This memorial is well known as the site of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, but decades earlier, the monument played host to another landmark event in Civil Rights history -- a 1939 concert by singer Marion Anderson.
2 Lincoln Memorial Cir NW
Marfa Lights View Park and Plaque
A lonely structure outside the small west Texas town of Marfa serves as a viewing outpost for a mysterious phenomenon. For generations, people in this area have reported seeing a strange set of lights in the desert that vanish suddenly.
Marfa, TX 79843
Castillo San Marcos Fort
Overlooking Matanzas Bay in St. Augustine, FL, is the historic Castillo San Marcos. This landmark fort was the site of many battles, but it is perhaps best known for a secret romance and mysterious disappearance.
1 S Castillo Dr
St. Augustine, FL 32084
On a summit near Laramie, WY, is a strange monument known as the Ames Pyramid. This national historic landmark commemorates 2 brothers who were the driving force behind the Trans Continental Railroad.
Known to locals as Zodiac Island, this tiny strip of land in Lake Berryessa, CA, was a crime site for one of America’s most notorious serial killers. Two young victims were found here bound and bleeding from a vicious attack.
Napa County, CA
Straus Statue and Memorial Pool
The lovely monument in Straus Park commemorates a tragic love story -- that of Isidor and Ida Straus. The department store baron and his wife would meet their fate in 1912 on the decks of the RMS Titanic.
New York, NY 10025
Steve Brodie’s Tombstone
The Calvary Cemetery is the final resting place of Steve Brodie, who may be one of the greatest daredevils of all time ... or a legendary huckster. For years, Brodie was celebrated as the first man to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge and survive.
4902 Laurel Hill Blvd
New York, NY 11377
Kings Canyon National Park
This national park is known for its rock formations and sequoia trees, but it is also the location of one of greatest mysteries in aviation history -- the 1957 disappearance of a cutting-edge military jet piloted by Lt. David Steeves.
83918 Grant Grove Dr
Kings Canyon National Park, CA
Champ the Lake Monster Monument
On the banks of Lake Champlain is an intriguing stone slab with an etching of a strange aquatic creature. Sightings of this legendary beast date back to the first European explorers’ visit to the lake.
Captain Cook Statue
This dignified statue of the great British explorer Captain James Cook is located in the scenic harbor of Waimea Town, Kauai. But what led to the captain’s death?
Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii 96704
Zona Shue’s Tombstone
In a picturesque cemetery in Lewisburg, WV, is the granite tombstone of Zona Heaster Shue, also known to many as the Greenbrier Ghost.
Elephant Statue & Hotel
At a leafy crossroads in Somers, NY, stands a striking obelisk-shaped monument to an elephant. This legendary pachyderm put an indelible stamp on American popular culture.
Lake George has been a vacation destination for generations. But at the turn of the century, some say a terrifying and monstrous beast arose from the depths of this typically placid body of water.
Shadehill State Recreation Area
Shadehill State Recreation Area features a sweeping landscape of rivers, plains and hills. Overlooking a 5,000-acre reservoir is a monument that bears a plaque honoring one man’s epic struggle for survival during America’s pioneer days.
19150 Summerville Rd
Shadehill, SD 57638
Pickens County Courthouse
A window on one building in the heart of this quiet hamlet has a mysterious image that some say was left there by an angry spirit. Does a former slave’s dying vow still haunt this Southern town?
Convergence of Highways 17 and 86
Sitgreaves National Forest
The Sitgreaves National Forest is home to more than 400 species of wildlife and 680 miles of rivers and streams. But this verdant oasis was once the site of a bizarre encounter -- was it the site of an alien abduction, as one man claims?
Teressa Bellissimo Statue
A wooden statue stands outside Anchor Bar in Buffalo, NY, marking the place where many believe Buffalo wings were invented. But when a journalist decided to track down the origin of the treat, he found that the tale was not so simple.
1047 Main St
Buffalo, NY 14209
Few realize that one woman’s likeness inspired 3 of New York City’s impressive statues: Beauty, Civic Fame (at the Manhattan Municipal Building) and the Maine Memorial Statue. Audrey Munson was so beautiful that she was called the American Venus.
New York Public Library
New York, NY
Prospect Park in Brooklyn, NY, is home to a bronze bust of the legendary Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Could this musical prodigy’s death -- at the young age of 35 -- have been a case of deliberate poisoning?
At Riverside Cemetery in Hopkinsville, KY, is the modest tombstone of Edgar Cayce, a man whom many consider to be the most important American psychic of the 20th century.
