A Los Angeles cemetery that was once at the center of a Supreme Court dispute.

Suburban observatory was personal lab of the father of modern astrophysics.

Bug-devouring flora are the stars of a special wing of the glass conservatory.

A nursery specializing in strange and beautiful succulents and cacti.

This well-traveled chess park offers scenic views of the pacific and a colorful, eclectic clientele.

A Looff creation in Santa Monica best described as “a California-Byzantine-Moorish-style fantasy.”

A second generation sun-powered marvel lights up the night.

A sign at the end of the Santa Monica Pier marks the traditional end of the legendary American highway.

An offbeat angle on the ocean viewed through an antiquated lens.

The diverse and sometimes odd cultural heritage of the Golden State is collected, examined, and displayed in this proud museum.

Legendary prop shop filled with one man's collection of scientific curiosities.

The largest collection of two headed animals in the world.

An increasingly eccentric apartment building, topped with winged beasties.

Apartment building was once posh playground to the Hollywood elite.

Authentic gondola hanging from the ceiling, notable mural in the back room.

60 feet of towering steel balances gracefully.

The words of the neighborhood's most famous poets adorn four concrete walls.

An historic and oft-filmed spot for musclebound iron pumpers on the Pacific coast.

Legendary frontman of the Doors looms in this giant mural by famed Venice muralist, Rip Cronk.

Two men, two visionaries of Venice Beach, one little hotel that smells like cookies.

The short oil boom of Venice Beach, and its swift removal from the tourism-laden landscape.

Somewhere between an art studio and a print shop, this artists storefront is a house of worship devoted to type.

This stockpile of junked electronic and mechanical gadgets is a favorite among Hollywood prop masters.

Space program, pneumatics and more, bits and pieces, for movie sets or the common man.