A small sculpture garden that provides a microcosmic representation of California.

The world's first permanently occupied mountain-top observatory continues to report on the stars.

The former Naval shipyard is open for exploring - mostly.

Recovered from the brink of extinction, at home in the Financial District.

The grand, column-fronted, sculpture-adorned home of the ambitious digital library.

Radioactivity still cause for concern at this urban explorer's paradise.

This odd California folly seems like it was almost designed to accumulate urban legends.

Antiques by the Bay.

One of few lasting examples of the brief octagon craze that developed into folly.

An artsy hidden staircase leads to breathtaking views of San Francisco.

The graffiti-covered remnants of a former triangulation station are balanced precariously on this California peak.

Oldest building in California still in use.

A creepy steel gremlin has protected the Bay Bridge since 1989.

A "haunted" landmark on the coast of Southern California.

This former stomping grounds of the most eminent astronomers of the early 20th century.

The only museum of sake in the United States is nestled in an unlikely California college town.

A music-filled, booze-soaked oasis in the desert.

This Oakland fairytale kingdom, fiercely devoted to childlike whimsy, was an early inspiration for Disneyland.

A man-made island in scenic San Francisco Bay.

A private home built to resemble the shape of a microscopic creature.

Art from the latest counter-culture; kids who dye their hair blue and believe the future will be a post-apocalyptic water world.

A working model of the entire San Francisco Bay and much of the Sacramento River Delta, complete with regular tides that change every 14 minutes.

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

The giant pair of sexy legs sticking out the window of this costume store have become its main draw.