Though it was originally dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, Baphuon was converted to a Buddhist temple in the 15th century, complete with a massive hidden statue.

Captain America, Sub-Mariner, and the Human Torch were all born in this art deco Manhattan masterpiece.

There are owls with glowing eyes in Herald Square.

Where the legendary Orson Welles got his theatrical start before "Citizen Kane."

Fake subway tiles were installed to cover a design that resembled the Confederate flag—it's unclear if the resemblance was intentional.

The origins of midtown Manhattan's anachronistic wooden farmhouse remain a mystery.

This unmarked and unloved Manhattan subway grate created one of the most iconic images in American cinema.

Outstanding taxidermy dioramas showcase the grandeur of the continent's wildlife with spooky realism.

This magnificent herd of stampeding elephants has been frozen in time for over a century.

This morbid scene depicts the Darwinian drama of death on the African savannah.

This poignant display is now a memorial to these regionally extinct species.

This taxidermy scene brings the struggle for survival in the Indian jungle to a quiet corner of a Manhattan museum.

Creating this diorama spurred naturalist Carl Akeley to begin advocating to protect the apes.

This impressive scene portrays the elusive forest giraffe of Central Africa.

One of the most dazzling dioramas at the American Museum of Natural History is also one of the oldest.

Here be dragons.

Hordes of precariously balanced stone figures crowd the shores of the Hudson River.

Known as the "Forgotten City" it was home to industry, riots, artists, squatters, and to one of the largest single disaster fires in New York City.

If it hadn't been caught in time, a flaw in the design of this Manhattan skyscraper could have led to its collapse.

This giant boulder is sandwiched between apartment complexes in upper Manhattan.

Historic Greenpoint theater, turned roller disco, now housing a chain pharmacy store.

The highest point on the island known for buildings that touch the sky.

The only surviving sidewalk clock in Brooklyn.

Church featuring "high Victorian gothic" architecture.