A pair of mutilated bronze octopuses slump at the base of the monument honoring California's admission to the U.S.

San Francisco's oldest surviving monument and meeting place for 1906 survivors.

This tall and trim architectural oddity is one of the skinniest buildings in San Francisco.

A nondescript building that's been functioning as a speakeasy for nearly a century and a half.

A speck of nature and art in one of San Francisco’s most notorious neighborhoods.

Nestled in the heart of San Francisco’s bustling Financial District stands a unique homage to the Mayan and Beaux Arts.

Created in 1972, the famous sculptor's intricately detailed monument to San Francisco is overflowing with city landmarks.

Only hotel where you can legally launder money.

The Laureates here get something even more coveted than a Nobel Prize: free parking for life.

The century-old bell and clock tower at UC Berkeley is the third-tallest in the world, and has fossils.

This subtle Berkeley paving stone actually marks off a lawless tube of air that extends into space.

This massive blockhead sculpture hides an entire library.

A monumental fountain in Rome features a large statue of Moses that has been criticized for centuries.

The only remaining arch of the oldest stone bridge in Rome stands in the middle of the Tiber.

This is the oldest Roman-made bridge in the city still existing in its original state.

This curious, round temple is the oldest still-standing marble building in Rome.

The "Great Sewer" of ancient Rome is one of the oldest sewer systems in the world, and is still in use.

This Roman arch marks the location of an ancient gate at one of the Seven Hills of Rome.

Believed to be the remains of the lost Temple of Minerva, this nymphaeum has been known by its misnomer to this day.

A master of trompe-l'oeil creates a stunning, tourist-fooling dome out of a flat ceiling.

One of the most historical literary characters continues to stroll his hometown.

The world's largest second-hand graces a clock surrounded by constantly changing flower beds. 

This extensive collection covers thousands of years of Polish military history.

A bibliophile's heaven that contains hundreds of bookstores, offering over a third of secondhand books for sale in Tokyo.