The newsstand that never closes its doors—well, almost never.

Downieville's largest Gold Rush structure still standing has one of the longest bars in California.

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

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

Aqueducts have dramatically changed this old lake, now home to tufa towers and its very own species of tiny brine shrimp.

The echoes of a railroad town that solemnly mark the end of the line.

A hard-to-reach oasis in a desolate corner of Death Valley National Park.

A fake town founded by Western movie stars is now becoming a hip desert community.

A middle school sports field that many believe was the true location of the first successful powered flight - and not by the Wright Brothers.

The first U.S. town to secede from the Union, only to vote themselves right back in.

California's oldest existing theater building hosted an impressive cast of celebrities, including hosting Mark Twain's first lecture.

Built in 1895, this bed and breakfast was once a hospital that served an early 1900s Gold Rush boomtown.

A watering hole where the options for seating include a bar, patio, or subterranean cave.

"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.

A dentist's hated concrete colossi are now beloved icons of the community.

A fine mixture of the old and the new topped with an art deco neon spire.

An abandoned lot littered with concrete debris was once the home of the world's first female railroad president.

Space program, pneumatics and more, bits and pieces, for movie sets or the common man.

Sports history, made in the Arroyo Seco.

Originally the home of chewing gum mogul William Wrigely Jr, it is now the official offices of the Tournament of Roses.

A Masterpiece with a Tragic History.

A stellar example of Art & Crafts architecture, and a movie set to boot.

"The Star Factory" cranked out Hollywood stars like nobody's business.

Political debates in a fabulous Pasadena castle.