Abraham Lincoln's likeness rests at the top of this giant totem pole.

The original vault that held the president's remains still stands, empty, not far from where he was finally buried.

A bizarre house filled with an astounding array of collections.

The city of Rockford, Illinois is symbolically protected by a quartet of fittingly stony sentinels.

This surprising gem is a world-class archeological museum hidden at the University of Chicago.

Thousand-year-old Viking runes adorn an ancient Greek lion at the entrance to the Venetian Arsenal.

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

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

A unique botanical garden housed in three giant geodesic domes.

This monolithic statue was erected in honor of Chief Black Hawk (even if it wasn't made to look like him).

A strange and haunting monument of unknown origin in the historic Graceland Cemetery.

A haunting statue called "Eternal Silence" has quite the reputation among visitors with active imaginations.

The big toe of this towering monument to a Croatian national hero is worn from years of superstitious rubbing.

Museum dedicated to the art of cutting and polishing stones.

The study has wall paneling from a 17th century ship.

An enormous park-like oasis, full of famous Chicagoans' graves.

This house renovated by Frank Lloyd Wright was the centerpiece of a lavish 20th-century estate.

World's second largest particle accelerator, where nature reveals its secrets.

This awkward aquarium sculpture is one of the strangest statues in Chicago.

A humble plaque marks the site where the country music legend was found dead in his Cadillac.

Smack in the midst of coal country, this collection provides a peoples' history of Appalachian miners' heritage.

Once connected to the outside world by a single train track, this ghost town is looked after by the National Park Service.

A small storefront museum explores the history and myth of West Virginia's famous urban legend.

This red-eyed chrome beast pays homage to the popular modern myth of West Virginia's insectoid monster.