Architectural Oddities

Possibly our broadest category, it includes among other things: Eccentric and unusual homes, mazes, bizarre ruins, amazing outsider architecture and other strange buildings built by non-architects, the architectural follies of Princes and millionaires, gorgeous and unusual libraries, building and bridges grown from living trees, secret passageways, secret lairs, caves, caverns and buried treasure hordes.

Basically any building, structure, house, church, tunnel, that stops you in your tracks because it is unusual looking, has a bizarre back story, or curious method of creation belongs in architectural oddities. From ancient and mysterious ruins in South America to a Buddhist temple made of beer bottles, to a beautiful solar tower in Spain they all fall under the category of architectural oddities.

Image of Dog Bark Park Inn located in Cottonwood, Idaho, US
Cottonwood, Idaho, US

Dog Bark Park Inn

Sweet Willy, at 30 feet tall, is the world's biggest beagle

Sweet Willy, at 30 feet tall, is not just the biggest beagle in the world - he's also a bed and breakfast. Inside of Sweet Willy, chainsaw artists Dennis J. Sullivan and his wife, Frances Conklin,... »

Commercial Curiosities, Odd Accommodations, Architectural Oddities, Eccentric Homes | Edited by canuck, Nicholas Jackson and others

Image of The Last Handwoven Bridge located in Huinchiri, Peru
Huinchiri, Peru

The Last Handwoven Bridge

Keshwa chaca, the last handwoven Incan bridge, crosses Apurimac Canyon in Peru

Known as keshwa chaca, this is the only remaining example of the Incan handwoven bridges once common in the Incan road system. Made of woven grass, the bridge spans 118 feet and hangs 220 feet... »

Architectural Oddities, Long Now Locations, Incredible Ruins, Outsider Architecture | Edited by Dylan, Henry and others

Image of Moss Hill Methodist Church located in Vernon, Florida, US
Vernon, Florida, US

Moss Hill Methodist Church

Ancient church constructed with a special wood that preserves prints from the past

The Moss Hill Methodist Church, a wooden church located near Vernon in Washington County, Florida, was built in 1857 using slave labor. The church is still used today for services, even though... »

Architectural Oddities | Edited by ronin, Nicholas Jackson and others

Image of Milwaukee Art Museum located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US

Milwaukee Art Museum

This striking art museum holds an amazing series of curiosity cabinets

Like the Guggenheim in New York and the Oakland Museum in California, the building of the Milwaukee Art Museum is a piece of art in itself. Designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, the... »

Museums and Collections, Outsider Art, Unique Collections, Architectural Oddities | Edited by M Rebekah Otto, Nicholas Jackson and others

Image of Monument to Humanity, Kars located in Kars, Turkey
Kars, Turkey

Monument to Humanity, Kars

Unfinished monument to peace between Turkey and Armenia, long divided by a dispute over genocide

Naif Alibeyoglu, a former mayor of Kars, Turkey, decided in 2006 to build a giant sculpture as a peace gesture from Turkey to Armenia. But opposition to the structure, led by Oktay Aktas, the... »

Cultures and Civilizations , Architectural Oddities | Edited by Nicholas Jackson and Dylan

Image of Drayton Hall located in Charleston, South Carolina, US
Charleston, South Carolina, US

Drayton Hall

Oldest unrestored plantation house in America that is open to the public

Considered one of the most beautiful examples of Georgian Palladian architecture in North America, Drayton Hall was built for John Drayton over the four years between 1738 and 1742 using both... »

Museums and Collections, Architectural Oddities | Edited by kozel, bradenh83 and others

Image of Cheomseongdae located in Kyo-ri, South Korea
Kyo-ri, South Korea

Cheomseongdae

Numerical symbolism abound at East Asia's oldest observatory

Numbers are important at Cheomseongdae, the oldest astronomical observatory in East Asia. Though the observatory's age (it dates back to the 7th century Silla Kingdom of modern-day South Korea)... »

Instruments of Science, Retro-Tech, Architectural Oddities | Edited by Trevor and Nicholas Jackson

Image of Salvation Mountain located in Niland, California, US
Niland, California, US

Salvation Mountain

Self-built mound covered in messages of God's love

At 150 feet wide by 50 feet tall, Salvation Mountain is really more of a painted mound. The mountain was created by Leonard Knight after his hot air balloon failed in this bleak patch of desert... »

Outsider Art, Architectural Oddities, Outsider Architecture | Edited by Dylan, Clinton and 3 others

Image of Wat Mahathat (Temple of the Great Relic) located in Bangkok, Thailand
Bangkok, Thailand

Wat Mahathat (Temple of the Great Relic)

One of Bangkok's oldest temples and home to Thailand's largest monastic order

The ancient temple of Wat Mahathat was founded in the 18th century, before even the founding of Bangkok (1782), but has been considerably altered over the years, most notably by the young Prince... »

Cultures and Civilizations , Architectural Oddities, Curious Places of Worship | Edited by Nicholas Jackson

Image of Liang Bua cave located in Ruda, Indonesia | Cave where the remains of Homo floresiensis were found.
Ruda, Indonesia

Liang Bua cave

Real-life "hobbit" cave in Flores, Indonesia

A new "hobbit" species of human was found in the remote Indonesian cave of Liang Bua. This limestone cave has yielded some of the most important finds in modern anthropology. The remains of two... »

Cultures and Civilizations , Lost Tribes, Architectural Oddities, Follies and Grottoes | Edited by bradenh83 and Nicholas Jackson

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