Ansted, West Virginia
Mystery Hole
The "mysteries" of this quintessential roadside oddity were almost destroyed by neglect but were saved by fans of kitschy wonder.
Places I want to go
Places on this traveler's wishlist.
Ansted, West Virginia
The "mysteries" of this quintessential roadside oddity were almost destroyed by neglect but were saved by fans of kitschy wonder.
Marshall, California
Built by the inventor of the radio, this abandoned hotel has housed early radio employees, military men, and a dangerous cult.
Ishinomaki, Japan
On Japan's Tashirojima Island, cats are king.
Los Angeles, California
This Los Angeles animation studio is keeping the wonder of stop motion puppetry alive.
Chongqing, China
Comprised of thousands of cave temple carvings this cornucopia of ancient Chinese stone art is unrivaled anywhere in the world.
Newberry Springs, California
The "Fun Spot of the Desert" is now a haunting ruin, and a reminder that putting a water park in a desert is a bad idea.
Howes Cave, New York
Discovered by cows, these upstate New York show caves are presented with a healthy dose of psychedelic folk art.
Seattle, Washington
An old vending machine serves up unpredictable beverages from its seemingly magical insides.
Two Harbors, Minnesota
This picturesque cliffside beacon no longer calls to sailors but shines once a year in honor of a famous shipwreck.
Iceland
This tumultuous Icelandic lava field looks so alien European researchers want to use it as a stand-in for Mars.
Årjäng SV, Sweden
This Swedish automobile graveyard is a beautiful gallery of decay, but woe be to any who would steal a souvenir.
San Francisco, California
These WWII-era murals were initially booed as a libelous portrayal of the American dream but have survived multiple attempts to have them destroyed.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
This stunning Brazilian library contains the largest collection of Portuguese texts outside of Portugal itself.
Raufarhöfn, Iceland
This modern monument to pagan belief looks like it was transported straight from ancient times.
Zarcero, Costa Rica
This Costa Rican topiary park is a surreal garden of unearthly delights.
Brooklyn, New York
The gilded vestiges of a sterling department store can still be found in a Brooklyn shopping center.
New York, New York
Amid the marketing blitz of modern Times Square is an elegant holdover from its showbiz glory days.
Mills, New Mexico
Adobe ruins punctuate the beauty of an 800 foot canyon carved by the Canadian River.
Bordoy, Faroe Islands
Despite finally receiving electricity in 1970, this tiny town is now deserted.
Dresden, Germany
This Dresden church was purposely rebuilt Protestant after being demolished in World War II.
Amsterdam, Netherlands
The world's first zoo for microbes collecting the horrible and wonderful things living on and around us.
Wilmington, Delaware
This collection of odd proofs of concept is like taking a walk through the imagination of a Victorian engineer.
Miri, Malaysia
One of the largest caverns in the world has a maw large enough to stack cathedrals in.
Kaltenbach, Austria
Part ski resort, part modern art space, this lodge brings giant metal spiders and bloody doors to the Austrian Alps.