Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

This guide to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in London centers on the Great Pagoda, the ten-storey Chinese-style tower Sir William Chambers built in 1762 as a gift for Princess Augusta, who founded the gardens. It follows the pagoda's odd wartime turn, when military scientists cut holes through every floor to use the tower for a very different purpose. Along the way you'll hear the story of the eighty gilded dragons that once lined its roofs, and the rumor that grew up around their disappearance. Look up at the eaves as you circle the tower.