One of the best-preserved ghost towns in Arizona speaks to the difficulties of establishing mining towns in the 19th century American West.

The middle finger of modernity.

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

Between 1930 and 1946, a tobacco farmer laid his beloved horses and mules to rest in this small patch of pine forest.

Known as the most resilient water tower in the region.

This whimsical fountain pays tribute to Toronto's four-legged friends.

A unique rock formation that only a few have managed to venture inside.

Because sometimes the most efficient route from A to B isn't a straight line.

A Cold War secret surveillance tower used to spy on radio communications.

Captured in 1968, the Cold War spy ship is the only U.S. Navy vessel being held by a foreign government.

An exercise in radical design and social living that became the epicenter of Soviet spy networks in London.

A museum dedicated to secret surveillance.

A secret rendezvous spot where John S. Mosby and his Rangers would meet to divvy up their loot after raids.

Germany's Glienicke Bridge has a shady history of clandestine meetings, espionage, and spycraft.

This massive piece of artwork weighs more than 250 tons, and was designed as a tribute to the first president of the United Arab Emirates.

This life-size monument honors the legacy of a famous literary feline.

The subterranean "lake" below the Paris opera house inspired the Phantom of the Opera's lair.

This strange bovine gargoyle is said to have been put in as a passive aggressive form of revenge.

The gargoyles and grotesques of the 21st century are here—22 emoji built into a new building in the Netherlands.

A stone copper was sculpted on the wall of the Carlisle Cathedral to honor a local hero.

This century-old grotesque has a mysterious history and may not actually be a rabbit.

A familiar otherworldly creature guards this 12th-century Scottish abbey.

At this bohemian accommodation, guests who dream of joining the circus can spend the night in themed wagons.

The watery grave of an impractical idea.