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Vienna, Austria
Vienna Clock Museum
An obsessive schoolteacher stashed 10,000 clocks in a sanatorium. Now it's Vienna's first clock museum.
AWA visted hereAccidentally Wes Anderson
Dublin, Ireland
Polaris Building, Dublin City University
DCU's Polaris Building corralled 3,000 students from four scattered buildings into one €80 million facility during a pandemic.
From the Community
Whitby, United Kingdom
Whitby Beach Huts
Victorian bathing machines were beach huts on wheels, hauled into the sea by horses to preserve your modesty while you slipped into the water.
From the Community
Aarhus, Denmark
ARoS Aarhus Art Museum
Denmark's oldest art museum outside Copenhagen just built a massive grass-covered dome... underground.
AWA visted here
Wengen, Switzerland
Hotel Bellevue des Alpes
A family-run hotel since 1840, accessible only by train, with a front-row view of the "murder wall" that's claimed 64 lives.
AWA visted here
Tuineje, Spain
Ermita Protestante de Violante
A German widower built this 2.5-meter chapel on a Fuerteventura hilltop in 2011; inside, strangers leave wishes in a book.
From the Community
Glencoe, United Kingdom
Wee White House Glencoe
This Highland cottage's Ballachulish slate roof beat 75% odds: most of the locally-quarried material rusted through with holes.
From the Community
Tehran, Iran
National Garden Gate
Tehran's pre-Azadi icon: a gate to a garden that barely existed, where a bugler once announced dawn and dusk to the city.
From the Community
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States
Farmers Public Market
Built to end a farmer-versus-business feud, this 1928 market hosted Count Basie upstairs and produce vendors downstairs.
From the Community
Perkins, Oklahoma, United States
Old Texaco Gas Station and Museum
This 1930 Texaco station pioneered the gas-and-groceries model three decades before 'convenience store' was even a term.
From the Community
Kohukohu, New Zealand
Tauteihiihi Marae
This marae has outlasted Kohukohu's timber boom, when 2,000 people lived on land literally built from kauri sawdust.
From the Community
Corfu, Greece
Corfu
The only Greek island never conquered by the Ottomans, Corfu's Venetian soul survived four centuries of sieges.
From the Community
Vienna, Austria
Louis Vuitton Vienna
Julius Meinl kept one store when selling 700+ locations. Louis Vuitton now occupies the building next door to it.
From the Community
Kashan, Iran
Mahinestan Raheb Hotel
A Qajar mansion with three courtyards (one for family, one for guests, one for servants) now welcomes everyone equally.
From the Community
Brooklyn, New York, United States
Parkside Avenue Subway Station
This Brooklyn station is literally split: two-thirds tunnel through buildings, one-third open to sky: a subway chimera.
From the Community
Broc, Switzerland
Maison Cailler
This 1898 chocolate factory powered an entire Swiss village: its hydroelectric plant brought electricity to Broc in 1899. What a uniquely sweet history!
From the Community
Luxor, Egypt
Hot Air Balloon
Every morning, balloons chase the moon above tombs carved for pharaohs 3,500 years ago.
Singapore, Singapore
Peranakan Museum
A wedding bed where seven children were born now anchors the world's only museum dedicated entirely to Peranakan culture
AWA visted here
Presented with
Odense, Denmark
Hans Christian Andersen’s Childhood Home
The home of the most popular Dane & his 168 fairytales.
AWA visted here
Presented with
Odense, Denmark
Klods Hans
Named after Andersen's 1855 tale of a "stupid" brother who wins a princess with mud, dead crows, and a wooden shoe.
AWA visted here
Presented with
Tangalle, Sri Lanka
Ruhunu Cinema
As Sri Lanka lost cinemas at a rate of one per month for nearly a decade, Tangalle's Ruhunu Cinema kept its projector running.
From the Community
New York, New York, United States
New Yorker Hotel
NBC broadcast live big band performances from here nightly during the Depression.
From the Community
Baku, Azerbaijan
Juma Mosque
This mosque spent Soviet rule as a carpet museum, its prayer hall draped in rugs rather than reverence for seven decades.
From the Community
Sao Paulo, Brazil
Parque Minhocão
Named after a quasi-fictitious earthworm-like creature that burrows through São Paulo.
From the Community
Wanaka, New Zealand
Wānaka Lavender Farm
A freestanding purple door in a lavender field frames nothing but mountains and has become irresistibly photogenic.
From the Community
New York, New York, United States
Domino Sugar Refinery
At its peak, this factory refined 98% of all sugar consumed in the United States.
From the Community
Dublin, Ireland
Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre
Where U2 got their start, shoppers now browse beneath a glass dome locals call "The Wedding Cake."
From the Community
Dushanbe, Tajikistan
Haji Yaqub Mosque
Built for a mystic who mastered the art of disappearing.
From the Community
Kerkira, Greece
Tobacco House 1941
Since 1941, this family tobacco shop has outlasted an empire of smoke.
From the Community
Presented with
The Castle That Floats on a Forest
Thousands of oak piles hold up this floating fortress. Drop the water level, and it all sinks.
