zackofalltrades's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Colma, California

Colma Historical Association

This odd little museum holds exhibits on everything from blacksmith equipment to hair jewelry.
Marfa, Texas

Chinati Foundation

Minimalist modern art on a repurposed military base in rural Texas.
San Francisco, California

Treasure Island

A man-made island in scenic San Francisco Bay.
Los Angeles, California

Tom Mankiewicz Conservation Carousel

A carousel trades in its classic horses and calliope for endangered species, native flora and fauna, and a modern soundtrack.
Florence, Italy

Ospedale degli Innocenti (Hospital of the Innocents)

Renaissance hospital featuring a rotating door into which unwanted babies were dropped.
Big Sur, California

The Henry Miller Memorial Library

It's not your typical library, memorial, or book store.
Rome, Italy

The Dome Illusion

A master of trompe-l'oeil creates a stunning, tourist-fooling dome out of a flat ceiling.
Calipatria, California

Obsidian Butte on the Salton Sea

Huge otherworldly domed rocks on the shore of a deadly lake.
Calipatria, California

Salton Sea Duck Blinds

The sea once considered an ecological wasteland is now called "crown jewel of avian biodiversity" by scientists.
Landers, California

Giant Rock

A regular looking rock with an unbelievable history.
Escondido, California

Elfin Forest

This dark, quiet forest on the outskirts of San Diego is dense with rumor and lore.
Fresno, California

Forestiere Underground Gardens

An underground mansion with fruit-bearing trees and grapes growing beneath the surface of central California.
Rome, Italy

Stadio dei Marmi

This Italian stadium makes liberal use of fascist statuary to evoke classical sporting arenas.
Rome, Italy

Meridian Line of the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels and the Martyrs

Installed in an act of one-upsmanship, the annual sundial in this church is also a symbolic victory for the Gregorian calendar.
Florence, Italy

Museo Opificio delle Pietre Dure

Overlooked amid the tourist bustle of Florence, this museum is dedicated to the craft of stone inlay.
Florence, Italy

La Specola Anatomical Collection

The largest and most famous wax anatomical collection anywhere in the world.
Venice, Italy

St. Mark's Clock Tower (Torre dell'Orologio)

Go inside to really appreciate this 500-year-old technological masterpiece.
Venice, Italy

The Flooded Crypt of San Zaccaria

As can be expected from a centuries old church built in a canal city, the undercroft of this house of worship is beautifully flooded.
Venice, Italy

Reliquaries of St Mark's Basilica Treasury

An extensive collection of reliquaries containing the bones of saints housed in the largest Catholic church in Venice.
Amboy, California

Amboy Ghost Town

The ghost town that ended up on Ebay.
Pescadero, California

Pigeon Point Lighthouse

A New England-style lighthouse along California's beautiful Highway 1 gets a re-do.
Carlsbad, California

The Flower Fields

Stripes of flowers bloom each spring in a 50 acre rainbow of color.
Mecca, California

Salton Sea History Museum

A museum dedicated to a sea that should have never been.
Clark County, Nevada

Valley of Fire

The drama of nature in full effect in this Nevada State Park.