A collection of odd-shaped and quirky sounding instruments handmade by a midcentury inventor-composer.

A futuristic hovertrain is parked unceremoniously alongside a nondescript road.

A chance to sleep among the firs and pines of the Oregon forest.

Four-story slides send people whizzing through the math department at this Munich university.

Robots, lasers, and whoopee cushions, oh my!

A rugged lava field dotted with molds of the ancient pines that were growing when the volcano erupted.

The roadway bend where highway painters practice their craft looks like expressionist art.

Every May, townspeople welcome summer with a bizarre pagan parade led by a man wrapped in garlands.

A brightly colored natural bridge formed by mineral-rich hot springs high up in the Andes.

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

Quirky outsider art transforms this garden shop into a little stone fantasyland.

Dozens upon dozens of boulders engraved with scripture tell the story of one man's troubled life.

The perfectly named cave drop is the deepest in the continental United States, almost matching the height of Seattle’s Space Needle.

A treasure trove of rare and exquisitely detailed antiques

This rare example of a "tidefall" is a spectacular drop from the cliffs down onto the beach.

These Egyptian statues have survived for 3,400 years and were an acoustic wonder of the ancient world.

This amazing abuela became a diehard metal fan late in life and an icon of Madrid's '80s rock scene.

This meticulously extracted nervous system allegedly came from a 19th-century custodian who donated her body to science.

A collection of the specialized tools used to construct Japan’s beautiful architecture.

A set of 27 bamboo tubes creates an eerie soundscape that changes with the wind.

Woven tree art gives this towering Australian woodland a touch of mystical whimsy.

Reproductions of nine banned oil paintings coyly hidden behind a curtain in a New Mexico conference room.

Inky sludge oozes to the surface of this beach thanks to a rare natural tar seep.

The medieval castle built as headquarters for the Pope's secretive Knights Templar.