julieshapleigh's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Effingham, Illinois

America's Largest Cross

Known as the "Cross At The Crossroads," this massive metal cross is just short enough to avoid the FAA.
Lesterville, Missouri

Johnson's Shut-Ins

Erosion and time have created a naturally-formed water park.
Sappington, Missouri

Laumeier Sculpture Park

Giant works of art interspersed throughout meadows and woodlands offer a new discovery at every turn.
St. Louis, Missouri

Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing

This unassuming riverbank is Missouri’s first designated site in the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.
St. Louis, Missouri

Laclede's Landing Wax Museum

A kitschy, creepy St. Louis mainstay.
St. Louis, Missouri

The Lemp Family Tomb

This mausoleum is the final resting place of one of St. Louis's richest and most tragic families.
St. Louis, Missouri

The Girl in the Shadow Box

One man's unrequited love stands in a glass box forever.
Collinsville, Illinois

Illinois Woodhenge

Fresh wooden posts have been added to ancient holes to recreate a primitive henge clock.
Orchard, Colorado

Dearfield Ghost Town

In the early 1900s, hundreds of Black Americans found opportunity in this now-abandoned rural community.
St. Louis, Missouri

Wainwright State Office Building

One of the world's earliest skyscrapers.
St. Louis, Missouri

Old St. Louis County Courthouse

The Old Courthouse takes visitors on a captivating trip through St. Louis' timeline.
St. Louis, Missouri

Cementland

A late sculptor's last project was to turn this abandoned cement factory into a castle-themed amusement park.
St. Louis, Missouri

World's Largest Amoco Sign

This titanic oil company sign is a reminder of the Americana boom of the 1970s and also its commoditization.
St. Louis, Missouri

World Chess Hall of Fame

A chessmaster's dream destination.
East St. Louis, Illinois

Gateway Geyser

Man-made geyser that rises to the exact height of the Gateway Arch.
Chicago, Illinois

Flat Iron Building

Not to be confused with the iconic New York City skyscraper, this Chicago building is a vibrant hub for artists.
Chicago, Illinois

Haymarket Square

Home to a protest movement, a bombing, and a dramatic change in labor history.
Springfield, Illinois

Lincoln Tomb

When you visit his grave, be sure to rub the Great Emancipator's nose for good luck.
Collinsville, Illinois

Cahokia Mounds

Once one of the world's great cities, Cahokia was a place of religious worship, trade and mass human sacrifice before being mysteriously abandoned.
Chicago, Illinois

Crown Fountain

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

Stained Glass at Navy Pier

A display of magnificent stained glass windows is the first exhibit of its kind.
Chicago, Illinois

Thorne Miniature Rooms

Each of these gorgeous, intricately decorated rooms is painstakingly crafted to the scale of 1 inch: 1 foot.
Palm Beach, Florida

Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea

The oldest house of worship in Palm Beach has a wonderful tropical garden.
Palm Beach, Florida

Henry Morrison Flagler Museum

This railroad and oil tycoon's lavish estate now stands as a time capsule of the Gilded Age.