bcgotschall's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Ruins of San Nicolás de Bari Hospital

The first hospital in the New World.
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

The Sundial of Santo Domingo

The first official clock in North America, it kept time for the Spanish government of Santo Domingo.
Chicago, Illinois

Crown Fountain

The twin towers in this Chicago fountain use 50 foot tall video screens to spit on people.
Chicago, Illinois

Willis Tower Glass Platform

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

Thorne Miniature Rooms

Each of these gorgeous, intricately decorated rooms is painstakingly crafted to the scale of 1 inch: 1 foot.
Chicago, Illinois

Palmer House Hilton

This historic hotel invented the chocolate brownie.
Koloa, Hawaii

Spouting Horn

This blowhole is supposedly caused by a trapped monster.
Pāhoa, Hawaii

Big Island Lava Flow

Watch the newest land on the planet form before your eyes.
Pepeekeo, Hawaii

'Akaka Falls

These picturesque Hawaiian falls are home to a rare species of fish that uses a special sucker to climb up cliffs.
Grand Rapids, Michigan

White House Taping System

The origin of the Nixon tapes is rooted in technological incompetence as much as secrecy.
Grand Rapids, Michigan

Fish Ladder Park

An angular maze of concrete in Grand Rapids acts both as public art and as a staircase for fish traveling upstream.
Vers-Pont-du-Gard, France

Pont du Gard

This ancient Roman bridge and aqueduct still stands as a wonder of classical construction.
Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France

Saint-Paul de Mausole

The mental institution where Van Gogh created some of his most famous work now allows guests to walk in the artist's footsteps.
Arles, France

Arles Amphitheatre

This ancient theater was once the home of fierce gladiatorial battles.
London, England

The Monty Python Foot

The television series' iconic giant foot was borrowed from this classical painting.
Paris, France

Paris Padlocks of Love

The celebrated eyesore created by starry-eyed sweethearts.
Paris, France

Shakespeare and Company

This iconic Parisian bookstore doubles as the "Tumbleweed Hotel" for traveling writers.
Paris, France

Centre Pompidou

An "inside out" building in the historical center of Paris, featuring Europe’s largest modern art museum.
Florence, Italy

La Specola Anatomical Collection

The largest and most famous wax anatomical collection anywhere in the world.
Florence, Italy

La Specola Zoological Museum

An incredible menagerie of more than 3 million taxidermied animals at the oldest science museum in Europe.
Florence, Italy

Ospedale degli Innocenti (Hospital of the Innocents)

Renaissance hospital featuring a rotating door into which unwanted babies were dropped.
Florence, Italy

Buontalenti Grotta

A large grotto built in the 16th century amidst Florence's famous Boboli gardens.
Florence, Italy

Fresco of John Hawkwood

In Florence's great Duomo, a 26 foot fresco honors a mercenary famous for attacking Florence.
Florence, Italy

Galileo's Middle Finger

The middle finger of modernity.