In the Wild
Gressoney-Saint-Jean, Italy
Pasticceria Gran Bar Follis Dario
A medieval Germanic dialect survives in an Italian valley, eight centuries after the migration over the Alps.
From the Community
Miami, Florida, United States
The Carlyle
This Ocean Drive hotel has appeared in more films than some actors.
From the Community
Kingston SE, South Australia, Australia
The Big Lobster
Modeled on a real stuffed lobster, Larry was voted Australia's #1 Big Thing in 2021 beating over 1,000 competitors.
From the Community
Djúpvegur, Iceland
Óshólar Lighthouse
This 1937 lighthouse guided boats to a town with no road access until 1950, where the sea was safer than land for decades.
From the Community
The Most Refined Dynasty
At its peak, the Domino Sugar Refinery employed 4,500 workers and supplied nearly all of America's sugar from a single Brooklyn waterfront factory…
History Lesson
Big Worm’s Second Life
Originally built as an authoritarian symbol, this reclaimed pedestrian park became an emblem of democracy.
Down the Rabbit Hole
Monteroni di Lecce, Italy
Chiesa dei Santi Medici Cosma e Damiano
A church honoring twin doctors so committed to free healthcare that a talking camel had to intervene in their burial dispute.
From the Community
Tallinn, Estonia
Restoran Olde Hansa
This Tallinn restaurant bans potatoes, tomatoes, and chocolate—only ingredients available before 1492 make the cut.
From the Community
Budapest, Hungary
Buda Castle Funicular
Europe's second funicular: 1.5 million riders a year, then gone for 42 years.
From the Community
Kalabaka, Greece
Meteora
For centuries, monks said if a woman tried to climb, the rope would break. In 1921, a queen proved them wrong from a sack.
From the Community
Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Queen’s Arcade
Before the arcade, the site belonged to Belfast's harp-playing doctor who taught blind children music and founded a hospital.
From the Community
Florence, Italy
Piazzale Michelangelo
Nine pairs of oxen hauled a bronze David up Florence's hills in the 1800s, and the museum it was meant for never opened.
From the Community
Uayma, Mexico
Santo Domingo de Guzmán Church
Built from stones of dismantled Maya temples, this church took priests over 100 years to convince locals to enter.
From the Community
Boulder City, Nevada, United States
Hoover Dam
A dam so important it needed its own city.
AWA visted here
Basel, Switzerland
Basel Zoo Antelope House
A neoclassical monument to animals that never arrived.
From the Community
Savannah, Georgia, United States
Lucas Theatre for the Arts
Savannah's Lucas Theatre reunited with its Wurlitzer organ after a 50-year separation.
From the Community
Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica, Chile
Torres del Paine National Park
British ranchers shipped prefab buildings to Patagonia's edge, where puma hunters were once paid per kill until 1980.
From the Community
Ioannina, Greece
Stoa Liampei
A covered arcade rebuilt in stone and iron after fire leveled half the city's shops in the 1800s now hosts modern day shops.
From the Community
West Coast Region, New Zealand
Brewster Hut
At 1,460 metres in New Zealand's Southern Alps, this hut has no heating and a water tank that runs dry when you need it most.
From the Community
Cabo Pulmo, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Cabo Pulmo EcoAdventures
This fishing village gave up fishing in 1995. Now it has the largest fish biomass recovery ever recorded in a marine reserve.
From the Community
Superior, Arizona, United States
Superior Climbing Shack
A former copper mining town reinvents itself one climbing route at a time, with 1,000 sport climbs replacing underground shafts.
From the Community
London, United Kingdom
Royal College of Music
The future King Edward VII opened a music college in 1883 where talent mattered more than birthright.
From the Community
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States
The Yale Theater
From livestock auctions to Art Deco revival: this Oklahoma City theater that refused to stay dark.
From the Community
Weymouth, Massachusetts, United States
Jefferson School
After designing 140 churches, architect Shepard S. Woodcock finally built something you could skip on Sundays.
From the Community
Stockholm, Sweden
Stockholm Palace
Stockholm's Royal Guards rotate in from across Sweden for week-long shifts, and once doubled as the city's firefighters.
From the Community
Coimbra, Portugal
Joanina Library, University of Coimbra
Students once jailed beneath for sleeping in class- now bats patrol above, protecting the book stacks.
From the Community
Istanbul, Turkey
Egyptian Bazaar
Turkish wordplay turned this 1664 spice market into the 'Corn Bazaar'.
From the Community
Paris, France
Piscine de la Butte-aux-Cailles
A geothermal spring 580 meters below Paris feeds a year-round outdoor pool heated to 28°C.
From the Community
London, United Kingdom
Chelsea Embankment
How a river too putrid for Queen Victoria became one of London's most pristine waterfronts.
From the Community
Oamaru, New Zealand
Oamaru Opera House
The architect designed it in 1907, then sailed to Australia in 1911 and never returned to see it age.
From the Community
Alnwick, United Kingdom
Alnwick Gardens
Behind skull-marked gates, gardeners in hazmat suits tend belladonna and hemlock. Oh, and 20 to 30 visitors faint from the fumes every year.
