What was once a true peninsula has now been filled in, causing the water to recede and leaving many streetside "waterfronts" and landlocked "islands."

A mysterious stone embedded at the base of a historic Boston building.

Millions of numbers carved in glass represent the tattoos forced upon victims.

Alexander Hamilton’s creation caused quite a bit of controversy.

Once thought to be the fabled Holy Grail, it is now known to be an oil lamp.

Even for Egyptian royalty, the afterlife was bring-your-own-beef.

This ancient Egyptian obelisk still bears the wounds of World War I.

In 2013, historians discovered a hidden room devoted to the art of making royals' hot chocolate.

The famed amusement district marks the beginning of summer with a wild procession of nautical creatures.

Legend says these colorful, invasive residents are the descendants of birds released by Jimi Hendrix.

These subterranean storage areas hold emergency water reserves.

A monumental cross hides in the trees in Golden Gate Park.

Noble beasts perhaps, but not the Emperor's dogs.

Standing in for the first ship to navigate the Northwest Passage.

At the base of the Golden Gate Bridge, a small sign basically begs for a high-five.

The neighborhood church casts a breast-shaped shadow that locals have come to call the “two o’clock titty.”

An art supply shop holds the secrets of this quiet neighborhood's raucous Barbary Coast past.

Since 1973, this block has been home to the most concentrated collection of murals in San Francisco.

Carnivorous plants, medieval aphrodisiacs, and the largest original wood structure glass conservatory in the western hemisphere.

This grinning pup statue is all that's left of what was once a ubiquitous Bay Area diner chain.

The oldest burial ground in the city, final resting place of city founders, Ohlone natives and murderers alike.

Forgotten and then destroyed by fire, this was once one of the largest saltwater swimming pools in the world.

The second building of its name to occupy this location might be the finest flatiron building in San Francisco.

A speck of nature and art in one of San Francisco’s most notorious neighborhoods.