greatest hits

The most popular submissions from yours truly, plus some of my personal favourites.

by Fred Cherrygarden

83 Places

Chichibu, Japan

Chichibu Chinsekikan (Hall of Curious Rocks)

This quirky little private museum is home to more than a thousand stones, carved by nature, that resemble human faces.

Fred Cherrygarden

Added by Fred Cherrygarden

Tateishi Burger Vending Machine

A charming, homemade vending machine dispenses burgers and sandwiches at this hole-in-the-wall bakery.

Fred Cherrygarden

Added by Fred Cherrygarden

Asakura Gallery

Kawaii meets poisonous at this unique art gallery.

Fred Cherrygarden

Added by Fred Cherrygarden

Ichikawa, Japan

Yawata no Yabushirazu

Nestled in an unassuming residential area, this "forbidden forest" is rumored to spirit away those who dare enter it.

Fred Cherrygarden

Added by Fred Cherrygarden

Oxford, England

Alice's Shop

The shop where the girl who inspired the beloved character once bought sweets is now a book-themed commercial curiosity.

Fred Cherrygarden

Added by Fred Cherrygarden

Servian Wall at McDonald's

Inside this McDonald's you can dine on your Big Mac and fries next to a 2,500-year-old Roman wall.

Fred Cherrygarden

Added by Fred Cherrygarden

'Magokoro Tennyo' ('Goddess of Sincerity')

Weighing nearly 7 tons, this massive sculpture was carved out of 500-year-old wood and decorated with thousands of jewels.

Fred Cherrygarden

Added by Fred Cherrygarden

Borj Adoumoue

The city walls of Salé lead to the ruins of this seaside "bastion of tears."

Fred Cherrygarden

Added by Fred Cherrygarden

Saint Briavels, England

St Briavels Castle

You can enjoy a (possibly haunted) stay at the medieval Norman castle that was once a favorite hunting lodge of King John.

Fred Cherrygarden

Added by Fred Cherrygarden

Oiteke Bori

This water goblin statue represents a 19th-century urban legend about a haunted canal that became a Japanese idiom.

Fred Cherrygarden

Added by Fred Cherrygarden

Hiroshima, Japan

Human Shadow Etched in Stone

An eerie reminder to the horrors of World War II.

Fred Cherrygarden

Added by Fred Cherrygarden

Los Angeles, California

‘Corporate Head’

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

Fred Cherrygarden

Added by Fred Cherrygarden

Transparent Restroom

These unique toilets feature transparent glass covered in PDLC film.

Fred Cherrygarden

Added by Fred Cherrygarden

Los Angeles, California

Table 31 at Tam O’Shanter

Sit at the "Disney table,” where Walt and his team of "imagineers" once dined on the regular.

Fred Cherrygarden

Added by Fred Cherrygarden

Los Angeles, California

Mt. Hollywood Tunnel

This nondescript tunnel has been featured in a number of iconic movies, from “Roger Rabbit” to “Back to the Future.”

Fred Cherrygarden

Added by Fred Cherrygarden

Berlin, Germany

Messedamm Underpass

You've probably seen these distinctive orange-tiled columns on the big screen.

Fred Cherrygarden

Added by Fred Cherrygarden

New York, New York

Physical Graffiti Building

The East Village tenement from the cover of Led Zeppelin’s 1975 album has a tea shop on the ground floor.

Fred Cherrygarden

Added by Fred Cherrygarden

Taiyoshi Hyakuban

This brothel-turned-restaurant features plenty of surprises and elaborate, extravagant architecture.

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Added by Fred Cherrygarden

Ichihara, Japan

'Toilet in Nature'

The "largest bathroom stall in the world" offers a unique pit-stop experience.

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Added by Fred Cherrygarden

Kilcoe Castle

A stunning medieval castle owned and restored by the famed actor Jeremy Irons.

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Added by Fred Cherrygarden

Godfrey, Illinois

Godfrey Mister Donut

Though it's thrived abroad, this forgotten Dunkin' rival has just one store left in the States.

Fred Cherrygarden

Added by Fred Cherrygarden

Ichimonjiya Wasuke

Established over a thousand years ago, this family-run teahouse continues to serve skewers of sweet rice cake to this day.

Fred Cherrygarden

Added by Fred Cherrygarden

Jimbōchō Book Town

A bibliophile's heaven that contains hundreds of bookstores, offering over a third of secondhand books for sale in Tokyo.

