Places sarahebpms Wants to Go

The Real LegoLand.

This posh mansion began as a family's estate and ended as the site of a murder ripped from the pages of a pulp novel.

A spooky defunct railroad tunnel now part of a sprawling trail.

These crudely shaped folk giants may be the the second most photographed statues in the U.S.

17,400 lbs., 12 feet in diameter, and 29 years in the making.

This picturesque cliffside beacon no longer calls to sailors but shines once a year in honor of a famous shipwreck.

Equal parts record-breaking temple to consumerism and bizarre fun park, it's more than you think it is...

This bright yellow building is packed with sweet treats from all around the world, from chocolate-covered crickets to whoopie pies.

This massive roadside mascot was the first version of the giant to illustrate his butt.

Enter the Forest of the Elves.

When waves crash onto this section of beach, the rocks sing a song.

A toweringly silly piece of modern art has been delighting locals since the 1980s.

These curious caverns have been home to mushrooms, gangsters, and disco.

This lab's maddening silence is good for business but bad for sanity.

Two hula hoops appeared on the tree after a storm, and the collection kept growing.

This 16-foot-diameter wooden coin has been standing in Iowa City since 2006.

Hidden in the grounds of the Fort Dodge Museum is a "real" and terrifying petrified giant.

Elaborate hand-carved wooden clocks two brothers made in their spare time are on display at this handsome little museum.

In rural Iowa, an imported 19th-century windmill overlooks an unlikely enclave of Danish culture.

This simple home was the beginning of a long journey for the iconic Western film star.

The Iowa state contender for largest pan in the world oddly only comes in second or so.

Eight feet in diameter and more than 24 feet around.

An eclectic assortment of medieval architecture in a small Iowa town.

A single artist is behind these large-scale models made of hundreds of thousands of two-inch wooden matchsticks.