Though its celestial ceiling is impressive, the true star is the vast collection of French books.

The walls are decorated with whimsical murals painted by the creator of the Madeline franchise.

A discreet little stairway on St. Nicholas Avenue leads to a quaint and unexpected cobblestone street of 19th century wooden rowhouses.

A hands-on traveling collection of the innovative devices of yesteryear.

This mosaic dedicated to John Lennon was tended for years by a Beatles super-fan.

Curious crustaceans support an obelisk from ancient Egypt that now stands in modern-day Central Park.

Wine bottle sculpture with a ship's stateroom inside.

This semi-hidden Manhattan restaurant is based out of a loading dock.

A very classy 1920s-era bar right in Grand Central Station.

A New York garbage depot holds a secret collection of weird and wonderful refuse.

Become a prohibition rebel.

Read a book next to a Midtown waterfall.

Dodge prohibitionists and slide through the telephone booth in Crif Dogs.

A treasure trove of artifacts, books, and artwork from the "golden age" of exploration.

The original toys that inspired the beloved children's stories are on display at the New York Public Library.

The district's only illusionarium supports free writing programs for local students with every purchase.

For 60 years, the academy had no permanent location until members voted Washington D.C. as its forever home.

Legend has it that President Grant’s frequent drinking in the lobby gave rise to the term “lobbyist.”

Washington's iconic carousel has a nice piece of Civil Rights history.

The institution is sitting on a goldmine of 21,000 paints, varnishes, pigments, and primers preserved for posterity.

This stately mansion, built in 1787 by America's first Secretary of the Navy, is rumored to be one of the most haunted buildings in Washington, DC.

This lovely pocket park is one of the most under appreciated in D.C.

Obscure Freemasons still live in D.C.’s largest private residence.

A hoard of sky catalogs, astrophysical journals, even the works of Galileo and Copernicus.