More than 700 species live within this murky marvel of a swamp on California's coast.

This municipal playground was co-created by the father of one of the most playful characters ever.

Fake rail crossings mark the site of an influential doctor's demise.

Once America’s most beautiful army base, this abandoned military fort on the coast of Monterey Bay has been left to the elements.

Eat a tasty meal in the house where John Steinbeck was born.

A massive volcanic plug is now a protected area that hosts a number of bird species.

A bigger-than-life pun that has become a beacon of altruism.

Two groundbreaking brothers from Pasadena.

One of Hollywood’s favorite government buildings.

Bug-devouring flora are the stars of a special wing of the glass conservatory.

“It's the quality” (but probably also the drive-through donut tunnel) that has attracted diners since 1968.

High on a hill overlooking Los Angeles lives a world famous, high power conical Tesla Coil.

Historic funicular railway, believed to be the shortest railroad in the world.

A beautiful memorial tells the story of a formerly enslaved woman whose kindness shaped a burgeoning city.

The legendary building that needed ghostly approval before being built.

A one-of-a-kind collection of a unique medium.

Ingenious bakery opens up the first Cupcake ATM at their flagship location in Beverly Hills.

This "synagogue" is not what it seems to be.

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

A tribute to the movie stars who fought to keep Beverly Hills separate from Los Angeles.

Home to secret Eastern Bloc spy equipment and the largest stretch of the original Berlin Wall outside of Germany.

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.

Legendary frontman of the Doors looms in this giant mural by famed Venice muralist, Rip Cronk.

The words of the neighborhood's most famous poets adorn four concrete walls.