A rich history stashed behind an unassuming door in the heart of Gold Country.

The Empire Mine is "one of the oldest, largest, deepest, longest and richest gold mines in California."

The last remaining relic of San Francisco's glittering 1915 Panama Pacific Exposition.

"You don't need a rocket scientist to build a steam engine, but we've got one." -Museum docent on the credentials of a restoration volunteer.

An ill-fated attempt to grow wheat in the sagebrush steppe of northeastern Nevada.

A tiny theater hidden in an alley plays a constant stream of short silent films for anyone willing to peer through the peephole.

A faded sign from the 1920s remembers Baltimore's resistance toward banning alcohol.

This large, castle-like structure is hidden amid the mountains on the grounds of the Utah State Hospital.

Home to the ancient Roman temple of a lesser-known Celtic god that inspired J. R. R. Tolkien and H. P. Lovecraft.

Local lore holds that Butch Cassidy took an escape route through Red Canyon's sandstone hoodoos after an attempted murder.

A few dilapidated structures are all that remain of this deserted former silver mining town.

A museum dedicated to the history and art of staying clean.

An empty mine that some believe will suddenly be filled with fortune and treasures at the end of the world.

A quiet country churchyard holds a monument to the last known sin-eater in England.

A miniature village lies nearly forgotten in the forest by the side of a major highway.

This centuries-old hotel hides a network of secret cellars and passages once used by smugglers.

Florence’s mother built a stairway down to her daughter’s coffin so she could comfort her during storms.

Spend the night in this formerly abandoned traditional Scottish village.

Eat burgers beneath gargantuan taxidermy and thousands of dollar bills in Utah's oldest continuously-operating bar.

Summer in Scotland begins with a spectacularly wild and colorful event rooted in ancient pagan traditions.

This remarkably intact, 260-year-old cargo ship is only visible at the lowest of spring tides.

Every May, townspeople welcome summer with a bizarre pagan parade led by a man wrapped in garlands.

One of the few remaining casualties of the London Blitz, this destroyed church has become an enchanting public garden.

The mysterious, fantastical woodland inspiration for "The Lord of the Rings."