The California capital city once stood 10 feet lower than it does today.

This iconic L.A. bookshop is housed in an abandoned bank—both symbolic and chic.

One of Los Angeles's first murals once vibrantly depicted the dangers of United States imperialism.

The only standing town in the United States that early Chinese Americans built for themselves.

The oldest structure in a beachside California city was built to serve eight students.

These unusual houses look like giant boats that washed ashore on a residential street.

The oldest dim sum restaurant in the United States is a nostalgic jewel.

Faceless white figures loom over the city from the rooftop.

Forgotten and then destroyed by fire, this was once one of the largest saltwater swimming pools in the world.

Half of a house.

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

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

Contemporary art inspired by natural history and science drawing on ancient techniques in a modern world.

A glimpse into the lives of the the Miwok and Paiute people in Yosemite National Park.

The interior of the Overlook Hotel in "The Shining" was based on this Yosemite original.

Opened in 1911, this small shop is the oldest ongoing establishment in St. George.

The most beautiful Taco Bell in the world even has surfboard parking.

A peculiar mansion built by the troubled heir to the Winchester Rifle Company fortune.

Get lost in this haunting fairytale art walk through a man-made eucalyptus grove.

A garden oasis filled with flowers mentioned in the works of William Shakespeare.

This Oakland fairytale kingdom, fiercely devoted to childlike whimsy, was an early inspiration for Disneyland.

The century-old bell and clock tower at UC Berkeley is the third-tallest in the world, and has fossils.

A playground built by the kids that is a child's wonderland, and a helicopter parent's nightmare.

Strange red rock formations that have been attributed to a higher power for hundreds of years.