The oldest surviving botanic garden in the United States.

Man-made geyser that rises to the exact height of the Gateway Arch.

River pirates, murderous bandits, and serial killers used this Illinois cave as their debauched hideout.

You have to love a museum with a truly dedicated focus. A focus on Superman, for example.

The lowest point in the state of Illinois, at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers.

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

This simple gravestone remembers a pig who single-hoofedly raised $19,000,000 for the Navy.

Even with its slightly risible name this colossal cross is still able to inspire awe.

This odd stone memorial remembers a loyal dog who offended the rail barons with his speed and saved his master with his pee.

In the loving memory of a tragically deceased role-player this Illinois park is decked out with both dungeons and dragons.

The hometown of Popeye's creator is littered with a growing collection of granite cartoon characters.

Now nearly abandoned, Kaskaskia was once the capital of Illinois and one of the most important towns on the upper Mississippi.

The mysterious white squirrels of this Illinois city are treated like sacred cows.

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

Once one of the world's great cities, Cahokia was a place of religious worship, trade and mass human sacrifice before being mysteriously abandoned.

Fresh wooden posts have been added to ancient holes to recreate a primitive henge clock.

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

A notorious Route 66 eatery once frequented by Al Capone.

This life-size bronze statue remembers the tallest recorded human in his Illinois hometown.

A mythical bird etched into the face of a rock doubles as the mascot for a nearby school.

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

Oversized statues are just the tip of this nostalgic Americana roadside attraction.

This lagomorph-obsessed Route 66 emporium is home to a giant jackrabbit that sits in a bunny graveyard.

Known as the "Cross At The Crossroads," this massive metal cross is just short enough to avoid the FAA.