Place to see: Hampton Court Palace, Hampton, United Kingdom

About this place:

Hampton Court is an interesting blend of Tudor palace and Baroque architecture. Originally a Tudor palace owned by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, and then Henry VIII, it was almost demolished in the 1600's by William and Mary, but the money was not there for Sir Christopher Wren to rebuild entirely, so they built new grand apartments on the back of the palace. The result of this is you take the tour from the front, which is Tudor, and after walking through many grand rooms, you open a door and walk into what feels like a different century. You go from dark wood paneling to huge white rooms with soaring painted ceilings.

The gardens are extensive, they have a large maze, the oldest (in use) real tennis court in the world, a fully restored formal garden, and enormous topiary trees. The palace is also home to numerous ghosts, 2 of which are wives of Henry VIII, Jane Seymour and Catherine Howard. In 2003 a security camera caught a blurry figure closing a door, which many people believe is a ghost, though nobody at Hampton Court has claimed responsibility, and they swear it isn't a hoax on their part.