Magical-looking cottages that inspired one of the most famous animated films ever.

Established in the '60s, a family-owned tropical drink bar founded by Ray Buhen, bartender to the stars.

San Francisco's oldest surviving monument and meeting place for 1906 survivors.

The miraculous hydrant that saved the Mission District in 1906.

Early prototype for Frank Lloyd Wright's Guggenheim.

A former hardware store near Yerba Buena is the official home of California's history.

A library and museum dedicated to typography.

Not merely a museum – but a whirring powerhouse that offers a subterranean peek into the heart and soul of cable car operations.

On a barren hillside in the Yucca Valley, the recently restored Desert Christ Park has attracted pilgrims and kitsch hunters for over 50 years.

A fake town founded by Western movie stars is now becoming a hip desert community.

A music-filled, booze-soaked oasis in the desert.

At this deceptively beautiful beach, nothing is what it seems.

The "world's biggest dinosaur" once housed a creationist museum in its abdomen.

Common all over Japan, kōbans are small community police boxes, and now one is guarding one of L.A.’s megamalls.

This Chase branch is an homage to Old Hollywood.

This small Catskills village has six independent bookstores and more bookshops than restaurants.

A modern day curiosity cabinet.

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

The unbelievably opulent home built for an infamous newspaperman.

A massive volcanic plug is now a protected area that hosts a number of bird species.

A chain of bells connect the California Missions and honor the legend of the "King’s Highway."

A hotel and restaurant serving as the mecca of kitsch.

Spiral-bound community recipes and antiquarian gems mingle at this small East Village shop.

A second generation sun-powered marvel lights up the night.