From the Community
Rapallo, Italy
Excelsior Palace Hotel
Italy's first casino hotel secretly hosted three world-altering treaties between champagne service and celebrity sightings.
From the Community
Chicago, Illinois, United States
The Bean
Critics called it "The Electric Kidney Bean." Chicago said no, just "Bean," and a $23 million nickname was born.
AWA visted here
Brussels, Belgium
De Brouckere Metro Station
Belgium's first underground route opened in 1969- as a tramway, not a metro.
From the Community
Freeport, Maine, United States
Desert of Maine
A dinner-plate-sized patch of sand grew to swallow forty acres, buildings, and all.
From the Community
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Playa Grande
When Argentine aristocrats tired of crowds, they founded their own beach in 1912. With better waves.
From the Community
Paris, France
Eiffel Tower
The con man who sold the Eiffel Tower twice... because the first buyer was too embarrassed to call the cops.
Presented with
The Taj Mahal’s Only Boat
Did you know you can take a boat ride around the Taj Mahal? You just have to know where to look...
Adventurer Stories
Presented with
The Last Printers of Jaipur
In 1970, Jaipur's hand block printers were disappearing. A 16th-century haveli helped save them.
Groundbreakers
Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
Rio Grande Depot
The Denver and Rio Grande Railroad spent $750,000 in 1910 to outshine a competitor, then sold the depot for a dollar in 1977.
From the Community
Jaipur, India
Polo Palladio
An Italian restaurant inside a polo club where the most famous player died mid-match, because legends never retire.
AWA visted here
Jaipur, India
Albert Hall
A town hall turned museum housing an Egyptian mummy, because Jaipur doesn't do anything halfway.
Jaipur, India
Dera Mandawa
Built in 1885 as a courtly crash pad, this eleven-suite haveli now runs on biogas made from the family's own cows.
AWA visted here
Jaipur, India
Abode Hotel
A design-forward haveli beyond Jaipur's bazaars where handcrafted tiles and rooftop breezes replace palace-scale grandeur.
AWA visted here
Jaipur, India
Raj Mandir
Opened in 1976, this Art Deco cinema sold out every single day for 25 years and seats 1,300 in gem-named categories.
AWA visted here
Jaipur, India
Gem Cinema
Closed in 2005, this cinema sat dark for 15 years until its original projectionist returned to restart the projectors for a 2019 festival.
AWA visted here
Jaipur, India
The Johri
Five suites inside a Johari Bazaar haveli where gem traders operate outside and rooftop dinners overlook Jaipur's chaotic rooftops.
AWA visted here
Jaipur, India
Monkey Temple
This temple honors the elephant god but houses hundreds of monkeys who commute to Jaipur daily to steal and pickpocket.
AWA visted here
Jaipur, India
Anokhi Museum
Faith Singh rescued Rajasthan's dying block-print tradition in 1970, then opened a museum in a 16th-century haveli to preserve it.
AWA visted here
Jaipur, India
The Leela Palace Jaipur
Opened in 2021, its dining room holds 350,000 hand-cut mirrors and a marble fountain copied from Shah Jahan's Red Fort.
AWA visted here
Rajasthan, India
Chand Baori
Built in the 8th century, this stepwell drops 13 stories and stays five degrees cooler at the bottom than the surface.
AWA visted here
Agra, India
Itmad-ud-Daula
Nur Jahan built this marble tomb for her father in 1622. Shah Jahan studied it before designing the Taj Mahal.
AWA visted here
Agra, India
Ganeshi Lall Emporium
Founded in 1845, this Agra emporium houses a jeweled carpet that took one craftsman 9.5 years to finish.
AWA visted here
Agra, India
Mehtab Bagh
Built a century before the Taj, this garden turned to sand, then archaeologists dug for a mythical Black Taj that never existed.
AWA visted here
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Boston Public Library
How a French ventriloquist sparked the the idea for the first official library in the USA.
AWA visted here
Presented with
Haworth, United Kingdom
Keighley & Worth Valley Railway (KWVR)
This picture-perfect railway has been brought back to life!
From the Community
Florence, Italy
Wine Window
These pocket-sized portals were designed to distribute vino, one glass at a time.
AWA visted here
Presented with
King of the Cosmos
These ancient stair-filled structures pose the question, “Why use a telescope when you can simply walk into the sky?”
Let's Discover
From Farm to Village
In 1918, the son of Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana—a champion plowman and wheat stacker—fell terribly ill. The healing process of his son led to the birth of a new town: Rātana Pā.
Impactful Patrons
Press for Champagne
Raise a glass (or a flute) at Seehof Herrsching that hosts a tasty gimmick inspired by an iconic London restaurant.
Not your typical b&b
A Post Office of Pigeons Past
Tasmania’s North Hobart Post office has been a landmark and point of pride for over a century. That’s not to say that a few feathery friends joined the cause…
Sneaky Peeky
Mount Vernon, Washington, United States
Roozengaarde
Though the festival is seasonal, RoozenGaarde is open year-round—offering a perennial tribute to Bernadette, whose legacy blooms anew each year, in every possible shade.
From the Community
Under the Umbrella
London's ultimate vintage vault of umbrellas has the regal stamp of approval.
