell)

New York

The Electric Tower (Buffalo)

Runner Up: The Statue of Liberty (New York City)

North Carolina

J. Cole’s Childhood Home (Fayetteville)

The J. Cole Childhood Memorial in Fayetteville commemorates the first successful intellectual rapper in world history.

Runner Up: Wright Brothers Memorial (Kill Devil Hills)

North Dakota

The Giant Cricket (Regent)

The absolute extent of thrills and excitement in the state of North Dakota, the Enchanted Highway’s Giant Cricket structure offers tourists a unique look at a cricket, if it was a million times larger and made of metal.

Runner Up: West Fargo High School (Fargo)

Ohio

Skyline Chili (Cincinnati)

Runner Up: The Millennium Force (Sandusky)

Oklahoma

Terry’s Gun & Pawn (Guthrie)

Runner Up: JR’s Guns & More (Broken Arrow)

Oregon

Voodoo Doughnut (Portland)

Runner Up: Nike Headquarters (Beaverton)

Pennsylvania

Wawa (Center City Philadelphia)

Providing the residents of Philadelphia with the majority of their daily nutrition, the Center City Wawa is the most important and influential structure in the entire gas station-ridden cesspool of Pennsylvania.

Runner Up: The Liberty Bell (Philadelphia)

Rhode Island

Dunkin’ Donuts (Woonsocket)

Runner Up: The Breakers Mansion (Newport)

South Carolina

Dick’s Last Resort (Myrtle Beach)

Runner Up: Fort Sumter (Charleston)

South Dakota

Pioneer Spray Park (Sioux Falls)

Runner Up: Mount Rushmore (Black Hills)

Tennessee

The Great Pyramid of Memphis (Memphis)

Runner Up: The Grand Ole Opry (Nashville)

Texas

Kyle Field (College Station)

Home of the largest cult in North America, Kyle Field provides Aggies and Aggie fans with a unique opportunity to spontaneously orgasm without any sexual contact at all.

Runner Up: John F. Kennedy Memorial (Dallas)

Edit: Completely forgot about The Alamo

Utah

Vivint Smart Home Arena (Salt Lake City)

A state known for it’s rich history in jazz music, Utah is appropriately the home of the legendary Utah Jazz and the back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back winners of the “Most Racist Fans in the NBA” award.

Runner Up: Arches National Park

Vermont

Decker Towers Apartment (Burlington)

The massive 124-feet structure is the largest and most recognizable building in the state of Vermont. It’s also home to approximately 85 people (more than half the population of the state).

Runner Up: Ben & Jerry’s (South Burlington)

Virginia

Robert E. Lee Memorial (Richmond)

Runner Up: Tie Monticello (Albemarle County) and The Cheesecake Factory (Arlington)

Washington

The Gum Wall (Seattle)

The most photogenic landmark in all of Washington, the Gum Wall in Seattle offers tourists a once-in-a-lifetime backdrop and photo opportunity that rivals anything else in the Pacific Northwest.

Runner Up: The Space Needle (Seattle)

West Virginia

Blue Parrot (Morgantown)