After starting as a whimsical tourist attraction that eventually found its way to ruin, these renovated canals offer a lush and exotic locale on the Pacific Coast.

Apartment building was once posh playground to the Hollywood elite.

The largest collection of two headed animals in the world.

A three-story, three-dimensional hobo clown in a tutu welcomes CVS shoppers.

Where a great scandal unfolded with a famous female revivalist at its center.

Santa Monica's oldest restaurant, decorated with set pieces from the Mutiny on the Bounty.

A Looff creation in Santa Monica best described as “a California-Byzantine-Moorish-style fantasy.”

A treasure hunter's tiny bar, harboring celebrities since 1959.

This well-traveled chess park offers scenic views of the pacific and a colorful, eclectic clientele.

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

One of the first skyscrapers in Santa Monica, and a famous getaway for the Hollywood elite of then and now.

A sign at the end of the Santa Monica Pier marks the traditional end of the legendary American highway.

Perhaps the most unique of any Frank Gehry design for one simple reason: Gehry himself actually lives here.

On a quiet suburban street stands a peculiarly decorated house covered in mosaics.

Her final resting place was intended to be modest and private, but the power of her popularity continues to draw visitors.

This “living museum” at UCLA exhibits thousands of plant species from all over the world.