In many travel destinations, what you see is what you get. Postcard-perfect attractions — such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris or the Colosseum in Rome — are easy to find and therefore uber-popular. But not every city’s most fascinating attractions are so obvious. In such places, there is much more than meets the eye, and to find it, you’ll have to go somewhere unexpected: underground. The thrill of discovering these hidden treasures, secret ruins, forgotten cities, and landmarks beneath modern-day towns is an adventure in itself. Here are seven cities with secret underground ruins to explore.

Seattle Underground – Seattle, Washington

After the Great Fire of 1889 devastated downtown Seattle, the city needed a major infrastructure overhaul. Faced with constant flooding on the mud flats of Puget Sound (where most businesses were located), the city rebuilt on top of itself, encapsulating the old storefronts and sidewalks beneath layers of brick, steel beams, and soil. Some businesses continued to use the now subterranean levels of their buildings, but most built on top of them. 

By the early 20th century, most of these basements in the Pioneer Square neighborhood were abandoned. But as the decades passed, store owners and tour operators realized they had a compelling tourist attraction on their hands. Now, visitors can tour some areas of this mysterious underground city while walking alongside crumbling storefronts and 100-year-old artifacts, offering a glimpse into Seattle’s fascinating past.

Prohibition Tunnels – Moose Jaw, Canada

Situated along the Trans-Canada Highway in Saskatchewan, Moose Jaw harbors tales from early Chinese immigrants and legends of Al Capone’s Prohibition-era smuggling ring. These stories have one thing in common — they were rumored to use underground passageways beneath downtown. No one knows for sure who built the passageways, but one reasonable guess is that Chinese rail workers constructed them during the early 1900s. It is said that some workers lived underground for fear of their safety in the midst of racism. Others say that Al Capone enlisted his cronies to build the underground network to store and ship bootlegged liquor. 

Today, there are two popular tours of the tunnels for tourists. One highlights the story of Chinese settlers; the other speculates on Al Capone’s illegal enterprise in the city. Although the tours aren’t always true to fact, the underground passageways are genuine and steeped in history and mystery, offering a glimpse into the unique heritage of Moose Jaw.

Lava Caves – Auckland, New Zealand

New Zealand is no stranger to volcanic eruptions. Over many millennia, these eruptions have created lava tubes, which are winding underground tunnels formed by oozing molten material following an eruption. Hundreds of tubes lie beneath Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city. More caves are discovered yearly — some in remote fields, others in private backyards — and archaeologists are working to map and preserve them. 

Much to the surprise of early researchers, however, the caves weren’t empty. The Māori peoples began using them as burial sites for humans when they first settled in New Zealand in the 13th century. During World War II, members of the Communist Party occupied the caves and operated a covert printing press. While many of central Auckland’s caves are closed to the public for safety and conservation reasons, just outside the city are the Rangitoto Island lava caves, which are open for hikers to explore.

Wieliczka Salt Mine – Wieliczka, Poland

Salt has been mined in southern Poland since Neolithic times, and the first underground mine shaft at the Wieliczka Salt Mine was constructed sometime at the end of the 13th century. The lucrative salt mine not only made Poland’s king, Casimir III, very wealthy but also attracted people from around the region to see the impressive feat. The first documented tourist was famous astronomer and mathematician Nicolaus Copernicus in 1493; a statue of him lies along the Tourist Route in the mines today. 

The mine expanded greatly between the 16th and 18th centuries, and curious scientists, diplomats, and ordinary travelers continued to visit. At the time, visitors needed a special royal permit to enter and participate in the mine’s activities, including underground train rides, boat tours, and orchestra performances. Nowadays, mining has ceased, but its subterranean remnants are open to all tourists. Chandeliers light the way as you descend into the depths of the mine while walking along saline lakes. There’s even an underground Polish eatery, along with the impressive St. Kinga’s Chapel.

Vietnam War Tunnels – Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Just outside of Ho Chi Minh City in the district of Cu Chi are some of the best-preserved tunnels from the Vietnam War, which were once used by the Viet Cong to deter American and South Vietnamese forces. Thousands of miles of winding tunnels cross the region, dating to as early as the 1940s. Troops not only used the tunnels to set booby traps and transport supplies, but also lived in them during the height of the war. 

