This float factory takes the mask off of Mardi Gras and lets visitors see where the magic happens.

By day this New Orleans square is for pedestrians, but by night it is a kingdom of kittens.

The second oldest continuously operating bar in Louisiana.

The curiosities and wonders of pharmacy in a delightful historic building.

This knobby, drooping New Orleans oak is a favorite place both for climbing and for meeting giraffes.

The restaurant keeps a hidden séance room on the second floor and reserves a table for the spirit of the former owner each night.

This symbolic piece of New Orleans architecture is also home to a few ghastly stories.

This historic "City of the Dead" lies prominently in the center of New Orleans' famous Garden District.

The oldest cemetery in New Orleans, resting peacefully for over 200 years now.

The final resting place of New Orleans' most famous voodoo priestess.

A 200-year-old bar in the historic French Quarter refuses to give up its place in history, nor its role in securing ours.

In Chicago, a pizza-enthusiast has opened a museum dedicated to the history of pizza.

A display of magnificent stained glass windows is the first exhibit of its kind.

The palatial McDonald's that inspired Wesley Willis.

Pizza with a side of fine art.

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

A hidden oasis just north of Chicago's Chinatown.

These murals have been brightening a Chicago beach for more than 30 years.

In 2004, a Dave Matthews Band tour bus dumped 800 pounds of waste off a bridge and onto an unsuspecting tour boat below.

How did a 2,000-year-old Roman column find its way to a Chicago park?

Kwanu'sila the Thunderbird has been silently watching over Chicago for more than 100 years (kind of).

Also known as the Osaka Garden, this garden was originally built in 1893 as part of the World's Columbian Exposition.

Chicago's Navy Pier on Lake Michigan was a training hub for aircraft carrier pilots during WWII.

A strange rock in Chicago marks the spot where a tree once stood in honor of the 18th President.