The Weirdest and Most Unusual Buildings in Every State
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The Weirdest and Most Unusual Buildings in Every State
Not only are these peculiar buildings interesting to look at, but they're also full of fascinating facts. We've rounded up the most interesting historical structures in every single state that you'll have to see to believe.
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Alabama: Rosenbaum House
The L-shaped Rosenbaum House in Florence, Alabama is the only home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in the Southeast that the public can visit. The Usonian-style home was built in 1939 as an efficient, low-cost dwelling for a middle-class family.
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Alaska: Dr. Seuss House
This wacky 12-story private home located between Talkeetna and Willow, Alaska has been nicknamed the "Dr. Seuss House." The home, which was built by Anchorage attorney Phil Weidner, has remained unfinished for years.
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Arizona: Chapel of the Holy Cross
No matter what belief system you subscribe to, it would be hard not to have a spiritual experience while gazing out of the stained glass windows of the Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona, Arizona. Marked by a 90-foot cross and nestled among the red rocks nearly 200 feet above ground level, it was the Empire State Building that inspired sculptor Marguerite Brunswig Staude to build the cathedral, completed in 1955.
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Arkansas: Crescent Hotel
On the edge of downtown Eureka Springs, Arkansas you'll find the Crescent Hotel, which has been welcoming guests to the beautiful Ozark Mountains since 1886. Because of its rich history, the quirky spot has also earned the nickname of "America's Most Haunted Hotel"—guests can even take ghost tours of the property.
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California: Winchester House
The true story behind the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California inspired the 2018 movie Winchester: The House That Ghosts Built. When rifle heiress Sarah Winchester's husband died in 1881, she mysteriously spent decades transforming the original eight-room farmhouse into a sprawling 160-room mansion, complete with doors and stairways to nowhere.
RELATED: The Bizarre History of California's Winchester Mystery House
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Colorado: Bishop Castle
Jim Bishop has been constructing the quirky Bishop Castle in Rye, Colorado for nearly 60 years. The monument is built from stone and iron and features dozens of rooms, including an impressive grand ballroom.
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Connecticut: Gillette Castle
Once you step inside Gillette Castle in East Haddam, Connecticut, you'll find more than just a medieval-style fortress. Built in 1919, the 24-room castle has built-in couches, moveable tables on tracks, and beautiful wood carvings designed by actor and playwright William Gillette.
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Delaware: Grand Opera House
The Grand Opera House in Wilmington has been a landmark for more than 140 years. In 1871, it originally opened as a a home for the Grand Lodge of the Masons. Today, the Grand hosts more than 80 rock, classical, and jazz shows each season.
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Florida: Singing Tower
When visiting the 250-foot neo-Gothic Singing Tower at the Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, Florida, make sure to stick around for the 60-bell carillon concerts at 1 and 3 p.m. daily.
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Georgia: BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir
The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Atlanta, Georgia (a place of Hindu worship) is made up of three types of stone: Turkish limestone, Italian marble, and Indian pink sandstone. But what makes the building so exquisite is that the more than 34,000 individual pieces were all carved by hand in India.
RELATED: The Tiniest Town in Every State
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Hawaii: Iolani Palace
Iolani Palace in Honolulu, Hawaii is the only official royal residence in the U.S. Built in 1882, Iolani Palace was home to Hawaii's last reigning kings and queens until the monarchy was overthrown in 1893.
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Idaho: The Dog Bark Park Inn
Dog lovers can book a stay at this beagle-shaped inn through Airbnb. Built and run by artists Dennis Sullivan and Frances Conklin, the Dog Bark Park Inn in Cottonwood, Idaho features a loft bedroom and additional sleeping space above the dog's muzzle.
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Illinois: Aqua Tower
Soaring 82 stories above Chicago, Illinois, the sculptural Aqua Tower is the tallest building in the U.S. to have been built by a female architect, Jeanne Gang. The apartment building's eccentric terraces are designed to increase neighborly interactions.
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Indiana: West Baden Springs Hotel
Referred to as the unofficial "Eighth Wonder of the World" by some, the highlight of the West Baden Springs Hotel in Indiana is definitely its breathtaking 200-foot-wide atrium.
