Places helitua Wants to Go

The overgrown ruins of a once thriving World War I-era copper mine.

An Old West film set seen in countless TV shows and movies is open for the public to explore.

The remnants of a failed socialist commune can still be found just off a California highway.

Machinery left over from California's once thriving mercury industry now attracts artists and explorers.

Once America’s most beautiful army base, this abandoned military fort on the coast of Monterey Bay has been left to the elements.

The abandoned train depot now doubles as a well-placed rest stop for those who take the road less traveled.

This abandoned motel doesn't welcome guests anymore, but decay and a creepy atmosphere still call it home.

The former Naval shipyard is open for exploring - mostly.

A classically inspired temple in Redwood City.

Where a staggering 747 ships were constructed during World War II.

Radioactivity still cause for concern at this urban explorer's paradise.

A brooding mansion of clinker brick stands out among the Victorian houses of Pacific Heights.

This odd California folly seems like it was almost designed to accumulate urban legends.

A crumbling Beaux Arts monument to the Bay Area's age of rail.

A sudden forest of traditional Papua New Guinean art works is hidden in a corner of Stanford University.

Abortion, prohibition, religion, war, and fear all play a part in the history of this idiosyncratic Pacifica castle.

Once the gateway to the utopian dream-village of a Civil War embalmer.

The graffiti-covered remnants of a former triangulation station are balanced precariously on this California peak.

The sun acts as a key that only fits this giant keyhole twice a year.

A "haunted" landmark on the coast of Southern California.

Abandoned Air Force base that has fallen into disrepair.

A working model of the entire San Francisco Bay and much of the Sacramento River Delta, complete with regular tides that change every 14 minutes.

Once a place of peaceful repose, this sanitarium now faces an uncertain future.

Built by the inventor of the radio, this abandoned hotel has housed early radio employees, military men, and a dangerous cult.