The remains of a ruined mansion memorialize the 1906 earthquake.

An unfortunate geological resemblance to Satan has labeled this Pasadena gorge as a passage to the underworld.

This ultra-modern home clings to the slope of the Hollywood Hills on a precarious stilt.

Finale of "William Tell Overture" can be heard as drivers pass over grooves in the road.

In this century-old literary safehouse, print is alive and well.

Magical-looking cottages that inspired one of the most famous animated films ever.

The neighborhood shop is a sort of tiny cactus museum full of exotic specimens you can take home.

An extraordinarily ornate museum in San Diego holds wondrous anthropological treasures.

This rare example of a "tidefall" is a spectacular drop from the cliffs down onto the beach.

Her final resting place was intended to be modest and private, but the power of her popularity continues to draw visitors.

The programmatic glory of LA's giant whiskey barrel building has become an upscale reminder of the city's kitschy roadside past.

This brightly made over hotel hides decades of suicide, serial killers, and mysterious deaths.

The now-abandoned tunnels were built for the transcontinental railroad on the route where the first wagon train entered California.

An outdoor sculpture park of giant pink robots and post-apocalyptic Christmas scenes.

This glamorous old building is said to have inspired the Tower of Terror.

Most famous work of one of Frank Lloyd Wright's sons.

This grand mansion has starred in everything from Bones to Buffy.

An inconspicuous footbridge beloved by San Diego locals.

This Big Sur waterfall drops 80 feet directly into the Pacific Ocean, and inspired the hillside house up top.

Sister store to the Echo Park Time Travel Store.

Trails through lava-carved tube-caves display sparkling bacteria and a rich history.

A nondescript building that's been functioning as a speakeasy for nearly a century and a half.

A common entry point to the Griffith Observatory trail holds its own wonders.

The remains of the first punk club in L.A.