Wiki Loves Monuments Competition Has Opened
Photographers can submit images of historical sites throughout the United States during October.
Updated on Oct. 4, 2026 in Photography
Live Poll
Would you participate in a project to photograph and document local historical sites for public use?
The annual Wiki Loves Monuments photography competition has launched, inviting participants to capture images of sites on the National Register of Historic Places. The contest aims to document and preserve U.S. landmarks by gathering high-quality photos for Wikimedia projects.
Why it matters
This competition helps expand the visual documentation of historic architecture available for educational use. By incentivizing public participation, it ensures that thousands of sites are cataloged for future historical reference.
The contest includes over 95,000 locations listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Top prizes include $500 for first place, $300 for second, $200 for third, and $50 for spots four through ten, plus a $100 award for the most sites photographed.
The players
Wikimedia Commons
This is a media repository of free images, sounds, and other media files that serves as the host platform for the competition.
National Register of Historic Places
This federal program coordinates the official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects worthy of preservation.
The details
Photographers must upload their own work to Wikimedia Commons under a free license to participate. Submissions are judged on technical quality, composition, and their potential usefulness for Wikipedia articles.
Timeline
October 2026: The official upload window for all photography entries.
October 31, 2026, 11:59 p.m. HST: The final deadline for all contest submissions.
Culture Shift
The competition follows the established format of the international Wiki Loves Monuments event, which encourages global crowdsourcing of heritage imagery. This initiative reflects a broader shift toward decentralized digital preservation and public archival of physical cultural landmarks.
Participants must ensure their photos of historic sites are released under a free license and uploaded before the October 31 deadline. To qualify for prizes, photographers must maintain an active, verified email address on their Wikimedia Commons account.
The takeaway
This event serves as a practical way for amateur photographers to contribute to the public domain while potentially earning cash rewards. To maximize your chances, focus on capturing high-resolution images that clearly highlight the unique architectural features of registered historic sites.
Further reading
For more on how to participate in digital documentation projects, visit the Photography section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KTLA 5.
Live Poll
Would you participate in a project to photograph and document local historical sites for public use?
