You probably know the names of our most famous landmarks, but do you know the backstories hiding behind them? Every famous landmark has a few secrets and a handful of little known facts and the following are 50 of the most interesting.

Lady Liberty's unique shade is nearly as synonymous with her appearance as is her crown and torch. But she wasn't always that color. No, when she arrived from France she was a copper color (similar to a penny), but she faded over time to her now-famous light green.

Maybe Monument Valley and its "mittens" of sacred stone buttes would have become a legend without Hollywood's help, but it's not likely. The director John Ford singlehandedly made this valley the quintessential backdrop of the American West all over the world when he filmed Westerns starring John Wayne here. Marty McFly and Forest Gump have passed through here, too.

Nope, Times Square used to be called Longacre Square. It only picked up its current nickname after the New York Times moved its headquarters into the area.

While the Martin Luther King Memorial is located near the spot where he gave his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech, none of the 14 quotes surrounding his statute are from that most famous speech. This is no accident, as they are meant to open visitors' eyes to the wealth of his work and wisdom.

No, you can't set your watch to this iconic Yellowstone geyser. It erupts roughly every 30 to 90 minutes and the eruption varies between a minute or two and five minutes. While the time can't be predicted, the park rangers have gotten pretty good at estimating when the next eruption will take place.

In the early 20th century, former Cubs owner Charles Weeghman pioneered the policy of allowing fans to keep any foul ball that found its way into the crowd. It was part of several policies and ballpark amenities (permanent concession stands to name another) intended to attract families to the games.

Yep, that Phil Collins. The former Genesis frontman fell in love with the Alamo as a kid and grew up to become a leading collector of artifacts related to the historic fort. In 2014, he even donated his personal collection to the Alamo and it can be viewed by visitors.

This massive dam in the Southwest was originally called Boulder Dam, then it was declared Hoover Dam after President Herbert Hoover before going back-and-forth depending on who was speaking (and the speaker's opinion of President Hoover). It wasn't until 1947-over ten years after it opened-that Harry Truman made the name official.

A surprise to many, the neogothic marvel that is the Salt Lake Temple shares its namesake square with the largest genealogy center in the world. Millions of original records help bring family histories alive for visitors-all free of charge.

It may not look like it (especially at the above angle), but it's true: both the width and the height of St. Louis' Gateway Arch are 630 feet.

Devils Tower isn't just for admiring from afar. Over one hundred rock climbing routes have been established on the otherworldly rock, not including the wooden ladder system once made famous by two local cowboys (and still visible today).

After arguing against the construction of the bridge for security reasons, the U.S. military requested that it should be painted with stripes so it could easily be seen in the fog. When the steel beams of the bridge showed up in burnt orange primer, the architect behind the project decided that it went swimmingly well with the backdrop of sea and greenery, so they painted it the same color. The rest is history.

There's more to the gilded grasshopper weathervane that sits atop Faneuil Hall than meets the eye. This symbol of the city is hiding a time capsule in its tiny belly, one that has been filled with coins, newspapers and notes from past Boston mayors.

Niagara Falls is one of North America's most impressive natural wonders, but at any given time, you're not seeing anywhere near the real flow of the water. It's true, typically 50-75% of the Niagara River is diverted for hydroelectricity, leaving us to imagine how impressive it would look if it were allowed to flow at full capacity.

Do you know that spindly tower on the top of the Empire State Building? Well, it turns out that this mast was originally intended to be a mooring point for airships (blimps), which-at one point in the early 20th century-were seen as a hot new mode of transport. Only one airship ever ended up docking here.

Sure, the Washington Monument is a moving tribute to our nation's first president, but did you know that it isn't held together by any mortar or support structure at all? Nope, the memorial is completely freestanding, with stones being held in place by gravity alone, making it the tallest unreinforced stone masonry structure in the world.

