An iconic 1960s theater with a Buckminster Fuller-style geodesic dome.

A miraculous natural phenomenon known as "the spring that breathes."

An abandoned early 20th-century gold mine in a spectacular setting overlooking Bridgeport Valley and the Sierra Nevada.

Standing in a state of "arrested decay," this ghost town allows for a detailed peek into Gold Rush life in an unusually harsh climate.

One of the oldest reform schools in the United States, home to wayward boys such as Merle Haggard, now abandoned.

The Empire Mine is "one of the oldest, largest, deepest, longest and richest gold mines in California."

"You don't need a rocket scientist to build a steam engine, but we've got one." -Museum docent on the credentials of a restoration volunteer.

The beauty and the beast of hydraulic mining is on full display at this California Historic State Park.

This former New Jersey bus now exists as a public art exhibit.

This beloved roadside attraction welcomes visitors with his signature neon smile.

Despite being a perfectly pleasant place to be, Loyalton can't seem to attract any visitors.

A unique museum where guests can rent and operate a locomotive.

The oldest hotel in Nevada.

This railroad magnate's 19th century tower is more than a little bit out of place in the Nevada desert.

Officially named the "Loneliest Road in America," this barren stretch of Nevada road offers almost nothing but sky and open fields.

Come for the speed, leave in love with the desert.

A 90-foot-tall psychedelic "tree" on the side of the highway has baffled passersby for decades.

Deep into the lower floors of Pike Place, find a date with fowl fate.

An old-timey peepshow allows visitors to gawk at some of the world's most freakishly large footwear.

A wall of chewing gum moonlights as collective art.

The first park built over a freeway is a brutalist masterwork.

This working class sculpture pounds his hammer all the livelong day.

A colorful architectural gem in Seattle’s uniquely modern Central Library.

A 100-year-old purveyor of curiosities, curios, and kitsch featuring mummies, shrunken heads, and a Fiji Mermaid.