Places Sputnicktatorship Wants to Go

A clone-tree in Washington Square Park sprung from seeds that went to the Moon and back.

The oldest surviving botanic garden in the United States.

In the early 1800s, surgery was also a show.

This meticulously extracted nervous system allegedly came from a 19th-century custodian who donated her body to science.

This little-known collection holds everything from "Dracula" notes, to the manuscript of "Ulysses," to the forged works of Shakespeare.

Huge masonic hall in Philadelphia with lavishly themed rooms.

This charming colonial alleyway is one of the oldest continuously used residential streets in the U.S.

Philadelphia boasts one of the best — and most often overlooked — traditional Japanese gardens in North America.

Where America’s first doomsday cult awaited the end of the world.

An abandoned cemetery lies in ruins as the surrounding forest swallows it whole.

Home to the world's oldest wooden building.

This naturally heated mountainous creek has created a group of neon blue pools of potentially deadly boiling water.

This 1967 experiment in modular architecture was designed to be a new model for urban living.

Every equinox this Maya pyramid puts on a spooky ancient light show.

Hellam Township is reputed to feature seven remote gates, which when passed through in the right order, open an entrance to hell.

This Wall Street bar was once a hub of revolutionary activity where Washington famously bid farewell to his troops.

The most important and best preserved remnant of West Africa's powerful Songhai Empire.

Muammar Gaddafi's well-intentioned investment in his favorite city turned out to be a nightmare.

Dakar is home to one of the oldest African art institutions in West Africa.

This abandoned bunker looks out over the Atlantic from its clifftop perch.

West Africa's largest fishing port honors its artisanal fishing process.

This unique religious structure is an architectural gem with arresting ocean views.

A tree seems to grow from the ocean floor on this strange strip of sand slowly being overtaken by the sea.

An island made out of shells, including a cemetery.