The Hodag

Discover The Hodag in Rhinelander, Wisconsin: The menacing creature had a tremendous influence on the local culture before being exposed as a hoax.

Suite de Triangles

Discover Suite de Triangles in Saint-Nazaire, France: These red marks, seemingly placed at random, are in fact not.

The Roman Walls of Cardiff Castle

Discover Roman Walls of Cardiff Castle in Cardiff, Wales: The castle still holds traces of the abandoned Roman fort it was built atop.

Port Racine

Discover Port Racine in Saint-Germain-des-Vaux, France: The smallest port in France is named after the pirate who created it.

M.S. Rau Antiques

Discover M.S. Rau Antiques in New Orleans, Louisiana: A treasure trove of rare and exquisitely detailed antiques.

Pickwick Theatre

Discover Pickwick Theatre in Park Ridge, Illinois: A towering Art Deco movie palace made to look like a Mayan temple.

Durham Obelisk

Discover Durham Obelisk in Durham, England: An abandoned tower once used to study the cosmos hides within a thicket of greenery.

Five Elm Arches

Discover Five Elm Arches in Woodstock, Vermont: An artist sees trees as a medium for sculpture.

‘Ladies of the Evening’ Marker

Discover 'Ladies of the Evening' Marker in Nevada City, California: Hidden in a hotel parking lot is a strange historical plaque erected by an obscure fraternal society.

The Pink Castle

Castle d'Oultremont was dyed pink as part of a now-abandoned children's theme park.

Ruins of Loropéni

Discover Ruins of Loropéni in Poni, Burkina Faso: These mysterious 1,000-year-old walls have revealed little about their past.

The First of Abraham Lincoln’s Many Tombs

Discover Abraham Lincoln's Receiving Vault in Springfield, Illinois: The original vault that held the president's remains still stands, empty, not far from where he was finally buried.

Lord Byron’s Burial Place

The beloved poet, Ada Lovelace, and generations of other Byrons lie within the vaults of the Church of St. Mary Magdalene.

Big Lizzie

Discover Big Lizzie in Red Cliffs, Australia: One of the world's largest tractors was built to replace camel caravans.

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i
To represent a masterpiece of human creative genius.
261
ii
To exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design.
480
iii
To bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared.
514
iv
To be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history.
642
ix
To be outstanding examples representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals.
137
v
To be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is representative of a culture (or cultures), or human interaction with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change.
172
vi
To be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance. (The Committee considers that this criterion should preferably be used in conjunction with other criteria).
256
vii
To contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance.
151
viii
To be outstanding examples representing major stages of earth's history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features.
98
x
To contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation.
168