The menacing creature had a tremendous influence on the local culture before being exposed as a hoax.

Eternal resting place of the grave robber and murderer who served as inspiration for many of cinema’s famous madmen.

One man's swirling six-acre monument of stone.

A vertically floating hemlock controls the waves and weather at Crater Lake.

This extinct shield volcano is the lightning rod of the Cascades.

The deepest lake in the United States, and once the site of epic destruction that lives on in legends.

This historic hotel invented the chocolate brownie.

One of just a few cities in the world to base their center of government on an island. Others: Paris and Osaka.

This simple home was the beginning of a long journey for the iconic Western film star.

This long unused shot tower on the Mississippi remains a point of pride for a small city in Iowa.

The world’s largest truck stop includes a barber shop, chiropractor, and a huge museum with antique trucks.

A pop-culture attraction outside of Dyersville, Iowa, hits a home run.

For just a few bucks, this Iowa funicular will let you feel like an 1800s fat cat.

A giant, Gilded Age mansion that once belonged to the beer baron of Milwaukee.

A bypass decorated with large wooden troll carvings.

Statue dedicated to the star of an old television show.

A tribute to the twin ideals of religion and patriotism, built by a Catholic priest from rocks, glass, and innumerable found items.

A remote hill on a stretch of country road where the laws of physics are defied... or so it seems.

Hidden away in the city of Madison, Wisconsin is a nearly forgotten home that Frank Lloyd Wright built for a childhood friend.

A theme park attraction designed to turn your children into LARPers.

This cave holds a surprisingly colorful variety of geological oddities.

This pebble beach is so beautiful that taking its rocks is against the law.

One of the last surviving C-97s sits in a field in front of a Wisconsin inn.

A bizarre house filled with an astounding array of collections.