Places Edited by Eric Grundhauser

The sci-fi villain is a little-known inhabitant of the U.S. capital's largest cathedral.

A man-made island in scenic San Francisco Bay.

A tiny islet just off Long Island offers a wealth of infectious curiosities.

A 30-year-old Sycamore tree grown from a seed taken to the moon and back.

This secret coastal village is studded with pastel-colored houses all piled on top of one another.

One of Canada's oldest museums, the beautiful Redpath has been serving up Natural History and Ethnography since 1882.

World War II-era Nazi compound nestled in the Santa Monica hills.

An invitation-only museum of items natural and bizarre, arcane and exotic.

Ruined castle with subterranean vaulted Goblin Ha' or "Goblin Hall."

A Roman-inspired temple once controlled half of San Francisco's waters.

Florentine Renaissance style building in Switzerland, home to the world's largest taxidermy Great White Shark.

Prove you deserve to be fed by Kenny Shopsin.

Check out the underground party scene at the "Burning Man of Brooklyn."

Eternal flame said to be a Hindu Goddesses fiery tounge.

An antique cemetery in New York, this land is home to any number of famed corpses.

Possibly the smallest church in the world floats in the middle of a pond.

Guarded by the Angel of Grief, the Stanford family tomb attracts an odd mix of halloween revelry and somber contemplation.

Read a book next to a Midtown waterfall.

A hidden world of exotic succulents and cacti.

A quiet memorial to those who died saving others in the heart of the City of London.

Art and a pun, all in one.

This Philly cemetery is the eternal home of many famous area residents, including Rocky Balboa's wife.

Started as a kitchen garden, now the second largest botanical garden in the world.

Submerged lava formations create incredible waterworks.