This long unused shot tower on the Mississippi remains a point of pride for a small city in Iowa.

The remains of a bustling turn-of-the-century park built to showcase the wonders of electricity.

For just a few bucks, this Iowa funicular will let you feel like an 1800s fat cat.

An underground wonderland in Iowa.

A pop-culture attraction outside of Dyersville, Iowa, hits a home run.

A mother’s sweet tradition lives on with this unique memorial.

Remnants of a quarry company town still stand on the banks of the Wapsipinicon River.

A giant pair of thick black glasses mark the tragic demise of a trio of rock and roll legends.

The last location where Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson played before their tragic deaths.

Elaborate drama imparts an appreciation for 19th century hardships.

A roadside statue store in rural Minnesota with quirky displays.

The lowest point in South Dakota and the source of the Minnesota River.

The highest point in Iowa, while not that impressive to mountain states, has earned its own monuments.

A four story, football field-sized, nine-grotto creation made of shells, minerals, and rare stones.

Hidden in the grounds of the Fort Dodge Museum is a "real" and terrifying petrified giant.

This simple stone monument honors a 19th-century tragedy.

This 'terrible lizard' was one of the world's first animatronic dinosaurs.

This 19th century Sioux City candy company is the home of the Twin Bing, a historic, chocolate-covered treat.

This collection of shrines features large statues of Jesus and Mary, plus views of Sioux City.

America's first National Historic Landmark is a 100-foot tall obelisk and gravesite dedicated to the only casualty of the Lewis & Clark Expedition.

Eight feet in diameter and more than 24 feet around.

An eclectic assortment of medieval architecture in a small Iowa town.

This massive railroad spike celebrates the 1939 premiere of the movie “Union Pacific.”

The world's only three-story rotary jail is now a museum to a bizarre trend in prison design.