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Iowa: Iowa State Capitol Building
Located in Des Moines, the most significant feature of the Iowa State Capitol building, built in 1884, is its dome, which was constructed of steel and stone before being covered with 23-carat gold leafing.
RELATED: The 50 Most Scenic Drives in America
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Kansas: The Big Well
You'll find the Big Well in Greenburg, Kansas, where it was hand-dug in 1888 as the town's original water supply. The 109-foot-deep well now functions as a history museum.
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Kentucky: Bondurant's Pharmacy
The Bondurant's Pharmacy building in Lexington, Kentucky is just 32 feet wide and 30 feet tall, but its quirky shape (it was originally designed to look like a mortar and pestle) has made it famous. Opened in 1974 as a pharmacy, today the building houses a liquor store and has been made over to resemble a cocktail.
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Louisiana: The Pontalba Buildings
When you think of New Orleans' famous French Quarter, you probably conjure up images of buildings that look something along the lines of the exquisite Pontalba Buildings. Completed in 1851, the two row houses on Jackson Square are a mix of French, American, Creole, and Greek Revival styles.
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Maine: Portland Head Light
Just after the U.S. government took control of all lighthouse upkeep and construction in 1790, ground was broken on the Portland Head Light in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. It was completed in 1791; today you'll find a museum inside the former keepers' house, which dates back to 1891.
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Maryland: The American Visionary Art Museum
Not only does the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland have an intriguing exterior (the mosaics were were created by juvenile delinquents), the museum features offbeat works of art by "intuitive, self-taught" artists.
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Massachusetts: Ray and Maria Stata Center
Opened in 2004 and designed by architect Frank Gehry, the Ray and Maria Stata Center at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) features sustainable design elements and controversial, mind-bending architectural elements like tilting columns and swerving walls.
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Michigan: The Guardian Building
While downtown Detroit is littered with stunning Art Deco-style buildings, the Guardian Building is one of the city's most impressive. Built in 1929, the 40-story skyscraper features a beautiful marble-lined lobby and eye-popping mosaic ceilings.
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Minnesota: Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum
At the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, the public can visit the Weisman Art Museum for free. The Frank Gehry-designed structure was completed in 1993.
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Mississippi: Longwood Mansion
Neither long nor made of wood, the Longwood Mansion in Natchez, Mississippi is the largest octagon-shaped home in the U.S. Construction on the six-story mansion started in 1860, but the job was abandoned after the Civil War broke out a year later; to this day, the upper floors remain unfinished.
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Missouri: Gateway Arch
It's certainly not your typical "building." The Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri is both the tallest man-made monument in the Western Hemisphere and the tallest accessible building in the Show-Me State. Visitors can ride a tram to the top of this 630-foot monument for spectacular views of the Mississippi River.
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Montana: Montana State Capitol Building
Step inside the impressive rotunda of the Montana State Capitol building in Helena, Montana, and you'll see nods to the four types of people that heavily contributed to the state's early history: a Native American, an explorer, a cowboy, and a gold miner.
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Nebraska: International Quilt Study Center & Museum
The International Quilt Study Center & Museum in Lincoln, Nebraska is home to the largest quilt collection in the world.
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Nevada: Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health
The funky look of the sprawling Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, Nevada was designed by iconic architect Frank Gehry.
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New Hampshire: Mount Washington Hotel
The Mount Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire is so massive it has its own post office! When it opened in 1902, it was the most luxurious and over-the-top grand hotel in the White Mountains. The Y-shaped building was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986.
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New Jersey: Union Hotel
Built in 1878, the Union Hotel in Flemington, New Jersey played a major role in the infamous Lindbergh kidnapping. The 52-room hotel served as a command center for journalists and jurors as the trial for the kidnapping and murder of pilot Charles Lindbergh's baby took place at the courthouse across the street in 1934.
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New Mexico: Taos Pueblo
Experts estimate that the main part of the Taos Pueblo in Taos, New Mexico was built between 1000 and 1450 A.D. Today, it's considered to be the oldest continuously inhabited community in America.
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New York: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
When Frank Lloyd Wright designed the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in 1943, his one requirement was that it had to be "unlike any other museum in the world." Indeed, its ramp-style gallery follows a unique spiral-shaped walkway that winds its way from the ground level up to a skylight ceiling. In 1990, the museum was designated an official New York City landmark.
