Once at the center of U.S. finance, the historic Trading Room was meticulously recreated piece by piece and rebuilt in the Art Institute.

The unbelievably opulent home built for an infamous newspaperman.

A hotel and restaurant serving as the mecca of kitsch.

A deserted hodgepodge of experimental structures designed by nearby university students.

A burnt orange monolithic dome structure perched on a hillside near Interstate 280.

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

A man-made island in scenic San Francisco Bay.

The largest permanent Monopoly board makes one of the longest games even bigger.

An ominous concrete cube cuts a dystopian silhouette atop this California mountain.

A "gravitational anomaly" located in the redwood forests just outside of Santa Cruz, California.

A romantic escape inspired by the legend of a child-eating five-headed dragon.

In the former treasury of a popular temple, a rare sculptural depiction of Kannon’s diverse avatars.

Once a black market electronics marketplace, now an otaku shopper's paradise.

Rumored to be a giant robot in disguise, this colossal chef has been the beloved symbol of Tokyo’s kitchenware district for decades.

Although damaged beyond recognition, this stone god is still said to bring good luck to those who tap on him with a pebble.

This museum celebrates the history of Japanese advertising, from feudal business tricks to modern T.V. commercials.

A giant chess set, minus the psychedelic drug trip.

A peculiar mansion built by the troubled heir to the Winchester Rifle Company fortune.

It took years to decode its mysterious messages.

This 252 step staircase offers stunning views of San Jose.

Tokyo’s only Vaudeville-cuckoo clock–steampunk-Victorian curio cabinet time piece.

Steampunk, humanoid sculptures crawl on all fours in a Tokyo plaza.