Concrete strongholds stand guard over the Golden Gate.

Internationally-recognized arts center housed in a century-old former military barracks.

At night, this glittering musical tunnel draws skaters and photographers.

It took years to decode its mysterious messages.

The largest permanent Monopoly board makes one of the longest games even bigger.

The largest drain hole in the world.

Over 300 taxidermied animals in a Californian restaurant make for a taxidermist's dream and an animal lover's nightmare.

One woman's Viking Castle on Lake Tahoe.

The only standing town in the United States that early Chinese Americans built for themselves.

One of the oldest reform schools in the United States, home to wayward boys such as Merle Haggard, now abandoned.

This 19th century hydroelectric powerhouse was the first of its kind.

The tallest bridge in California was constructed for a project that was eventually cancelled.

Shakespeare has been brought to life in this open air theater for the better part of a century.

The flow from this waterfall sometimes comes out of springs below its rim.

These structures were inspired by both Native American shelters as well as, strangely, an ice cream shop.

The only parking meter in the entire town, it is surrounded by 100 free spaces.

Pillars made of 700 pieces of luggage climb to the ceiling of Sacramento Airport's baggage claim.

One of the largest Marian shrines on the West Coast stands rather unexpectedly in Silicon Valley.

The rusting remains of the largest assembled WWII fleet on the West Coast.

The first declared National Monument in the United States.

A B-17 bomber stands as a memorial to the residents of Tulare County who served in World War II.

A water tower shaped like a giant coffee pot looms over a small Swedish village in Central California.

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

The Route 66 institution that inspired Taco Bell also served as an important headquarters for Mexican-American social movements.