1

The first toll

Image: Barry A

When the bridge first opened to cars, the toll was 50 cents each way, $1 for a round trip, and an additional 5-cent charge for cars carrying more than three passengers. While this may not seem like much today, that money was crucial in covering the construction costs. In today’s terms, the toll would be equivalent to about $11 .

2

The Half-Way-to-Hell Club

Image: Rasmus Gundorff Sæderup

Building this massive suspension bridge was no easy task, and the story of the "Half-Way-to-Hell Club" members proves just how dangerous it was. These 19 workers were on the job when they slipped and fell from the bridge . But in the midst of their fall, something saved them : a safety net placed under the bridge, an ingenious and innovative safety measure for the 1930s.

3

A different picture

Image: Leo_Visions

While it's hard to imagine the Golden Gate Bridge without its iconic "International Orange" color, the original plan was actually quite different. During construction, they considered painting the bridge black and yellow to give it visibility. However, when the architects saw the beautiful reddish-orange hue of the primer, they decided to keep it. We have to say we're glad they didn't go with the original idea!

4

Good citizens

Image: Zoshua Colah

San Franciscans redefined what it meant to be good citizens when, during the Great Depression, they helped fund the Golden Gate Bridge by putting up their homes and farms as collateral to make the project a reality. This incredible show of faith during one of the nation's toughest economic times is truly inspiring.

5

Really heavy

Image: Leo_Visions

With its immense size and structure, it’s no surprise that this imposing bridge is incredibly heavy. Even so, the number might still shock you: The Golden Gate Bridge weighs around 894,000 tons! That's nearly the equivalent of 2.5 Empire State Buildings!

6

5,000 - 10,000 gallons

Image: JOSHUA COLEMAN

Its weight goes hand in hand with its size: the bridge is about 1.7 miles long from end to end, and its towers rise 746 feet above the water. This means the amount of paint required to cover it is anything but small. To repaint the bridge, between 5,000 and 10,000 gallons of its iconic color are used.

7

Dangerous challenges

Image: Anastasia R.

The completion of the Golden Gate Bridge had its challenges. In 1935, a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the area, causing the entire San Francisco Bay Area, including the bridge under construction, to shake violently. One worker reportedly recalled that the south tower swayed 16 feet in each direction while several of his colleagues stood on it!

8

200,000 pedestrians

Image: fan yang

The grand opening of the Golden Gate Bridge on May 27, 1937, was far from low-key. Before it was opened to cars, a "Pedestrian Day" event took place, where an extraordinary 200,000 people walked across the city's brand-new bridge, each paying 25 cents to do so.

9

Once the tallest of its kind

Image: Casey Horner

As a suspension bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge is impressive not only for its size but also for its engineering. In fact, when it opened in 1937 and until 1964, this San Francisco landmark held the world record as the tallest suspension bridge in the world!

10

800,000 people

Image: Kiko Camaclang

Yes, the 200,000 people who attended the bridge's opening made for a huge crowd. But 50 years later, that number quadrupled! That's right; during the 50th anniversary of its opening, around 800,000 people walked across the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. It's hard to even imagine what such a giant crowd would look like!

1

Martha Washington

Image: Boston Public Library, CC BY 2.0

Let’s begin with the inaugural first lady of our country. In May 1789, Martha Washington inaugurated the role of First Lady of the United States when she arrived in New York City to meet her husband, George Washington. Interestingly, the name "First Lady" wouldn’t be used until some time later. Instead, Martha was simply referred to as "Lady Washington".

As you would expect, Martha Washington installed practices that went on to become traditions held by many future First Ladies, including receptions to the general public during New Year’s Eve. Furthermore, President Washington asked Martha to hold special drawing room events at their residence. These social gatherings became instrumental in forming what was known as the "Republican Court" , an influential group of American intellectuals and politicians.

2

Rosalynn Carter

Image: Tatiana V. Konokotina, CC BY 4.0

According to Rosalynn Carter , she first became attracted to her husband, future president Jimmy Carter, when she saw him in a photograph dressed in his U.S. Navy uniform. What followed is a long and prosperous love story, which only ended in 2023 after Rosalynn passed away at the age of 96 years old.

During her tenure as First Lady, Rosalynn became an advocate for mental health and women’s rights, and she continued to support these causes through her work in the Carter Center. Both Rosalyn and President Carter were awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1999.

3

Barbara Bush

Image: NIAID, CC BY 2.0

Few First Ladies hold the honor of being both the wife and the mother of a U.S. President, and Barbara Bush is one of them. She served as the First Lady during the presidency of George H. W. Bush, who acted as the 41st U.S. President from 1989 to 1993.

