tristanpollock's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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San Francisco, California

Sweeney Observatory Site

Barely visible foundations remain where Stow Lake’s “observatory” once welcomed visitors.
San Francisco, California

Arion Press and M & H Type

Fonts are born and bred here at the oldest letterpress type foundry in the United States.
San Francisco, California

Fairmont San Francisco Penthouse Suite

San Francisco's most expensive hotel suite includes a secret passageway rumored to have been used by JFK.
San Francisco, California

Spanish Monastery Stones

The remains of a 12th-century chapter house in Golden Gate Park.
San Francisco, California

Balmy Alley Murals

Since 1973, this block has been home to the most concentrated collection of murals in San Francisco.
San Francisco, California

Urbano Sundial

A promotional sun clock on the site of San Francisco's great raceway.
San Francisco, California

The "Center" of San Francisco Monument

Adolph Sutro's little-known, geographically inaccurate, deprecated monument.
San Francisco, California

The Sutro Egyptian Collection

Tenacious mummies survived dental problems, eternal entombment, and more than their fair share of devastating fires.
San Francisco, California

Prelinger Library

Appropriation-friendly collection of books, periodicals, and more.
California

Farallon Islands

Nuclear waste dump site now an environmental sanctuary.
San Francisco, California

The Golden Fire Hydrant

The miraculous hydrant that saved the Mission District in 1906.
San Francisco, California

San Francisco Botanical Garden

Golden Gate Park's historic collection of plants.
San Francisco, California

The Wreck of the King Philip

This partially buried wreck is one of the most complete of its kind but is only revealed when the sea allows.
San Francisco, California

Presidio Pet Cemetery

A monument to the love people have for their pets.
San Francisco, California

San Francisco's Cable Car Museum

Not merely a museum – but a whirring powerhouse that offers a subterranean peek into the heart and soul of cable car operations.
San Francisco, California

Esmeralda Slide Park

A pair of slides and a tree-lined stair corridor have been an urban oasis for nearly 40 years.
San Francisco, California

Portals of the Past

The remains of a ruined mansion memorialize the 1906 earthquake.
Cape Town, South Africa

Bo Kaap

Formerly known as the Malay Quarter, Bo Kaap is a colorfully-painted suburb located in the “Mother City” of South Africa.
Reno, Nevada

Pyramid Lake

This Nevada lake holds its titular natural pyramid and, if the legends are true, a number of dangerous spirits.
Barcelona, Spain

Street Performers of Las Ramblas

The iconic boulevard is the perfect place to catch sight of a bicycling skeleton, a levitating Satan, or a chef with his head stuck in a pizza.
Barcelona, Spain

Mirador de Colom (Columbus Monument)

A vista of the city and sea from atop the little-known viewing deck on an unassuming Columbus statue.
Barcelona, Spain

Jardins de Ca n'Altimira

Bask in the 19th century grandeur of an eccentric Freemason millionaire's private gardens.
Barcelona, Spain

Park Güell

Gaudí's famously flamboyant architectural style is on full display in this sprawling park and garden.
Barcelona, Spain

Bunkers of Carmel

These secluded and abandoned anti-aircraft defenses have become one the most scenic viewpoints in Barcelona.