The unique collection often goes unnoticed by visitors focused only on the archaeological objects.

This colossal ancient sculpture of the monstrous Aztec rain god has a literally stormy history.

This immense scene of a cosmic battle between a jaguar and serpent illustrates the Aztec concept of the duality of life.

The striking jade death mask of an ancient Maya king is displayed in a replica tomb in Mexico City.

This colossal ancient jaguar sculpture was used as a vessel for the hearts torn from sacrificial victims.

Come face to face with the ferocious visage of the serpent-headed mother goddess of the Aztecs.

The turquoise-studded skull of a long-dead Aztec man sits within Mexico City’s Museum of Anthropology.

This strange sculpture of a menacing skull surrounded by sun rays was discovered at the foot of the Pyramid of the Sun.

The ruins of an ancient temple to the Aztec wind god discovered in the middle of a metro station.

On a cornerstone of the City Museum is the head of a monstrous serpent stolen from an Aztec pyramid 400 years ago.

The most complete statue of this Aztec god sits a top a throne carved with images of hallucinogenic plants.

A medical facility that has been kept frozen in time.

This communist behemoth is the heaviest building in the world and a legacy of a brutal regime.

Ho Chi Minh's perfectly preserved body has been on display here since 1975.

The spot where the two men ate together now stands enclosed in glass.

This burger joint is named after everyone's favorite carnival prize and is adorned with a giant one over the door.

One of the largest collections of holy relics in the country.

This shop is named for a runaway elephant who smashed through its doors, stole some peanuts, and spent five days on the lam.

Purdue students would lean over this iron fence to skirt campus rules against smoking and courting.

The large rock formation where the Shawnee prophet Tenskwatawa stood and encouraged his warriors during the Battle of Tippecanoe.

This popular cave pool is truly magical, despite the crowds.

An unknown number of cholera victims are buried in two nondescript graves.

The bespectacled, cocktail-sipping pachyderm is a strange but fitting liquor store mascot.

This turn of the century jail once held Charles Manson.