Bethesda, Maryland
Mushroom House of Bethesda
Surrounded by traditional homes, this Tolkien-esque dwelling stands out on a quiet street in suburban Maryland.
Places ShmorgleCity Wants to Go
36
Places I want to go
Places on this traveler's wishlist.
Naples, Italy
The Anatomical Machines of Cappella Sansevero
These "anatomical machines" are only one of the many strange items in this Italian crypt.
Naples, Italy
Naples Underground
A labyrinth of ancient tunnels hidden below the city holds the ruins of 2,500 years of history.
Bomarzo, Italy
The Monsters of Bomarzo
A 16th-century horror show built in a lovely Italian garden.
Rome, Italy
Torre Argentina (Roman Cat Sanctuary)
Hundreds of lucky felines haunt the ruins where Caesar was murdered.
Naples, Italy
Santa Maria delle Anime del Purgatorio ad Arco
The Neapolitan Cult of the Dead still cares for the skulls at this mini-Fontanelle.
Venzone, Italy
The Mummies of Venzone
Meet the oldest inhabitants of this Italian hamlet, a series of oddly preserved mummies.
Washington, D.C.
Serenity Statue
This poor little statue is the most vandalized memorial in Washington.
Silver Spring, Maryland
National Park Seminary
A girls' boarding school inspired by the Chicago World's Fair, once abandoned, now restored to strange and scenic glory.
Permanently Closed
Denver, Colorado
Packrat Antiques
Curios, scientific antiques, oddities for sale.
Lakewood, Colorado
Denver’s Dinosaur Hotel
Rather than a run-of-the-mill franchise hotel, this lodging has been decked out in dinosaur decor.
Morrison, Colorado
Tiny Town and Railroad
Travel through the wholesome amusements of yesteryear at this charming miniature village.
Littleton, Colorado
Alfred Packer's Grave
The final resting place of a 19th-century gold prospector and convicted cannibal.
Manitou Springs, Colorado
Emma Crawford Coffin Race
A lively annual event in which thousands of people race to push coffins heavy with bodies up a hill.
Washington, D.C.
D.C.'s Underground Bald Cypress Fossils
Four bald cypress trees in Lafayette Square, across from the White House, mark the southern edge of a 100,000 year old cypress swamp.
Washington, D.C.
Holt House
There's a crumbling old mansion inside the Smithsonian National Zoo.
Washington, D.C.
St. Elizabeths Hospital
Government testing at the asylum briefly explored using marijuana as a "truth serum" on Nazi prisoners of war.
Washington, D.C.
Sergeant Stubby
The most decorated dog of World War I is preserved in the Smithsonian.
Washington, D.C.
Foundry Branch Trolley Trestle Ruins
A derelict bit of transportation infrastructure hidden in the woods.
Washington, D.C.
FBI Spy House
A painfully obvious spy house sits right across the street from the Russian Embassy.
Washington, D.C.
The Old Patent Model Museum
During the Industrial Revolution this “Temple of Invention” was full of intricate miniature machines and gadgets.
Washington, D.C.
Riggs Library
A wondrous old library overlooking the nation's capital.
Washington, D.C.
Culture House
A historic neighborhood church is reborn as a psychedelic arts collective.
Washington, D.C.
Catacombs of Washington, D.C.
Franciscan monks created a facsimile of the Holy Land for North Americans who couldn’t afford the trip overseas.
