Not far from a popular beach, an unfinished, abandoned mansion for Bulgaria's last communist dictator.

An unexpected and peaceful oasis on a hillside.

These four islands right offshore have waterfalls, colorful lights, fancy buildings, and a secret purpose.

Once America’s most beautiful army base, this abandoned military fort on the coast of Monterey Bay has been left to the elements.

This sun-scorched lakebed contains samples of half the natural elements known to humankind.

A raised boardwalk winds through a thicket of stunted, century-old trees no more than nine feet tall.

Sunset-colored dunes of volcanic ash make taking a poor photo impossible.

The now-abandoned tunnels were built for the transcontinental railroad on the route where the first wagon train entered California.

The overgrown ruins of a once thriving World War I-era copper mine.

This large collection of tiny things revels in the art of fine machinery well made.

This desert oddity hides in plain sight thanks to a cartographic error and a desert explorer with a punny sense of humor.

The first high-tech company in the valley that actually worked with silicon devices.

Salt is slowly eating away this abandoned saltworks town in the desert.

A UFO scrapyard in the California desert.

An abandoned Cold War missile radar site.

A pair of disused Los Angeles electrical poles now glow with delicate windows into the past.

This small oasis of flora and art was created in remembrance of a local auto business owner.

This collector's home is a constant work in progress.

This peaceful garden is hidden on the grounds of a spiritual organization founded by a pioneer yogi.

The decaying adobe remains of an old homestead are just off the beaten path in Joshua Tree National Park.

This childhood throwback has hundreds of arcade games and pinball machines to transport you back in time.

This “living museum” at UCLA exhibits thousands of plant species from all over the world.

This vintage car parts store is also a museum devoted to a squat little gem of automotive history.

Remnants of the United States's largest accidental oil spill still mar a California valley.