Today, these passageways are a popular tourist attraction where guests can learn more about the war’s devastating impact on the region. Visitors can crawl through tunnels and see defunct command centers and booby traps. The Vietnamese government has preserved these tunnels to encourage visitors to explore and honor the lives lost in the war.

Secret Canals – Cape Town, South Africa

A few yards below the Castle of Good Hope and the cobbled streets of Cape Town are a series of canals once used for defense and irrigation. Dutch settlers created most of the canals as early as the 17th century to direct water from Table Mountain downhill and through the city to tend to gardens and transport supplies. The canals were sealed off in the mid-19th century for hygiene reasons, and the city was built over them. Today, visitors can walk the web of brick passageways underneath downtown Cape Town — at times wading through ankle-deep water — as guides explain the region’s colonial history.

Cisternerne – Frederiksberg, Denmark

A relaxing stroll through Søndermarken park outside of Copenhagen can turn into a real adventure — if you dare to head underground. Two glass pyramids stand in a grassy area of the park, but unknowing passersby would have no idea there is a subterranean world waiting to be discovered. Beyond the doors are the ruins of a 19th-century water reservoir that has been transformed into a modern event space. 

Called Cisternerne, this massive cave once held drinking water for the residents of the Danish capital city. It was active from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century but was drained in 1981. Today, the Frederiksberg Museums use the reservoir’s empty hull as a unique art exhibition and installation space, blending history and modern art for all to enjoy.

Art abounds in every major city around the world, but visitors don’t always need to visit art galleries and museums to find creative inspiration. Many alleyways, parking garages, building exteriors, streetboxes, and other liminal spaces in urban areas have been reinvigorated by street art, graffiti, and sculptures. And other, more unusual, places are following suit. From bathroom stalls to subway stations, these surprising places to see art will make your next city getaway one to remember.

Cisternerne – Frederiksberg, Denmark

The dark, cavernous tunnels of the Cisternerne once formed a subterranean reservoir that stored some 4 million gallons of water for Greater Copenhagen from 1859 to 1891. The reservoir, located beneath Frederiksberg Hill, was permanently closed due to contamination in 1933, but it earned new life as an art museum in 2001. 

The only indication of the Cisternerne’s presence below is the pair of modern glass pyramids that serve as entrance and exit points. Once you descend beneath the park, you’ll explore a fascinating world of contemporary art exhibits and immersive installations that are open to the public year-round. Even the air inside — consistently 47 degrees Fahrenheit, with humidity near 100% — is unusual. The chambers are also not particularly well lit, so be sure to watch your step as you explore this unique collection.

Metro Station Murals – Stockholm, Sweden

Each of Stockholm’s 100 metro stations is a work of art, and together they form what many consider to be the longest art gallery in the world — 68 miles, to be exact. Since 1957, artists have illustrated and installed pieces through the underground tunnels, stairwells, and platforms, and even the city’s older stations have received a creative restoration. 

Some of the most striking stations include T-Centralen, adorned with blue flowers and vines painted by artist Per Olof Ultvedt, and Kungsträdgården, with walls featuring red, green, and white whimsical shapes painted by Ulrik Samuelson. The latter is lined with statue replicas of the exterior art at Makalös Palace, which burned down in 1875 and was converted into one of Stockholm’s most famous parks. 

Mmuseumm – New York, New York

Dedicated to exploring the modern world and the human condition, Mmuseumm in Tribeca may be the world’s only official art museum located in a former freight elevator shaft. Featuring shelves of curiosities, the 36-square-foot space is officially open Fridays to Sundays, but it is also accessible 24 hours a day via peepholes in the front door. The exhibits within Mmuseumm rotate seasonally, so New Yorkers and anyone visiting the Big Apple can obtain a new perspective with each repeat trip.

The Vaults – London, England

Beneath the Waterloo Tube station in London, a maze of former railway arches has become an immersive theater and alternative arts space. Known as the Vaults, the space includes the Leake Street graffiti tunnel, which was founded by the famous anonymous artist and political activist Banksy. Its large-scale works rotate often, and the tunnel has become one of the most popular places to experience the street art scene of Britain’s capital. 

