This old-world mansion with lush gardens is a gem in the heart of Silicon Valley.

A burnt orange monolithic dome structure perched on a hillside near Interstate 280.

This controversial depiction of the "Founder of California" looks as though it was sculpted from mashed potatoes.

A large instrument played by the wind.

Another of California's unused Cold War missile defense complexes has become a graffiti gallery.

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

A rough granite monument marks the spot where Europeans first caught sight of the San Francisco Bay.

The graffiti-covered remnants of a former triangulation station are balanced precariously on this California peak.

The most beautiful Taco Bell in the world even has surfboard parking.

Concrete strongholds stand guard over the Golden Gate.

Internationally-recognized arts center housed in a century-old former military barracks.

Shoot for par over the bodies of the dead on this cemetery-cum-golf course.

A winding path built in secret on the edge of the continent.

A 300-ship graveyard, with a few still visible at low tide.

The one-time watch house for incoming ships at the Golden Gate now stands abandoned and hidden in trees.

Big gun installations, built over a massive cemetery, now abandoned & hidden in trees.

The seawater playground of gilded-era San Francisco burned to the ground in 1966.

A walk-in working camera obscura produces 360-degree live images of the San Francisco coast.

Depicting scenes of everyday life - and specific individuals - in Great Depression era San Francisco.

Standing in for the first ship to navigate the Northwest Passage.

A miniature view of the park, caught in time.

The key to turning shifting dunes into the green oasis of Golden Gate Park.

Two pillars set 10 paces apart commemorate the "last notable American duel."

Once the largest windmill outside of Holland, with enormous 114 foot sails.