It was originally part of a "terrible lizards" collection at the 1964 New York World’s Fair.

This abstract sculpture is rumored to cast a hammer-and-sickle shadow once a year.

This life-size bronze statue remembers the tallest recorded human in his Illinois hometown.

Spanking machines, fake goats, and more devices of humiliation are on display in this museum of fraternal initiation devices.

One of the first historical sites of an alternative universe was installed in the town of Paris, Illinois—which is now home to an annual spelling bee of Kcymaerxthaereal words.

The iconic Chicago sculpture hides a beautiful and easily overlooked plaque on the backside.

Cold War missile launch site which has been converted to a public park.

Recognized the world over as the home of the McCallisters in the 1990 movie "Home Alone."

Chicago's North Park Village was once the largest municipal sanatorium in the country.

Chicago's museum dedicated to the history of bondage and fetishism is more textbook than titillation.

At Chicago's revered Field Museum, visitors are invited to learn about and literally explore DNA.

This museum celebrating the almighty dollar lets visitors literally stand in the shadow of a million bucks.

What was once one of the country's largest confectionary plants is now an abandoned ruin, but is still pretty sweet.

A century-old network of freight tunnels underneath the city's historic business district.

A hollow cement depiction of time's inexorable effect on the human body.

A haunting statue called "Eternal Silence" has quite the reputation among visitors with active imaginations.

A lush green oasis in the middle of Chicago.

A monument to the art of slicing people open.

Four glass boxes hover over 1,000 feet in the air to give visitors an unparalleled view of Chicago.

This massive stained-glass masterpiece is thought to be the largest Tiffany dome in existence.

This whimsical Oz-themed park had a wonderful impact on the surrounding neighborhood.

A museum dedicated to the history and art of staying clean.

Rare and gorgeous birds abound in this protected wildlife sanctuary.

A legal loophole makes it possible to get away with murder within this 50-square-mile section of Yellowstone.