Early prototype for Frank Lloyd Wright's Guggenheim.

Created in 1972, the famous sculptor's intricately detailed monument to San Francisco is overflowing with city landmarks.

Only hotel where you can legally launder money.

San Francisco's newly reopened hands-on science museum.

These WWII-era murals were initially booed as a libelous portrayal of the American dream but have survived multiple attempts to have them destroyed.

A rococo retro-futurist future-rustic vernacular between yesterday’s tomorrow and the future that never was.

Prone to disastrous fires, the city of San Francisco has the Guardian, a fireboat gifted by residents, to watch over them from the bay.

A sign at the end of the Santa Monica Pier marks the traditional end of the legendary American highway.

A Looff creation in Santa Monica best described as “a California-Byzantine-Moorish-style fantasy.”

This well-traveled chess park offers scenic views of the pacific and a colorful, eclectic clientele.

A second generation sun-powered marvel lights up the night.

Where a great scandal unfolded with a famous female revivalist at its center.

After starting as a whimsical tourist attraction that eventually found its way to ruin, these renovated canals offer a lush and exotic locale on the Pacific Coast.

A tribute to long time Venice Beach resident, artist and actor Dennis Hopper.

The largest collection of two headed animals in the world.

Authentic gondola hanging from the ceiling, notable mural in the back room.

60 feet of towering steel balances gracefully.

The words of the neighborhood's most famous poets adorn four concrete walls.

An historic and oft-filmed spot for musclebound iron pumpers on the Pacific coast.

Legendary frontman of the Doors looms in this giant mural by famed Venice muralist, Rip Cronk.

A relief that wraps around the concourse of Los Angeles's World Trade Center marks one of the city's failed urban design plans.

This opulent hotel has been visited by Spider-Man, Charlie's Angels, and the Ghostbusters.

A fashion designer's dazzling world of Japanese collectibles is hidden in a warehouse downtown.

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