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Sci-fi brings us some of the most strange and unforgettable places in all of fiction. Whether it's the towering city in The Empire Strikes Back, the neon-lit streets of Blade Runner, or the vast desert landscapes of Dune, the genre has a way of immersing its fans in fantastical and one-of-a-kind worlds. It's almost sad to think that these places don't exist in real life — no matter how much you wish, you won't find yourself on Gallifrey or aboard Serenity.
However, if you know where to look, you can find plenty of real-life places that seem as if they were pulled straight from a sci-fi movie. From the post-apocalyptic Svalbard Global Seed Vault in the Arctic to the UFO-inspired Buzludzha Monument in Bulgaria and the haunting Tower of David, there are locations that look like they've jumped straight out of a sci-fi narrative. Some are eerie, some are breathtaking, and some are just plain strange — but all are worthy of a sci-fi story.
10. Floating Cities of New York
From the Nautilus to Snowpiercer, science fiction has always had a love affair with high-tech, mobile vessels. These are like moving cities, capable of sustaining life wherever they go. While these vehicles don't yet exist, a few ships off the coast of New York City come pretty close.
More akin to Silent Running than Waterworld, the Science Barge, operated by the NY Sun Works, is a floating farm on the Hudson River. Completely self-sustaining, the ship uses wind and solar energy for power, vegetable oil for heating, and rainwater for its crops. If an apocalypse were to strike, this is where you'd want to be, especially if you're a fan of fresh salads.
On the other hand, near the Bronx in Long Island Sound floats a much darker vessel. The Vernon C. Bain Correctional Center, the world's largest prison ship, houses 800 inmates under medium to maximum security. This $161 million fortress, built to ease overcrowding at Rikers Island, features 100 cells, a law library, and even a basketball court on the ship’s roof.
9. The Glow-In-The-Dark Highway
We're constantly trying to design the car of tomorrow, but oddly, no one considers the roads these futuristic vehicles will travel on—except for Daan Roosegaarde. This Dutch artist decided it was time to revolutionize highway technology. Drawing inspiration from bioluminescent jellyfish, Roosegaarde developed the world's first glow-in-the-dark road.
Collaborating with the engineering firm Heijmans, Roosegaarde transformed Highway N329 in Oss into a glowing path. The paint used on the road is made of photo-luminescent powder, which absorbs sunlight during the day and emits a soft green glow at night. As drivers navigate in the dark, the road’s painted lines serve as streetlights. Roosegaarde hopes this 500-meter (1,600 ft) stretch outside Amsterdam will conserve energy, with plans to encourage other countries to adopt this innovation.
Roosegaarde isn't stopping there. Next on his agenda is applying the glow-in-the-dark powder to create weather symbols on the road. For instance, a snowflake could appear when temperatures drop, alerting drivers to potential snowfall or icy conditions. While these symbols are still under development, if the paint on N329 can withstand the daily traffic, Roosegaarde’s invention might just transform nighttime driving forever.
8. Gardens By The Bay
There seem to be two types of people when it comes to James Cameron’s blockbuster space epic, Avatar: those who adored it and those who absolutely despised it. Regardless of where you stand on the film’s narrative, there’s no denying that Pandora looks like a breathtaking destination—provided you steer clear of the menacing rhino-like creatures and the wolfish predators. Sadly, as stunning as it may be, Pandora is purely fictional, which led some fans to experience suicidal thoughts over the loss of this imaginary world.
For those who aren't as diehard, less extreme fans can still indulge their Avatar cravings by visiting Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay. This awe-inspiring park is the closest real-world equivalent to a glowing alien jungle, thanks to the towering 18 supertrees that rise up across the landscape. These incredible structures range from 25 to 50 meters (80 to 160 feet) in height, and while they don’t feature natural foliage, they’re adorned with over 200 species of ferns and flowers. Eleven of the steel trees are equipped with photovoltaic cells that convert sunlight into energy, powering the park, and they also collect rainwater. The trees are connected by walkways and illuminate beautifully after dark.
The park also features the Cloud Forest and Flower Dome, two massive biomes that house a collection of over 200,000 different plants, including olive groves, baobabs, and fynbos. These modern-day “arks” are climate-controlled and even generate their own power by processing horticultural waste through steam turbines. Observing photos of Gardens by the Bay evokes an Avatar-like feeling, blending nature and technology seamlessly in an awe-inspiring way.
