Outsider Architecture in California

One of the few remaining carousels built by master amusement park carver Charles I.D. Looff.

Rainbow-hued local gem in Venice.

This stunning sea creature-shaped home blends into the landscape like a fantasy villa.

This (occupied) house is 10 feet wide and full of spite.

This historic tower in the California desert promises visitors a "vortex of good vibes".

In a city filled with Frank Gehry buildings, one stands out as one of the architect's weirder works.

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

A music-filled, booze-soaked oasis in the desert.

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

An unreal vintage shop that wears its dadaist influence on its zombie fish.

The oldest continuously operating church in California.

The home of one of California's most important horticulturalists wilts amidst a lovely park.

A bomb shelter and some fireplaces are all that remain of the house Fred Roberts tried so hard to keep standing.

Nestled in the heart of San Francisco’s bustling Financial District stands a unique homage to the Mayan and Beaux Arts.

Secret Manor, a house full of legends, the least of which is the haunting of long-deceased ladies of pleasure.

A Looff creation in Santa Monica best described as “a California-Byzantine-Moorish-style fantasy.”