Sammlung Boros – Berlin, Germany

Sammlung Boros in Berlin is a bit different from your typically opulent art gallery. It’s housed within a former Nazi bomb shelter erected in 1943 that also served as a prisoner-of-war camp after Germany fell to the Russian Red Army in 1945. However, the structure’s fortified walls don’t overshadow the impressive private collection owned by German entrepreneur Christian Boros. The space was converted into an exhibit to display his art in 2008, and the collection features works solely by international artists dating from 1990 to present-day. It is open to the public by appointment only.

Crypt Gallery – London, England

The former Crypt of London’s St. Pancras Parish Church once served as an air raid shelter during both world wars, but it has an entirely different purpose today. In 2002, the final resting place of 557 people was converted into a gallery space for contemporary 21st-century artists. The exhibit might seem spooky at times, but the contemplative works are sure to calm viewers who venture underground to wander these mesmerizing passageways. 

Bathrooms at John Michael Kohler Arts Center – Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Perhaps the last place you’d expect to see a work of art is behind a toilet, but at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, you’ll find just that. In the late 1990s, the art museum — known for its impressive collection of works from Wisconsin artists — commissioned six artists to transform its public restrooms into works of art. With tiled walls, carefully designed plumbingware, and other unique features, each stall showcases a creative and seamless blend of fine art and utilitarian design.

Lasco Project at Palais de Tokyo – Paris, France

As the largest contemporary art museum in Europe, the Palais de Tokyo holds many wonders within its walls, but the Lasco Project is perhaps one of the most riveting exhibits. Designed to showcase urban art in the form of graffiti and murals, the subterranean corridors are a nod to Paris’ eclectic art scene. Part of the exhibit is not even open to the general public and is for private viewing only. It contains pieces by renowned photographer and street artist JR and duo Os Gemeos, among other works.

Culture House – Washington, D.C.

Built in 1886, the Friendship Baptist Church in southwest Washington is one of D.C.’s oldest African American congregations. It received a colorful makeover by artist HENSE in 2013 and is now known as Culture House. A unique events venue with rotating contemporary exhibits, the former place of worship has become a beacon of creativity and community in this D.C. neighborhood.

Do you love hunting for vintage goods and antiques? You probably already know you often have to hit the road to find the best treasures, and luckily, there are dozens of annual yard sales to explore from coast to coast. Some of these shopping events even span multiple states, drawing thousands of antique hunters in search of one-of-a-kind items. And as an added benefit, you’ll be able to explore some of the country’s most charming small towns during your search. So, gather your cash and jump in the car to check out six of the best yard sales across the U.S.

127 Yard Sale – Alabama to Michigan

The world’s longest yard sale spans six states and covers 690 miles from Addison, Michigan, to Gadsden, Alabama. Taking place the first Thursday to Sunday of August each year, the event transforms stretches of rural highway into a haven of antiques and vintage treasures. The 172 Yard Sale isn’t just a shopping event — it’s a cultural and social phenomenon, drawing veteran vendors with fascinating stories and histories, as well as thousands of eager shoppers. To make the most of your shopping experience, pinpoint which regional items most appeal to you before you hit the road. Also consider planning your bargain hunting around other local tourist attractions to round out your visit once you’ve finished shopping.

100-Mile Yard Sale – Virginia 

On the first Saturday of July, Virginia hosts its highly anticipated 110-Mile Yard Sale, drawing enthusiastic crowds from across the region. Established in 2009, this sale has steadily gained popularity in the years since, extending beyond Route 360 to include neighboring towns. The result is a meandering route, so download a map to keep yourself on course. While the focus is on antiques and vintage treasures, vendors offer a diverse array of other goods for sale, too. 

Historic Highway 80 Sale – Georgia to Texas

Hundreds of vendors gather along historic U.S. Route 80 in this annual highway yard sale that runs across five states from Mesquite, Texas, to Savannah, Georgia. The East Texas Tourism Association has hosted the sale for 25 years running, and turnout in the Lone Star State is especially strong. Look for stalls set up in fields, churches, and parking lots along the route, and keep your eyes peeled for signs pointing to off-highway sales. Within the 400-mile stretch, you’ll find a host of antiques, collectibles, farm equipment, tools, houseware, furniture, toys, vintage goods, and other handmade crafts. The biannual event takes place during the third weekends of April and October.

