Places ashleymlawrence Wants to Go

The remains of an abandoned dinosaur theme park litter the woods just off the highway.

The first hand-illuminated, hand-written bible since the invention of the printing press.

A giant granite cross remembers missionary Father Frederic Baraga, and his safe passage across an angry Lake Superior.

Summer in the "Turtle Racing Capital of the World" means rousing weekly reptile races.

A collection of pianos and more guaranteed to delight anyone interested in music history.

This Minnesota town celebrated the state's 100-year anniversary by creating a massive ode to nature's smartest bird.

This posh mansion began as a family's estate and ended as the site of a murder ripped from the pages of a pulp novel.

The home where a lovestruck Fitzgerald wrote his first published novel, "This Side of Paradise."

Spend the night in this former asylum for the incurably insane, which claims to be one of the most haunted places in the United States.

The headquarters of the prestigious World Food Prize celebrates the heroes in the fight against hunger, has no cafeteria.

The farm toy capital of the world hosts a museum filled with toy tractors dating back to the late 1800s.

The oldest university museum west of the Mississippi retains its 19th century feel.

This simple home was the beginning of a long journey for the iconic Western film star.

Eight feet in diameter and more than 24 feet around.

The Iowa state contender for largest pan in the world oddly only comes in second or so.

Piled high inside this warehouse and coffee shop are salvaged goods that span every corner of the globe.

Lured here by the promise of tens of thousands in gold, Jesse James started a quintessentially American trend of robbing trains in-motion.

The notorious couple camped at this site after a bloody shootout with police.

A pop-culture attraction outside of Dyersville, Iowa, hits a home run.

The World's Largest Bull.

An old town theater converted into a celebration of the hobo legacy.

The world’s largest truck stop includes a barber shop, chiropractor, and a huge museum with antique trucks.

Home with Gothic windows featured in a famous painting.

The world's only three-story rotary jail is now a museum to a bizarre trend in prison design.