ARCHITECTURE

Soldier Field, home of the Chicago Bears, which stopped being a national landmark in 2006.

National Historic Landmarks Can Lose Their Status—Here’s How

The National Park Service can revoke designation if a landmark “ceases to meet criteria.” Here’s what that means.

You Can Sleep in a UFO in the Middle of Joshua Tree National Park

Long before it became a Joshua Tree glamping dream, this UFO-shaped 'Futuro House' lived at the first Playboy Club Hotel.

The 12 Most Googled Questions About the White House, Answered

The White House’s location hasn’t ever changed, but it’s seen a lot of renovations in its 229 years.

5 Precariously Placed Monasteries

Medieval monks picked some very isolated places to build their monasteries.

The Hess triangle, still spreading spite to this day.

New York City’s Legendary Hess 'Spite Triangle' Will Soon Be For Sale

David Hess’s family wanted everyone to know that their tiny sidewalk triangle wasn’t public property—so they wrote that message right on it.

These $1 Italian Houses in Troina, Sicily, Come With Up to $30,000 in Restoration Grants

Italian houses have been sold for $1 before, but these Sicilian ones boast a prehistoric past and views of Mount Etna.

From some angles the bolwoningen appear to be caught in open-mouthed surprise.

Bolwoningen: The Golf Ball-Shaped Homes of Den Bosch, Netherlands

For golf (or ping-pong) enthusiasts, Netherlands’ ‘bolwoningen’ could be the coolest houses of all time.

Noudbijvoet, via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY 3.0

The Shortest Street in the World Is in Scotland, and Has Just One Address

Ebenezer Place in Wick, Scotland, is 6 feet and 9 inches long, and it's home to only one street address.

A portion of the skull wall at Huei Tzompantli.

Archaeologists Uncover a Wall Made of 119 Skulls at Mexico City’s Huei Tzompantli

Aztec peoples considered human sacrifice an integral, life-sustaining ritual, and the sacrificial skulls were prominently displayed.

See 6 of the World’s Most Iconic Structures From Above

The Eiffel Tower, the Colosseum, and the Statue of Liberty are instantly recognizable from the ground, but the aerial views of these structures are less familiar.

China Is Now Home to What May Be the World’s Most Stunning Bookstore

With its high arches and mirrored ceilings, Dujiangyan’s latest bookstore seems like it goes on forever.

Meet Your Home's Microbes in The Great Indoors

Author Emily Anthes explores the thriving communities of bacteria and fungi with which we share our abodes—and what they reveal about us.

The tunnels around Chicago's Green Mill Lounge are rife with Prohibition lore.

The Facts and Fiction of Chicago's Prohibition-Era Bootlegging Tunnels

When people think of 1920s Chicago, stories of bootleggers, speakeasies and Al Capone naturally come to mind. The Uptown tunnels are just part of the roaring ‘20s Chicago story.

A gold-embossed religious text from the 15th century.

Rare 16th-Century Textiles and Manuscripts Pulled Out of Giant Rat Nests in English Manor House

“I see it, I like it, I want it, I got it.” —Ariana Grande and also the avaricious rats of Oxburgh Hall.

Veronique de Viguerie/Stringer/Getty Images

Lead from the 2019 Notre-Dame Cathedral Fire Detected in Paris’s Beehives

Honey from hives downwind from the Notre-Dame fire contained 3.5 times as much lead as Parisian honey collected before April 2019.

This wasn't actually the original spire.

Notre-Dame Cathedral’s New Spire Will Be an Exact Replica of the Old One

Architects had previously suggested replacing Notre-Dame Cathedral's famed spire with a rooftop pool, a greenhouse, or a giant sculpture of golden flames.

The Tallest Cemetery Monument in New Orleans Was Built Out of Spite

Moriarty Monument in New Orleans's Metairie Cemetery is both a heartfelt memorial and a petty demonstration of wealth.

A 1910 postcard depicts the Modern Woodmen of America sanatorium in Colorado Springs, Colo.

The Tiny Tuberculosis Huts of Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs boasts fresh, dry air and abundant sunshine—just what tuberculosis patients of the late 19th century needed.

Why Is the White House White?

The White House looks lovely against the lush green lawn, but that’s not why it was originally painted white.

Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater in Pennsylvania.

You Can Take a Virtual Tour of Fallingwater and More of Frank Lloyd Wright's Most Famous Buildings

More than a dozen Frank Lloyd Wright properties, including Taliesin and Fallingwater, have volunteered to share virtual tours in the coming weeks.

A photo of the Pompeii ruins from November 2019.

Explore Two of Pompeii’s Excavated Homes in This Virtual Tour

Before the Mount Vesuvius eruption of 79 C.E., these homes in Pompeii featured gardens and impressive art collections.

A reconstruction of Spiš Castle in eastern Slovakia.

7 Historic European Castles Virtually Rebuilt Before Your Very Eyes

Indulge your medieval castle fantasies with reconstructions made possible by a little modern-day magic we call GIF technology.

Take a 40-Minute Virtual Tour of the Winchester Mystery House

As long as it's closed during the coronavirus outbreak, the Winchester Mystery House will be offering free virtual tours online.

The Beverly House—Setting of The Godfather and JFK's Honeymoon—Is Up for Sale for $125 Million

The Beverly House has ties to John F. Kennedy, William Randolph Hearst, and 'The Godfather'—and it just hit the real estate market.

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