Places Edited by Rachel James

The birthplace of both the Atomic Age and Godzilla, and the namesake of the bathing suit.

A bunker "with enough U.S. currency to replenish the cash supply east of the Mississippi" in the event of nuclear war now protects nitrate film.

Electrical curiosity museum housed in an old transformer station.

"X" marks the spot of an echo chamber in the middle of a plaza.

An open air haven for tropical monkeys in the damp moors of the English country.

The convergence of two currents makes this a surprisingly pleasant getaway in the Arctic Circle.

This single room has survived the centuries with almost no deterioration.

Two large posteriors in one giant statue.

Home of the International Space Hall of Fame.

A free library to stumble across, one of many placed worldwide if you know where to look.

The remains of diamond fever taken over by the desert.

A Victorian natural history and ethnographic museum with wonderful turn-of-the-century, science-book-esque evolution displays.

This 150 foot seven-tiered cascading waterfall is one of the hidden gems of the White Mountains.

Community bookshelf of 25-foot-tall book spines.

A tidal bore with its own festival.

Artifacts of whaling, with both its perils and adventure, are housed in this museum in a former candle factory.

A tribute to the life and work of the beloved "Peanuts" cartoonist.

Beautiful Gothic-inspired lighthouse stands out among the run-of-the-mill striped fare on Bodies Island.

A magical and peaceful ruined Cistercian abbey in what is now southern Belgium.

An Art Nouveau building covered in animal gargoyles and grotesques.

The world's largest moose statue is located (where else?) in Canada.

The "Prussian Versailles" that is as glorious today as when it was built.

Brain collection and database that narrows the gap between man and animal.

One of the largest, oldest, darkest, quietest motel rooms in the world.