This elegant Colombian fortress was one of the torture headquarters for the Spanish Inquisition.

This colossal ancient jaguar sculpture was used as a vessel for the hearts torn from sacrificial victims.

The turquoise-studded skull of a long-dead Aztec man sits within Mexico City’s Museum of Anthropology.

In Coyoacán, a pair of coyotes crown a public fountain in reference to the ancient Aztec name of the borough.

Come face to face with the ferocious visage of the serpent-headed mother goddess of the Aztecs.

Once home to an aristocratic family and a workers' organization, this intricately tiled building now houses a chain restaurant.

These spectacular, symbolic serpents lie within the shadow of the Great Temple.

This colossal ancient sculpture of the monstrous Aztec rain god has a literally stormy history.

This incredible college library is a visual masterpiece of mosaic art. It also looks kind of like a giant boombox.

The ruins of an ancient temple to the Aztec wind god discovered in the middle of a metro station.

The only castle in North America to ever house European sovereigns.

Gilded heaven for philatelists and architecture freaks, still in full working order despite sitting atop tremulous ground.

The famous artist couple lived and worked here, in two different houses separated by a bridge.

A massive Montreal stadium that has seen nothing but trouble since its inception.

The Jewish diaspora shares a menu at this museum café.

A grand Gothic Revival basilica with stained glass depictions of Montreal's religious history has only one soul resting in its crypt.

Craggy concrete faces are hidden in the walls of this artificial cave along the San Antonio River.

The seamy, underground secrets of Portland's criminal past.

This sculpture by artist Fritz Keonig survived the 9/11 attacks and now stands as a monument to the victims.

This whimsical group of statues is a favorite of children who love to climb all over Lewis Carroll's beloved characters.

Whisper secrets in a busy station only to be heard on the other side of this acoustic arch.

Try not to get slimed in Tribeca.

While most wind tunnels test scale models, the "Cave of Winds" was large enough for actual airplanes.

Washington's iconic carousel has a nice piece of Civil Rights history.