This picturesque cliffside beacon no longer calls to sailors but shines once a year in honor of a famous shipwreck.

This bright yellow building is packed with sweet treats from all around the world, from chocolate-covered crickets to whoopie pies.

At this Minnesota state park you can easily wade across the source of the mighty Mississippi.

This massive roadside mascot was the first version of the giant to illustrate his butt.

These Great Lakes sea caves accessible by boat in the summer turn into temples of ice reachable by foot in the winter.

A unique botanical garden housed in three giant geodesic domes.

Statue dedicated to the star of an old television show.

A metal ring in the middle of the road marks the exact spot where the Soviet satellite crash-landed in 1962.

Gambling, boozing, and yodeling animals cover the walls of this dive bar cum natural history museum.

143 feet of leaping muskie whose mouth can be used as a wedding venue.

17,400 lbs., 12 feet in diameter, and 29 years in the making.

The menacing creature had a tremendous influence on the local culture before being exposed as a hoax.

Home to the world's largest refracting telescope and the birthplace of modern astrophysics.

Equal parts record-breaking temple to consumerism and bizarre fun park, it's more than you think it is...

The city of Rockford, Illinois is symbolically protected by a quartet of fittingly stony sentinels.

The highest point in Wisconsin is capped by two towers that are not as mythic as Tolkien's but provide much better views.

One of the largest aviation events in the world brings half a million aircraft enthusiasts to Wisconsin each year.

Ever wanted to can Spam?

A pop-culture attraction outside of Dyersville, Iowa, hits a home run.

This secret gem of a toy store houses a rideable carousel populated with fantasy animals.

Three playfully immersive mini golf courses let you travel alongside your ball to the cup at this facility, which has been around since the 1950s.

More than 5,000 contemporary and "historic" mustards from around the world.

This water tower has been a staple of the Rochester skyline since 1931.

This cave holds a surprisingly colorful variety of geological oddities.