hirudidae's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Foucault Pendulum at the Franklin Institute

A daily replay of the experiment that proved the rotation of the Earth.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Maillardet's Automaton

The origin of this mechanical boy was a mystery until he revealed his maker by writing it in perfect cursive.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Grip the Raven

The taxidermied remains of Charles Dickens' pet raven, which helped inspire one of Edgar Allan Poe's most famous poems.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Swann Memorial Fountain

A tour de force of a fountain, memorializing a man who loved fountains more than anything else.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Camac Street

The last of Philadelphia's wood-paved streets is now a landmark of terrible engineering.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Wanamaker Building

The first American department store, and home to the largest operating musical instrument in the world.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia City Hall

This elaborate towering structure was once famed for its revolutionary height.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Masonic Temple of Philadelphia

Huge masonic hall in Philadelphia with lavishly themed rooms.
Marietta, Georgia

Big Chicken

This abstract roadside poultry was saved from demolition by outraged drivers and pilots.
Mammoth Cave, Kentucky

Mammoth Cave

The world's longest known cave system.
Burlington, Vermont

Lake Champlain Monster Monument

Cryptid lake monster honored with its own monument.
Burlington, Vermont

Tallest Filing Cabinet on Earth

This 38-drawer structure claims the superlative title, but it isn't the world's only giant filing cabinet.
Petersburg, Kentucky

The Creation Museum

A 70,000-square-foot institution dedicated to a very literal, creationist perspective on the Book of Genesis.