The beloved statue at the National Academy of Sciences is oh so inviting to sit on.

A lovely aquatic park built by a one-armed Civil War veteran who made a fortune from lotuses.

A hidden gem on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building designed by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted.

Enormous piles of historically significant stones, dumped by Congress in a forest, and abandoned for 60 years.

The farm where one of America's greatest leaders was raised is now a well-appointed landmark.

Once called the "Polish Gold Coast" it is an icon of the neighborhood that bears its same name.

The twin towers in this Chicago fountain use 50 foot tall video screens to spit on people.

This shop for all your super spy needs hides an educational secret.

A lush green oasis in the middle of Chicago.

One part antique store, one part curiosities hodge-podge.

One of the dwarven trees dates back to 1625 and survived the Hiroshima bombing.

The world's longest known cave system.

A speakeasy takes on Chicago's drinking culture.

Paranormal experiences in this hotel's room 217 led Stephen King to write "The Shining."

This morbid, delightful curiosity shop offers everything from animal bones to human teeth.

The Corinthian columns that towered over Abraham Lincoln’s inauguration stand proud.

Elevated freight railway turned wildly successful urban park.

A stunning, abandoned limestone quarry in southern Indiana provided the stone to erect the Empire State Building.

Ornate limestone building now filled with geologic specimens, and more.

A lesser-known part of the Kinsey Institute is this impressive collection of art, artifacts, and material culture related to human sexuality.

If astronomy had a ghost, it would look like this observatory.

The world's largest collection of mechanical puzzles is a cornucopia of analog bafflers.

The world's largest anatomically accurate brain sculpture.

For over 100 years, this Indiana town has had a tree growing out the top of the local courthouse.