Wiki Loves Monuments

Wiki Loves Monuments is an international photographic competition organized by Wikimedia Commons. It invites the global community to document and preserve historic sites around the world, specifically in the United States for this edition, by uploading photos to Wikimedia Commons under a free license. The goal is to enrich Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects with freely usable images of cultural heritage.

Prizes range from $50 to $500, provided as gift cards of the winner's choice. The 1st prize is $500, 2nd is $300, 3rd is $200, and 4th-10th receive $50 each. Special prizes include $100 for the most sites photographed that were previously unillustrated, and $50 each for the top two photos of Native American sites and the top two UAV (drone) photos.

This competition is open to all individuals worldwide. Participants must submit original photos of registered historical sites located within the United States. Ethiopian students are eligible to participate.

Photos must be your own work and taken of a site identifiable and registered as a historical or cultural site by an authoritative organization in the U.S. (e.g., National Register of Historic Places, tribal, state, or local governments, or historical societies). Photos can be taken at any time but must be uploaded during October 2026. They must be released under a free license (e.g., CC BY-SA license). Digital manipulations should not deceive the viewer. An activated email address on Wikimedia Commons is required for contact if you win. Participants are responsible for following local laws and regulations, including not trespassing onto private property and adhering to drone photography rules. Photos of public artwork installed before 1926 or before 1978 without a copyright notice are generally acceptable.

1. Create a Wikimedia Commons account if you don't have one. 2. Find a registered historical site in the United States using available guides. 3. Take photos or select previously taken photos of the site. 4. Upload your photos through the official link (wikilovesmonuments.us/upload) during October 2026. Ensure your photos are properly tagged for the contest and released under a free license. Provide the site's name, any identifiers, and the list it is on during the upload process.

Judging criteria include composition, technical quality (sharpness, use of light, perspective), originality, and usefulness of the image for Wikipedia. Photos of more uncommon and less-photographed sites may be favored. The U.S. jury will evaluate photographs through three rounds during November to determine the top-10 winners. A participant may only place once in the top ten. The top-ten photos are also submitted to the international competition.