lokimann's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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San Diego, California

San Diego Museum of Us

An extraordinarily ornate museum in San Diego holds wondrous anthropological treasures.
Rancho Palos Verdes, California

Wayfarers Chapel

A Swedenborgian glass church surrounded by redwoods sits perched atop a massive landslide area.
Big Pine, California

Methuselah Tree

Once thought to be the oldest living tree in the world, Methuselah was germinated before the Egyptian pyramids were built.
Los Angeles, California

Idle Hour

The programmatic glory of LA's giant whiskey barrel building has become an upscale reminder of the city's kitschy roadside past.
Mono County, California

Crowley Lake Columns

Eons old volcanic activity created one of the most stunning rock formations in the United States.
San Francisco, California

Long Now Orrery

A modern mechanical planetary system, part of a 10,000 year clock.
Los Angeles, California

The Mar Vista Time Travel Mart

Sister store to the Echo Park Time Travel Store.
Los Angeles, California

The El Segundo Butterfly Preserve

A ghost town at the airport is now a refuge for blue butterflies.
Tulelake, California

Lava Beds National Monument

Trails through lava-carved tube-caves display sparkling bacteria and a rich history.
Sponsored by Visit California
San Francisco, California

Bourbon & Branch

A nondescript building that's been functioning as a speakeasy for nearly a century and a half.
Los Angeles, California

Ferndell Nature Museum

A common entry point to the Griffith Observatory trail holds its own wonders.
Orick, California

Fern Canyon

Canyon walls shrouded in ferns.
San Francisco, California

The Pirate Supply Store at 826 Valencia

An essential stop before plundering, BYO Cutlass.
San Francisco, California

Paxton Gate

A shop full of natural curiosities, carnivorous plants, and costumed taxidermied mice.
Los Angeles, California

Velaslavasay Panorama

Panorama exhibition hall in old silent theater with a beautiful backyard garden.
Yucca Valley, California

Bob's Crystal Cave

A meditative space out of a fantasy story.
Sequoia National Park, California

General Sherman

Quite simply the largest tree in the world (by volume).
San Luis Obispo, California

Madonna Inn

A hotel and restaurant serving as the mecca of kitsch.
Sponsored by Visit California
San Francisco, California

Exploratorium

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

Forestiere Underground Gardens

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

The Magic Castle

The private clubhouse for the members of the Academy of Magical Arts.
Los Angeles, California

Pink's Hot Dogs

World-famous, Pink's still manages to keep its prized cult fetish status.
San Francisco, California

The Tonga Room

Tiki luxury on Nob Hill.
Santa Cruz, California

Court of Mysteries

A strange house built only at night, with rumored mystic inspiration.