One of the largest Buddhist communities in the West sits on the site of an old hospital.

This whimsical seashell-shaped place of worship was designed to blend into its surroundings.

The mysterious round rocks of Schooner Gulch.

California's own medieval Italian castle, authentic down to the 300-year-old iron maiden in the dungeon.

This historic California cemetery holds the bodies of veterans of both the Civil War and the Donner Party.

George Lucas donated this park to honor the birthplace of his two biggest movie franchises.

A monument to the love people have for their pets.

A huge musical instrument played by the ocean.

Get lost in this haunting fairytale art walk through a man-made eucalyptus grove.

An invitation-only museum of items natural and bizarre, arcane and exotic.

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

Forgotten and then destroyed by fire, this was once one of the largest saltwater swimming pools in the world.

A vast city of the dead, where the deceased outnumber the living by more than a million.

The most beautiful Taco Bell in the world even has surfboard parking.

The graffiti-covered remnants of a former triangulation station are balanced precariously on this California peak.

This collection of hand fans doubles as a history of femininity.

The fossilized remains of ancient California redwoods.

The haunting ruins of Jack London's dream house.

Massive prehistoric mammals used these stones as oversized scratching posts.

Concrete strongholds stand guard over the Golden Gate.

Across Ring Mountain is a vast collection of Native American petroglyphs unique to the region.

Discover for yourself what Herb Caen referred to as "the best kept secret in the Bay Area."

This infamous prison has a store where you can buy goods crafted by incarcerated people.

Of all the origin stories for weed's secret code, this one likely has the goods.