Sneaky Peeky
Jincumbilly, New South Wales, Australia
Jincumbilly Station
No people, but plenty of platypuses...
From the Community
Robe, South Australia, Australia
Robe Obelisk
Reminiscent of Waldo’s attire, this lighthouse can't be saved from Mother Nature.
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Southern Aurora
The “darling of Australian travel.”
From the Community
Lake Tahoe, Nevada, United States
Heavenly Mountain Resort
Spanning across two states, this ski resort is nothing short of heavenly.
London, United Kingdom
Raffles London at The OWO
You can wonder the same halls as Winston Churchill.
Margate, United Kingdom
Margate Lido
This stoic Art Deco tower is all that remains of a former seaside bathing facility in Kent, England.
Singapore, Singapore
Central Fire Station
This "blood and bandage" fire station is the oldest station in Singapore still in operation.
AWA visted here
Presented with
An Apple A Day
Today, the fifth generation-owned Beak & Skiff orchard is one of the largest apple operations in New York.
Humble Humans
A Slice of Heaven
There’s a certain magical aura surrounding the town of Mystic, Connecticut–and it’s not just the pizza.
Let's Discover
Joshua Tree, California, United States
Area 55 Futuro House
Conceived in the late 196os as a portable ski chalet, this retro pod stand proudly in the desert of Joshua Tree.
Oceanside, Iceland
Öndverðarnes Lighthouse
Situated on the westernmost point on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, this quaint lighthouse is surrounded by rocky ruins and grassy hills
Lakewood, Colorado, United States
National Science Foundation Ice Core Facility
The main repository of ice cores in the United States, the lab holds over 17,000 m of ice cores from Antarctica and Greenland for scientific research.
AWA visted here
Presented with
Denver, Colorado, United States
Governor’s Residence at the Boettcher Mansion
Serving as the governor of Colorado’s residence since the 1960s, this luxurious abode was first built for rail magnate Walter Cheesman.
AWA visted here
Presented with
Warren, Rhode Island, United States
The Warren Armory
The American Legion bought this 1842 armory for ten dollars after WWII. Warren's been restoring it ever since.
AWA visted here
Warren, Rhode Island, United States
292 Walter Street
Is it the smallest house, in the smallest town, in the smallest county, in the smallest state? Quite possibly so!
AWA visted here
Warren, Rhode Island, United States
Ed McAloon Art Studio
Caldecott-winner David Macaulay once drew Gothic cathedrals here. Now it's a mixed-media studio locals call the chocolate shop.
AWA visted here
Warren, Rhode Island, United States
William Schaff Art Studio
Album artist William Schaff calls his Victorian studio Fort Foreclosure. It's part joke, part truth, entirely still standing.
AWA visted here
Warren, Rhode Island, United States
Imagine Gift Store
This old theater has been converted into something quite sweet.
AWA visted here
Warren, Rhode Island, United States
Old St. Mark’s Church
When a developer threatened demolition in 2013, a Warren resident bought this 1829 church and turned it into a house instead.
AWA visted here
Warren, Rhode Island, United States
Galactic Theatre
A vaudeville-rockabilly haven in Warren where everyone's weird, the beer's cheap, and the music's louder than the conversation.
AWA visted here
Warren, Rhode Island, United States
Carriage House
Once serving as marines to the navy’s militia police, the Warren Federal Blues now serve a very different purpose.
AWA visted here
Warren, Rhode Island, United States
Warren Comfort Station
A railroad looted this royal burial ground in 1853. It took 104 years to bring Massasoit's remains home in 2017.
AWA visted here
Warren, Rhode Island, United States
arc{hive} book + snackery
A Warren, Rhode Island bookstore where rare titles meet cocktails and no one asks you to leave.
AWA visted here
Fortunate Misfortunes of Frugality
Despite being one of the most wealthy people to ever exist, J. Paul Getty was famously reluctant to spend money, and always avoided paying full price.
Humble Humans
What’s a Palace with no Throne
The first building in Spain with electrical light was a "plug" that "sparked" Gaudi's career.
Architectural Wonders
Presented with
Contentious Liturgical Tunes
There once was a time when musical instruments were an unwelcome sound in this conservatory of music.
In The Details
The Renowned Royal Romance
Queen Victoria's memorial to her husband, Albert, who orchestrated what is considered the first "World's Fair" in 1851 at London's Hyde Park.
History Lesson
Vienna, Austria
Albertina Museum
Museum housing the most important print rooms in the world with approximately 65,000 drawings and approximately 1 million old master prints.
AWA visted here
Presented with
Candy Colored Community
Vibrant district home to Peranakan shophouses -- a taste of history & culture on the edge of Singapore's futuristic city-center.
Architectural Wonders
Presented with
Hemingway’s Haunts
Mesmerized by the area’s natural beauty, it was in Sun Valley that the author felt like he could finally live the life of his many idealistic characters—hiking, hunting, and enjoying time with locals that knew the rugged landscape.
Impactful Patrons
Presented with
The Sovereign of Sundaes
An ice cream shop that serves up the royal treatment.
