Places Edited by Samir S. Patel

This mysterious, medieval cathedral remains unbuilt but fiercely protected.

The oldest operating Mississippi River–style steamboat still navigates the Ohio River.

The "lost friend” is the most famous of the six moai statues that were removed from Easter Island.

Suspended above the ground in a thicket of towering Georgia trees is a modern architectural wonder.

A mural in rural Georgia welcomes visitors to a fictional Missouri town.

The most remote tree in the world is more than 170 miles from its nearest neighbor.

A detailed model of Mexico City is the star attraction within this interactive exhibit inside an old theater.

A curious museum of old video game consoles hidden in the back of a store.

A magical sinkhole on the Yucatán Peninsula is adorned with mini waterfalls and hanging vines.

An icon of the Battle of Britain is frozen in flight in a grand Victorian museum.

An old bank vault in Atlanta is now the eternal shrine to the King of Rock and Roll.

This collection of 80 polarizing foods aims to challenge your subjective notions of repulsion.

A small and surprising passageway in Saint Petersburg devoted to the Beatles.

Psychedelic murals coat the inside of a nondescript research library.

A giant roundabout made up of six smaller roundabouts can befuddle the uninitiated.

A mining town, now abandoned, was built in a canyon so narrow that the railroad ran right through the hotel lobby.

The conquistador's former fortress is the oldest preserved colonial building in the Americas.

An ingenious solution to a tricky engineering problem, this spiraling bridge takes drivers for a dizzying spin.

The ruins of a former sanctuary for elite Aztec warriors.

This lucky bronze frog was gifted to Madrid by a casino.

These enigmatic columns tower over the ruins of an ancient Toltec city.

A lavender labyrinth so large it’s visible on Google Earth.

This collector's home is a constant work in progress.

These official units of measurement—including chains and perches—lie hidden beneath tourists' feet in a popular London hub.