This wooded grove of beautiful hand-built stone grottos is a hidden gem within a shuttered Franciscan monastery.

A Mormon place of exile in Missouri.

An unexpected but incredible collection of wildlife dioramas spanning rainforests, swamps, forests, and plains.

The ruins of a 19th century shelter run by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

This otherworldly church spire reaches up toward the heavens.

The maximum security facility was once thought to have "the bloodiest 47 acres in America."

A cave 150 feet beneath Kansas City is the perfect climate for growing 10,000 delicate orchids.

The world's largest collection of fine-scale miniatures and one the nation's largest collections of antique toys.

This historic cliffside mansion uses a natural cave for air conditioning.

Community bookshelf of 25-foot-tall book spines.

This abandoned prison castle has become an imposing gallery of graffiti art.

The magazine keeps a perfectly groomed display garden for its photo shoots.

Most comprehensive museum in America devoted to one ethnic group.

An eclectic assortment of medieval architecture in a small Iowa town.

A single artist is behind these large-scale models made of hundreds of thousands of two-inch wooden matchsticks.

The world's only three-story rotary jail is now a museum to a bizarre trend in prison design.

Beating out all other concrete competitors, this massive garden feature's pointy hat has earned it a world record.

This zombie-themed restaurant stands out in the heart of corn country.

A tribute to the twin ideals of religion and patriotism, built by a Catholic priest from rocks, glass, and innumerable found items.

This long unused shot tower on the Mississippi remains a point of pride for a small city in Iowa.

For just a few bucks, this Iowa funicular will let you feel like an 1800s fat cat.