Places allykmata Wants to Go

A hospital closed seemingly in the middle of operations, leaving behind fodder for horror films and ghost hunters.

A black and white painted wall creates an optical illusion in the California desert.

An L.A. traffic island where the faces of locals have been carved into massive granite eggs.

Rising out of miles of farmland, these buttes are sometimes called the world's smallest mountain range.

"The Star Factory" cranked out Hollywood stars like nobody's business.

This desert oddity hides in plain sight thanks to a cartographic error and a desert explorer with a punny sense of humor.

The overgrown ruins of a once thriving World War I-era copper mine.

Humboldt's human-powered sculptures race across land and sea for days on end in a wacky quest for dominance.

A shining, cold, black organ lies in San Francisco's financial district.

A dentist's hated concrete colossi are now beloved icons of the community.

Where the writer penned his famous story about a jumping frog.

A wild west scene starring life-sized wooden statues hides in the trees behind Pierce College.

A celebration of once forgotten materials.

A giant chess set, minus the psychedelic drug trip.

Abortion, prohibition, religion, war, and fear all play a part in the history of this idiosyncratic Pacifica castle.

The longest burning light bulb in the world.

One of the few remaining carousels built by master amusement park carver Charles I.D. Looff.

A dwindling menagerie of anthropomorphic oil derrick animals still dot the barren California landscape.

This Oakland fairytale kingdom, fiercely devoted to childlike whimsy, was an early inspiration for Disneyland.

This museum looks at the history of one of America's most famous prisons and most beloved albums.

A private home built to resemble the shape of a microscopic creature.

Lemon Grove, California is known for its giant lemon...and mummified bodies.

This rare example of a "tidefall" is a spectacular drop from the cliffs down onto the beach.

From the sky, a kaleidoscope of color brightens the grey landscape of the San Francisco Bay.