Although she presented herself in an almost apolitical manner, Barbara often engaged in charity work, most notably in campaigns to fight illiteracy. After her husband’s presidency ended, she continued to work in campaigning for her sons, including our 43rd President, George W. Bush.

4

Eleanor Roosevelt

Image: FDR Presidential Library & Museum, CC BY 2.0

Eleanor Roosevelt is remembered as the longest-serving First Lady in U.S. history. However, the legacy of this amazing figure is not limited to this fact. Roosevelt is considered to be one of the most groundbreaking First Ladies in history, completely revolutionizing the function.

Roosevelt took an active role during her husband’s terms, actively engaging in public events, travels, and cultural activities. Not only that, she was instrumental in President Roosevelt’s involvement with the then-newly formed United Nations. Eleanor served as a delegate to the U.N. General Assembly, acting as the leading figure behind the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

5

Nancy Reagan

Image: Bill Varie, Los Angeles Times, CC BY 4.0

Just like her husband, Nancy Reagan’s career before the White House was filled with the glamour and excitement of Hollywood. Between the 1940s and 1950s, she starred in several blockbusters such as "The Next Voice You Hear...", "Night into Morning", and "Donovan ’ s Brain", acting under her maiden name Nancy Davis.

In 1952, she married then-fellow actor Ronald Reagan, the president of the Screen Actors Guild at the time. Nancy first served as First Lady of California when her husband was governor of the state, and later on as First Lady of the country in 1981.

6

Lady Bird Johnson

Image: City of Boston Archives from West Roxbury, United States, CC BY 2.0

Some First Ladies (although not many) are better known by their nicknames, and that’s certainly the case with " Lady Bird" Johnson . Born Claudia Alta Taylor in Karnack, Texas, this First Lady’s nickname comes from the fact that her nursemaid apparently stated that young Claudia was as "pretty as a ladybird".

When she was in her early 20s, Lady Bird met a young congressional aide named Lyndon B. Johnson after a mutual friend introduced them. The First Lady would later declare that she felt "like a moth drawn to a flame" on that first meeting. A few weeks after their first dates, the couple married and went on to have two daughters, Lynda Bird and Luci Baines.

7

Jackie Kennedy

Image: Florida Memory

For many Americans, First Ladies are the pinnacle of glamour. Their impeccable manners and warm personalities perfectly match their classy outfits. In that sense, Jacqueline "Jackie" Kennedy is considered to this day an international icon, known for her daring yet elegant attire and her devotion to their family and her country.

Jackie met President Kennedy, then U.S. Representative for Massachusetts, at a dinner party held by journalist Charles L. Bartlett. A year later, in 1953, the couple married in an event that was listed as the social event of the season. Jackie took a rather active role in her duties as First Lady. She conducted a massive restoration process of the White House and often joined her husband on many trips abroad, becoming a beloved cultural ambassador for America.

8

Hillary Clinton

Image: Hillary for Iowa, CC BY 2.0

Hillary Clinton is definitively the person on this list with the most political experience. She was Secretary of State, Senator for the State of New York, and presidential candidate. However, we shouldn’t overlook the fact that she dutifully served as First Lady of the United States while her husband was in the White House.

While the world knew her as Hillary Rodham, she entered Yale Law School in the early 70s, where she met a fellow law student by the name of William "Bill" Clinton. They married in 1975 and welcomed their only daughter, Chelsea, in 1980.

9

Michelle Obama

Image: Tim Pierce from Berlin, MA, USA, CC BY 2.0

Following her graduation from Princeton University, a young lawyer by the name of Michelle LaVaughn Robinson started working in a Chicago law firm, focusing on marketing and intellectual property law. During her time in this office, she met another young lawyer named Barack Obama. Did any of them know that they were meeting their future spouse?

Let’s now jump to the year 2009: Barack Obama was the first African-American President of our country, and Michelle Obama became the First Lady of the United States. During her time in the White House, Michelle took a stand against many difficulties, like poverty, childhood obesity, and illiteracy.

10

Betty Ford

Image: Image courtesy of Betty Ford Center, Attribution, via Wikimedia Commons

Elizabeth Anne "Betty" Ford holds the unique distinction of being the only person on this list to have been both the First and Second Lady of our country. She acted as the latter while her husband Gerald Ford served as Vice President to Richard Nixon, and she became the First Lady when Nixon resigned from the presidency.

However unexpected her rise to the role was, Betty Ford is fondly remembered as one of the most courageous First Ladies of our country; she was not afraid to speak her mind and get involved in politics. During her time in the White House, she became known as a passionate defender of the Equal Rights Amendment, as well as a public spokesperson for breast cancer awareness.

