A replica of the flagpole that gave a frontier town its name.

The first of the iconic American roadside attractions lives on as a college mascot.

An exotic wildlife habitat right off The Strip.

One of the world's tallest Ferris wheels takes visitors high above Las Vegas in a spinning party room.

This Las Vegas casino boasts one of only three spiral escalators in the United States—an engineering wonder.

Curious cave that stays a cool 56 degrees all year long.

The modest, restored home of the legendary ragtime musician John William "Blind" Boone.

The obelisk meant to mark the founding father's grave at Monticello is actually on the University of Missouri campus.

Two Ming Dynasty lion statues guard the entrance to the journalism school.

The iconic remains of the original Academic Hall that burned down in 1892.

San Francisco's first World's Fair, dedicated to the wonders of California.

A masterpiece in Golden Gate Park by virtue of the artist’s debt.

This bronze statue commemorates the strange and beloved mascot of UC Irvine—the only university to be represented by a giant anteater.

These delicate buggers are some of the rarest fossils that have bubbled up from the Tar Pits.

Scores of vintage street lamps shine along L.A.’s Miracle Mile.

This quirky UFO-shaped curiosity is often mistaken for the airport’s control tower.

This rare tortoise skeleton has been hanging around the downtown Los Angeles museum for over a century.

The final resting place of a space program monolith, soon to be unveiled again to the public.

This golf ball–shaped former desert real estate office now houses a UFO museum.

This wooden statue commemorates a man who spent nearly 40 years waving hello to the people of Laguna Beach.

In Tucson a giant metal snake helps pedestrians cross a busy highway.

This magnificent natural sandstone bridge is one of the largest in the world and is an iconic symbol for Lake Powell.

This monster board rode a monster wave to break two world records.

The oldest home in Huntington Beach, the farmhouse is a monument to the region's pioneer past.