Places Edited by Allison Meier

Where the embers of the Big Bang were first detected.

A treasure trove of pathological, forensic, parasitological, and anatomical specimens.

An organ located deep within a cave, whose "pipes" are the geological features of the cave itself.

A museum within a museum, devoted to history's most questionable medical devices.

The biggest solar telescope in the world helps reveal the secrets of our sun.

Home to the "Rat King" of Nantes and other wonders of the natural world.

Across the Pacific in a raft, a museum dedicated to Thor Heyerdahl's now legendary expedition.

Abandoned 19th century homes once occupied by naval officers, soon to be demolished.

Massive crater in central Oregon.

A 30-acre garden inspired by the principles of modern physics.

England's oldest surviving hedge maze has been confusing visitors for over 300 years.

Eclectic collections, artwork, and some feline friends fill the writer's former home.

Buenos Aires' city of the dead contains some very famous remains, including Eva Perón.

"Singing sands" and the world's largest hourglass reside near Japan's Kotogahama beach.

A chain of 16 wondrous lakes formed as a result of the gradual dissolution of soluble layers of bedrock.

The Cadillac Ranch for monster truck aficionados.

The naturally mummified body of a peasant girl saint.

Virgil's many-mouthed gateway to the underworld.

A stunning silver lining to global warming's gloomy cloud.

The ruin of a Japanese love hotel almost completely overgrown with brambles.

The original goat tower, the one that started it all.

This "floating island" plateau sits 7,671 feet above the forest floor.

The tallest bronze seated statue of the Buddha in Japan.

Back in the tiny USSR.