A mysterious light of unknown origin on the backroads of Missouri.

Standing at 21-feet tall, this space cowboy adds to the legacy of Route 66's muffler men.

A peculiar forest that was handcrafted for government experiments.

This graveyard is the eternal home of the residents of a vanished California town.

Nestled in Coachella Valley, this museum transports guests from the Mesozoic Era, to the land of Egyptian kings.

This golf ball–shaped former desert real estate office now houses a UFO museum.

There's nothing creepier than a cemetery next to a clown motel.

An errant donkey ushered in a new era of mining in Nevada.

Abandoned bridge hidden deep in the San Gabriel Mountains.

The decaying adobe remains of an old homestead are just off the beaten path in Joshua Tree National Park.

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

Crumbling pink walls and murder memorials preserve the pioneer history of Joshua Tree.

These millipedes glow not out of attraction, but as a not-too-subtle warning.

The only thing stranger than stumbling onto these philosophical musings is the story of the homesteader who created them.

A 19th-century cabin built into a hollowed-out Sequoia tree.

The remnants of a failed socialist commune can still be found just off a California highway.

Carved by a waterfall in a hard-to-reach rock formation, this heart-shaped rock has inspired romantics for decades.

Exotic feline breeding compound and conservation center.

Costumed elves and mountain bikers co-exist peacefully at this abandoned Christmas-themed adventure park.

A charming desert roadside bakery that produces 10 times more bread daily than it has residents in its town.

A fake town founded by Western movie stars is now becoming a hip desert community.

A music-filled, booze-soaked oasis in the desert.

This ramshackle ghost town is comprised of mining-era buildings collected from around the region.

Michael Heizer's masterwork in the Nevada Basin.