The world's first motel is now an administrative building for an apple farm.

A preserved factory in the "Home of the Carrousel" is now a museum dedicated to the classic wooden ride.

This former hub for crafty philosophers was founded by a writer who died aboard the infamous RMS Lusitania.

Once the central jail for Los Angeles, this building housed inmates like Al Capone, those arrested from the Zoot Suit and Watts Riots, and individuals imprisoned for their sexuality.

This Hollywood dive houses a mural painted by the artists who animated its namesake film.

A cake-themed art installation tucked away in historic Chinatown.

These structures were inspired by both Native American shelters as well as, strangely, an ice cream shop.

Explore the wide world of desert plants at this unique Palm Springs botanical garden.

This ramshackle ghost town is comprised of mining-era buildings collected from around the region.

This grand memorial remembers the 20 members of the Los Angeles Times killed when the office was bombed.

This house turned museum chronicles the life and work of Richard Neutra.

Art Deco stylings conceal the true nature of this bridge.

Instead of faces, these sculptures have barcodes—statements on societal dehumanization.

Inky sludge oozes to the surface of this beach thanks to a rare natural tar seep.

A bigger-than-life pun that has become a beacon of altruism.

This strange seaside tower got its name from a wealthy eccentric who would hide coins among its stones.

A riverfront park that both remediated and preserved its industrial past.

Because there's no place like home.

A beautiful memorial tells the story of a formerly enslaved woman whose kindness shaped a burgeoning city.

The neighborhood of Eagle Rock is named after a gigantic boulder with a shadowy surprise.

The San Andreas Fault spectacularly offsets this creek.

An underground mansion with fruit-bearing trees and grapes growing beneath the surface of central California.

A water tower shaped like a giant coffee pot looms over a small Swedish village in Central California.

Although he donated over 3,000 acres to Los Angles, Griffith's life was marred by controversy.