Places aeholmquist Wants to Go

A mysterious castle built as a monument to lost love.

Welcome to old Florida, where a 1940s mermaid show is still enchanting visitors.

This historical swimming pool near Miami is emptied and refilled each day with naturally filtered water.

A prime example of New Orleans' unique architecture these early 20th century homes were built to look like steamboats.

A haunting, yet lovingly hand-hewn potters' field full of graves that flood with each heavy rain.

A small park on Bourbon Street features life-size bronze statues of New Orleans musicians.

Tiny historical streetcars wind through a small scale version of Crescent City in this whimsical train garden.

The stone labyrinth in this New Orleans city park was laid to symbolize healing in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

A private museum dedicated to preserving the heritage of Mardi Gras' most beloved underdog parades, open by appointment.

The greatest collection of New Orleans masking and processional traditions covering everything from Baby Dolls to Skull and Bone gangs.

An impressive collection of dollhouses and an homage to the frog-leg canning industry.

A pink cottage covered in hearts served as a haven and a resting place for LGBTQ activists.

A little piece of Paris in the sultry south of the U.S.

This float factory takes the mask off of Mardi Gras and lets visitors see where the magic happens.

If New Orleans is the birthplace of the "cocktail," why does their own museum of cocktail memorabilia beg to differ?

By day this New Orleans square is for pedestrians, but by night it is a kingdom of kittens.

A collection of oddities including Dr. Kevorkian's suicide device, the Thanatron.

This bar named after the world's first mixed cocktail was home to one of New Orleans' most notorious politicians.

The restaurant keeps a hidden séance room on the second floor and reserves a table for the spirit of the former owner each night.

In 2010, Nicolas Cage purchased two plots in this cemetery using one to construct this strange pyramid mausoleum.

Imagine playing a version of Legends of the Hidden Temple, but with a distinctly Southern Gothic flare.

This knobby, drooping New Orleans oak is a favorite place both for climbing and for meeting giraffes.

This historic "City of the Dead" lies prominently in the center of New Orleans' famous Garden District.

This New Orleans tree is filled with hidden chimes that produce a carefully tuned melody.