This titanic Catholic church in Chicago is also a refuge of the fictional cult-favorite wizard detective Harry Dresden.

The faint remains of a Polish news empire still linger.

The lowest point in the state of Illinois, at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers.

This simple gravestone remembers a pig who single-hoofedly raised $19,000,000 for the Navy.

"No writer ever gave more to a city and got back less.”

The clothes-washing king doubles as a community center with some unusual features, including an aviary filled with finches.

This Mediterranean castle was built for a millionaire and his giant dog.

Man-made geyser that rises to the exact height of the Gateway Arch.

In a quiet north Chicago neighborhood rests a stunning relic of the golden age of earthenware design.

Orthodox church partially financed by Tsar Nicolas II.

This architectural stunner is one of the few surviving Egyptian Revival theaters in the U.S.

You have to love a museum with a truly dedicated focus. A focus on Superman, for example.

Where old school Polish Chicago and young hipster Chicago live side by side.

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

The mysterious white squirrels of this Illinois city are treated like sacred cows.

Even with only two residents and one building, this tiny Illinois town is famous for its burgers.

These pretty kitties killed and ate as many as 135 railway workers.

River pirates, murderous bandits, and serial killers used this Illinois cave as their debauched hideout.

A once-booming Mississippi River town with a history of racial violence is now eerie and mostly abandoned.

A Bibliophile's Dream.

This whimsical Oz-themed park had a wonderful impact on the surrounding neighborhood.

Once one of the largest producers of pig iron in the world.

The South's nickname was supposedly born at a former bank in New Orleans' French Quarter.

The tallest monument in a historic New Orleans cemetery was prompted by romance and dash of pettiness.