beachglass's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Edinburgh, Scotland

The Great Hall Ceiling at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery

Sprawled across the Great Hall ceiling are various constellations and images relating to the zodiac.
Seville, Spain

Tomb of Christopher Columbus

The final resting place of the great navigator, or maybe his brother.
Seville, Spain

Yemas de San Leandro

Hidden behind a wall, Spanish nuns distribute their signature sweets on a revolving tray.
St. Petersburg, Florida

James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art

This Florida museum dedicated to western artwork is entered through an artificial canyon with imported sandstone.
St. Petersburg, Florida

Floridian Social Club

From printing money to live music, this Beaux-Arts style building has had many identities over the last century.
Amsterdam, Netherlands

De Poezenboot (The Cat Boat)

A floating cat sanctuary on an Amsterdam canal.
Salzburg, Austria

St. Peter Stiftskulinarium

Epicurean and holy traditions converge in what may be the oldest restaurant in Europe.
Goldfield, Nevada

Gemfield

One of the best places to dig—some say on the planet—for six different types of chalcedony.
Sponsored by Travel Nevada
Washington, D.C.

Tudor Place

A historic estate packed with George Washington's heirlooms, and its own nuclear bunker.
Davis, California

Davis Toad Tunnel

Special tunnels built so that frogs won't be killed when crossing the highway.
Seymour, Wisconsin

Hamburger Charlie

A statue honors the genius who allegedly first took a meatball and made it into a hamburger.
Isle of Skye, Scotland

The Quiraing

Islanders once used this dramatic, otherworldly landscape to hide their cattle from Viking raiders.
Glenfinnan, Scotland

The Leaning Tower of Glenfinnan

A close look reveals that the Scottish monument is just slightly off-kilter.
Alnwick, England

Alnwick Castle

This iconic 1,000-year-old medieval castle is a favorite of the film industry, most notably as the location for Hogwarts in Harry Potter.
Venice, Italy

Tomb of Antonio Canova

A sinister pyramid in the Frari contains the heart of the famous neoclassical sculptor.
Washington, D.C.

Willard Hotel

Legend has it that President Grant’s frequent drinking in the lobby gave rise to the term “lobbyist.”
Richmond, Virginia

Hollywood Cemetery

The final resting place of two (or three) presidents, one vampire, and 18,000 Confederate soldiers.
Richmond, Virginia

The Grand Kugel

This 29-ton granite ball spins around at the slightest touch thanks to a scientific phenomenon.
Washington, D.C.

The Mansion on O Street

With over 100 jam-packed rooms to explore plus elaborate tea services and events, the Mansion on O Street is a hidden treasure.
Richmond, Virginia

Edgar Allan Poe Museum

This museum devoted to the gothic author holds such interesting ephemera as his socks and walking stick.
Richmond, Virginia

Byrd Theatre

This beautiful vintage movie palace has seen little change in form or function since the 1920s.
Sintra, Portugal

Pena National Palace

This unreal Portuguese palace looks as though it's made from a pile of different castles.
Sintra, Portugal

Quinta da Regaleira

This eccentrically decorated palace is replete with grottoes, fountains, tunnels, and caves.
Tampa, Florida

Tampa Theatre

One of the last of the great 1920s movie palaces is a Floridian Greco-Spanish-Persian dreamscape.