It may look like no more than a full-scale model, but every part of this full Space Shuttle stack had a working role in aviation history.

The world’s first penitentiary, meant to be humane, drove men insane.

Eighteen miniature death-scene dioramas.

In 1952, a strange encounter in the woods of West Virginia led to the legend of a 10-foot-tall monster with glowing eyes and a distinctive style.

At the birthplace of American railroading, a world-class collection of historic trains.

One of the oldest active carousels in the country—but it might be missed by all but the keenest-eyed boardwalk strollers.

A collection of outdoor art by renowned muralist Robert Dafford depicts the history of a flooded city.

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

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

Once in disrepair, this popular Texas stop along iconic Route 66 has been restored to its past glory.

The former home of the 11th president of the United States.

Large rocks have been painted to whimsically resemble wild and farm animals.

A stockpile of childhood lunch pails turned collectibles.

This museum dedicated to an oft-overlooked support industry features a surprisingly moving brass diorama of a man being saved from a sinking car.

More than five miles of underground passageways.

A collection of huge Pre-Colombian structures in Alabama.

Underneath this water pump, Annie Sullivan helped Keller speak her first words.

The pan man stands as a testament to the functionality of American cast iron cookware.

This 12-foot-tall T-rex is the largest K’Nex skeleton sculpture in the world.

This natural wonder drops 16 stories straight down through rare flora and streaming waterfalls.

These ancient ritual mounds are our best window into the culture of the ancient Mississippians.

The remains of a foundry and old blast furnaces destroyed during the Civil War are preserved in this central Alabama park.

A cemetery for only coon hounds in northwest Alabama.

This simple, broken column marks the final resting place of one of America's most famous explorers.