A serene but haunting memorial to protective wetland lost, the absence of which directly damaged the Lower 9th Ward following Hurricane Katrina.

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

This strange, small castle on the bayou has withstood the test of time and weather.

A cheeky alleyway window hosts tiny rotating exhibits with outsized charm.

A parade of interactive nostalgia nestled within a giant brick building in downtown Hattiesburg.

The simple gravesite of a Romany clan leader is dotted with offerings, including cans of her favorite drink, Crush orange soda.

The last intact steam engine factory in the United States.

This historic general store still operates much as it did in the late 1800s.

A collection of huge Pre-Colombian structures in Alabama.

These ruins are all that's left of the former Alabama State Capitol.

A rusted metal giant pays tribute to Birmingham’s industrial past.

The remains of a foundry and old blast furnaces destroyed during the Civil War are preserved in this central Alabama park.

This 1,500-acre development hopes to be the Central Park of the South.

Joe Minter is only doing the work of God in his yard, he says.

A 56-foot tall statue of the god of fire looks out over Birmingham, Alabama.

This fountain was commissioned by a mother grieving over her son's passing.

The metal spire on the roof of this tower was intended as an airship docking station, but it was never actually used.

In 1911 this intersection was called "the heaviest corner in the South," an outlandish claim that only grew wilder over the years.

A unique book shop with a collection of rare tomes and a nostalgia museum.

Once one of the largest producers of pig iron in the world.

It may look like no more than a full-scale model, but every part of this full Space Shuttle stack had a working role in aviation history.

A propulsion engine testbed that paved the way for the Space Shuttle launch sits without recognition at this rocket center.

Bananas are often left for the first monkey America ever recovered alive after being launched into space.

Once a bustling cotton factory, this early 20th-century building is now home to a thriving artspace.