A tribute to the disposable cups that were once manufactured here, this 68-foot-tall statue would be difficult to throw away.

These gardens celebrate the biological and cultural diversity of the Hawai‘ian Islands.

A historic office and commercial building located in the heart of downtown San Francisco.

Mexican food and folk art.

A monument to the frontier doctor who came up with the idea of delineating highways with a painted line.

National Mall monument to the inventor of the screw propeller.

In addition to the usual gravestones, this Michigan cemetery features a birdhouse mausoleum and an Ark of the Covenant replica.

Religious statues built because of one man's bargain with God fill this peaceful sculpture garden.

Two statues of the fictitious toy robots that ran afoul of local government

This sculpture presents commentary on a life in pursuit of profits.

A Romanesque sanctuary of calm amid the bustle of downtown Los Angeles.

In Tucson a giant metal snake helps pedestrians cross a busy highway.

Enormous photography collection housed in a study center co-founded by Ansel Adams.

An Arizona museum with a collection of pharmaceutical oddities, including a jar of a gangster's chewed gum.

These unusual rooms on wheels are holdovers from the 1960s.

This small hilltop church weaves the urban history of Washington, D.C. with the national history of the United States.

This robust fence in front of a historic Georgetown home is likely made from hundreds of recycled Revolutionary War firearms.

The oldest building in the District of Columbia was preserved because of a mistaken connection to George Washington.

A small token of gratitude from freezing cold journalists who were given a warm haven while covering JFK's inauguration.

This stately Georgetown rowhouse was once the home of a 54-year-old diplomat and his 16-year-old bride.

This stately mansion, built in 1787 by America's first Secretary of the Navy, is rumored to be one of the most haunted buildings in Washington, DC.

An 18th-century townhouse that once hosted guests of the president.

The site of the climactic scene from the classic horror film is now a historic landmark.

Before Metro, Washington had a robust streetcar network—and you see the remains of this infrastructure if you know where to look.