7. The National Radio Quiet Zone
The Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope is an extraordinary piece of technology. Situated in the eastern region of West Virginia, this telescope is comparable in size to the Washington Monument. It weighs a staggering 8 million kilograms (17 million pounds) and occupies an area of 8,000 square meters (2 acres). Unlike traditional telescopes made for stargazing, the Green Bank telescope is designed to capture the sounds of the cosmos. As a radio telescope, it listens to radio waves emitted by distant stars and galaxies.
By the time the extraterrestrial signals reach Earth, they are incredibly faint—like a snowflake drifting to the ground. To detect these barely perceptible frequencies, the telescope is highly sensitive. As a result, anything that produces radio waves is either prohibited or heavily regulated at the Green Bank facility. Even the microwave in the cafeteria is enclosed within a special, shielded cage to prevent interference.
In an effort to reduce electronic interference, scientists took further precautions. In 1958, the Federal Communications Commission established the 34,000 square kilometers (13,000 square miles) around Green Bank as a “National Radio Quiet Zone.” This vast area, nearly the size of Connecticut and Massachusetts combined, is almost entirely devoid of cell phones and Wi-Fi. Power lines are buried 1.2 meters (4 feet) underground, people use dial-up phones and ham radios, and all but one radio station (which broadcasts at a low frequency) is prohibited. There is even a dedicated team of radio wave police who carry antennas and track down any unauthorized signal interference.
Preventing 21st-century technology from infiltrating the region is becoming increasingly difficult, but for the time being, the National Radio Quiet Zone remains a nostalgic reminder of life in the 1950s—with a futuristic space dish standing at its heart.
6. The Soviet Lightning Machine
Tucked away in the forests on the outskirts of Moscow lies a bizarre assortment of tubes, coils, and wires. Although it seems abandoned now, enormous machines like this were once created to generate lightning—an immense amount of it.
The Soviets constructed this Marx generator many years ago, and it’s rumored to have produced more power than all other generators in Russia combined. That’s more energy than every nuclear, thermoelectric, and hydroelectric plant put together, although Marx generators can only operate for a brief moment before shutting down.
The Russians utilized this wild contraption to test the durability of materials against lightning strikes. One notable example was when they reportedly subjected a Sukhoi Superjet to a lightning strike.
5. Rjukan, Norway
For over a century, the residents of Rjukan lived in perpetual darkness. Established in the early 1900s by Sam Eyde, the village was designed to accommodate workers in his Norsk Hydro factories. Rjukan is entirely surrounded by towering mountains, which means from mid-September to early March, the town was completely engulfed in shadow.
The townspeople were unhappy with their sunless predicament, but there wasn’t much they could do about it. Sam Eyde attempted to help by constructing a cable car that would carry people to the mountain's peak. During the bleak months, this was the only way anyone could enjoy even a few minutes of sunlight. However, bringing sunlight directly into the valley seemed impossible—until Martin Anderson arrived.
A traveling artist, Anderson built three solar-powered heliostats atop the mountain. Situated 450 meters (1,500 feet) above Rjukan, these computer-controlled mirrors follow the Sun across the sky, reflecting its rays into the town square. This ingenious setup provided 600 square meters (6,500 square feet) of glorious sunlight for Rjukan's sun-deprived inhabitants.
Rjukan isn’t the only village to use mirrors for sunlight. Viganella, Italy uses a single steel mirror to brighten its town, but although it collects more sunlight, it lacks the power and sophistication of Rjukan’s sci-fi heliostats.
4. Hong Kong’s AI Metro
With an on-time performance rate of 99.9 percent, Hong Kong’s subway system stands as the most punctual in the world. Its exceptional efficiency is due to a computer program developed by Hong Kong engineer Andy Chun. His unique algorithm quickly calculates the most effective ways to keep the trains running, far surpassing any human capabilities.
Each week, 10,000 workers ensure the tracks stay in peak condition. Night after night, they enter the tunnels once the trains have stopped, and in just a few hours, they complete over 2,600 engineering tasks. Prior to the computer program’s arrival, experts had to manually coordinate who would do what and where, a process that was far too time-consuming. Then Chun’s program revolutionized everything.
After consulting with numerous engineering professionals, Chun translated their expertise into a set of guidelines for his AI. Before the repair teams get to work, the AI analyzes a model of the subway system and pinpoints necessary tasks. It then compares various approaches, selecting the most efficient and quickest solution. The AI even cross-references its plans with city regulations to ensure everything is both safe and compliant.
