acg235's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Martinsville, Illinois

Moonshine, Illinois

Even with only two residents and one building, this tiny Illinois town is famous for its burgers.
Vandalia, Illinois

The Kaskaskia Dragon

Buy a token from the liquor store and you can make this beast spew flames on command.
Springfield, Illinois

Lincoln Tomb

When you visit his grave, be sure to rub the Great Emancipator's nose for good luck.
Springfield, Illinois

Thomas Rees Memorial Carillon

One of the largest carillons in the world, this giant instrument has 67 cast-iron bells played by a keyboard.
Quincy, Illinois

Villa Kathrine

This Mediterranean castle was built for a millionaire and his giant dog.
Lincoln, Illinois

Phone Booth on a Roof

Today this bizarre rooftop phone booth seems like a piece of kitsch but it was once used to spot disastrous storms.
Dubuque, Iowa

Union Park

The remains of a bustling turn-of-the-century park built to showcase the wonders of electricity.
Dubuque, Iowa

Fenelon Place Elevator

For just a few bucks, this Iowa funicular will let you feel like an 1800s fat cat.
Walcott, Iowa

Iowa 80 Truck Stop

The world’s largest truck stop includes a barber shop, chiropractor, and a huge museum with antique trucks.
Columbus Junction, Iowa

Lover's Leap Swinging Bridge

A warning to the weak-kneed: This narrow bridge does its swinging eight stories high.
Gladbrook, Iowa

Matchstick Marvels Museum

A single artist is behind these large-scale models made of hundreds of thousands of two-inch wooden matchsticks.
Waterloo, Iowa

Sans Souci Island

This remote island in Iowa was abandoned after being devastated by flood.
Clear Lake, Iowa

The Day The Music Died Memorial

A giant pair of thick black glasses mark the tragic demise of a trio of rock and roll legends.
Britt, Iowa

National Hobo Convention

Largest gathering of hobos in the country has been meeting annually since 1900.
West Bend, Iowa

Father Paul Dobberstein's Grotto of the Redemption

A four story, football field-sized, nine-grotto creation made of shells, minerals, and rare stones.
Ames, Iowa

Grant Wood Murals

The “American Gothic" artist's largest works hang in an Iowa State University library.
Ames, Iowa

Elwood, the World's Tallest Concrete Gnome

Beating out all other concrete competitors, this massive garden feature's pointy hat has earned it a world record.
Madrid, Iowa

High Trestle Trail Bridge

A half-mile long and three stories high, this bridge over the Des Moines River Valley mimics a descent into a mine shaft.
Des Moines, Iowa

West End Architectural Salvage

Piled high inside this warehouse and coffee shop are salvaged goods that span every corner of the globe.
West Des Moines, Iowa

Huston Cemetery

A small burial plot formerly stranded in the middle of a road.
Winterset, Iowa

John Wayne's Birthplace

This simple home was the beginning of a long journey for the iconic Western film star.
Audubon, Iowa

Albert The Bull

The World's Largest Bull.
Villisca, Iowa

Villisca Axe Murder House

A number of gruesome unsolved murders have turned this simple home into a morbid tourist trap.
Council Bluffs, Iowa

Pottawattamie Squirrel Cage Jail

The world's only three-story rotary jail is now a museum to a bizarre trend in prison design.