Follies and Grottoes

Hillside Cemetery, Wisconsin, US

Wegner Grotto

Homemade outdoor church and sculpture garden decorated with glass shards

In 1929, Paul and Matilda Wegner retired to their farm outside Cataract, Wisconsin. Although neither was an artist by trade, they were inspired, after seeing a home-made grotto in Dickeyville, to... »

Architectural Oddities, Follies and Grottoes, Outsider Architecture | Edited by serflac and atimian

Sopron-Déli Pályaudvar, Hungary

Taródi Vár

"Medieval" castle built in the mid-20th century by one family

It's not uncommon to find the once-great medieval castles of Europe crumbling under the weight of invasion, weather and time. In that sense Taródi Vár seems to blend in along Hungary's border with... »

Architectural Oddities, Eccentric Homes, Follies and Grottoes | Edited by serflac and atimian

Austin, Texas, US

Hamilton Pool

An emerald-green grotto in the heart of the Texas desert

Just 23 miles west of Austin, a city known for its quirks and weirdness, is perhaps the weirdest sight in all of Texas: a breathtaking natural oasis emerging out of the dust and scrub grass in the... »

Natural Wonders, Watery Wonders, Geological Oddities, Curious Caves, Follies and Grottoes | Edited by Mark_Casey and atimian

Valladolid, Mexico

Cenote Xkeken

Azure waters that lead to the Mexican Underworld

Before the rise of 21st century Mexican drug kingpins, and severed heads in the desert, the Mexican Underworld had a significantly different meaning. Instead of accessing the Underworld through a... »

Watery Wonders, Curious Caves, Follies and Grottoes, Subterranean Sites | Edited by serflac and atimian

Scott's Grotto

Fantastically decorated underground chambers built in the 1760s

"None but a poet could have made such a garden" wrote Dr. Samuel Johnson of Scott's Grotto. Begun in the 1760s by Quaker, poet and businessman John Scott, the shell grotto was a fashionable... »

Follies and Grottoes, Outsider Architecture, Subterranean Sites | Edited by Rubbah and Dylan

Kish Island / Kish, Iran

Kariz-e-Kish

Hydraulic systems in an ancient underground Iranian city

The Iranian island of Kish in the Persian Gulf is not known for its history, or its architecture. The island is actually more similar to Miami and is marked with luxuriant beaches and shopping... »

Architectural Oddities, Follies and Grottoes, Outsider Architecture, Subterranean Sites | Edited by atimian, Nicholas Jackson and others

Florence, Italy

Buontalenti Grotto

In famous gardens, a large grotto built in the 16th century

The biggest of the three grottoes - along with the Mose Grotto and the 19th-century Adam and Eve Grotto - in the area, Buontalenti roughly translates to, as one might suspect, large grotto. But... »

Architectural Oddities, Follies and Grottoes | Edited by Annalisa and Nicholas Jackson

Jaipur, India

Hanuman’s Temple

Sacred Indian temple that’s all monkey business

The pink stone Temple of Galtaji at Galwar Bagh is an idyllic sanctuary in the heart of Jaipur. Here, Hindu pilgrims gather to bathe in the sacred springs and reservoirs of the massive complex,... »

Natural Wonders, Fascinating Fauna, Architectural Oddities, Follies and Grottoes | Edited by atimian, Nicholas Jackson and others

Shilin (Stone Forest)

270 million year-old forest of stone

In China’s Yunnan Province is the famous stone topography of Shilin, meaning “stone forest.” Covering an area of three-hundred square kilometers (or 186 miles) the stone forest is a massive... »

Natural Wonders, Martian Landscapes, Geological Oddities, Curious Caves, Architectural Oddities, Follies and Grottoes | Edited by leiris and Nicholas Jackson

pavilion view, United Kingdom

The Margate Shell Grotto

Subterranean passageway covered in mosaics created entirely of seashells

Located in Margate, Kent, The Shell Grotto’s walls and roof are covered in mosaics made entirely of seashells, totaling about 2,000 square feet of mosaic, or 4.6 million shells. The age of the... »

Architectural Oddities, Curious Places of Worship, Follies and Grottoes, Incredible Ruins, Outsider Architecture, Subterranean Sites, Obscura Day Location | Edited by Lily Landes and Nicholas Jackson