For as transportive as a great book or movie can be, disappointment (and even a little sadness) tends to arise from the realization that places like the Shire and Hogwarts aren’t, strictly speaking, real. That doesn’t mean you can’t visit some of these fictional places, however. In some cases, exact replicas have been built, and in others the original filming locations remain intact and open to visitors. Here are five famous fictional places you can see in real life.

Hobbiton – New Zealand 

“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit,” begins The Hobbit. When that first sentence was written nearly a century ago, it’s unlikely that J.R.R. Tolkien imagined that Hobbiton would one day be a real place. But it is, thanks to the success of both Tolkien’s books and Peter Jackson’s movies based on them, which were filmed in New Zealand. Today, millions of Lord of the Rings-obsessed fans from across the world flock to this island nation in the southwestern Pacific Ocean to step foot in the beloved fictional world at the Hobbiton Movie Set. There are several different experiences to choose from, including a few that include a mighty helping of Shire-accurate food — a must for anyone who believes in second breakfast as hobbits famously do.

Downton Abbey – England 

From its comforting melodrama to its endlessly endearing cast of characters, Downton Abbey is known for drawing viewers in to the point of obsession — so much so, in fact, that many have been tempted to head to England and seek out the real Downton Abbey. And while no such home with that name exists, Highclere Castle does. It served as the main filming location for the show, which aired from 2010 to 2015 and has since spawned two movies. 

Situated on 5,000 acres in Hampshire, the Jacobethan home was built in 1679, renovated in the 1840s, and used as a filming location for several high-profile movies and television series prior to Downton Abbey — a list that includes The Secret Garden, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, and Eyes Wide Shut. Though visitors can’t stay overnight at the castle, they can indeed visit it for tours or book an overnight stay at one of the two lodges on the estate grounds.

The Overlook Hotel – Colorado 

When Stephen King and his wife checked into the Stanley Hotel on October 30, 1974, they likely had no idea their lives were about to change. The acclaimed horror author had already set several books in his native Maine and, looking for a change, decided to head to Estes Park, Colorado. They were the only two guests at the hotel that fateful night, which ended up being as unsettling as you can imagine: “It was like God had put me there to hear that and see those things,” King later wrote. “And by the time I went to bed that night, I had the whole book in my mind.” That book, of course, was The Shining, which takes place at the Overlook Hotel, inspired by the Stanley.

The Stanley, which opened in a landmark Colonial Revival building in 1909, still welcomes guests today, who can take in epic views of the surrounding Rocky Mountains. For fans of horror and ghost stories, though, the hotel offers The Shining Tour and has several “spirited” guest rooms — including room 217, the one King stayed in and which inspired the film adaptation’s (in)famous room 237.

Tatooine – Tunisia 

Depending on where you live, a certain galaxy far, far away isn’t actually too remote. Star Wars enthusiasts are well aware that Luke Skywalker was raised on Tatooine, a desert planet known for having two radiant suns, but what they might not know is that those scenes — and many others in George Lucas’ space-opera franchise — were filmed in Tunisia. It wasn’t just the North African nation’s mainland that served as a key location, either. Djerba, an island just off the coast, is where sequences set at the Mos Eisley cantina and Obi-Wan Kenobi’s home were shot.

Many of the best-known Tunisian locations are from the original film, 1977’s Episode IV: A New Hope, but scenes were shot there across both the original trilogy and the three prequels released between 1999 and 2005. Today, you can take tours of some of the most important filming locations, including one that allows you to stay overnight in Luke’s humble abode in the town of Matmata. 

Dragonstone – Spain 

San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, an islet just off the Basque coast of northern Spain, was beautiful long before HBO’s high-fantasy series began filming there, but Game of Thrones certainly made it more of a visitor hot spot. With the location’s striking cliffs, sharp angles, and plenty of stairs, it’s easy to see why it was chosen to stand in for the ancestral seat of House Targaryen. Gaztelugatxe simply looks like it came from a fantasy novel. Getting there isn’t easy, but those who make the trek seem to enjoy it — especially if they make the hike easier by muttering “dracarys” under their breath. 

There’s a reason Italy is one of the world’s most popular countries to visit. From the ancient history of Rome to the vineyards of Tuscany and the gorgeous Amalfi Coast, there’s just about something for every type of traveler. While it’s just about impossible to cover all Italy has to offer in one trip, the following seven sites are among the country’s must-sees from north to south.

