This Oakland fairytale kingdom, fiercely devoted to childlike whimsy, was an early inspiration for Disneyland.

A hotel and restaurant serving as the mecca of kitsch.

California's own majestic geyser is powered by a subterranean volcano.

The fossilized remains of ancient California redwoods.

Nursery with extensive collection of flesh-eating plants operated by the author of "The Savage Garden."

Over 300 taxidermied animals in a Californian restaurant make for a taxidermist's dream and an animal lover's nightmare.

The graffiti-covered remnants of a former triangulation station are balanced precariously on this California peak.

A burnt orange monolithic dome structure perched on a hillside near Interstate 280.

This controversial depiction of the "Founder of California" looks as though it was sculpted from mashed potatoes.

9,000 square feet of vintage and modern mechanical toys, dioramas & sideshow curiosities.

A comprehensive collection of Pez dispensers.

A private home built to resemble the shape of a microscopic creature.

A massive ultra-modern church presents a science-fiction view of Catholicism's inclusive future.

San Francisco's newly reopened hands-on science museum.

A collection of 20th-century automata, penny arcade games, and musical contraptions.

Staircase winds down the side of Telegraph Hill through gardens, wild parrots flying overhead.

These WWII-era murals were initially booed as a libelous portrayal of the American dream but have survived multiple attempts to have them destroyed.

A man-made island in scenic San Francisco Bay.

In all of the 29 years it was in operation, no prisoners ever escaped successfully... or so they claim.

Prone to disastrous fires, the city of San Francisco has the Guardian, a fireboat gifted by residents, to watch over them from the bay.

San Francisco's oldest surviving monument and meeting place for 1906 survivors.

Tiki luxury on Nob Hill.

A huge musical instrument played by the ocean.

The second building of its name to occupy this location might be the finest flatiron building in San Francisco.