The odd depiction of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus is rooted in the Catholic Church's eradication of Catharism.

An alchemist's "magic door" stands in the middle of a Roman park.

A master of trompe-l'oeil creates a stunning, tourist-fooling dome out of a flat ceiling.

An enigmatic modern marker left next to a historic Roman site.

One of the world's oldest working clocks is curiously missing the Zodiac sign of Libra.

These mansions date back to Chicago's days as a brewer's paradise.

Internationally known record store and purveyor of "dusties."

Dilapidated Mayan-themed ballroom was one of Detroit's most popular venues through the 40s.

38-story baroque tower reflecting Detroit's rise, fall, and possible rise again.

Collective made up of artists, musicians, and activists.

Opulent downtown movie theater now houses cars as an indoor parking garage.

The bones of an old zoo crumbling in the shadow of a new one.

A Beaux-Arts triumph set to become Ford's innovation campus

This 19th-century former train station’s unusual roof shape earned it a rather witchy name.

A Chicago Movie Palace Lost to Time.

A display of magnificent stained glass windows is the first exhibit of its kind.

The headquarters of one of the world’s longest-running humor magazines bears a noticeable resemblance to a head wearing a Prussian helmet.

Berthed at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston, "Old Ironsides" is the oldest commissioned warship still afloat.

The American Revolution was galvanized into serious action due to the tragic clash with British soldiers that occurred at this location.

A theme park attraction designed to turn your children into LARPers.

This quirky UFO-shaped curiosity is often mistaken for the airport’s control tower.

To find the "unicorns of the deep" you've got to go downstairs.

Where Cusack's record store from the film "High Fidelity" was located.

The winding route passes through an enclosed alleyway, two tunnels, and leads to the White House basement.