1

Igloo City, Alaska

Image: Tim Oun

Igloo City in Cantwell, Alaska, is a massive, unfinished hotel built in the 1970s that never opened due to building code issues . Despite multiple owners and redevelopment plans, it remained abandoned and eventually deteriorated too much to renovate.

Now a roadside oddity between Fairbanks and Anchorage, its giant igloo shape continues to draw curious visitors.

2

Spectre Set, Alabama

Image: Dan Meyers

The abandoned film set of Spectre from Big Fish still stands on a private island along the Alabama River. Originally built for the 2003 movie, the town was left behind after filming and has slowly decayed.

Fires and flooding destroyed much of it, but a few buildings, spooky trees, and crumbling columns remain, giving the site a haunting atmosphere.

3

Dogpatch USA, Arkansas

Image: Matt Gross

Dogpatch USA, a hillbilly-themed park in Arkansas based on the Li’l Abner comic strip , opened in 1968 but never met visitor expectations. With low-key attractions and rustic charm, it struggled to draw crowds and ultimately closed in 1993.

Attempts to sell the land largely failed, and parts of the park still stand abandoned. While some parcels have been sold over the years, most of the site remains a curiosity for urban explorers.

4

Gibraltar, Delaware

Image: Johannes Beilharz

Hidden behind a stone wall in Wilmington, Delaware, Gibraltar is a crumbling 1840s mansion surrounded by beautifully restored gardens . While the house itself is abandoned, ivy-covered, and slowly decaying, the gardens remain vibrant and full of life.

5

Atlanta Prison Farm, Georgia

Image: Dan Meyers

The Atlanta Prison Farm has sat abandoned for over 25 years , now covered in graffiti and fast-growing kudzu. Though there's talk of turning it into a regional park, disagreements between counties have stalled any concrete progress.

6

Custer Ghost Town, Idaho

Image: Ruth Durbin

Custer, Idaho, was born from the 1870s gold rush, and later grew after a fire destroyed the nearby town of Bonanza. As mining dried up, the once-busy one-street town was abandoned, leaving behind rusted equipment and relics like a bullet-riddled poker table.

Thanks to its designation as a historic site in 1981, parts of Custer have been restored. Summer visitors can tour cabins, a schoolhouse, and the old saloon.

7

Cairo, Illinois

Image: Steffen Lemmerzahl

At the southern tip of Illinois, Cairo once thrived as a key port town during the steamboat era and later as a railroad hub. But as industry shifted and economic opportunities dwindled, the city entered a long period of decline.

Today, Cairo is eerily quiet. Its historic downtown is filled with crumbling buildings and boarded-up windows , and decay is spreading into nearby neighborhoods.

8

Knightridge Space Observatory, Indiana

Image: Daniel Gregoire

Hidden in the woods near Bloomington, Indiana, the Knightridge Space Observatory was built in the 1930s for early astronomers . Its wooden dome once held a four-ton telescope, but city growth and light pollution made it obsolete.

Abandoned since the 1960s, the building was left to decay, with its dome rusted shut, the floors unstable, and the telescope relocated. It has since been demolished due to safety concerns.

9

Waverly Hills Sanatorium, Kentucky

Image: Dan Meyers

Waverly Hills Sanatorium opened in the early 1900s to treat tuberculosis patients with rest, fresh air, and isolation . As the epidemic grew, the facility expanded to hold hundreds of patients, including children.

After closing in 1961, it became a nursing home but was shut down in 1982. Today, Waverly Hills is famous as a haunted attraction, drawing ghost hunters and tourists from around the world.

10

Jazzland, Louisiana

Image: Dmitry Lakhno

Jazzland was a theme park in New Orleans that opened in 2000. After major investments, it reopened in 2003 as Six Flags New Orleans. Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the park was submerged, with murky floodwaters destroying roughly 80% of the property. Rides were wrecked, stands overturned, and only the Batman coaster survived on higher ground .

Deemed too costly to repair, the park was abandoned and now draws curious urban explorers.

11

St. Mary's College, Maryland

Image: Pavel Neznanov

Built in 1868, St. Mary’s College trained young men for the priesthood until declining enrollment forced its closure in 1972. The abandoned campus, soon nicknamed "Hell House," became a hotspot for ghost stories, local legends, and thrill-seekers.

12

Yellow Creek Nuclear Power Plant, Mississippi

Image: Lukáš Lehotský

Yellow Creek was one of 17 nuclear plants planned by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in the late 1970s, but construction was halted before completion. The cooling tower base and nearby processing building were left abandoned .

Originally intended to process nuclear fuel components, the site now stands as a vast, unfinished shell.