This scented city oasis was a labor of love.

This Transylvania County city is home to a rare white squirrel population that is descended from an escaped carnival animal.

The enormous 250-room Vanderbilt mansion conceals hidden doors and secret passageways.

This nine-story building can be played like an instrument.

Gnarled canopies of pink and purple wildflowers arch over the trail to the summit.

One of the best places to see feral Colonial Spanish Mustangs in the United States.

A cabin completely covered in coffee mugs, where visitors are welcome to leave one of their own—if they can find an empty nail.

A psychological self-portrait in the form of a giant, segmented head.

The highest point in Tennessee, Clingmans Dome bears witness to the ravages of one type of insect.

A historic covered bridge, only one of two remaining in North Carolina.

This bridge is haunted by the ghost of a distraught mother.

Who needs fancy modern water slides when this giant North Carolina rock works just as well?

This bright yellow relic is the final survivor of a short burst of seashell-shaped petrol pumps.

This road in the Great Smoky Mountains was supposed to assuage a displaced community, but ended up a $52 million dead end.

A sculptor's dream castle turned fantastical ruin.

A former Oz-themed attraction that has fallen into disrepair, but still holds some of the original magic.

Mysterious ancient boulder carved with petroglyphs in the mountains of Western North Carolina.

These eerie outliers of the lightning bug family glow a mysterious blue color.

This woodland architectural installation acts as a camera obscura for the heavens.

The world's largest fire hydrant is supposedly tornado-proof.

According to local lore, this narrow passageway through two large rocks was accidentally created by the devil himself.

This titanic steel chain linking two buildings was installed without permission but instantly beloved.

I-95's Tijuana-style celebration of kitsch at the Carolina border.

A quirky Poe-themed joint on an island keen to celebrate its overlooked connection to the famous writer.