There are 36 columns around the Lincoln Memorial, with each one representing a state of the union at the time the memorial was made. Another interesting fact is that some people claim that the statue of Abraham Lincoln's hands are making the sign language symbols of his initials, "A & L".

The residents of Alcatraz may have forced a few people to push up daisies in their day, so maybe it's only natural that flower gardening became serious business here. Yes, the imprisoned residents loved their flowers and tended to them alongside staff, with the colorful gardens thriving to this day.

Every year in late February-right around President's Day as a matter of fact-Pikes Peak is said to cast a shadow that has a striking resemblance to Abraham Lincoln. Yes, mountain watchers swear from certain spots in town you can see the profile of a man with a prominent chin and nose that just to happens to resemble our 16th president. The shadow is said to be visible in late October, too.

While this enchanting canyon in Northern Arizona is still under-the-radar to some, social media is helping make it a star. But you can't just show up and see it because it's located on Navajo land, which means it's only accessible via an organized tour.

The Space Needle was opened in 1962 as part of Seattle's hosting of the World's Fair, but many still don't know the feminine inspiration behind architect Victor Steinbrueck's design. It turns out that the structure was inspired by a wooden sculpture called "The Feminine One", which features an abstract female form with arms stretched upwards.

In addition to featuring artifacts and memorabilia relating to the history of rock n' roll, this hall of fame also features a striking pyramid-esque glass tent. The lead architect, I.M. Pei also designed something very similar for the Louvre in Paris, which, controversial at first, has now become almost as much a symbol of the museum as the Mona Lisa.

One can't help but be impressed by the haunting rocks and barren buttes of South Dakota's Badlands, but this dry landscape wasn't always like that. The entire region used to under the water of a shallow sea and this is the reason why so many fossils are found buried here.

Cliff Palace is the most impressive cliff dwelling in Mesa Verde National Park and while it blends into the background today, it used to be a riot of color. The walls were originally splashed with shades of pink, red, brown and yellow, but they have all faded over time to their present sandstone shade.

They only had one job but they managed to spell Pennsylvania with only one "n". Truth be told, both spellings were acceptable in colonial times, but it still makes for a quirky feature of the iconic ringer.

When the people behind the construction of the "Hollywoodland" neighborhood wanted to get their message out in 1923, they decided to put a massive sign up in the hills. It eventually lost four letters, but the sign has gone on to symbolize a city, an industry and the hopes and dreams of millions.

Sure, most people can name the four presidents featured on Mount Rushmore (Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson and Roosevelt), but who is the mountain named after? Turns out, it's named after Charles Rushmore, a New York lawyer who was investigating mining claims in the Black Hills in the late 1800s. The story goes that he asked his traveling partner what the name of the mountain was and was told it didn't have a name, so they just decided to just call it "Mount Rushmore". It was only later that the mountain was chosen to be the home of the famous presidential rock carving.

The small village of Supai is located deep within the lands of the Grand Canyon, making it the only settlement within the park. It's such a remote spot, that it's the only place in the United States that still receives its mail by mule.

This moving mountain sculpture dedicated to the lives and culture of Native Americans may still be a work in progress, but that doesn't mean it's new on the scene. No, the first rock blast was in 1948 and was attended by five survivors of the Battle of Little Big Horn.

It's hard to believe that Anish Kapoor's sculpture has only been with us since 2006, as it has long achieved icon status in Chicago. But did you know that there's a knockoff in Karamay, China? Even though the one in Karamay is said to be a "big oil bubble", it still has drawn the ire of Cloud Gate's sculptor, so much so that he has threatened legal action over the matter.

You've probably heard Route 66 referred to as "The Mother Road", but did you know that it came from John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath? In the book, he details the desperate journey west of Americans fleeing the calamity of the Dust Bowl and how Route 66 served as their salvation.

In an attempt to help recoup some of the cost of the bridge, massive vaults were built inside the anchorages of the Brooklyn Bridge, which were then rented out as wine cellars. In fact, it's said that some of the finest wines in the entire city once rested in the base of the bridge.