The Dolomites

In a country that’s famously home to the highest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites on Earth (59), one site that’s exponentially lesser known than, say, Venice or Rome is also among the most striking. The 18 peaks that make up the Dolomites, a sub-range of the northern Italian Alps, passed UNESCO’s Outstanding Universal Value test thanks to “a variety of spectacular vertical forms such as pinnacles, spires and towers, with contrasting horizontal surfaces including ledges, crags and plateaux,” among other standout features. 

But it’s not just the astonishing nature that makes these mountains unique: Having once belonged to Austria, a swath of this region retains much of that heritage — as you’ll discover if you’re visiting one of the local ski resorts during the snowy season, when the best refueling options include goulash, dumplings, and strudel. And though winter in the Dolomites is also magical for all the intimate, tucked-away holiday markets — complete with local takes on glühwein — the summer hiking among these dramatic peaks and valleys is equally tempting.

Trevi Fountain – Rome 

Considering the famous legend surrounding this stunning Baroque fountain (toss a coin in, and you’ll return to Rome someday), it’s fitting that the origins of the monument also pack plenty of lore. The official version of events holds that Roman architect Nicola Salvi won the rights to the project in a 1730 design contest. But there’s a backstory: Alessandro Galilei — yes, same family as Galileo — won first. But since he was a Florentine, the local outcry was so great that Salvi was awarded the commission instead. 

As for the fountain’s waters, even their original source — an ancient aqueduct called Acqua Vergine — comes with its own mythology. The sixth-century senator Cassiodorus once reportedly said, “The Aqua Virgo runs with delightful purity… as a never-clouded sky.” Either way, this water was so special that the Vatican used to have a standing order. No longer potable, what fills the fountain now boasts a different value: around $1.6 million in visitor coinage annually. Popularized by Frank Sinatra’s 1955 rendition of “Three Coins in the Fountain” in the film of the same name, the traditional Trevi toss helps fund everything from local food pantries to shelters.

Il Duomo – Milan

At almost 110,000 square feet and with room for 40,000 people, this gothic cathedral is Italy’s largest church. But Milan’s Il Duomo goes big on more than sheer size: The construction took nearly six centuries to complete, from 1386 to 1965, and to this day requires fresh supplies of Candoglia marble to touch up the stunning yet susceptible rosy-white facade. Then there are the big names involved in the project, from Leonardo da Vinci (one of many artists and architects who attempted a design for the difficult lantern tower) to Napoleon Bonaparte, whose coronation here spurred the completion of the facade. 

A standout figure of a different kind? The tally of resident statues, said to outnumber any other church in the world There are more than 3,400 in all — including an estimated 2,000 on the roof, where walking tours through the iconic spires tend to note the most prominent saints (the golden Madonnina), the least expected celebrities (20th-century heavyweight champ Primo Carnera), and everyone in between. For some visitors, however, the church’s biggest draw is actually quite small: a single nail believed to have come from Jesus’ cross.

Bridge of Sighs – Venice

Rare is the span of limestone (or anything, for that matter) that inspires an opera, a Pittsburgh prison, and a bid for eternal love. But rarity is Venice’s calling card, so if such a bridge were to be found anywhere, why not above the narrow canal that separates the courts of the Doge’s Palace from the prisons? 

However apocryphal, the backstory is as follows: when Venetian convicts got their last glimpse of the city as they crossed this 17th-century Baroque bridge to their subterranean fate, audible sighing routinely ensued. Thanks at least in part to one very famous translator — Lord Byron, who dubbed il Ponte dei Sospiri (“the Bridge of Sighs”) in an 1812 poem — the arch took hold of the popular imagination. Among the homages built in subsequent decades, Pittsburgh’s version was the only to link a jail to a courthouse.

A slightly more romantic take on the bridge emerged in 1861 with Jacques Offenbach’s operetta “Le Pont des Soupirs” (the French translation of its name) in which the bridge played a central role. But the most romantic possible appropriation of the bridge is now a time-honored Venetian tradition: Drift underneath in a gondola at sunset, as the bells of St. Mark’s Basilica toll, and kiss your beloved to ensure everlasting bliss together.

Boboli Gardens – Florence

Hidden behind Florence’s Pitti Palace is one of the most extraordinary examples of the Italian garden — a Renaissance fixture that became the fashion at every European royal court from Luxembourg to Versailles to Peterhof. Blending geometrically arrayed landscape elements with architectural installations, monumental statues, and various water features, these 111 acres have since become an open-air museum, with centuries’ worth of expansion and revision represented. 

