The oldest house in Galena, Illinois, now is a reminder of when this city was the world's lead mining capital.

The world's largest covered wagon is piloted by a giant Lincoln lawyer.

An exhibit of items from the mental institution where Mary Todd Lincoln lived after her son conspired to have her committed.

A historic beacon built in the aftermath of the worst maritime disaster on the Great Lakes.

Over 1,000 pieces of one of the most niche art objects imaginable: the glass paperweight.

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

The world's largest collection of the world's largest objects is in one small Illinois town.

A lush green oasis in the middle of Chicago.

This massive stained-glass masterpiece is thought to be the largest Tiffany dome in existence.

Weighing 30,000 pounds, this monument represents Detroit's first industrial era.

A larger-than-life version of the hat beloved by hunters, outdoorsmen, and Holden Caulfield.

See prehistoric footprints, plus two complete mastodon skeletons.

This museum in the woods evokes the work and lives of Michigan's 19-century lumberjacks.

The very isolated Charity Island Lighthouse has been watching over Saginaw Bay since 1857.

Part taxidermy workshop, part natural history museum this Michigan destination shows off its dead animals and helps you mount your own.

This 19th-century ghost town offers a stunning view of Lake Michigan and a journey through the region's industrial past.

An enormous roadside pan tells the story of a battle for pie glory.

There's more contention than one might expect from cherry pie pans.

Large pioneer village showcasing life during boom times.

Easily overlooked in favor of the wineries that dot the region, this blast from the past is equally worth the visit.

A sealed test tube said to hold Thomas Edison's dying breath was given to the inventor's friend and mentee, Henry Ford.

The park is home to the United States's only still-operating Dutch windmill.

The only surviving prototype for Buckminster Fuller's house of the future.

Island where motor vehicles are banned -- home to the only carless highway in the United States.