Off-Centered Adventures
Presented with
Bows Versus Bogeys
The Old Course is enshrined in golf lore not only for being the oldest golf course in the world, but a site that also had a major impact on the modern game.
Adventure Curiously
Presented with
Timber’s Triumphant Return
AWA explores how timber is once again making a comeback as an essential construction element in the modern world.
In The Details
A Case of the Nosy Neighbor
This beloved gateway to the South Korean palace, has endured several rounds of damage and restorations over its first 600 years of existence.
Architectural Wonders
Presented with
Wacky Quacky Traditions
This college is virtually unchanged since its opening in 1438, whispering centuries of stories to its visitors. The most famous tale of all? A Duck on Parade.
Quality Quirks
Presented with
Collecting with Strings Attached
A crown jewel of historical artifacts in a place that was founded just a few years before the Magna Carta was signed.
History Lesson
Maritime Moments
Let's Discover
LIGHTHOUSE SEEKERS
As you may know, our hearts have a soft spot for lighthouses, but looks like we aren't the only ones attempting to visit as many as we can.
In the Wild
Costumed Community
Inspired by their favorite characters, see who brought the personas of Wes Anderson to life to celebrate spooky season.
Community Creators
King of the Con Men
A story of Old Western claims, nefarious activity, railroads, and lots of deception. Bring your pickaxe.
History Lesson
A Museum for the Mundane
Offering the unique experience of diving into the history of the industrialized northern counties of England, this museum is anything but standard.
Off the beaten path
The Semi-Recognized Center of the World
Welcome to Felicity, California — a tourist economy in a town of two, at the (semi-officially recognized) Center of the World.
Off the beaten path
Presented with
New Perspectives For A Piazza
The imperfect history of how the Leaning Tower of Pisa--and the attempts (failures) to fix its tilt.
Architectural Wonders
Antwerp’s Alternative Walkway
Upon entry to the subterranean tunnel, commuters travel through a 572 meter tiled passage under the river Scheldt and emerge via the world's first wooden escalator.
Architectural Wonders
Cryptic Coastal Communication
The KPH Maritime Radio Receiving Station still stands, saved by its historic legacy, a few highly dedicated volunteers… and a whole lotta luck.
History Lesson
A Wandering Wayfarer
A person who travels on foot is known as a wayfarer, and architectural photographer Wäyfarer taken to the streets to discover architectural wonders all around us.
Community Creators
Presented with
Glimpse of Gold Fever
Discover the mountain treasures of the birthplace of the Colorado Gold Rush and home of the first hot springs in America.
In The Details
Presented with
Pitstops to Playbills
The small, rugged town of Grand Junction was once no more than a pit stop along the train route between Denver and Salt Lake City. Then came the Avalon.
In The Details
Denver, Colorado, United States
Historic Elitch Garden Theater
Step into this historic palace for the arts and discover a success story for the ages, starring one of the most incredible women in American history.
AWA visted here
Presented with
Par For The Course
Over the years, The Masters rules and traditions have developed alongside a tailored piece of clothing.
History Lesson
Presented with
A History Set in Stone
A new hotel named after the Mother of Fort Collins...or is it Auntie?
In The Details
A Lifesize Dollhouse
We're not sure where you'll be able to fit your Queen-sized bed.
Quality Quirks
Presented with
An Oil Magnet’s Estate
Hundreds of years after Ponce De Leon went in search of a fountain of youth, Henry Flagler found paradise on the Florida coast.
Down the Rabbit Hole
Presented with
We’ll Take A Room & A Reuben, Please!
Gracing the old Lincoln Highway, this old hotel was famous for celebrities, Jazz Age luxury, and a deliciously iconic sandwich.
In The Details
Presented with
A Daredevil’s Dream
For the non-thrill seeker, it’s hard to imagine looking down on a steep-slope and thinking, “If I go fast enough, and put a ramp at the right spot, I bet I could achieve something close to flying!” The first ski jumpers simply must have been adrenaline junkies.
Down the Rabbit Hole
Alphabets, Activist, & Architecture
Everything in this hotel and museum is for sale, but the stories it holds are priceless.
Not your typical b&b
Buttering up to the Boss
This community staple was without a "movie staple" in its first decade.
Quality Quirks
Presented with
Not Your Typical Winter Wonderland
This illusion of a winter wonderland is located within the hot deserts of New Mexico.
Down the Rabbit Hole
Saigon’s Last Public Writer
Post offices are great at making sure nothing stays in place too long. But in Saigon, one man has stayed put for nearly 75 years — and he’s the last of his kind.
Humble Humans
Presented with
Past Pursuits of Female Artists
A truly surprising sight awaited visitors of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in the mid-1800s: female students.
In The Details
Custodial Keeper of Seaside Beacons
From a custom-built lighthouse apartment to an airplane-hangar-sized workshop, the story of Ingvar Hreinsson, the man who repaired every single lighthouse in Iceland, isn’t one you’ll want to miss.
Impactful Patrons
On Location: The French Dispatch
Wes creates fictional stories that take place in real places. Here, we visit the real places of The French Dispatch.
An AWA Original
Presented with
A Poet’s Home For Romance & Heartbreak
America’s fourth-oldest library has no shortage of stories to tell.
