Staircase winds down the side of Telegraph Hill through gardens, wild parrots flying overhead.

Carnivorous plants, medieval aphrodisiacs, and the largest original wood structure glass conservatory in the western hemisphere.

A huge musical instrument played by the ocean.

The seawater playground of gilded-era San Francisco burned to the ground in 1966.

A Mars simulation in the southern Utah desert.

A mysterious monument meant to be a guide into "an Age of Reason" was destroyed after an apparent bombing.

The longest living non-clonal organisms on Earth.

The intricate stonework of Machu Picchu serves as a testament to Incan engineers.

A clock designed to run with perfect accuracy for 10,000 years.

A modern mechanical planetary system, part of a 10,000 year clock.

In all of the 29 years it was in operation, no prisoners ever escaped successfully... or so they claim.

Relics of the 1894 Midwinter Exposition continue to delight visitors today.

Golden Gate Park's historic collection of plants.

An artsy hidden staircase leads to breathtaking views of San Francisco.

Olfactory delights in San Francisco's Botanical Gardens.

San Francisco's newly reopened hands-on science museum.

The miraculous hydrant that saved the Mission District in 1906.

The tea room that pushed the boundaries of adorable straight into...we can't find the words.

The last remaining relic of San Francisco's glittering 1915 Panama Pacific Exposition.

A collection of 20th-century automata, penny arcade games, and musical contraptions.

A library built during San Francisco's pioneer times is a student's retreat, bibliophile's sanctuary, and chess player's delight.

Appropriation-friendly collection of books, periodicals, and more.

Rent out a glass igloo to watch the Northern Lights like you live in the future.