Despite being considered a thoroughly American sport, basketball's oldest surviving playing field is found in the basement of a Paris YMCA.

The recovered bones of martyrs slaughtered during The Terror are on display in this church crypt.

Remains of Roman amphitheater hidden in a sleepy quarter of Paris.

Once a 19th-century brasserie, this McDonald's exterior celebrates Alsatian design and the "King of Beer."

This frog-themed restaurant was frequented by Picasso, Saint-Exupéry, and more.

A series of abstract, silly sculptures represent the works of a great modern classical composer.

Two awe-inspiring globes from the reign of the Sun King hang from the ceiling of France's national library.

This former “ante-chamber to the guillotine” has been refurbished to illustrate the brutal history of French justice.

A modern-day Lascaux cave underneath Paris.

An off-the-beaten-path boutique stuffed with an eclectic collection of upcycled goods.

Twelve grave-faced marble angels guard the emperor's tomb at Les Invalides.

How did a French journalist’s grave become the sexiest statue in the cemetery?

An overlooked marble is the only surviving in-place 18th century example of the measurement that changed how we define distance.

Paris' fabled purveyor of exotic taxidermy and natural history curios.

Known as the "Dodo Manège," this carousel features a herd of animals that have disappeared—or may be gone soon.

Indents in the pavement are all that remain from a grisly death machine in Paris.

19th century pendulum and a clock restored by a rogue group of guerilla artists.

This museum houses an imposing skeleton army comprised of creatures great and small.

A favorite Paris bar for U.S. expats, including Gershwin, Hemingway, and James Bond.

A haunting collection of the vanished and disappearing natural world.

The very center of Paris is surrounded by a bevy of strange good luck rituals.

A counter-culture bookstore like no other hides in plain sight in the streets of Paris.

A museum of carnival attractions where you are invited to ride the rides.

Paris' linguistic guide to the international language of, yes, love.