Though work on the grounds began in the 1400s, the gardens didn’t get going in earnest until 1549, when Eleanor of Toledo — wife of the Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo I de’ Medici — bought the estate with grand-scale alfresco entertainment in mind. Medici court artist il Tribolo worked on the initial design, until his death ushered in a whole series of successors. Some of their most notable additions include the Buontalenti Grotto, the amphitheater’s obelisk (originally from Luxor), and, not least, the famed 18th-century rococo-style pavilion called the Kaffeehaus. While you won’t find refreshments there, you’ll at least find drinking fountains in some incredibly scenic spots, such as the Grotto of Adam and Eve, the Meadow of Columns, and the Garden of Madama.

Arco Naturale – Capri

Ubiquitous on bucket lists and honeymoon itineraries, Italy’s island of Capri is famous for its breathtaking natural beauty, and perhaps nowhere is that on better display than the island’s Arco Naturale (Natural Arch). It starts with the journey there: a leisurely stroll from boutique-lined Via Camerelle to Via Tragara — home to luxurious hotels and private villas. The street ends in a large terrace offering incredible views of the sea, the Amalfi Coast, the island’s mountaintops, and the famous Faraglioni rocks. From there, you’ll follow the narrow, coastline-hugging Pizzolungo footpath to the spectacular arch. 

Located on the eastern coast on the island, the Arco Naturale dates to the Paleolithic era and is all that remains of a deep, underground grotto that was only discovered in the aftermath of a landslide. The arch spans 39 feet and is about 59 feet high — a natural bridge of limestone framing a postcard-perfect view of the Mediterranean’s sparkling blue water. While there, don’t miss  the Grotta di Matermania, a cave where sacred rituals were believed to be practiced thousands of years ago. 

Teatro Greco – Taormina

Boasting dramatic views of the Ionian coast and nearby Mount Etna (one of the tallest active volcanoes in Europe), this ancient Greek theater on the east coast of Sicily was carved directly from the rock of Mount Tauro sometime around the third century BCE. Though originally built for dramatic performances by the Greeks, the Teatro Greco was later taken over by the Romans in the second century CE and repurposed for gladiator contests. The stunning amphitheater holds upwards of 5,000 spectators, making it the second-largest ancient theater in Sicily, after one located in Syracuse. 

The massive stone structure is divided into several distinct parts: a scene (stage) where the actors perform which features six Corinthian columns raised in the 1800s, an orchestra where either the musicians sat or gladiators fought, and a cave where spectators were seated. Though it’s nearly 2,500 years old, the theater continues to host performers such as Elton John, Bob Dylan, and Sting, and is also home to the Taormina Film Fest each June.

Museums take on many shapes and forms throughout the globe. Some are downright tiny — no more than a humble shed — while others cover thousands of square feet and exhibit centuries’ worth of history. In the United States, there’s a museum for just about every interest, and some contain collections that provoke fascination and wonder like few other cultural attractions can. Here are six of the most unique and unexpected museums to visit from coast to coast. 

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum – Boston, Massachusetts

Born in 1840, enigmatic socialite Isabella Stewart Gardner built up a personal collection of thousands of artworks during her lifetime. Her collection grew to include paintings, sculptures, textiles, manuscripts, photographs, artifacts, and letters from all over the world, so she built a mansion in Boston’s Back Bay Fens to house it all. Her four-story brick and stucco palazzo was inspired by Venice and embellished with original Roman, Gothic, and Renaissance architectural elements. Inside, the collection is both eclectic (see: a 17th-century silver ostrich from Germany) and world-class, with masterpieces by Botticelli, Raphael, and Matisse, among many others.

Gardner moved into the fourth floor when construction finished in 1901; the rest opened to the public as a museum in 1903. And the mansion — grand but intimate, surrounding a courtyard lush with palms — is just as she left it, as Gardner stipulated that nothing be rearranged or sold. But as sensational as the collection is, the Gardner may be most famous for an unsolved 1990 art heist that robbed the museum of priceless artwork, including pieces by Degas and Rembrandt.

Academy Museum of Motion Pictures – Los Angeles, California

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures opened in 2021, over budget and behind schedule, but the 300,000-square-foot museum was worth the wait. Designed by architect Renzo Piano, the striking institution encompasses two movie theaters flanking seven floors of exhibition space — the world’s largest museum dedicated to the art and science of moviemaking. 

