This mysterious petroglyph evokes the ancient swastika symbol but was later vandalized with the more troublesome Nazi one.

Southern California’s Theme Park Beginnings.

The sea once considered an ecological wasteland is now called "crown jewel of avian biodiversity" by scientists.

One of the few remaining carousels built by master amusement park carver Charles I.D. Looff.

This former stomping grounds of the most eminent astronomers of the early 20th century.

Oldest building in California still in use.

Version of the French Riviera destroyed by the sea.

An extraordinary final resting place full of oversized art, amazing statues, and dead celebrities.

Arcadia is home to a haven for nature geeks and 80s TV lovers alike.

A giant donut stands as a popular symbol of Los Angeles iconography.

A sign at the end of the Santa Monica Pier marks the traditional end of the legendary American highway.

A desert ghost town—occupied for only 12 years—was once home to more than 500 silver mines.

This unlicensed collection of fast-food memorabilia sits on the site of the first ever McDonald's restaurant.

Megachurch turned Catholic church comprised of 10,000 glass panes.

A world-class observatory in the California desert.

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.

The most unique castle in all of Southern California, entirely constructed from repurposed materials.

One of the most unusual geological features, recognizable from a dozen hit movies.

A 300-ship graveyard, with a few still visible at low tide.

One of the oldest reform schools in the United States, home to wayward boys such as Merle Haggard, now abandoned.

This massive redwood tree has a hole in the base big enough to drive through.

These delicate buggers are some of the rarest fossils that have bubbled up from the Tar Pits.

Abandoned bridge hidden deep in the San Gabriel Mountains.

An unfortunate geological resemblance to Satan has labeled this Pasadena gorge as a passage to the underworld.