With its vaulted ceiling and gilded details, this University of Washington library would feel right at home inside an old palace.

This former coal gasification plant found a curious second life as a popular public park.

This statue was given to France by the United States to commemorate the centennial of the French Revolution.

Time travel with sweets across history at this research-based candy store.

During the Industrial Revolution this “Temple of Invention” was full of intricate miniature machines and gadgets.

This fertility idol of questionable authenticity inspired an iconic Indiana Jones artifact.

Those with a sharp eye can find the hidden image of a German Shepherd on the memorial's Mural Wall.

Rumor has it the uncarved lump behind the three famous suffragists is reserved for the first woman president.

This stunning blue and gold room changed cities twice before becoming part of the Smithsonian.

The Byzantine, pre-Columbian, and medieval art at this stately mansion are some of the most under-appreciated collections in D.C.

A painfully obvious spy house sits right across the street from the Russian Embassy.

This sculpture by artist Fritz Keonig survived the 9/11 attacks and now stands as a monument to the victims.

Detailed facade of a brownstone in Boerum Hill.

This enormous Hindu temple in Queens serves incredible dosas in its basement canteen.

Once the tallest building in the world and the site of "the highest dinner ever held in New York" this building now holds the most expensive penthouse in the city.

Love, knishes, and best wishes from this legendary Lower East Side bakery.

A masterpiece of LGBT art has been restored in what may now be the most valuable restroom in America.

Sniff the Titan Arum's rotting flesh.

A dilapidated dock tells the story of Titanic's missed arrival.

Order scoops of pandan, lychee, and black sesame at this family-run institution.

Manhattan’s Battery Park has a whimsical carousel full of spinning, glowing fish.

This beautiful building in the heart of Manhattan's Financial District was empty for decades.

Order a boozy baba au rhum at the oldest patisserie in Paris.

Marvel at the opulent Art Nouveau interior while dining on dirt-cheap French classics.