spenceburleigh's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Oakland, California

Bay Bridge Troll

A creepy steel gremlin has protected the Bay Bridge since 1989.
San Francisco, California

Alcatraz Island

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

Hoppers Hands

At the base of the Golden Gate Bridge, a small sign basically begs for a high-five.
San Francisco, California

McElroy Octagon House

One of few lasting examples of the brief octagon craze that developed into folly.
San Francisco, California

Palace of Fine Arts

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

Musée Mécanique

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

Plaque to Bummer & Lazarus

Noble beasts perhaps, but not the Emperor's dogs.
San Francisco, California

Vaillancourt Fountain

This concrete tangle of square pipes has stood as a proud thorn in the city's side since the '70s.
San Francisco, California

Labyrinth at Land’s End

A winding path built in secret on the edge of the continent.
San Francisco, California

The Shipwrecks at Land's End

A 300-ship graveyard, with a few still visible at low tide.
San Francisco, California

Land’s End Octagon House

The one-time watch house for incoming ships at the Golden Gate now stands abandoned and hidden in trees.
San Francisco, California

Ruins of the Sutro Baths

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

Dutch Windmill

The key to turning shifting dunes into the green oasis of Golden Gate Park.
San Francisco, California

The Wreck of the King Philip

This partially buried wreck is one of the most complete of its kind but is only revealed when the sea allows.
San Francisco, California

Secret Tiled Staircase

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

Encryption Lava Lamps

The randomness of this wall of lava lamps helps encrypt up to 10 percent of the internet.
San Francisco, California

Seward Street Slides

Bring your own cardboard to the slippery slopes of concrete hidden in a neighborhood park.
San Francisco, California

Esmeralda Slide Park

A pair of slides and a tree-lined stair corridor have been an urban oasis for nearly 40 years.
San Francisco, California

Fleishhacker Pool Ruins

Forgotten and then destroyed by fire, this was once one of the largest saltwater swimming pools in the world.
Hillsborough, California

The Flintstone House

A burnt orange monolithic dome structure perched on a hillside near Interstate 280.
Palo Alto, California

Birthplace of Silicon Valley

A humble garage, world-famous for being the epicenter of a technology revolution.
Palo Alto, California

Arizona Cactus Garden

A hidden world of exotic succulents and cacti.
Palo Alto, California

Gates of Hell Sculpture

Rodin's famous depiction of Dante's 'Inferno', amidst a sculpture garden of many of his other works.
Stanford, California

Papua New Guinea Sculpture Garden

A sudden forest of traditional Papua New Guinean art works is hidden in a corner of Stanford University.