The permanent collection includes cinematic treasures such as Rosebud, the sled from Citizen Kane; the only surviving full-size shark model from Jaws; the Mount Rushmore backdrop from North by Northwest; and costumes, set pieces, and ephemera from The Wizard of Oz, Black Panther, Star Wars, and everything in between.

Aside from preserving and celebrating these classic artifacts, the museum also intends to inspire dialogue about the future. The collection highlights filmmakers with diverse backgrounds and lesser-known movies — for example, an inaugural exhibit juxtaposed the canonical Citizen Kane with Real Women Have Curves, a landmark (if rarely seen) 2002 coming-of-age film hailed for its nuanced portrayal of Mexican American heritage.

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art – Bentonville, Arkansas

“Walmart” and “fine art” aren’t typically associated, but big-box heiress Alice Walton has founded a stunning museum dedicated to American art — and it’s free to the public. Situated on 120 forested acres in Bentonville, Arkansas (where the retailer is headquartered), the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art was built in 2011 and designed by renowned architect Moshe Safdie. 

The museum contains a world-class collection of American art, from colonial to contemporary, including masterworks by Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock, Georgia O’Keeffe, and many more. In addition to Crystal Bridges’ permanent collection, the museum frequently hosts exhibitions which bring in rarely seen works from private collections, as well as loans from other institutions around the world.

The site also contains Frank Lloyd Wright’s famed Usonian House, which was dismantled and moved from its original flood-threatened New Jersey location and reconstructed on the museum’s campus. And surrounding the museum are five miles of pristine trails that are open to the public for walking and bicycling. 

Storm King Art Center – New Windsor, New York

Storm King Art Center is only about an hour north of Manhattan, but it might as well be worlds away. Spanning 500 acres of rolling hills, woodlands, and grassy meadows, this bucolic outdoor sculpture garden is home to more than 100 monumental pieces by superstar sculptors from Alexander Calder to Maya Lin, Donald Judd, Richard Serra, Roy Lichtenstein, and Louise Bourgeois. 

Metal manufacturing moguls Ralph Ogden and H. Peter Stern purchased this Hudson Valley estate in 1959, intending to open a small museum dedicated to Hudson River School artists inside the property’s chateau. Storm King — named for the nearby mountain — opened in 1960, displaying works on paper, but Ogden shifted gears a few years later with a series of sculptures by Dan Smith. He thought the large-scale forms would work better against Storm King’s evolving outdoor landscape — which now features one of the largest collections of contemporary outdoor sculptures in the country. 

The Neon Museum – Las Vegas, Nevada

What began as a graveyard for Sin City’s retired neon signage is now the Neon Museum, spanning two acres in the city’s downtown area. The so-called “Neon Boneyard” features more than 200 neon pieces from past and present Vegas properties, including Caesars Palace, the Moulin Rouge, the Golden Nugget, and even Aladdin’s lamp from the long-gone Aladdin Casino. The iconic signs tell the story of Las Vegas’ rise, fall, and transformation from camp and kitsch into the sprawling and modern tourist mecca it is today. 

The museum’s guided tour begins at the former La Concha Motel lobby — designed by Paul Revere Williams, it was saved from demolition and relocated to serve as the museum’s visitors center. Back in the boneyard, you’ll take a trip back to the golden age of Vegas, with nine immaculately restored signs plus dozens of others in various states of disrepair. Salt Lake City-based sign producer Young Electric Sign Company (YESCO) has maintained this glittering resting place for Vegas’ neon markers since 1996.

Andy Warhol Museum – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

After groundbreaking artist Andy Warhol passed away in 1987, his hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, honored him with North America’s largest museum dedicated to a single artist. The 88,000-square-foot space first popped up over a century ago as a distribution hub for milling and mining equipment. Following a major renovation, the Andy Warhol Museum debuted in style in May 1994 with a 24-hour party and more than 25,000 attendees during its opening weekend. 

Start on the top floor — the chronology of Warhol’s life and work unfolds as you descend. Throughout 17 galleries, you’ll encounter many of the pop art pioneer’s most renowned pieces, including paintings of Campbell’s soup cans and Coca-Cola bottles, and silkscreens of Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, and Jackie Kennedy. Outside, even the parking attendant booth replicates a Warhol Brillo Box. In all, you’ll leave with a much greater understanding of Warhol’s life and work — the full collection includes approximately 60 feature films, 100 sculptures, 200 screen tests, 900 paintings, 1,000 prints, 4,000 photographs, and 4,000 videos.