An almost life-sized elephant named Ms. Ellie greets visitors at this jumbo-themed museum.

An indoor miniature village and labor of love for Laurence Geiringer, a model railroad enthusiast.

The home of a famed utopian science fiction author has been preserved long after his predicted future in the year 2000.

A memorial sculpture to heath hens stands on the spot where the last heath hen, Booming Ben, was last seen.

The filming location of a shark attack in Steven Spielberg’s famous shark movie.

One man’s hobby is another man’s world of metal wonders.

Ornate and macabre headstone in one of the country's oldest cemeteries.

The 340-year-old house that inspired the classic Nathaniel Hawthorne novel.

A collection of full-size movie monsters opened to the public.

This float factory takes the mask off of Mardi Gras and lets visitors see where the magic happens.

Home to the largest urban bat colony in North America, estimated at 1.5 million bats.

A grove of colossal man-made flowers built to collect the sun's rays.

Some islands... they come, they go, especially on Lake Travis.

A former electrical substation is now home to an eccentric junk art masterpiece.

A tribute to the "toughest woman on the Texas frontier," who survived a famous battle and five husbands.

Austin’s nonprofit-run graffiti park where street art is meant to be painted over.

Continuing the tradition of the dime museum in style.

Mexican food and folk art.

This California tree is the single source of the state's entire orange industry.

Carved by a waterfall in a hard-to-reach rock formation, this heart-shaped rock has inspired romantics for decades.

This unlicensed collection of fast-food memorabilia sits on the site of the first ever McDonald's restaurant.

Just like the real 36th president of the United States, animatronic LBJ amuses visitors with jokes and stories.

These ancient ritual mounds are our best window into the culture of the ancient Mississippians.

When you visit his grave, be sure to rub the Great Emancipator's nose for good luck.