History Lesson
Presented with
Finding Art Amongst The Feathers
It’s not everyday you come across a library with no books.
Skilled Artisans
Making Of The Michelin Man
An art nouveau structure that tells the story of world famous company and it's mascot built en-tire-ly of tires!
Groundbreakers
Presented with
No Need For Sneaky Snacks
Though bringing your own food into a movie theater is typically frowned upon, owner Jerry Steel encouraged it.
In The Details
Presented with
From Farm To Fairgrounds
Unlike many amusement parks, Knott’s wasn’t built upon a movie empire or on the grounds of a leisure garden but a farm.
Down the Rabbit Hole
A Knightly Polish Parable
A holy site in Poland that not only built on the foundation of Christianity in the country but a rock with mystical powers.
History Lesson
Presented with
One Man, Many Mountains
Following in the footsteps of your heroes is never easy.
Adventure Curiously
Presented with
Tartans, Tailors, & Orphan Phone Boxes
The oldest tailor in Scotland is a marvelous shop of mystery and master-crafted bespoke suits.
Adventure Curiously
The Birth of the Burger
Who invented the Hamburger? A simple question that is actually a bit of a pickle to answer.
Off the beaten path
Presented with
Please Barter Responsibly
Before you know it, you’ve lost your clan’s castle in a drunken bet.
Adventure Curiously
The Southernmost Library
Thanks to atmospheric scientist Dr. Russell Schnell, the world can now claim to have Little Free Libraries on all seven continents.
Off the beaten path
A Long Strange Trip
Vermont may have the second smallest population in the United States, but that hasn’t hindered them from letting their freak flag fly—so high, in fact, it earned them an honorary nickname.
An AWA Original
Presented with
AWA On Display
Did you know that an Accidentally Wes Anderson Art Exhibition took place at the Philbrook Museum of Art?
AWA IRL
Not Your Average Leggings
This 5km canal tunnel once required 4 hours-worth of "leg-power."
Architectural Wonders
Presented with
Restoring More Than Comic Relief
Bob Hope once pledged “if I have to lay an egg for my country, I’ll do it.”
In The Details
Presented with
Mysterious Case of a Missing Masterpiece
A painting removed for a routine cleaning disappeared for decades.
In The Details
The ‘Slow Style’ Station of Antwerp
One of the most eclectic train stations in the world.
Architectural Wonders
Presented with
A Movie-Goers Mecca
A neighborhood theater that holds more than just a movie screen.
Down the Rabbit Hole
The Jovial Isle Of Iceland
Only six residents inhabit an island named the best in the whole world.
Off the beaten path
Ireland’s Perfect Pint
An Irish cultural phenomenon, Mulligan’s pub has welcomed the likes of Judy Garland, James Joyce, and John F. Kennedy.
History Lesson
Kyoto, Japan
Arashiyama Monkey Park
Be sure to leave your bananas inside the feeding hut.
AWA visted here
Presented with
Presented with
The Orchestra’s Big Secret
At center stage, Severance Hall's organ has more of a story than you think.
In The Details
A Mansion That Measures Time
One of the few ‘calendar houses’ in the world with 365 windows, 52 chimneys, 12 doors, and 4 towers representing the days, weeks, months, and seasons in a year.
Architectural Wonders
AWA Interviews Wes
Pinch us: AWA sits down with our inspiration, Wes Anderson, for a lovely chat.
An AWA Original
Presented with
The Lettuce Of Cabbage Key
A small island where tips are taped to the walls of the bar, and perhaps one of the most famous "Cheeseburgers in Paradise" is served.
Quality Quirks
Presented with
Floating Fishermen
These humble seafaring shacks are all that's left of a once booming fishing industry.
Off the beaten path
Calgary, Isle of Mull, Scotland
Bus Stop Bakes
This manless bake shop may possibly be the smallest in the world
AWA visted here
Presented with
Presented with
Hidden Wonders
Follow along on our journey as we dive into the history of Sotheby’s and the stories behind some of their magnificent jewels and timepieces.
Sotheby's
Milan, Italy
Castello Sforzesco
Leonardo frescoed the walls. Napoleon tore down the fortifications. Michelangelo's last sculpture now rests inside.
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Milan, Italy
Casa Manzoni
Alessandro Manzoni rewrote Italy's most famous novel in this house to help unify the national language after 1861.
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Milan, Italy
Church of St. Maurice in Major Monastery
A beheading fresco allegedly depicts the Countess of Challant, who was executed in 1526 for orchestrating her lover's murder.
AWA visted here
Milan, Italy
Hotel Principe di Savoia
Named for Italy's royal family, this 1927 hotel later housed German officers, then went back to hosting queens and presidents.
AWA visted here
Milan, Italy
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
Good luck, bad omens, great coffee: welcome to Milan's drawing room.
AWA visted here
Milan, Italy
Marchesi 1824
Seven Marchesi generations ran this pasticceria before Prada bought it in 2014. The panettone recipe remains unchanged.
AWA visted here
Milan, Italy
Teatro alla Scala Museum
Milan outbid J.P. Morgan in a 1911 Paris auction to keep opera history home.
