This shifting North Carolina sand dune is an odd little desert surrounded by oceanic forest life.

Beautiful Gothic-inspired lighthouse stands out among the run-of-the-mill striped fare on Bodies Island.

This abandoned lighthouse looks like a rusting oil rig, but has managed to survive a number of storms.

The cruel trial of a 13-year-old boy inspired the creation of this now abandoned reformatory.

An eerily abandoned stone tower is all that remains of a demolished dam on Cape Fear River.

The remains of the iconic train crash from the movie The Fugitive can still be found rusting along the Great Smoky Railroad.

An abandoned village that doubled as "The Hunger Games"' post-apocalyptic wasteland is up for grabs.

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

The Cold War-era "underground Pentagon" is a sprawling subterranean hideaway for the Defense Department.

An out-of-place Air Force radar dome is all that denotes this park as a former missile launch site.

The maritime museum that boasts the largest nautical library in the western hemisphere.

This labyrinthine resting place of Black American leaders has been reclaimed by nature.

An original apothecary from 1792.

The highest point in Virginia can only be reached by passing through ponies and flowers.

A railroad tunnel that, upon its completion, was considered one of the engineering marvels of the modern world.

This maze-like slot canyon is a unique gem within an already fascinating geological area.

A 300-yard long natural tunnel runs through a ridge deep in the Appalachian Mountains.

The largest known open fault in the United States is basically a giant natural refrigerator.

The former estate of the Guggenheims, part of the opulent Gold Coast that inspired the Great Gatsby.

This whimsically unique butterfly farm focuses solely on creating habitats for the gentle insects.

This once-private estate is now a dreamy, meditative garden that's open to the public.

A sewing machine tycoon built this miniature castle for the people and to beautify a lakeshore.

Possibly the smallest church in the world floats in the middle of a pond.

Dedicated to the art and science of glass in equal measure, this space is as much laboratory as museum.