For much of its life, the White House was referred to as the 'President's Palace', 'President's House' or 'Executive Mansion'. Theodore Roosevelt is responsible for the name 'White House' becoming official while Richard Nixon is responsible for the one-lane bowling alley in the basement.

The world's largest tree isn't called "general" just because it's the boss of the forest, it's named after General William Tecumseh Sherman, a leading Civil War General for the Union.

Sure, these hallowed halls may have played host to the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, but the basement once served as Philadelphia's dog pound.

It sure looks like sugar, but the dunes of gypsum that makeup White Sands National Monument are clear. The grains rub up against each other and then these scratches reflect the sun-thus appearing to be white.

While discussing the plans for the Sears Tower (as it was known to most of us until 2009), the designers are said to have been partially inspired by cigarettes-several of them protruding at different heights from a pack, to be exact.

Yosemite's most cherished rock formation is also home to a fiery event each year in late February. At this time of year, visitors can spot a "firefall" cascading down El Cap-the result of the setting sun splashing its orange color on the waterfall that trickles over the rock's summit.

St. Louis Cathedral is much more than just a symbol of the city of New Orleans, it's the oldest continually-active Roman Catholic church in the USA. It's technically a Cathedral-Basilica, being bestowed with that title after a visit by Pope John Paul.

One of the enduring symbols of Las Vegas, this sign on the outskirts of The Strip has been welcoming visitors to Sin City since 1959-but it also pays a tribute to the state of Nevada. The word "welcome" is located in seven circles, which are actually silver dollars, meant to pay respect to Nevada, the Silver State.

The design for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was determined by a contest, which was won by Yale architecture student Maya Lin. The two walls of the memorial form a "V", while the names of the casualties run in a chronological order that begins and ends in the center of the memorial, which is meant to symbolize the completion of the war.

Not only is the Santa Monica Pier a playland of quintessentially Californian seaside fun, but it's also the official end of Route 66. Yes, almost every day you will spot someone snapping a photo of themselves after finishing the epic cross-country road trip.

Our most revered final resting place is located on the former estate of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Shortly after he resigned from the U.S. Army, he vacated his land, and shortly afterward, it was seized by the U.S. government. In 1868, the cemetery was the setting for our very first national Memorial Day commemoration.

The French chateau-inspired Biltmore Estate may be the largest private residence in the United States, but that's not the only record holder on the property. The Biltmore Estate winery is the most visited in the United States, regularly hosting over half a million visitors.

Graceland didn't get its name from The King, it was called that before he even moved in. The previous owners (Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Moore) named it after a relative named Grace, who had originally owned the land.

Walt Disney World's Cinderella's Castle has long become an icon, and the designers drew inspiration from many European castles, but one looms larger than the rest: Neuschwanstein. This castle in Germany's Bavaria region provided real inspiration and like its American counterpart, makes for a magical visit.

The official Pearl Harbor memorial was paid for by both public funds and private donations, with one of the largest of the latter coming from Elvis Presley. Fresh off serving two years in the Army, Elvis performed a benefit concert that raised over $50,000 (a little over 10% of the total cost) for the effort.

For years, Denali was referred to as "Mt. McKinley", a moniker that has now officially been dropped, but it's worth noting that the president who it was temporarily named after never visited the mountain. Denali was given that nickname by a gold prospector who just so happened to like McKinley's politics, which makes its return to its original, native name even more appropriate.

You probably know the first shots of the Civil War were fired at Fort Sumter, but did you know there were no casualties in the conflict? The only loss of life happened when the Union troops were performing a 100-gun salute while lowering their flag, which caused a cannon to accidentally discharge and kill Private Daniel Hough.

Surely the most famous urban park in America, Central Park is full of secrets. One of the most interesting facts about the space is that the iconic open field called Sheep Meadow actually used to be home to a flock of grazing sheep. They called the field home for 70 years, before being moved along in 1934.