Fred Cherrygarden

Added by Fred Cherrygarden

Yokohama, Japan

Umi-Shibaura Station

Passengers are not allowed to set foot outside this station, but you can still enjoy spectacular views of the sea from the platform.

Fred Cherrygarden

Added by Fred Cherrygarden

La Ciotat, France

Gare de la Ciotat

This little train station is forever immortalized in film history.

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Added by Fred Cherrygarden

Tallinn, Estonia

Raeapteek

The oldest continuously operating pharmacy in Europe.

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Added by Fred Cherrygarden

Secret Cobblestones of Hide-and-Seek Alley

A few hidden stones are said to bring fortune and love.

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Added by Fred Cherrygarden

Chirori the Therapy Dog

A touching statue dedicated to Japan's first therapy dog.

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Added by Fred Cherrygarden

Meiji University Museum’s Criminal Materials Department

Exploring crime and punishment in feudal and pre-modern Japan.

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Added by Fred Cherrygarden

'The Gate of Dynamism'

Next door to Tokyo DisneySea is a giant sculpture created by Taro Okamoto symbolizing the dynamism of life.

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Added by Fred Cherrygarden

Obake Kaidan

A flight of this "ghost staircase" has 40 steps on the way up, but only 39 steps on the way down.

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Added by Fred Cherrygarden

Roger La Grenouille

This frog-themed restaurant was frequented by Picasso, Saint-Exupéry, and more.

Fred Cherrygarden

Added by Fred Cherrygarden

Archeological Exhibit at Athens International Airport

These artifacts were discovered during the construction of the airport, with some dating back to the Neolithic period.

Fred Cherrygarden

Added by Fred Cherrygarden

'Antinous as Vertumnus'

Unbeknownst to most passersby, this marble statue standing outside an office building is a genuine piece of second-century Rome.

Fred Cherrygarden

Added by Fred Cherrygarden

Antwerp, Belgium

Nello and Patrasche

This statue dedicated to the story of a Flemish boy and his dog was relatively obscure in Belgium, but a cult sensation in Japan.

Fred Cherrygarden

Added by Fred Cherrygarden

Providence, Rhode Island

Providence Biltmore

Rumors of the occult haunt this upscale 1920s hotel.

Fred Cherrygarden

Added by Fred Cherrygarden

Oxford, England

Saint Margaret's Well

The medieval legend behind this holy well was one of the inspirations behind "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland."

Fred Cherrygarden

Added by Fred Cherrygarden

Antwerp, Belgium

Elfde Gebod

According to this bar, God gave an “11th commandment” to Antwerp: Thou shalt drink beer.

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Added by Fred Cherrygarden

Monteverde Angel

The "Mona Lisa" of funerary art.

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Added by Fred Cherrygarden

The Hundred Caves of Yoshimi

This ancient burial site was once thought to be the home of a race distinctive to Ainu folklore.

Fred Cherrygarden

Added by Fred Cherrygarden

Omori Shell Mound

The site of Japan’s first archaeological excavation is also the birthplace of fingerprint forensics.

Fred Cherrygarden

Added by Fred Cherrygarden

London, England

‘Out of Order’

A domino effect created with Britain’s iconic telephone boxes.

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Added by Fred Cherrygarden

Meknes, Morocco

Prison de Kara

Designed as a labyrinth, this subterranean prison was crafted without bars or doors.

Fred Cherrygarden

Added by Fred Cherrygarden

Oxford, England

'Alice Door'

Inside this church is an obscure piece of art carved by the famous Alice Liddell.

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Added by Fred Cherrygarden

Vicus Caprarius

A forgotten "city of water" underneath the famous Trevi district.

Fred Cherrygarden

Added by Fred Cherrygarden

Itoigawa, Japan

The Jade Coast

You can still find treasures on the pebbly beaches of one of the world's oldest jade-producing areas.

Fred Cherrygarden

Added by Fred Cherrygarden

Lake Akan Ainu Kotan

This village is home to the largest existing settlement of the Ainu, the Indigenous people of Japan.

Fred Cherrygarden

Added by Fred Cherrygarden

Big Rapids, Michigan

Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia

A collection of more than 10,000 racist objects that teaches the atrocities of social injustice and intolerance in American history.

Fred Cherrygarden

Added by Fred Cherrygarden

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