301 Endless Yard Sale – North Carolina

North Carolina’s biggest annual yard sale covers a 100-mile stretch of U.S. Route 301. Hundreds of vendors flock to sell their antiques and vintage wares across five North Carolina counties, spanning from Weldon to Dunn. Held annually since 2013 on the third weekend in June, the 301 Endless Yard Sale is an ideal place to find vintage Americana goods, in addition to baby and children’s clothing and toys, antiques, collectibles, and crafts. The event was originally put together to promote travel, tourism, and economic development in many of the participating rural towns along U.S. Route 301. Today, the annual sale draws shoppers from around 20 states, while boosting hotel and restaurant sales all along the route. 

50-Mile Garage Sale – New York

Set in the picturesque Finger Lakes region of New York, the 50-Mile Garage Sale along U.S. Route 90 is the state’s largest yard sale. Held annually on the last weekend of July along the shores of Cayuga Lake, this event has been a local tradition since 1987, when founders Connie Reilly and Barbara Noden recognized the potential of uniting individual garage sales across New York state’s small towns into one coordinated event along Route 90. Today, the sale draws treasure hunters from California to Canada. A wide array of items, including antiques, handcrafted goods, household items, and even vehicles are all on offer.

Antique Alley – Indiana 

If your timing doesn’t align with the above garage sales, antique enthusiasts can always visit Antique Alley, Indiana’s year-round destination for vintage treasures. Two interlocking loop trails host hundreds of dealers offering their one-of-a-kind goods throughout the towns of Cambridge City, Centerville, and Richmond in Indiana, along with Lewisburg in Ohio. Cambridge City is considered the main hub of Antique Alley, with over a dozen antique vendors and several malls in a two-block radius, but visitors should follow the map to ensure they hit the shops they want. Expect to find handcrafted wood items, stained glass pieces, vintage clothing and furniture, glassware, and more. 

When conversations about road trips come up, famous journeys along the Pacific Coast Highway, Route 66, and Australia’s Great Ocean Road are often mentioned. But for an epic road trip adventure to beat all others, there’s really only one option: the Pan-American Highway. The world’s longest motorable road stretches for a whopping 19,000 miles across the Americas, starting in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, and ending in Ushuaia, Argentina. Below, discover the fascinating history of the Pan-American Highway and the highlights you shouldn’t miss on your epic road trip.

The History of the Pan-American Highway

The concept for the Pan-American Highway dates back to the First International Conference of American States in 1889. At the event, U.S. officials put forward an idea to build a transcontinental railroad to provide closer transport links and facilitate trade between neighboring countries. However, nothing came of the proposal until it was reintroduced as a motorable road at the Fifth International Conference, held in Chile in 1923. The idea was eventually approved in Cuba in 1928, and the participating nations signed the Convention on the Pan-American Highway in 1937.

Rather than being one official continuous road, the Pan-American Highway is an interconnected network of national highways in 14 countries. Starting in Alaska, it crosses through Canada, the lower 48, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Chile, before ending in Argentina’s southern Patagonia region. The first completed section was the 3,400-mile-long Inter-American Highway that connects Nuevo Larredo, Mexico, with Panama City, Panama. 

Since the highway’s inception, adventurous travelers have been lured by the opportunity to drive all the way from the Arctic Circle to the edge of Antarctica. While some take it slow, others take on the challenge of getting from the start to end in record-breaking times. In 2003, Tim Cahill and Garry Sowerby drove from south to north in 23 days, 22 hours, and 43 minutes. It is often cited as the record for the fastest trip by car. In 2018, Austrian cyclist Michael Strasser completed the journey on bicycle in 84 days, 11 hours, and 50 minutes — a Guinness World Record. Perhaps even more impressive is George Meegan, who walked the entire length from Ushuaia to Prudhoe Bay in a record 2,426 days.

Driving the Pan-American Highway Today

The beauty of traveling the Pan-American Highway is the ability to discover a huge variety of natural and urban landscapes along the way, along with myriad cultures, climates, and ecosystems. Among these many highlights are the glaciers and icefields of Alaska and Canada’s Yukon Territory, and major cities such as Albuquerque and Denver. Farther south, there are dramatic Andean peaks, verdant jungles, and the world’s driest nonpolar desert. The highway also passes through Quito, one of the world’s highest capitals.

