Places Melodia Wants to Go

A one-armed veteran of the Battle of Waterloo lies in a cemetery for one in the middle of a Chicago scrapyard.

A spectacular remnant of an Adler and Sullivan masterpiece that was destroyed in 1972.

A small Chicago museum filled with thousands of preserved butterflies, beetles, and more.

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

One of the few remaining relics of the meatpacking hub that made Chicago the "hog butcher to the world."

Where dioramas can follow you home.

An eccentric park and pool.

A Japanese temple, old German townhouses, and public chess tables offer a peaceful escape from the bustle of the North Side.

This historic-shipwreck-cum-diving-spot can still be seen poking its boiler out of the Lake Michigan waters that claimed it.

Former bath house turns gastropub.

The final resting place of up to 6,000 Confederate soldiers, the largest mass grave in the Western Hemisphere.

You can take a class, browse the library, or visit the lavish lair of an international men's humor society.

A strange and haunting monument of unknown origin in the historic Graceland Cemetery.

An actual 1957 Cadillac De Ville, encased in 15 cubic yards of concrete.

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

Home to a protest movement, a bombing, and a dramatic change in labor history.

One of Chicago's last seafood smokehouses perfects a dying breed of fishcraft.

Combination beer garden and music venue in the heart of Wicker Park.

Cemetery featuring rare glass-fronted columbarium.

The world's only known button museum.

Years of archaeology, just chillin' by the water cooler.

This $3 million model train takes you through Chicago, Seattle, and the thousands of miles in between.

This museum celebrating the almighty dollar lets visitors literally stand in the shadow of a million bucks.

What's left of the ruins of the 1893 Columbian Exhibition, or World's Fair, also known as the White City.