New Deal Legacies: 10 WPA Landmarks Still Shaping Communities Across the United States

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) wasn’t just an emergency jobs program—it was an audacious bid to rebuild America’s bones during the Great Depression. Between 1935 and 1943, millions of workers paved roads, painted murals, and erected civic showpieces that blended utility with bold Art Deco and rustic park styles. Nearly a century later, many of those projects remain cornerstones of local life, hosting concerts, commuters, and everyday strolls. From snow-capped ski lodges to sun-baked river walks, these ten standouts prove the New Deal’s bricks and brushstrokes still power tourism, culture, and community pride.

Timberline Lodge – Mount Hood, Oregon

Hand-cut stone, Old-Growth hemlock beams, and ironwork forged on-site gave this mountain retreat a sturdy fairy-tale look when it opened in 1937. WPA crews even stitched the draperies and carved the newel posts. Today the lodge anchors year-round skiing and summer hiking; its dining room serves local salmon to 750,000 annual visitors, channeling the same “work meets wilderness” ethic President Roosevelt praised at the dedication.

San Antonio River Walk – San Antonio, Texas

What began as a WPA flood-control canal in the late 1930s morphed into a twinkling, cypress-lined pedestrian artery beneath street level. Stone staircases, arched footbridges, and retaining walls laid by relief workers still frame the cafés and mariachi boats that now draw 14 million tourists a year. Without those Depression-era laborers, downtown San Antonio’s signature charm simply wouldn’t exist.

Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, Colorado

Civilian Conservation Corps and WPA teams blasted and leveled the sandstone notch between Ship Rock and Creation Rock, then poured 138 concrete rows that ascend like stadium seating for the gods. From the Beatles in ’64 to sold-out EDM sunrise sets today, performers relish the natural reverb first harnessed by New Deal engineers who tested acoustics with pistol shots and operatic arias.

Coit Tower Murals – San Francisco, California

The tower itself predated the WPA, but its interior murals became a flagship Federal Art Project in 1934. Twenty-seven artists covered 3,700 square feet with bustling scenes of docks, farms, and union strikes—vivid snapshots of Depression-era California life. Restored in 2014, the frescoes now attract art students and selfie-seekers alike, reminding visitors that public spaces can double as people’s galleries.

Marine Air Terminal, LaGuardia Airport – Queens, New York

LaGuardia’s circular Marine Air Terminal opened in 1940 as the glamour gateway for Pan Am’s transatlantic “Clipper” flying boats. WPA craftsmen framed porthole windows in Art Moderne aluminum, while a 12-story interior mural—“Flight” by James Brooks—spirals around the rotunda. Still handling private jets and occasional shuttles, the landmark proves airport architecture can lift spirits before wheels ever leave the runway.

Blue Ridge Parkway – North Carolina & Virginia

Dubbed “America’s Favorite Drive,” this 469-mile scenic ribbon stitches Shenandoah National Park to the Great Smokies. WPA and CCC crews carved viaducts, tunnels, and stone guardwalls that curve with the ridgelines instead of bulldozing through them. Modern motorists chasing fall foliage or spring rhododendrons still pull into roadside overlooks, parking on gravel pads first graded by 1930s surveyors with mule-drawn scrapers.

Fair Park Art Deco Complex – Dallas, Texas

Built for the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition, Fair Park’s spectacular pavilions, bas-reliefs, and murals emerged with heavy WPA funding. The Esplanade fountains, Hall of State, and gold-leaf “Spirit of the Centennial” statue remain centerpieces for the annual State Fair of Texas, drawing over two million guests who admire the nation’s largest collection of intact Art Deco exhibition architecture.

Griffith Observatory Murals & Grounds – Los Angeles, California

While the observatory opened in 1935, WPA artists soon covered its rotunda with Hugo Ballin’s celestial mural and installed astronomical exhibits that made complex science visitor-friendly. Outside, relief workers re-graded access roads and built retaining walls that still guide night-sky enthusiasts today. The facility’s free telescopes and planetarium shows host nearly two million guests annually—fulfilling the New Deal promise of public education through grand design.

Meridian Hill Park – Washington, D.C.

After decades of stalled plans, WPA workers finally completed this 12-acre Italianate hillside park in the late 1930s, pouring 12 cascading fountains—the largest formal water feature in the capital. The stonework terrace remains a weekend stage for drum circles, yoga classes, and picnickers who may not realize the benches they lounge on were carved as relief work during America’s darkest economic hour.

Municipal Auditorium – Kansas City, Missouri

Art Deco flourishes meet engineering muscle in this multipurpose arena, finished in 1935 with $6 million in WPA grants. Bronze friezes and stylized chandeliers still greet basketball fans and concertgoers, while the adjoining Music Hall hosts Broadway tours under its original sunburst ceiling. The building’s continuous use for sports, conventions, and graduations underscores how WPA investment created venues built to outlast fleeting entertainment trends.