An end-to-end road trip isn’t without its limitations, however. The Pan-American Highway terminates abruptly in Yaviza, in southern Panama, before picking up again 60 miles south in Turbo, Colombia. The space between these two locations is called the Darién Gap. It’s a region of difficult terrain — swampland and thick forested jungle — that is home to communities of Indigenous groups such as the Embera-Wounaan and Kuna peoples. There are no paved roads here, thus no vehicle access, and it’s also notorious for criminal gangs and smuggling. Instead, drivers have to ship their vehicle in a container and fly between Panama and Colombia. 

Those tackling the entire highway have one other water crossing to navigate: In southern Chile, it’s necessary to cross the Strait of Magellan, which separates the mainland from the island of Tierra del Fuego. Fortunately, it’s a short 30-minute crossing, and the ferries are vehicle-friendly. 

5 Must-See Highlights of the Highway

Whether you’re planning to cruise down a short portion of the Pan-American Highway or it’s on your bucket list to tackle the whole route, here are five stops you shouldn’t miss along your journey.

Whitehorse – Yukon Territory

After crossing the glacier and mountain-filled backcountry of Alaska, the highway enters the remote wilderness of Canada’s Yukon Territory. Whitehorse, the capital of the territory, offers insights into the daily lives of those who call these barren landscapes home. It was once an important stop during the 1898 Klondike gold rush, and legend states that the town got its name when prospectors mistook the rapids of Miles Canyon for horses. Paddle the Yukon River or follow the Yukon River Loop Trail to the decommissioned steamwheeler at the S.S. Klondike National Historic Site. Surrounding Whitehorse are 435 miles of hiking trails and more than 50 miles of cross-country ski trails. 

Cerro de la Muerte – Costa Rica

At almost 11,000 feet above sea level, the zigzagging mountain pass that climbs over Cerro de la Muerte (Hill of Death) marks the highest elevation on the Pan-American Highway. Nestled amid the Talamanca Mountain Range, it’s named after the perilous crossings that were once made on foot, which were often hindered by dramatic temperature changes and landslides. Driving the pass entails navigating steep curves and switchbacks, but along the way are a number of pullouts and viewpoints, where you can gaze over the jungle-clad Talamanca mountains toward the Pacific Ocean. The region is also rich in birdlife, notably emerald toucanets and quetzals.

Nazca Lines – Peru

In the desert lands of southwestern Peru, the highway passes one of South America’s most mysterious sites. The UNESCO-listed Nazca Lines are a collection of hundreds of giant geoglyphs that were etched into the sand sometime between 500 BCE and 500 CE. Measuring up to 985 feet in length, these geoglyphs depict everything from birds, flowers, and trees to a monkey and a fishermanlike figure. Who made them remains unknown, which only adds to their magical aura. One of the best ways to see them is from an observation tower located roughly 15 miles from the city of Nazca. Another way is to take a 35-minute scenic flight over 13 of the most important geoglyphs. 

Atacama Desert – Chile

From the Peruvian border, the highway continues into Chile and the Atacama Desert. Bounded by the Andes to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west, the desert sits at around 8,000 feet above sea level and is one of the driest places on Earth. Cruising through the 600 miles of this region involves long, lonely drives past ethereal, often inhospitable landscapes that resemble something from another planet. (In fact, NASA used the region for testing to replicate conditions on Mars.) Humberstone — a ghost town that was once a thriving saltpeter mining community — is now home to abandoned grocery stores, a hotel, and a theater that sit isolated beneath the scorching desert heat. Farther south, Chañaral is a gateway to penguin watching in Pan de Azucar National Park and surfing at Portofino Beach and Balneario Flamenco.

Ushuaia – Argentina

The journey on the longest road in the Americas reaches its terminus in Ushuaia, which proudly calls itself the Fin del Mundo (End of the World). Considered the world’s southernmost city, Ushauia sits on a hillside above the shores of the Beagle Channel at the bottom of Tierra del Fuego Province. It honors its extreme southerly location with a set of unique attractions such as the End of the World Train and Cerro Castor, the southernmost ski resort in the world. Visitors can also access nearby Patagonian forests and glacier lakes in Tierra del Fuego National Park and wildlife-spotting cruises on the Beagle Channel. Ushuaia is also a starting point for arduous sea voyages across the Drake Passage to Antarctica.