This lighthouse has been guiding shipping into the Golden Gate since before the American Civil War.

Fake rail crossings mark the site of an influential doctor's demise.

This controversial depiction of the "Founder of California" looks as though it was sculpted from mashed potatoes.

These were the largest wind chimes in the world when artist Tom Van Sant created them for a California mall in 1967.

Thousands of crosses and markers for soldiers who lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan blanket a California hillside.

Beneath the southern end of the Golden Gate Bridge is the “Gibraltar of the West Coast,” a fort built to protect the San Francisco Bay from naval attack.

Worker-owned cooperative and resource for those looking to lighten their ecological footprint.

After serving in World War II and picking up Apollo astronauts, this aircraft carrier has been turned into a museum overlooking the San Francisco Bay.

Steinbeck's old stomping grounds, immortalized in Cannery Row.

A 90-acre park on former landfill that hosts an annual kite festival.

This old-world mansion with lush gardens is a gem in the heart of Silicon Valley.

This municipal playground was co-created by the father of one of the most playful characters ever.

Oakland's beautiful monumental cemetery.

Centuries of crashing waves carved out this small hole in the rock, which lights up at certain parts of the year.

This whimsical seashell-shaped place of worship was designed to blend into its surroundings.

One of the most elaborate displays of Jellyfish is on display at the aquarium.

This grinning pup statue is all that's left of what was once a ubiquitous Bay Area diner chain.

Abortion, prohibition, religion, war, and fear all play a part in the history of this idiosyncratic Pacifica castle.

There are lots of hands and feet stamped in the cement in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theater, but Mel left behind something extra.

The headquarters of a secretive order is also a beautifully-designed park.

One woman's Viking Castle on Lake Tahoe.

An amazing collection of fantastic reptiles, amphibians, spiders, and insects.

Neoclassical Revival mansion and set of horror cult classic Phantasm.

America's oldest Italian restaurant is a San Francisco institution.