There was a time in the United States when you could hop into a carriage pulled by ostriches—yes, ostriches! In the late 19th century, entrepreneurs in California and Florida tried to make these speedy birds a tourist attraction, offering everything from carriage rides to ostrich races and extravagant feathered fashion. But why did this quirky tradition disappear? In this video, we dive into the rise and fall of ostrich taxis and how they went from a strange fad to a nearly forgotten piece of American history.

The Park Avenue Tunnel in New York City, also known as the Murray Hill Tunnel, is a historic underground passage originally built in the 1830s to carry the New York and Harlem Railroad. Initially an open cut, it was enclosed in 1850, creating a tunnel that ran under what is now Park Avenue between 33rd and 40th Streets. The tunnel allowed trains to access Grand Central Depot, the predecessor to Grand Central Terminal, but in 1872, passenger train use was stopped south of the depot due to noise and safety concerns. In 1913, following the completion of Grand Central Terminal and the electrification of trains, the tunnel was repurposed for automobile traffic, making it one of the city’s unique thoroughfares for vehicles. Today, the Park Avenue Tunnel is occasionally used for art installations and remains a testament to New York’s evolving transportation infrastructure.

The tunnels beneath Los Angeles, spanning over 11 miles, are a largely forgotten network that dates back to the early 20th century. Originally, some of these tunnels served as streetcar routes, connecting commuters across the growing city during the heyday of LA’s public transit system. Other tunnels were built to link civic buildings, facilitating the discreet movement of prisoners, officials, and even money between courthouses, jails, and banks. During Prohibition in the 1920s, these tunnels became infamous as secret passageways for bootleggers transporting illegal alcohol to speakeasies, with entrances hidden in bars and basements throughout downtown. While the tunnel network has since fallen into disuse, it remains a fascinating relic of Los Angeles’ layered history, hidden just below the bustling streets.