Once known as the Illinois Asylum for the Incurable Insane.

An abandoned meat mecca now serves as an excellent locale for urban exploration.

What was once one of the country's largest confectionary plants is now an abandoned ruin, but is still pretty sweet.

This former nursery supplied plants for the creation of Chicago's largest park.

An abandoned observatory in the middle of the Illinois prairie.

This monolithic statue was erected in honor of Chief Black Hawk (even if it wasn't made to look like him).

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

Cold War missile launch site which has been converted to a public park.

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

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

A small abandoned and abused cemetery that has become a magnet for ghost hunters.

World's second largest particle accelerator, where nature reveals its secrets.

What was once the second largest steel mill in the US is now a sprawling complex of modern ruins.

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

This grave in a ghost town cemetery marks the death of a witch on a day that never happened.

Recognized the world over as the home of the McCallisters in the 1990 movie "Home Alone."

A once-booming Mississippi River town with a history of racial violence is now eerie and mostly abandoned.

Two hula hoops appeared on the tree after a storm, and the collection kept growing.

An unlikely Transcendental Meditation haven in the American Heartland built around the ancient Vedic principles of balance and harmony.

No one knows the origin of this small town’s unique name.

This long unused shot tower on the Mississippi remains a point of pride for a small city in Iowa.

A mysteriously dark cemetery monument fuels stories and legends galore.

This grave marks the final resting place of pioneer John Chapman, better known as Johnny Appleseed.

If astronomy had a ghost, it would look like this observatory.