Chun’s AI is so efficient that it eliminates two days of planning each week and gives workers an additional 30 minutes each night to maintain the tracks, saving the metro $800,000 every week. With such an effective program, it may not be long before computers run the subway completely—and as sci-fi enthusiasts are aware, that’s probably not going to end well.
3. Monkey Island
From Doctor Moreau to King Kong to Jurassic Park, islands have long been a staple of science fiction. These isolated landmasses are perfect for creating bizarre worlds and strange events that would be impossible on the mainland. While you might not find a real-world island filled with polar bears, enchanted wells, and time travel, many islands in the oceans have their own enigmatic stories.
Take Monkey Island, for example. Hidden deep in the jungles of Liberia, in the midst of the Farmington River, lies an island home to over 60 chimpanzees. Surrounded by water, these apes stay concealed in the trees during the day but rush to the shore when workers in white clothing arrive with food and medicine.
The tale of Monkey Island (although the creatures are chimps, not monkeys, it's a local nickname) begins in 1974, when the New York Blood Center opened a research facility in Liberia. Named “Vilab,” this facility was focused on finding cures for deadly diseases, which involved infecting over 100 apes with viruses like hepatitis, as chimps are the only non-human species susceptible to such illnesses.
The facility was shut down in 2005 due to evolving perspectives on animal testing, leaving the question of what would happen to the infected chimps. That’s when Monkey Island became the solution. The apes were relocated to an island where they would live out the rest of their lives in a comfortable and peaceful environment.
Today, the chimps are cared for by local teams in collaboration with the New York Blood Center. Most of the animals are in perfect health and show no signs of plotting any kind of revolt.
2. Americana, Sao Paulo
Alternative history is a fascinating subgenre of science fiction, delving into the intriguing "what ifs" of history. Take, for example, Philip K. Dick’s novel The Man in the High Castle, where the question is raised: "What if the Nazis had triumphed in World War II?" Similarly, many ponder the possibility of the Confederacy winning the Civil War. If you’re curious, you can visit Americana, Sao Paulo, and explore that alternate reality for yourself.
After Robert E. Lee’s surrender to Ulysses S. Grant, many Southerners were unhappy about rejoining the United States. Seeing this unrest, Emperor Dom Pedro II of Brazil extended an invitation to the disgruntled Southerners to emigrate even further south. Ten thousand people took him up on the offer, and while most returned to the South, 40 percent chose to stay in Brazil and founded the town of Americana.
Known as the “Confederados,” these settlers built a curious society reflecting Southern traditions. They established Baptist churches, flew the Confederate flag, and enjoyed Southern cuisine such as biscuits and black-eyed peas. When they weren’t using forced labor on cotton plantations, they reveled in antebellum-style balls and sang classic Southern songs.
Though the town has mellowed in terms of its Southern atmosphere, the descendants of the Confederados continue to speak English fluently and maintain a tradition of holding an annual festival. During this event, participants dress in Southern attire, host grand celebrations, and display the Confederate flag—right in the heart of Brazil.
1. The Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard Complex
A road trip through North Dakota unveils miles of open, grassy plains. However, if you happen to pass through the quiet town of Nekoma, you’ll encounter something truly strange: a massive concrete pyramid rising from the earth.
While it lacks the pointed top typical of Egyptian pyramids, this monolithic structure compensates with four eerie eyes. Each side features two concentric circles resembling a pupil inside an iris. As you approach, you'll also notice that the pyramid is enclosed by checkpoints and various buildings like an office, church, and gym. But most visitors probably won’t focus on these; their gaze will be fixed on the pyramid. What is this structure, and why is it standing alone in the desolate landscape?
At the center of the Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard Complex, this enigmatic pyramid was built in the 1970s. With a staggering cost of $6 billion, its sole purpose was to monitor for incoming Soviet missiles. The unsettling eyes on each side were radar systems scanning the skies for potential threats. Should a Soviet missile ever be launched, the pyramid’s personnel would have been tasked with using Spartan anti-ballistic missiles to shoot it down.
Beneath the pyramid, a vast network of tunnels sprawled throughout the complex, adding to its already intimidating infrastructure. In a typical bureaucratic move, the Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard Complex was only operational for less than a year. After its opening in April 1975, the government quickly grew concerned about safety issues. By February 1976, they flooded the tunnels and decommissioned the entire facility. In the end, that $6 billion investment was simply flushed away.
Eventually, the pyramid was sold for $530,000 to the Spring Creek Hutterite Colony, a peaceful, Amish-like community of pacifists.
