Though its celestial ceiling is impressive, the true star is the vast collection of French books.

A Gothic-style abode built to accommodate the church's three resident peacocks.

This poignant display is now a memorial to these regionally extinct species.

Recovered suit of a cannibalistic West African gang.

Peek through the gates at this oasis from the city, full of Old English charm.

This grinning pup statue is all that's left of what was once a ubiquitous Bay Area diner chain.

A brooding mansion of clinker brick stands out among the Victorian houses of Pacific Heights.

A free, public museum dedicated to the fascinating science of sight.

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

A tiny theater hidden in an alley plays a constant stream of short silent films for anyone willing to peer through the peephole.

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

First a horse rendering plant, then a 19th century landfill, this beach is full of glass from thousands upon thousands of broken bottles.

The decor of this Hollywood movie palace just barely predated the opening of King Tut's tomb.

This "synagogue" is not what it seems to be.

An expansive book store, art gallery, and curio shop with wares ranging from tarot cards to novelty socks.

A monthly street "service" of handmade puppets and live original puppets, whose devotees profess has the power to change lives.

Outposts of this restaurant chain were shaped like jaunty chapeaus.

Church and home-museum of a 1920s female revivalist preacher with a very sordid past.

Hollywood's oldest hotel is the site of the first Academy Awards, the birthplace of Marilyn Monroe's career, and the home of Montgomery Clift's ghost.

Every weekend, the parking lot of this Buddhist temple turns into a Thai street-food paradise.

A carousel trades in its classic horses and calliope for endangered species, native flora and fauna, and a modern soundtrack.

A quirky collection of figurines backdropped by city views is hidden next to a popular restaurant in the Hollywood hills.

A little barn in the middle of the city preserving Hollywood treasures since 1985.

The quiet canyon has a tumultuous history involving a doomsday cult.