World War II-era Nazi compound nestled in the Santa Monica hills.

This symbol of peace is appropriately positioned overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

This “living museum” at UCLA exhibits thousands of plant species from all over the world.

Scores of vintage street lamps shine along L.A.’s Miracle Mile.

Rainbow-hued in the summer and crystalline in the winter, this salty lake has inspired battles, temples, and plenty of awe.

Legends of treasure and spirits flow from this this fairy tale-like oasis.

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.

World-famous, Pink's still manages to keep its prized cult fetish status.

A small house sits between two huge rocks, with its back to the sea.

A gift from Abbot Kinney and a little bit of piece of Black history in Venice Beach.

Perched high atop telephone poles is an uncanny outdoor art gallery that greets passersby on their commute.

This weird abode has inspired everything from the "House On Haunted Hil" to a robot hunter's pad.

Shop selling 500 flavors of soda has something for everyone.

This iconic L.A. bookshop is housed in an abandoned bank—both symbolic and chic.

"Looks so real, it's scary!"

The neighborhood shop is a sort of tiny cactus museum full of exotic specimens you can take home.

This stockpile of junked electronic and mechanical gadgets is a favorite among Hollywood prop masters.

The legendary building that needed ghostly approval before being built.

The Midwest's reigning king of surplus stores is full of nothing you need and everything you want.

Funhouse of found art and participatory sculpture.

A large circus museum with summer performances.

One devoted couple has donated multiple recreations of Michelangelo's sculptures to this South Dakota town.

A bizarre house filled with an astounding array of collections.

The farm toy capital of the world hosts a museum filled with toy tractors dating back to the late 1800s.