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Donn Beach himself.
restaurants

Twirl Paper Umbrellas at the Vintage Tiki Bars That Taught Americans to Relax

The tiki bar tour of your chill vibey dreams.
Molly McBride Jacobson August 4, 2016
An official pin for proud members of the Sigma Firefly Scientists Club. (The tail glows in the dark.)
insects

For Decades, the Ultimate Midwestern Summer Job Was Headhunting Fireflies

The good old days of firefly hunting featured branded merch, 10-year-old kingpins, and a certain disregard for ecology.
Cara Giaimo August 3, 2016
The hotel lobby
Chicago, Illinois

Palmer House Hilton

This historic hotel invented the chocolate brownie.
The building on the corner of 106th Street and Central Park West. (Photo:
New York, New York

New York Cancer Hospital

This castle-like building in Manhattan helped destigmatize cancer in the 19th century.
Alnwick, England

Alnwick Castle

This iconic 1,000-year-old medieval castle is a favorite of the film industry, most notably as the location for Hogwarts in Harry Potter.
Artists display their wares along Caminito.
Buenos Aires, Argentina

Caminito

A bright little alley in La Boca is a part of tango history.
Brooklyn, New York

Deno's Wonder Wheel

One of the most enjoyable bits of history at Coney Island and “the most romantic ride in the world.”
espionage

The Incredible Chevalier d'Eon, Who Left France as a Male Spy and Returned as a Christian Woman

Celebrity, scandal, tell-all books, palace intrigue, political protest and more.
Linda Rodriguez McRobbie July 29, 2016
Permanently Closed
Wustermark, Germany

Hitler's Olympic Village

The 1936 Summer Olympics site is a crumbling remnant of sportsmanship and a history its host country would like to forget.
science

The 17th-Century Language that Divided Everything in the Universe into 40 Categories

So much effort. Such little payoff.
David Doochin July 28, 2016
San Diego, California

Women's Museum of California

This San Diego museum is dedicated to preserving women’s historic achievements.
radioactive

The Experimental Nuclear Reactor Secretly Built Under the University of Chicago

Chicago Pile-1, the first reactor to reach criticality, was built under a football field.
Eric Grundhauser July 27, 2016
Bishop Rock from the sea
Isles of Scilly, England

Bishop Rock

At high tide, the base of the lighthouse covers practically every inch of the island.
history

The Public Shaming of England’s First Umbrella User

This pioneer of weather management was pelted with insults and trash.
Michael Waters July 27, 2016
Clarksville, Texas

Becknell Cemetery

The final resting place of Captain William Becknell, the Old West frontiersman who forged the Santa Fe Trail.
A view from inside the tunnel. (Photo:
East Jerusalem, Israel

Siloam Tunnel

An ancient tunnel in Jerusalem built to redirect water in the event of a siege is one of history’s great architectural innovations.
Yosemite National Park.
national parks

The Miseducation of John Muir

A close examination of the wilderness icon’s early travels reveal a deep love for trees, and some ugly feelings about people.
Justin Nobel May 9, 2025
Perimeter of the garden
Arlington, Virginia

The Graves of Robert E. Lee's Garden

Soldiers were buried next to Lee's house in the center of Arlington Cemetery to dissuade the general from reclaiming his property after the war.