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North Carolina: Biltmore Mansion
The stately 250-room Biltmore Mansion in Asheville, North Carolina was built by George Vanderbilt as a country home in 1889 after he fell in love with the Blue Ridge Mountains. Today, visitors can tour the impressive main building as well as its gardens and winery.
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North Dakota: North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum
Inside Bismarck, North Dakota's Heritage Center & State Museum, you'll find everything from dinosaur fossils to artifacts that tell the story of North Dakota's history.
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Ohio: Longaberger Basket Building
Known as the "World's Largest Basket," this giant, basket-shaped building was originally built as the HQ for the Longaberger basket company. The quirky building, located in Newark, Ohio, was recently bought for a mere $1.2 million and is currently undergoing restoration.
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Oklahoma: Price Tower
The Price Tower in Bartlesville, Oklahoma is the only skyscraper ever designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Originally meant to be a New York City apartment building, the tower was eventually built in Oklahoma as an office building for a pipeline construction company in 1956. In 2003, part of the tower was turned into a hotel.
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Oregon: Pittock Mansion
Featuring an eclectic mix of architecture styles, the 46-room Pittock Mansion in Portland, Oregon was built in 1909 as a private home for Henry Pittock, the publisher of The Oregonian. Today, the Pittock Mansion Society operates the estate as a museum.
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Pennsylvania: Fallingwater
Frank Lloyd Wright's 1935 masterpiece, Fallingwater, was partially built over a waterfall, so that the home blends seamlessly into its natural surroundings.
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Rhode Island: The Breakers
Mansions don't come much grander than The Breakers in Newport, Rhode Island. Built as a summer "cottage" for the Vanderbilt family in 1895, the ornate building's designed was inspired by 16th-century Italian palaces.
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South Carolina: The Calhoun Mansion
Built in 1876, the Calhoun Mansion in Charleston, South Carolina features 35 rooms, 23 fireplaces, a 75-foot domed ceiling, and oodles of antiques. While the largest single family home in Chucktown remains a private residence, it is open to the public for tours.
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South Dakota: Corn Palace
The exterior walls of the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota are actually made out of corn, and the design changes every year.
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Tennessee: The Grand Guitar
Completed in 1983, the Grand Guitar in Bristol, Tennessee is a replica of a Martin Dreadnought guitar and was once home to a music museum.
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Texas: Prada Marfa
The compact Prada storefront in Marfa, Texas has never been open for business—it's actually an art project designed by the Berlin-based artist duo Elmgreen & Dragset.
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Utah: Beehive House
Built in 1854, the Beehive House in Salt Lake City, Utah was once the home of Brigham Young.
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Vermont: Dog Chapel
On a 150-acre plot of land in St. Johnsbury, Vermont called Dog Mountain, you'll find the Dog Chapel, where grieving pet owners can find closure after losing their beloved dogs. Inside, the walls are covered in tributes to canines that have passed away.
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Virginia: Monticello
Built in 1772, Monticello in Charlottesville, Virginia was once the home of Thomas Jefferson. In 2017, archeologists uncovered the living quarters of Sally Hemings, an enslaved woman who historians believe gave birth to as many as six of Jefferson's children. The room was just 14 feet and 8 inches wide by 13 feet long.
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Washington: The Seattle Public Library
The Seattle Public Library is an exquisite structure completed in 2004. The building is constructed with more than 4,000 tons of steel and more than 165,000 square feet of glass—in fact, all of the glass in the library would cover the length of over five football fields if laid out.
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West Virginia: The Greenbrier
The historic Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia has remained one of the most luxurious hotels in America since it opened in 1858—but for many years it hid a secret Cold War fallout shelter. Built between 1958 and 1961, the 112,000-square-foot bunker was built underneath the resort as a place for congressmen to flee in the event of a nuclear attack. It remained an active facility for over 30 years, until it was decommissioned in 1995.
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Wisconsin: Burke Brise Soleil at the Milwaukee Art Museum
This towering, 217-foot sunscreen at the Milwaukee Art Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin unfolds twice a day.
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Wyoming: Old Town Trail
Located along the way into Yellowstone National Park, the Old Town Trail in Cody, Wyoming is historic site filled with reassembled frontier-era structures and authentic furnishings.
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