A source of civic pride, though the reason for its construction is unknown.

This botanical garden outside Chicago boasts an array of more than 300 varieties of lilacs.

This small-town park in southern Illinois has a 1,000,000-gallon swimming pool and a 100,000-barrel oil well.

The multinational Burger King chain is banned from operating within 20 miles of a family restaurant filed under the same name.

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

An abandoned observatory in the middle of the Illinois prairie.

This abandoned Abraham Lincoln statue has also earned the honorary of "World's Ugliest."

Even with only two residents and one building, this tiny Illinois town is famous for its burgers.

This monolithic statue was erected in honor of Chief Black Hawk (even if it wasn't made to look like him).

This lush 12-acre site was once named the finest Japanese garden in North America.

Statue dedicated to the star of an old television show.

This was once the largest four-sided clock in the world (yes, even bigger than Big Ben).

Giant six-pack could provide one person a six-pack a day for 3,351 years.

This giant fiberglass sunfish welcomes visitors to Onalaska, Wisconsin, the "Sunfish Capital of the World."

A chilling disappearance (and rescue) of a child uncovers a geological mystery.

These five houses were built for the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair.

A 19th-century horse lover's bequest led to the construction of this unique fountain in Chicago.

The unluckiest U-boat in the entire German fleet is now on display in a Chicago museum.

This $3 million model train takes you through Chicago, Seattle, and the thousands of miles in between.

This bronze sculpture on a former squash court marks the secret origins of the Atomic Age.

A hollow cement depiction of time's inexorable effect on the human body.

This monument owes its name to a quote by the famous civil rights activist and journalist.

This whimsical Oz-themed park had a wonderful impact on the surrounding neighborhood.

Kwanu'sila the Thunderbird has been silently watching over Chicago for more than 100 years (kind of).