A hidden grotto on the grounds of the Kane County Government Center.

This cemetery is all that remains of a school for "wayward" girls.

Roses and other fascinating flora fill this garden built to commemorate Britain's immortal Bard.

This cheerfully-named branch of the Chicago River is the fetid result of years of blood, entrails, and meatpacking waste.

A historic and oft-filmed prison stands in a Chicago suburb.

First known as the "Sample House," this construction mash-up was meant to be a living catalogue of building styles.

Orthodox church partially financed by Tsar Nicolas II.

This memorial plaque remembers a strangely shallow maritime disaster known as "Chicago's Titanic."

Take a break from all the boring business of death at this funeral home mini-golf course.

Illegal drag racing two stories beneath Chicago’s streets.

Spanking machines, fake goats, and more devices of humiliation are on display in this museum of fraternal initiation devices.

No one knows how many bodies are in this vault in a Chicago public park.

This historic-shipwreck-cum-diving-spot can still be seen poking its boiler out of the Lake Michigan waters that claimed it.

The multinational Burger King chain is banned from operating within 20 miles of a family restaurant filed under the same name.

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

A plaque marks a former safe house on the secret route, now hidden next to a McDonald's.

A river with some unusual, and occasionally dangerous, habits.

Even with only two residents and one building, this tiny Illinois town is famous for its burgers.

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

One of the last functioning antique elevators in Chicago.

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

The final resting place of up to 6,000 Confederate soldiers, the largest mass grave in the Western Hemisphere.

The 40-year-old machine serves soda quicker than you can catch it for a mere 75 cents a pop.

The legacy of an unsolved, gruesome murder rests beneath the spans of this historic bridge.