Zoos became popular in the late nineteenth century as public attractions, even though they have been around in one form or another for centuries. Historically, a number of monarchs have kept private zoos, especially in Rome and the Far East. However, these zoos, as well as most nineteenth- century zoos, were not much more than rows of cages. Mortality rate of the animals, and handlers, was fairly high. Read the Full Article

The squared circle, as it’s affectionately called, is the center of all (well, most) of professional wrestling’s action. What may seem to be just three sets of ropes tied to a few steel posts is actually a carefully designed structure built to enhance the wrestling experience. Read the Full Article

Almost every cop movie or secret agent film has a scene on the firing range. Why? Because it’s a chance to show off new weapons, to highlight the character’s skill with firearms – or to show the skill of the bad guys. Weapons trial areas are important for anyone who works with firearms or experimental weapons, and any good cop, field agent, or soldier puts in regular hours at such a place. This gives them the chance to try different weapons, to perfect their aim and ease with their preferred weapon, and to get their weapons repaired if necessary. It’s also a good opportunity to see what other locals use, and how their aim is, which can give people an edge if they ever wind up trading bullets with each other. Read the Full Article

As long as people have had stuff, they have also struggled to house it all. Warehouses are the most utilitarian manifestation of this desire – a building dedicated solely to storing things. The standard warehouse of 100 years ago looked remarkably similar to today’s version, and the warehouse of the future will probably also be very familiar. Read the Full Article

Few places are as evocative as a temple, particularly an ancient one. Whether large or small, ornate or spartan, these timeworn edifices are monuments to religion, faith, and dedication. Temples can be a refuge for the hunted and the lost, and a bastion against tyranny. Bur tl1ey can also be the source of tyranny, d1e headquarters of a religion determined to conquer and rule. Read the Full Article

Stadiums are fascinating places, particularly for people-watching. Often people go to a sporting event less to watch the event itself than to watch the other spectators. Young and old, rich and barely scraping by, families and loners: all sorts go to stadiums. Of course, the groups do segregate themselves, which is also interesting to watch-the rich buy box seats or front-row season tickets, while the working- class get seats up in the nosebleed section. Groups of college students or other young adults cluster together, usually in the cheap seats, while more elderly attendees huddle together in the back where they don’t have to walk far to their seats. Families often go with other families, creating a single Large mass, while loners find seats by themselves and sit curled up to avoid attracting attention. Read the Full Article

Traversing the vase depths of interstellar space, a spaceship is many things co its passengers and crew: safety, transportation, convenience, home. Available in a myriad of shapes and sizes constrained only by style, technology, and budget, the spaceship might house the foes of the players’ characters or serves them as a base of operations from which to explore the w1known. When used as an adventure location instead of a vehicle, the spaceship provides many exciting adventure possibilities. It might be the object of a search – buried under arctic ice, crash-landed in the jungle, or hidden in the depths of the sea. Or, it can serve as a means of bringing the adventure to the characters, with its alien crew contacting or abducting them. Read the Full Article

Nothing says Old World decadence like a showboat. These are not the luxury liners of today, but the slow, stately paddleboats of the previous century that meandered up and down the Mississippi and other large rivers. Men and women who can afford the steep prices travel down the Mississippi on these elegant vessels, drinking, dining, and sometimes gambling in the well-appointed salon and the impressive grand ballroom. Less affluent travelers buy economy tickets, which lets them take the riverboat but does not give them access to its top deck. Of course, where the rich and powerful gather, those who would prey upon them also appear, and showboats are a favorite haunt of showgirls, musicians, con artists, and the famous riverboat gambler. But the fact that these people are out to steal from, swindle, or seduce the rich only makes the journey more exciting. Read the Full Article

Some organizations and individuals can operate openly, like the police, licensed private detectives, or a law firm. But others must conceal their identity and operations, for whatever reasons. And those who need concealment need a place where they can do their work in secret, without anyone suspecting. That requires a secret headquarters. Read the Full Article

Schools come in many shapes and sizes, depending on the level of education they provide, as well as the school’s era and geographical location. Rural schools meant for children under the age of 12 can have as few as five or six rooms altogether, while even relatively obscure universities are often sprawling complexes of single- and multi-story classroom buildings, residence halls, and research facilities. Read the Full Article