This historic Illinois "Muffler Man" has been converted from axe-touting lumberjack to rocket-wielding space ace.

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

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

Quirky water tower advertises the long-gone Brooks Tomato Products Co.

The palatial McDonald's that inspired Wesley Willis.

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

The final resting place of the world's first nuclear reactor.

A century-old hotspot for jazz, frequented by everyone from Charlie Chaplin to Al Capone.

A display of magnificent stained glass windows is the first exhibit of its kind.

The twin towers in this Chicago fountain use 50 foot tall video screens to spit on people.

These pretty kitties killed and ate as many as 135 railway workers.

Once one of the world's great cities, Cahokia was a place of religious worship, trade and mass human sacrifice before being mysteriously abandoned.

This historic hotel invented the chocolate brownie.

Each of these gorgeous, intricately decorated rooms is painstakingly crafted to the scale of 1 inch: 1 foot.

A lush green oasis in the middle of Chicago.

This massive stained-glass masterpiece is thought to be the largest Tiffany dome in existence.

This whimsical Oz-themed park had a wonderful impact on the surrounding neighborhood.

Four glass boxes hover over 1,000 feet in the air to give visitors an unparalleled view of Chicago.

What looks like a simple quaint estate in rural Pennsylvania was in the 18th century home to a small monastic community.

A dramatic, 360-degree recreation of Pickett's Charge in the Civil War.

A daily replay of the experiment that proved the rotation of the Earth.

Yo, Adrian!

An abandoned munitions factory with a shot tower continues to wage war on the surrounding environment.

This humble star-gazing center touts itself as the "Birthplace of American Astronomy."