This secret gem of a toy store houses a rideable carousel populated with fantasy animals.

At this Minnesota state park you can easily wade across the source of the mighty Mississippi.

This bright yellow building is packed with sweet treats from all around the world, from chocolate-covered crickets to whoopie pies.

This massive roadside mascot was the first version of the giant to illustrate his butt.

An unusual assortment of art, furniture, and other curiosities.

When waves crash onto this section of beach, the rocks sing a song.

These curious caverns have been home to mushrooms, gangsters, and disco.

A museum within a museum, devoted to history's most questionable medical devices.

This large midwestern cavern features impressive rock formations and an underground waterfall.

Hidden in the grounds of the Fort Dodge Museum is a "real" and terrifying petrified giant.

Chilly air billows out from the entrance of an abandoned mine on a steep hillside, providing a refuge for Ice Age fauna and flora.

This massive railroad spike celebrates the 1939 premiere of the movie “Union Pacific.”

An obelisk commemorating Lincoln's role in connecting the coasts.

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

Elaborate hand-carved wooden clocks two brothers made in their spare time are on display at this handsome little museum.

In rural Iowa, an imported 19th-century windmill overlooks an unlikely enclave of Danish culture.

The “American Gothic" artist's largest works hang in an Iowa State University library.

The magazine keeps a perfectly groomed display garden for its photo shoots.

This simple home was the beginning of a long journey for the iconic Western film star.

An Iowa town celebrates its heritage with the tallest working Dutch windmill in North America.

This remote island in Iowa was abandoned after being devastated by flood.

While there are no actual snakes in the history of this crooked road, there may be a number of dead horses.

Lured here by the promise of tens of thousands in gold, Jesse James started a quintessentially American trend of robbing trains in-motion.

Millions of dollars worth of sculpture decorate this Iowa city center.