The dream home of an iconoclastic renaissance man still stands as a monument to his domestically mundane vision.

A goddess-topped water fountain in Chicago was created thanks to the dreams of a thirsty newsboy.

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

This tiny historic jail along Route 66 is the perfect fit for exactly one criminal and their partner-in-crime.

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

The hometown of Popeye's creator is littered with a growing collection of granite cartoon characters.

This softly rounded mansion was built without corners not to avoid evil spirits, but to make them more comfortable.

Orthodox church partially financed by Tsar Nicolas II.

This architectural stunner is one of the few surviving Egyptian Revival theaters in the U.S.

This life-size bronze statue remembers the tallest recorded human in his Illinois hometown.

This bronze sculpture on a former squash court marks the secret origins of the Atomic Age.

This cheerfully-named branch of the Chicago River is the fetid result of years of blood, entrails, and meatpacking waste.

While he no longer has an eatery to give him context, this off-brand Paul Bunyan still holds his giant hot dog with pride.

First known as the "Sample House," this construction mash-up was meant to be a living catalogue of building styles.

Once called the "Polish Gold Coast" it is an icon of the neighborhood that bears its same name.

This urban drawbridge gained eternal pop culture fame when the Blues Brothers jumped it while it was raised.

Former bath house turns gastropub.

This abandoned 19th century orphanage started as a boarding school for children of Civil War veterans.

Arguably the best example of an authentic Dutch windmill in the United States, rivaling its counterparts in the Netherlands.

Fragments of architectural wonders from around the globe are embedded in the newspaper building's walls.

These mansions date back to Chicago's days as a brewer's paradise.

A notorious Route 66 eatery once frequented by Al Capone.

Half-sized replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa built to honor Galileo.

You have to love a museum with a truly dedicated focus. A focus on Superman, for example.