Named after Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto, the first European to discover the Mississippi River, the DeSoto House opened in 1855 at a time of economic boom in Galena, Illinois. It billed itself “the largest hotel in the west.”   During its heyday, the red brick building served as a bustling home base for the many prospectors who came to strike...

From haunted dolls and funeral home artifacts to religious relics, Ouija boards, and strange sideshow items, all things bizarre fill the shelves of the American Oddities Museum. Located in the Mineral Springs Hotel, in the small (and, according to some, haunted) town of Alton, Illinois, the kitschy museum opened in the 1990s. It was originally dedicated...

The River Fleet, which ran from Hamstead in north central London into the River Thames near where Blackfriars Bridge now stands, was considered for centuries to be a disgusting waterway filled with sewage and garbage, including a substantial amount of waste from the butchers based at Smithfield Market. Consequently, in the mid-19th century, major efforts...

Tucked away in the charming town of Rabenau, the Deutsches Stuhlbaumuseum (German Chair Making Museum) is a hidden gem that celebrates the age-old craft of making chairs. Imagine stepping into a world where chairs aren’t just furniture, but works of art that tell a story. Rabenau, which is located just southwest of Dresden, has been producing wooden...

The lime kilns were built in the middle of the 19th century when there was a large lime extraction in the area. As early as 1701, it is stated on a map of Östra Torp's parish that Count Beck-Friis was allowed to "take lime on the properties no. 1". This is the oldest known record of lime mining in this area. Today there are about 10 preserved lime...

Tuinplaas - Tiny Town in Albertinia, South Africa, is a bizarre conglomerate of children's attractions, a museum, political satire, and a restaurant. Located just off the N2, this roadside attraction is home to a replica of a town made entirely of ceramics and many other oddities. The most bizarre part of the park are their ostrich dolls, which feature...