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A Pocket-Sized Post Office
The post office, located along the U.S. Route 41, is in fact, the smallest full-service post office in the United States.
On the Road
Creative Cartelismo Of Queens
Brothers & artists who have been hand-painting signs for businesses in New York City for more than 40 years
Skilled Artisans
The Petite Parish
The self-proclaimed Guinness World Record holder for "Smallest Chapel in the World" is contested only by the Guinness World Record Organization itself.
Architectural Wonders
New York, New York, United States
Minetta Tavern
Established in the years following Prohibition, the Tavern quickly became a hotspot to enjoy a spirit in public, along with a dash of camaraderie.
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New York, New York, United States
Sushi Noz
An Omakase-style restaurant, meaning patrons don’t presume to order but rather they “entrust” the chef to offer the finest culinary experience.
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New York, New York, United States
Sant Ambroeus
In 1936, two pastry chefs joined forces to open a café just steps from Teatro La Scala, the legendary opera house.
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Presented with
Devonport, Tasmania, Australia
MS Spirit of Tasmania I
The Spirit of Tasmania I made waves in the media when she endured rough waters along the Bass Strait and returned safely.
From the Community
Presented with
Take It To The Bridge
“In bridge designing, the aesthetics are quite as important as engineering details. It is a crime to build an ugly bridge.”
Architectural Wonders
The Woman Who Brought Light To Ponte Caldelas
Oftentimes, the great innovators of our world conceive their grandest ideas in the humblest of domains, as was the case of Mamá Clotilde.
Groundbreakers
Unlikely Essential Workers
After the surprise attack at Pearl Harbor, Women answered the call to serve their country - promptly joining the workforces at one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States.
Groundbreakers
Washington DC, United States
Hillwood Estate
A mid-1950s Estate belonging to the heir of an American cereal empire showcases a lifestyle of 18th century European décor while also providing a space for the occasional philanthropic party…or two.
AWA visted here
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Washington DC, United States
The Renwick Gallery
Became the first museum intentionally designed for art to "encourage American genius," and so was dubbed the "American Louvre" to establish Washington as the cultural center of the nation.
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Washington DC, United States
Union Station
The 96-foot high Main Hall coffered ceiling is an example of an interior indebted to Burnham’s signature neoclassical design as its gold leaf trim reflects the natural light entering from the large Diocletian windows.
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Lake Como, Italy
Grand Hotel Tremezzo
This hotel is so steeped in romance, there are love letters literally embedded into its walls.
From the Community
Washington DC, Washington DC, United States
Frederick Douglass Memorial Hall
This campus building at Howard University was built in honor of abolitionist Frederick Douglass and designed by prominent African American architect Albert Cassell.
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From Siberia With Love
Antarctica is home to seven houses of worship - one made a long journey to serve parishioners at the at the bottom of the world.
Off the beaten path
The Rainforest Theatre’s Second Act
This grandiose opera arena has been declared one of the most beautiful opera houses in the world.
Architectural Wonders
East of Eastman
Exploring the home of Kodak and the origins behind the famous phrase “You push the button, we do the rest.”
An AWA Original
Finding Faulkner In The Frozen Food Aisle
During the renovation of the local library in Carmel, Indiana all the books are conveniently relocated to the nearest supermarket.
Quality Quirks
Presented with
Saving The Rarest Floating Lighthouse
Despite the sci-fi sounding name, this lightship is a rare homage to how ships are protected in deep or onerous terrain where it is difficult to construct lighthouses.
Off-Centered Adventures
Celebrating A Chic Shetland Shelter
Cold and unforgiving Shetland weather inspired a young schoolboy to write the local paper to build a new bus shelter for him and his classmates, but it ended up becoming more than a bus stop.
Quality Quirks
World Record Hot Air Balloonist
The oldest flight technology to successfully carry humans.
Groundbreakers
The Oldest Cinema In The World
Welcome to the world’s oldest cinema still in operation: Eden Cinema
Groundbreakers
Air, Land and Sea Adventures in Observation
The AWA team attempts to understand and predict the forces of nature... you may want to pack a raincoat just incase we get the forecast wrong
An AWA Original
A One-of-a-Kind View
The only drive-in + motor-lodge that lets you enjoy the feature presentation from the comfort of your motel room.
Not your typical b&b
The Landmark That Can’t Be Saved
A navigational structure whose fate is left in Mother Nature's hands.
Off the beaten path
Post Office at the End of the World
The absolute last stop in the Americas before continuing on toward Antarctica.
Off the beaten path
An Inn For Alien Aficionados
Located in the closest town to Area 51, this roadside inn invites travelers to enjoy food, lodging, and all things UFO.
Not your typical b&b
Jaipur, India
Patrika Gate
The original gates defended a fortified city. This one defends Asia's largest circular park on a traffic circle.
AWA visted here
Presented with
Washington, D.C., United States
National Museum of African American History and Culture
The National Museum of African American History and Culture underwent decades of development before it was passed as the first federally-owned African American museum in the U.S.
AWA visted here
Presented with
Los Angeles, California, United States
Eastern Columbia Building
Built in 1930, this former department store headquarters is considered the finest type of Art Deco architecture in Los Angeles.
