An artsy hidden staircase leads to breathtaking views of San Francisco.

This shop specializes in oddities and Victorian-inspired wonders.

Carnivorous plants, medieval aphrodisiacs, and the largest original wood structure glass conservatory in the western hemisphere.

A hidden subterranean installation offers a view of the sky.

Olfactory delights in San Francisco's Botanical Gardens.

The seawater playground of gilded-era San Francisco burned to the ground in 1966.

A winding path built in secret on the edge of the continent.

A still functioning vaudeville carousel that has operated for over a century boasts a colorful menagerie and past.

The tea room that pushed the boundaries of adorable straight into...we can't find the words.

Its buzzing collection honors vibrator history.

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

A huge musical instrument played by the ocean.

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