America’smost Instagrammable backdrops

Instagram is the place to show off your best life, and we’re all always searching for that perfect backdrop to make everyone else jealous – whether you’re on holiday abroad, or you’re wandering around your hometown, searching for that aesthetic shot.

But where in America can you find the most Instagrammable hotspots? If you’ve found yourself asking that question before, then you won’t need to ask it anymore! We’ve pulled through Instagram data from Linkfluence, looking at the number of posts that mention the location and relevant hashtags over the last year, to determine where the most Instagrammable hotspots are.

From the Golden Gate Bridge to the Top of the Rock and more, are you ready to see the most Instagrammable hotspots the US has to offer? We’ve split it out into three sections, so you can choose your favorite backdrop according to your aesthetic: art installations, museums and buildings, landmarks, and nature.

The most Instagrammed art installation backdrop (9,243 posts to be precise), is the Hollywood Sign in Los Angeles. Perhaps the most iconic feature in all of California, whilst you can’t walk directly to it, there are a few different places where you can get that Instagrammable shot. If you’re a hiker, you can view it from the Hollywood Reservoir or Beachwood Canyon, or if you’re after more of a city view with a feature of the sign, then you can achieve the perfect picture from the Griffith Observatory.

In second place with 5,488 posts is Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, followed by the Beverly Hills Hotel, which has been frequented by countless royals and celebrities over the years, from Grace Kelly to Elizabeth Taylor.

Interestingly, five of the 15 top art installation hotspots are in California, and specifically LA, including the Pink Wall (one of the exterior walls of the Paul Smith store, amateur influencers are allowed here, but guards monitor the car park to stop any professional photoshoots from taking place), the Arts District, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Las Vegas boasts two backdrops featuring in the top 15: the Seven Magic Mountains in fourth place, and the Neon Boneyard in ninth – a museum dedicated entirely to neon signs.

Other notable art installations and museums that have made it onto the list include New York City and Austin’s Museums of Ice Cream, and Rainbow Row in Charleston, South Carolina.

Moving onto landmarks, with an impressive 35,980 posts is Brooklyn Bridge. Connecting Brooklyn with Manhattan, it looks particularly impressive at both sunrise (when there’s less people there to photobomb your shot!), and sunset (when the skyscrapers in Manhattan light up).

Rockefeller’s Top of the Rock and Summit One Vanderbilt, which offers city views with a twist, with its reflective glass floors and ceilings creating the perfect artsy post, are the two other landmarks in New York that have made it on the list. What makes Summit One Vanderbilt’s entry particularly impressive, is the fact that it only opened to the public in October 2021!

In second place is fellow iconic bridge, San Francisco’s Golden Gate, with Union Station in Denver, Colorado, in third place with 11,785 posts. Filled with eateries, bars and shops, its interior is just as impressive as its exterior; cementing it as a true landmark with over 100 years of history.

Seattle’s Space Needle has also made it on the list, in addition to New Orleans’ French Quarter, with its pretty colored buildings and architecture giving it a distinctly European feel; and the Washington Monument in DC.

California storms this list, with the top four major Instagrammable nature backdrops located here. At number one, with 59,275 posts is Laguna Beach in Orange County. Its golden sands and azure waters draw in tourists and locals looking for some relaxation, as well as fans of noughties reality TV show, Laguna Beach. Here, you’ll find over 20,000 acres of protected wilderness, great for mountain biking, walking, surfboarding, hiking… and posing for Instagram!

Lake Tahoe has made it in second place. Straddling the California/Nevada border, it boasts 300 days of sunshine, with kayaking, windsurfing and swimming possible in the summer, and skiing in the winter.

Big Sur and Death Valley make up positions three and four, with the first Instagrammable nature hotspot outside California being Horseshoe Bend, in Arizona. This famous river, alongside the Antelope Canyon are extremely impressive, and can either be hiked, or discovered via one of the popular helicopter tours.

Other top nature spots in the US include Emerald Lake in Alaska, Table Rock in Boise, Idaho, and Lake McDonald at Montana’s Glacier National Park.

With so many Instagrammable-worthy backdrops across the USA and UK, will you be heading to one of the most renowned locations for that perfect shot, or do you prefer to seek out your own hidden gems?

If you love appreciating art as much as you enjoy making it, browse our range of wall art, which includes striking photography shots. Whether you prefer urban photography or landscapes, it’s time to bring your interior design visions to life. Alternatively, for more tips and inspiration on different art styles, head on over to our blog.