This abandoned 19th century orphanage started as a boarding school for children of Civil War veterans.

An emerald-green grotto just a short trip from Austin.

One part antique store, one part curiosities hodge-podge.

Continuing the tradition of the dime museum in style.

A bizarre house filled with an astounding array of collections.

A small abandoned and abused cemetery that has become a magnet for ghost hunters.

Once called the "Polish Gold Coast" it is an icon of the neighborhood that bears its same name.

This memorial plaque remembers a strangely shallow maritime disaster known as "Chicago's Titanic."

This urban drawbridge gained eternal pop culture fame when the Blues Brothers jumped it while it was raised.

Arguably the best example of an authentic Dutch windmill in the United States, rivaling its counterparts in the Netherlands.

The final resting place of the world's first nuclear reactor.

This folk art wall claims to be the world's one and only memorial to the bygone age of hippies.

This historic Illinois "Muffler Man" has been converted from axe-touting lumberjack to rocket-wielding space ace.

The oldest experimental corn field in America is still creating better ways to grow crops.

The park that the Chicago Stockyards built.

When you visit his grave, be sure to rub the Great Emancipator's nose for good luck.

While he no longer has an eatery to give him context, this off-brand Paul Bunyan still holds his giant hot dog with pride.