Opera Garnier :: Paris, France

Opened in 1875, Opera Garnier is an amazing example of Neo-Baroque architecture at its finest. Designed by a then unknown French architect Charles Garnier, Opera Garnier has served throughout the years as one of the principal venues for Parisian Opera and Ballet. It is known by many names such as Opera de Paris, Palais Garnier, and Paris Opera, with its most official name being Académie Nationale de Musique. It is the thirteenth theater to house the Paris Opera since it was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV. The theater was built over a fifteen year span on the orders of Napoleon III as part of a reconstruction project. Construction was Read more

Mütter Museum :: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

When most people think of going to a museum, they typically have visions of grand paintings, ancient Egyptian artifacts, or perhaps a celebrity wax figure or two. Rarely do they imagine encountering a preserved nine foot long two foot in diameter human colon, a mysterious deceased woman composed of adipocere, and the skeleton of two children born with separate bodies, but one head. No, you will find these unique and somewhat disturbing oddities nowhere else but at the Mütter Museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1859 by Dr. Thomas Dent Mütter via his donated collection of medical curiosities to the College of Physicians of Philadelphia; it was originally intended to function as a medical research facility. It got its first permanent home at Locust and 13th Street nearly five years later with close to 1800 one of a kind specimens, skeletons, models, and illustrations. It has since Read more

Jungle Island :: Miami, Florida

Situated on Watson Island in Miami, right between Miami Beach and Downtown Miami, is a wonderful interactive theme park that teaches about and features an amazing array of animals. Jungle Island is home to a variety of birds, mammals, primates, reptiles and fish and features some very unique animals like Ligers. Originally founded in 1936 and named Parrot Island, the park was located in southwest Miami and was one of the first tourist attractions established in the area. In the early 2000s it was decided that the park would move to its new Watson Island location and the previous park’s land was rededicated and developed into Pinecrest Gardens, a public park that features a Botanical garden, butterfly exhibit, petting zoo and more. Read more

PortAventura Resort & Parks :: Spain

Located one hour south of bustling Barcelona is PortAventura, a theme park and resort that is among the largest in Europe. The park was originally built as a joint effort by the Tussauds group, Anheuser-Busch and Universal Studios and is currently owned and operated by Criteria with the original three no longer holding a stake in it. It has evolved into a complete themed resort destination boasting four wonderful 4-star hotels as well as the PortAventura Theme Park, the Caribe Aquatic Park and a Beach Club. The resort even has Read more

Tenement Museum :: Manhattan, New York

The United States of America is a hodgepodge, a mishmash, a melting pot of cultures, religions, ethnicities, and ancestry. The vast majority of its citizens hail from countries far from its promising shores. Often times, these families came here with little more than the clothes on their backs and the dream of a better life. As they crossed into the Hudson River and walked the cold floors of Ellis Island, myriad immigrants would soon find themselves living in the tenement slums of New York City. The Lower East Side Tenement Museum is a monument to these hardscrabble folk; poor working class families struggling to Read more

Europa-Park :: Germany

With over 4 million visitors a year, Europa-Park is the most popular theme park in Germany and the most popular seasonal theme park in the world. The park is usually opens for its summer season a few days before Easter and remains open until the beginning of November; it also reopens for winter season from the beginning of December through the second week of January. Following its name, the park is divided into fifteen different areas most named after European countries or regions. The park is run by the Mack family, who have been producing roller coasters since 1921, and was opened in 1975 to showcase many of their different ride models. The park is home to ten roller coasters and Read more

Museum of Bad Art :: Boston, Massachusetts

Everyone knows about the Louvre, Tate Modern, and The Met. But for those lesser known artists (lesser known because they kind of sucked) there is the Museum of Bad Art. Housed in two Boston area galleries in Massachusetts (the first in Dedham the second in Somerville), the Museum of Bad Art (MOBA) features what it calls “art too bad to be ignored”. Opened in 1994 by Scott Wilson, Marie Jackson, and Jerry Reilly, MOBA began with one specific work entitled “Lucy in the Field with Flowers”; a work commissioned by the family of Anna Lally Keane which did not turn out quite as expected. Wilson found the painting by a Dumpster and Read more

Busch Gardens :: Tampa Bay, Florida

An hour west of Orlando on Florida’s beautiful Gulf Coast, you’ll find yourself on the edge of Africa at Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay. In the 1950’s, beer-brewer Anheuser-Busch started a beer garden and a bird show by its new brewery in Tampa Bay, and in a stroke of weird brilliance, wildlife-lover August A. Busch Jr. added a 70-acre Serengeti Plains, which featured wild, free-roaming animals. Today, you can experience up-close encounters with giraffes and elephants, take an unforgettable safari and test your courage on pulse-pounding coasters, or catch live entertainment all year long. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay features multiple beautiful gardens including trees, plants and flowers from all over the globe. Enjoy them Read more

Mall of America :: Minnesota

Covering more enclosed floor area than any other mall in the entire United States, Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota is a testament to consumerism and capitalism like no other. Not simply a parking spot for retailers, Mall of America is a hot bed of entertainment, dining, events, and so much more. You could easily come here every day for a week and still not experience everything they have to offer. Opened in 1992, it is undergoing an expansion project that has it poised to become the official largest mall in America, both in retail space (where it is currently second) and in floor area. This expansion project is expected to include Read more

Dreamworld :: Queensland, Australia

When most people think of a theme park, they think of it as being only for kids and thrill seekers. Not so with Dreamworld in Queensland, Australia. Opened in 1981, Dreamworld is now home to two parks: the original Dreamworld, and opened in 2006, Whitewater World. They boast of thirteen different “worlds” you can visit in the main park. Everything from Nickelodeon Central and Wiggles World for the kiddies, to Tiger Island and the Wildlife Experience for nature buffs, to the IMAX Theatre and Main Street for those who prefer a more casual laid back sort of vacation; it’s truly amazing how Read more

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