Anne Rice, one of the most influential writers in gothic literature, is buried alongside her husband in a New Orleans cemetery.

Once the site of a Native American harvest festival, this humble clearing later played an invaluable role in the birth of jazz.

This strange, small castle on the bayou has withstood the test of time and weather.

The world-record holder for the longest bridge stretching continuously over water.

The stone labyrinth in this New Orleans city park was laid to symbolize healing in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Legend says a primate-like cryptid prowls this otherworldy sliver of the Louisiana bayou.

The final resting place of New Orleans' most famous voodoo priestess.

Chicago's North Park Village was once the largest municipal sanatorium in the country.

Years of archaeology, just chillin' by the water cooler.

Internationally known record store and purveyor of "dusties."

Chicago's largest cemetery is full of beautiful Victorian monuments and more than a few ghost stories.

A haunting statue called "Eternal Silence" has quite the reputation among visitors with active imaginations.

The only home of the famous French impressionist painter open to the public is now a museum and bed and breakfast.

A little piece of Paris in the sultry south of the U.S.

The palatial McDonald's that inspired Wesley Willis.

In Chicago, a pizza-enthusiast has opened a museum dedicated to the history of pizza.

A Japanese temple, old German townhouses, and public chess tables offer a peaceful escape from the bustle of the North Side.

The oldest house in Chicago certainly doesn't look the part and there are some who say it doesn't deserve its title either.

A goddess-topped water fountain in Chicago was created thanks to the dreams of a thirsty newsboy.

Small and slightly hidden, the American Writers Museum is preserving the legacy of America's finest authors.

An actual 1957 Cadillac De Ville, encased in 15 cubic yards of concrete.

This historic-shipwreck-cum-diving-spot can still be seen poking its boiler out of the Lake Michigan waters that claimed it.

Former bath house turns gastropub.

This surprising gem is a world-class archeological museum hidden at the University of Chicago.