Places Sam O'Brien Wants to Go

A treasure trove of artifacts, books, and artwork from the "golden age" of exploration.

This Russian bar-restaurant lies within a three-story underground bathhouse.

A theme park that suffered massive flooding during Katrina was abandoned, and now proves irresistible to trespassing explorers.

When Azorean green tea meets volcanic hot springs water, a luminous brew is born.

In 2010, Nicolas Cage purchased two plots in this cemetery using one to construct this strange pyramid mausoleum.

A collection of oddities including Dr. Kevorkian's suicide device, the Thanatron.

Shop for books in the New Orleans house where William Faulkner once lived.

Taxidermied cartoon heads, unseen illustrations, and famous characters all reside in this small gallery space.

The oldest family-run restaurant in the United States is a living museum of New Orleans dining history.

Parts of the civil rights movement unfolded in this historic eatery, helmed by the "Queen of Creole Cuisine."

The restaurant keeps a hidden séance room on the second floor and reserves a table for the spirit of the former owner each night.

Larger-than-life sculptures of the world’s most famous cat mark the birthplace of creator Jim Davis.

The farm where one of America's most famous folk artists created her paintings.

New York's oldest magic store.

The sole remaining outpost of a once-thriving South Carolina chain still sells “pic-a-nic” baskets.

Natural saunas fed by volcanic heat.

Deep in the Guatemalan jungle stands an ancient pyramid that once marked the reign of a king.

Mesoamerican monoliths and zoomorphic stones covered in royal visages, ancient mythology, and grand celestial events.

Central America's deepest lake is actually a volcanic caldera, surrounded by three volcanoes.

Giant kites are flown during this Day of the Dead celebration in Guatemala.

A ruined Maya city that suffered a years-long case of mistaken identity.

Volcanically heated hot springs.

Admire the art and then buy a raccoon skull cleaned by flesh-eating beetles.

A Building for Your (Former) Funerary Needs.