The Buddhas of Bamiyan were two massive statues of Guatam Buddha carved into the side of a sandstone cliff in central Afghanistan. They were blown up with dynamite in 2001 when the Taliban deemed them as idols. The statues were 115 and 174 feet tall.

When asked about the ancient statues, the man who ordered their destruction, Taliban supreme leader Mullah Omar, said, “I did not want to destroy the Bamiyan Buddha. In fact, some foreigners came to me and said they would like to conduct the repair work of the Bamiyan Buddha that had been slightly damaged due to rains. This shocked me. I thought, these callous people have no regard for thousands of living human beings - the Afghans who are dying of hunger, but they are so concerned about non-living objects like the Buddha. This was extremely deplorable. That is why I ordered its destruction. Had they come for humanitarian work, I would have never ordered the Buddha's destruction.”

The destroyed statues were the largest to show a standing Buddha in the world. (There is a larger statue of Buddha, the Leshan Giant Buddha, but this one is seated.) A video of the destruction can be seen here. 

The House on the Rock was designed as a tourist attraction by Alex Jordan and was first opened to the public in 1959. Built atop a column of rock close to the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s estate, rumor has it that Alex Jordan began to build the House on the Rock after Wright said he wouldn’t hire Jordan to design a “chicken coop” for him.

“House” is bit of a misnomer because the attraction is more of a complex. Each room is distinct and houses various collections. Visitors are led along a set path and encounter rooms filled with toys, automated musical instruments, and the “world’s largest indoor carousel.” There’s a Wildlife Room, an Oriental Art Room, and an Organ Room.

The “Infinity Room” opened in 1985. This room juts out from the rock the rest of the building sits upon into open air over 200ft above ground.

Hard to believe such a strange complex exists in Wisconsin of all places but if given the opportunity it seems to be a place necessary to experience, even if just for the stories.