The Secret Lives of Cities

“Anything will give up its secrets if you love it enough,” wrote scientist/inventor George Washington Carver. Unfortunately, even if there’s love in your heart, cities can be shy around strangers. A little inside info, however, can go a long way. No one likes a blabbermouth, you say? Then skip this feature and have fun jockeying for a table at that restaurant from your guidebook. But those who want the scoop on the hidden spots in your city of choice — from backroom speakeasies to quiet sanctuaries — read on. You may even end up falling in love. But for our sake, please don’t tell anyone who set you up.

MUSEUMS

Here’s where you’ll find exhibits that are anything but ordinary.

END OF THE ROAD
The dramatic setting of the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum

ARCHAEOLOGY RESEARCH AND PUBLIC FACILITY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WEST FLORIDA
PENSACOLA
Thanks to a hurricane that decimated a fleet of Spanish ships in 1559, the waters around Pensacola have been an archaeological treasure hunter’s dream. Since the first discovery in 1992, scientists and students at UWF have been keeping busy collecting and studying the artifacts, which can be seen at this free museum on campus. www.uwf.edu/anthropology/facilities

GERMAINE CAZENAVE WELLS MARDI GRAS MUSEUM
NEW ORLEANS
Looking for some inspiration for next year’s getup? Just upstairs from the legendary Arnaud’s Restaurant is a collection of more than two dozen lavish Mardi Gras costumes, including 13 belonging to Germaine Cazenave Wells (who reportedly reigned as queen of more than 22 Mardi Gras balls — more than any woman in history) as well as vintage photos and other memorabilia. www.arnaudsrestaurant.com

KENY GALLERY
COLUMBUS, OH
After you make your way down a narrow sidewalk and locate the tiny brass sign, cross the threshold of this 1850s worker’s cottage in German Village to discover a treasury of American art — historic to contemporary, fine to folk — collected by twins James and Timothy Keny. www.kenygalleries.com

MUSEUM OF BAD ART
BOSTON
Three galleries in the Boston area collect and celebrate art that makes Dogs Playing Poker look like the Mona Lisa — one of which is fittingly located next to the men’s room at the Dedham Community Theatre. Current works of “art too bad to be ignored” include Elvis on velvet and Woman Riding Crustacean (what appears to be a blow-up doll riding a giant lobster). www.museumofbadart.org

SANTA CRUZ SURFING MUSEUM
SANTA CRUZ, CA (61 MILES FROM SAN FRANCISCO)
Follow West Cliff Drive away from the boardwalk to a spot overlooking a small cove called Steamer Lane, where 20-foot cliffs plummet into the Pacific and surfers challenge the point break. There, a tiny, nondescript lighthouse harbors the world’s first museum of its kind, chronicling more than 100 years of surf history in Santa Cruz with bygone-era photos, videos and shark-attacked boards. www.santacruzsurfingmuseum.org

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MONUMENTALLY ODD

A tribute to the DC area’s overlooked memorials

••• There’s a monument on Maine Avenue at the waterfront dedicated to all Maine watermen.

••• At Tenleytown’s Fort Reno Park, hunt around for a small brass marker that designates 411 feet — DC’s highest point.

••• Fire up your engines and head to Glenwood Cemetery to see the grave of 19th-century fireman Benjamin C. Grenup, which depicts him being crushed under a firetruck.

••• If Muppets are your thing, make a rainbow connection with their creator, Jim Henson, and his iconic creation Kermit, who are immortalized in mid-conversation as bronzes sitting on a bench at Henson’s alma mater, the University of Maryland.

••• You need to use the force, or at least binoculars, to view the National Cathedral’s ode to the dark side: a gargoyle shaped like Darth Vader’s helmet. To find the Sith Lord, look high up the northwest tower.

CONTRIBUTORS: Jenn Plum Auvil, Diane Bair, Sarah Barker, Ilana Benady, Mary Bloch, Su Byron, Janie Campbell, Christina Couch, Pam George, Kristin Gorski, Erik Gunn, Jeanette Hurt, Edward Lewine, Bret Love, Betsa Marsh, Andy Mulkerin, Dyan Neary, Rod O’Connor, Andrew O’Reilly, Garin Pirnia, Sam Polcer, Constance E. Richards, Tricia Romano, Lilla Ross, Terry Ward, Tony Ware, Zachary Watterson and Pam Wright