US Space Walk of Fame Museum
The glistening Gemini Monument sits along the Indian River Lagoon as part of the Space Walk of Fame. Few may realize that the 8th Gemini mission involved a hair-raising episode that nearly cost the lives of 2 astronauts.
4 Main St
The beautifully landscaped acres of Denver’s Cheesman Park belie its grisly history. Formerly the dilapidated Mount Prospect Cemetery, this urban park may now be haunted by the spirits of the dead who are still buried there.
1599 E 8th Ave
Denver, CO 80218
Niagara Falls State Park
Niagara Falls was one of the most important sites on the Underground Railroad, and played an integral role in allowing abolitionists to smuggle runaway slaves to freedom in Canada.
333 Prospect St
Niagara Falls, NY
Statue of Rocky Balboa from Rocky Films
At the base of the stone staircase leading to the Philadelphia Museum of Art is a statue of the fictional movie icon -- Rocky Balboa -- to commemorate the third film in the series, Rocky III. So who was the real Rocky who inspired the film?
Philadelphia Museum of Art
2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, PA 19130
Yosemite National Park
One of the crown jewels of the national park system, Yosemite has been enjoyed by generations of nature lovers. But few realize that the efforts of one man helped save this majestic natural monument from destructive exploitation.
Yosemite Village, CA
Angeles National Forest
Outside of Los Angeles is a pristine expanse of mountains, lakes and woodlands known as the Angeles National Forest. This beautiful natural monument is said to be the home of a terrifying mythical beast known as the “Devil’s Lake Thunderbird.”
701 N. Santa Anita Ave
Arcadia, CA 91006
In New York’s Green-Wood Cemetery, 2 tombstones mark the graves of Dr. Harvey Burdell and his wife Emma Cunningham. Could the doctor’s seemingly devoted wife have murdered her husband?
500 25th St.
Unconditional Surrender Statue
Next to the retired USS Midway is a statue commemorating one of the most famous public displays of affection in history – the unforgettable moment when a US Navy sailor kissed a nurse in Times Square to mark the end of World War II.
Tuna Harbour Park
San Diego, CA
St. Louis Gateway Arch
At the base of the iconic St. Louis Gateway Arch stands “The Captains’ Return” statue, dedicated to the historic voyage of discovery lead by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.
St Louis, MO
Hilo Tsunami Clock
In the coastal town of Hilo on Hawaii’s Big Island stands a public clock forever frozen in time, marking the moment on May 22, 1960, when a massive tsunami hit the island, destroying everything in its path.
Naniloa Golf Course Hilo, HI
The Alamo was the location of an infamous and legendary battle and now stands as hallowed ground. It’s famous for a heroic tale of martyrdom, but some say it’s also home to a vast and long-forgotten treasure.
300 Alamo Plaza
Winchester Mystery House
The Winchester Mystery House is a sprawling mansion, constructed over the course of nearly 4 decades and containing over 160 rooms, thousands of windows and a host of architectural details that bewilder all who see it.
525 S Winchester Blvd
San Jose, CA
Death Valley National Park
Deep inside Death Valley National Park lies a dried-out lakebed called the Racetrack Playa. Here, mysterious stones, some weighing up to 700 pounds, have been making a silent journey across the desert.
Death Valley, CA
Mauna Loa Volcano
The Mauna Loa Volcano is the largest on the planet, overlooking the small city of Hilo. One particular eruption, nearly 80 years ago, almost wiped the city off the map. But when the city was saved, did it anger a Hawaiian god?
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, HI
Duke Kahanamoku Statue
Along a scenic stretch of Honolulu’s Waikiki Beach is a giant wooden statue of Duke Kahanamoko, the father of modern surfing. When disaster struck, Duke’s aquatic skills were put to the ultimate test.
Ellis Island is rich with the history of the immigrants who passed through it. But the dreams of a famous singing family almost ended here, and the world may have been deprived of a tale that was immortalized in a classic film.
New York, NY 10004
The Chrysler Building stands in Midtown Manhattan as an icon of the Art Deco age. But its construction was fueled by a bitter rivalry between 2 former colleagues as they raced to redefine the New York City skyline.
405 Lexington Ave
New York, NY 10174
Grand Central Station
On the ceiling of Grand Central is a vast mural that has charmed commuters for a century. But some believe that the mural contains a secret message from a shadowy group of global elites known as the Illuminati.
89 E 42nd St
New York, NY 10017
General Grant National Memorial
When newspapers report that without supporting funds, President Ulysses S. Grant’s Tomb will fall into disrepair, con man George Parker gets an idea – he poses as the general’s grandson and “sells” the monument to multiple buyers.
