The sign to a demolished amusement park now stands in front of a local library.

Grand opera on a miniature scale.

"No writer ever gave more to a city and got back less.”

Known as the "Cross At The Crossroads," this massive metal cross is just short enough to avoid the FAA.

A mythical bird etched into the face of a rock doubles as the mascot for a nearby school.

In a grove of fast growing walnut trees outside Paris, Illinois, a marker shares the story of a fictional road building culture.

Though it's thrived abroad, this forgotten Dunkin' rival has just one store left in the States.

A 30-foot man on a penny-farthing bicycle rides along the banks of the Mississippi.

Huge abstract sculptures of the Puerto Rican Flag.

This family driveway also serves as the highest point in Illinois.

This house renovated by Frank Lloyd Wright was the centerpiece of a lavish 20th-century estate.

Chicago's Navy Pier on Lake Michigan was a training hub for aircraft carrier pilots during WWII.

An amazing collection of scale model ships.

This monolithic statue was erected in honor of Chief Black Hawk (even if it wasn't made to look like him).

Where a brain, a beauty, a jock, a rebel, and a recluse met one Saturday and changed their lives forever.

An exhibit of items from the mental institution where Mary Todd Lincoln lived after her son conspired to have her committed.

This Mediterranean castle was built for a millionaire and his giant dog.

The last masonry skyscraper ever built reveals a transitional moment in architectural history.

The original vault that held the president's remains still stands, empty, not far from where he was finally buried.

People escaping slavery passed through the oldest house in Lombard, Illinois on their northbound journey to freedom.

This art gallery and oddities boutique bewitches visitors with a trove of occult trinkets and eccentric antiques, work by an ever-changing roster of underground artists, and classes in tarot and other mystic arts.

Julia Buccola Petta's body was peculiarly well-preserved when it was exhumed six years after her death.

The original Garfield station is the oldest station facility on the "L", with the station house dating from 1892.

A towering Art Deco movie palace made to look like a Mayan temple.