Inky sludge oozes to the surface of this beach thanks to a rare natural tar seep.

One of the largest trees of its kind in California.

One of the largest free-standing structures ever built, this dirigible hangar is now simply a giant skeleton.

An Italian restaurant became a rock-and-roll hangout and the lair of the "Hollywood vampires."

Three vintage horses survived a 1976 inferno and found a home on a sister carousel.

The world's largest outdoor organ is played weekly by one of just two civic organists in the U.S.

Inside this museum, the history of the Walt Disney Family empire is on full display.

Like a kitschy mirage in the Mojave, this eatery serves up classic 50s-style diner meals and a dinosaur sculpture garden.

A nursery specializing in strange and beautiful succulents and cacti.

The interior of the Overlook Hotel in "The Shining" was based on this Yosemite original.

The most unique castle in all of Southern California, entirely constructed from repurposed materials.

L.A.'s oldest operating bowling alley is a beautifully restored homage to its speakeasy days.

Acres of natural wonders left behind by a socialite-turned-gardener.

This 'Murder House' grand mansion has starred in everything from Bones to Buffy.

The remains of the first punk club in L.A.

The last remaining relic of San Francisco's glittering 1915 Panama Pacific Exposition.

The ghostly remains of an accidental sea.

From working out of his garage to the James Beard semifinals, one Tucson baker has kept his fan base—and his grains—local.

This ship-shape Streamline Moderne building was once the headquarters of a nautically inclined radio preacher.

Located close to a movie studio lot, this restaurant has a long history of star-studded patronage.

Giant origami crease patterns engraved in Santa Monica intersections may even be visible from space.

One of the first skyscrapers in Santa Monica, and a famous getaway for the Hollywood elite of then and now.

A collection of anti-communist sculptures stands watch in the Mojave Desert.

A Norwegian-born sculptor created these soaring guardian angels at the entrance to Hoover Dam.