New York, NY 10027
Today, tourists and locals alike are inspired by this beautiful example of human imagination and ingenuity. But at the time of its construction it was the site of a mystery that baffled doctors and terrified the bridge’s workers.
New York, NY
Grand Canyon National Park
The Grand Canyon offers a spectacular array of geological wonders, enticing those with a taste for adventure. But in the early 20th century, a daring set of newlyweds set off on a trip down the Colorado River, and they were never seen again.
Grand Canyon, AZ
Showmen’s Rest Statue
Tucked in the corner of the peaceful Woodlawn Cemetery is the burial site of scores of Hagenbeck Wallace Circus workers. These unfortunate souls were victims of a mysterious train wreck in 1918.
7750 W Cermak Rd
Forest Park, IL 60130
Old Charleston Jail
A notorious beauty spent her final days as an accused killer locked up in the Old Charleston Jail. Some say her ghostly presence still haunts these grim passageways.
21 Magazine St
Charleston, SC 29401
Hedy Lamarr’s Walk of Fame Star
The Walk of Fame is lined with names of some of the silver screen’s legendary stars. But while many are familiar with this particular actress’ captivating beauty, few know that she made a lasting contribution to science and technology.
Bosco the Dog Statue
The community of Sunol is home to a statue commemorating a dog that was entered into a local election. But it was this popular pup’s role in a major international incident that thrust him into the spotlight.
11925 Main St
The campus of Stanford University is home to a mausoleum that pays tribute to its founding family. One body held in this crypt is at the center of a tale of poison, murder and betrayal.
Stanford, CA 94304
Scotty’s Castle is a palatial mansion located in California’s Death Valley National Park. This unlikely structure arose out of one of the most unusual friendships in the history of the Wild West.
123 Scottys Castle Rd
Death Valley, CA 92328
Joshua Tree Inn
A makeshift memorial at the Joshua Tree Inn reveals the strange circumstances surrounding musician Gram Parson’s untimely death and controversial burial.
61259 Twentynine Palms Hwy
Joshua Tree, CA 92252
Falling Star Statue
This elegant statue was built to commemorate the Hodges meteorite, an 8.5-pound chunk of space rock that fell through a woman’s roof and hit her on the hip.
Boll Weevil Statue
Visit the only monument in the world dedicated to an agricultural pest.
James A. Garfield Monument
Looming over the manicured grounds of Lake View Cemetery is a castle-like structure topped with a cross. This magnificent building is the nation’s first true mausoleum, commemorating the 20th US President, James A. Garfield.
12316 Euclid Ave
Cleveland, OH 44106
Who built the magnificent wooden, spiral staircase in Santa Fe’s Loretto Chapel? The carpenter may have taken the secret to the grave.
The 180-year-old London Bridge can be found in Lake Havasu City, a modern desert oasis near Arizona’s western border. Did this monument of old world engineering wind up in this remote desert town by accident?
Lake Havasu City, AZ
Chestnut Hill Baptist Church Cemetery
In this cemetery is a headstone that bears the name of a girl who was just 19 years old when she died: Mercy L. Brown. Her death became the unlikely catalyst for a torrent of hysterical accusations that tore apart her community.
467 Ten Rod Rd
Exeter, RI 02822
Theodore Cole and Ralph Roe attempted one of the first escapes from Alcatraz, and they may have been successful. They managed to make it to the shore and jumped in the San Francisco Bay, but it’s not known if they survived the swim.
San Francisco, CA
Statue of the Republic
This statue, commemorating the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, reminds passers-by of the exhibition, but also its dark history. During the fair, a man named H.H. Holmes built a “hotel” where he lured young women, and most never came out.
In 1947, pilot Kenneth Arnold is flying near Mt Rainier on a mission to find a missing transport airplane when he encounters something extraordinary. He sees what he describes as “flying saucers.”
After John Wilkes Booth shot President Lincoln, he fled on horseback. He was eventually tracked down and shot by a Union soldier … or was he? One man claims otherwise.
511 10th St NW
Washington, DC 20004
The Naval Air Engineering Station Memorial
In a windswept field at Lakehurst Naval Air Station is a memorial marking the very spot where a majestic airship crashed to the ground -- all caught on film for the world to see.
2650 Hwy 547
Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument
The 2 million acres of the Grand Staircase Escalante make up the largest National Monument in the US. But it’s also tied to the baffling disappearance of an adventurous and fiercely individualistic young man.
669 South Highway 89A
Kanab, UT 84741