The key to turning shifting dunes into the green oasis of Golden Gate Park.

A garden oasis filled with flowers mentioned in the works of William Shakespeare.

The miraculous hydrant that saved the Mission District in 1906.

The stones that traveled from Spain to eventually become a holy place for San Francisco's nature worshippers.

San Francisco's oldest surviving monument and meeting place for 1906 survivors.

Golden Gate Park's historic collection of plants.

The oldest burial ground in the city, final resting place of city founders, Ohlone natives and murderers alike.

San Franciscans leave gifts and messages for the magical beings that live behind the tiny, mysterious door installed on a tree in Golden Gate Park.

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

San Francisco's urban bison herd has persisted in the face of extinction, development, and disease.

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

San Francisco's newly reopened hands-on science museum.

Relics of the 1894 Midwinter Exposition continue to delight visitors today.

Carnivorous plants, medieval aphrodisiacs, and the largest original wood structure glass conservatory in the western hemisphere.

Get lost in this haunting fairytale art walk through a man-made eucalyptus grove.

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

A huge musical instrument played by the ocean.

In a city filled with Frank Gehry buildings, one stands out as one of the architect's weirder works.

Magical-looking cottages that inspired one of the most famous animated films ever.

Historic funicular railway, believed to be the shortest railroad in the world.

The legendary building that needed ghostly approval before being built.

This iconic L.A. bookshop is housed in an abandoned bank—both symbolic and chic.

Four, 18-foot-tall badminton shuttlecocks lie scattered about the lawn of a Kansas City museum.

Community bookshelf of 25-foot-tall book spines.