Presented with
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
Hoan Bridge
Multiple delays in its opening earned this bridge the nickname, "The Bridge to Nowhere".
From the Community
In Search of Surprising Scovilles
We discover a cold concoction that is so hot no one younger than 18 is even allowed to try it.
An AWA Original
Kerhonkson, New York, United States
The Starlite Motel
This sixties style boutique motel from the Catskills of New York outfits each room with custom organic bath products and local artwork in a Miami art deco atmosphere.
AWA visted here
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Rosendale, New York, United States
Snyder Estate Natural Cement Historic District
This estate is the home of the famous Rosendale cement used in the construction of iconic U.S. monuments and landmarks.
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Vienna, Austria
Palmenhaus Schonbrunn
This Victorian-era palm house is home to over 4,500 plant species cultivated from all over the world.
Presented with
Agra, India
Kau Ban Mosque
Beyond the marble tomb: the Taj Mahal's active mosque, where 596 prayer spaces face Mecca and Mumtaz Mahal once rested.
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Chicago, Illinois, United States
Bel Harbour Pool
Take in a dip in the former celery capital of the USA.
Los Angeles, California, United States
United Artists Theater
This 13-story, LA-based theater built to showcase films from the United Artists studio also once held the largest private collection of Bibles.
Presented with
Berlin, Germany
Babylon
The famous organ of the Babylon cinema in Berlin was single-handedly saved by a 75-year-old engineer.
From the Community
Milan, Italy
Teatro Gerolamo
Originally a marionette theatre, this Milanese performing arts venue was reopened in 2017 following a restoration that renewed its 19th century glory.
Presented with
Los Angeles, California, United States
Griffith Observatory
This observatory's commitment to free public education has made it the most visited observatory in the world, averaging 1.5 million tourists per year.
Presented with
Jaipur, India
Hawa Mahal
An architectural veil: 953 windows where royal women watched the world they were forbidden to enter.
AWA visted here
Presented with
Jaipur, India
City Palace
A boy becomes king at eleven with barely enough cavalry—by fifteen, he's charming emperors and recalculating the cosmos.
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Milan, Italy
Teatro Franco Parenti
This venue for experimental and independent theater works has premiered performances that have come to define the country's cultural history.
Presented with
Vienna, Austria
Kunsthistorisches Museum
The "first" art catalogue and theft in Vienna's largest Art Museum. Two anecdotal tales of the Habsburg Empire's fascination with the Arts encapsulate the countless stories to be shared about Vienna's bedazzling institution.
AWA visted here
Presented with
Presented with
Milan, Italy
Teatro alla Scala
Founded in 1778 and regarded as one of the leading opera and ballet theaters in the world
Presented with
Los Angeles, California, United States
Union Station
Opened with great fanfare in 1939, this train station in Los Angeles remains one of the busiest in the western U.S.
Presented with
Milan, Italy
Pinacoteca di Brera
One of the first and most important museums in Milan, housing over 400 works from the 14th to the 20th century by master painters.
Presented with
Milan, Italy
Fondazione Prada
Founded by fashion designer Miuccia Prada and her husband Patrizio Bertelli, this art institute is housed in a former 1910's gin distillery.
Presented with
Kyoto, Japan
ICC Kyoto
This conference center was built from a design selected during Japan's first-ever public design contest.
AWA visted here
Presented with
Milan, Italy
Museo Nazionale Scienza e Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci
Dedicated to the Italian painter and scientist Leonardo de Vinci, this museum is the largest science and technology museum in Italy and features the Elea 9003 mainframe computer.
Presented with
Vienna, Austria
Österreichische Galerie Belvedere
Formerly the summer residence of an Austrian prince, this Baroque palace was one of the first public museums in the world when it began displaying artwork in 1781.
Presented with
Vienna, Austria
Vienna State Opera
Austrians took pride in this opera house. After a bombing in 1945, the building was reconstructed, and performances were broadcast on national television.
AWA visted here
Presented with
Vienna, Austria
Hotel Sacher
This five-star hotel experienced highs and lows over its 144-year history, but the one constant has been its signature Sacher-Torte cake.
From the Community
Presented with
Vienna, Austria
Josefsplatz
This public square in Vienna features a monument to Emperor Joseph II and is surrounded on all sides by historic buildings.
Presented with
Milan, Italy
Bar Luce
This Milanese bar actually falls under the category of "Intentionally Wes Anderson" as the director designed the interior himself.
Presented with
Los Angeles, California, United States
Georgian Hotel
Catering to Los Angeles high society, this hotel was among the first skyscrapers to call Ocean Avenue home.
From the Community
Presented with
Los Angeles, California, United States
Los Angeles Central Library
This library features an historic rotunda painted with intricate murals and a zodiac chandelier with 48 lights - the number of states at the time of construction.
Presented with
Vienna, Austria
Spanish Riding School
A traditional Austrian riding school for Lipizzan horses that dates back to the 1500s.
Presented with
Jaipur, India
Rajmahal Palace
She won Parliament by a world-record landslide, founded schools, and turned a garden palace into a political headquarters- beauty be damned.
AWA visted here
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