actres in bikini

Extremely bizarre works of modern art in which the human body is exploited. Some of the images are gruesome – you have been warned!

Rhythm O’
Marina Abra


Performed in 1974. In the piece, the audience was given instructions to use an array of 72 provided instruments of pain and pleasure, including knives, feathers, and a loaded pistol on Abramovic’s body. Audience members cut her, pressed thorns into her belly, put lipstick on her, and removed her clothes. The performance ended after six hours when someone held the loaded gun up to Abramovic’s head and a scuffle broke out.

Trans-Fixed
Chris Burden


Burden was so influential in the realm of body art that I just had to include another of his pieces in this list. Trans-Fixed took place in 1974 at Speedway Avenue in Venice, California. For this performance, Burden lay face up on a Volkswagen Beetle and had nails hammered into both of his hands, as if he were being crucified on the car. The car was pushed out of the garage and the engine revved for two minutes before being pushed back into the garage.

Martyrs and Saints
Ron Athey


In this 1993 performance Athey hung nude strung up to a column with long needles inserted into his head in such a manner as to represent a crown of thorns. His stated artistic intention is to achieve redemption through self-mutilation. The image above is the best one that could be found.

Shoot
Chris Burden


This is one of Burden’s most well known acts. On November 19, 1971 in Santa Ana, California, he walked into F Space gallery for a pre-arranged exhibition. The crowd in the empty gallery watched as Burden’s friend stepped about 15 feet away from Burden, pulled out a loaded .22 rifle and shot him in his left arm. Although the bullet was only intended to graze Burden, he flinched at the last moment and thereby endured a more serious injury then intended.

3 Aktion Vienna 1965
Rudolf Schwarzkogler


A piece that was recorded by a photographer where he appeared to cut off his own penis. Chris Burden, a fellow body artists misreported in a 1970s Newsweek Magazine that died by slicing off his penis during this performance. However, the photos had been misinterpreted. The photographs were actually of Hans Cibulka, a model and friend of Schwarzkogler. He posed with a sliced open fish covering his groin. This is what is believed to of caused the myth. Schwarkogler actually died on June 20th, 1969. He was found without any evidence for more than an accident under a window from which he fell. This generated several myths about him committing suicide and other speculations about his life.

Seedbed
Vito Acconci


This was first performed by Vito Acconci on January 15-29 1972 at Sonnabend Gallery in New York. In this piece, Acconci lay hidden underneath a ramp installed at the Sonnabend Gallery, masturbating. The artist’s spoken fantasies about the visitors walking above him were heard through loudspeakers in the gallery.

Levitation
Terry Fox


On September 17, 1970, he performed this piece at the Richmond Art Center in California. The equipment he used included a white paper that covered the floor and an eleven-foot-square mound of earth in the center of the room. He stuck plastic tubes in it, each being fifty feet long and filled with them with blood, urine, water, and milk. Fox then proceeded to lie on the earth and for six hours, attempted to levitate into the space above him. He described it with this, “I was trying to think about leaving the ground, until I realized I should be thinking about entering the air. For me that changed everything, made it work.” After he tried this he said that it left him with, “The feeling for awhile that I was out of my body.” Again no image could be found so the work above is another example of Terry Fox’s work.

Velocity Piece
Barry LeVa




Performed both at the University Museum at Columbus, Ohio, in 1969 and in La Jolla in 1970. He ran back and forth, crashing into opposite walls fifty feet apart until he collapsed from exhaustion. The sounds of his movements were taped so that viewers were able to hear the sounds of his crashing after the event, as well as see the blood-spattered walls he had left. As on reviewer described the effect of this residue, “LeVa had truly become a ghostly presence, a body haunting space.” No images or videos are available for this item, so the clip above shows some of LeVa’s other art.

Hand Catching Lead
Richard Serra


It was Serra’s first film and features a single shot of a hand in an attempt to repeatedly catch chunks of material dropped from the top of the frame. In Boomerang (1974), Serra taped Nancy Holt as she talks and hears her words played back to her after they have been delayed electronically. Serra has made a number of films concerning the manufacture and use of his favorite material, steel.

Portrait of the artist as a fountain
Bruce Nauman


Nauman was educated at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and the University of California, Davis, and became part of the burgeoning California art scene in the late 1960s. His Self Portrait as a Fountain showed him spouting a stream of water from his mouth. Nauman tested the idea of art as a stable vehicle of communication and the role of the artist as revelatory communicator.

Many died at home, others on the stage. Some are well known, others not so much. Some died in famous fires with hundreds of other people, others have died alone in the privacy of their own house. Each tells a story, just as they did when they were acting. Only these stories are all too real.

Charles (Buck) Jones


Charles (Buck) Jones was one of the 492 victims of the November 28, 1942, Cocoanut Grove fire in Boston, Massachusetts. Mr. Jones survived the fire, but died two days later on November 30, 1942. On that fateful night, Mr. Jones was the guest of honor at a party when the fire broke out. The Cocoanut Grove fire was one of the worst fire tragedies in US history. Mr. Jones was a veteran of the Philippine-American War of 1899-1913, referred to as the Moro Rebellion. Jones started his film career as a stunt man before moving on to make more than 160 films. By the 1920s, Jones joined Hoot Gibson, Tom Mix and Ken Maynard as the top cowboy actors of the day. Jones was also a consultant to the Daisy Outdoor Products company, which issued a Daisy “Buck Jones” model pump action air rifle. Incorporating a compass and a “sundial” into the stock, it was one of Daisy’s top-end air rifles, and sold well for several years. It is really this Daisy rifle, and not the “Red Ryder” model, that Ralphie is constantly seeking in the well-known holiday film A Christmas Story.

Jack Cassidy


On December 12, 1976, noted TV and film actor Jack Cassidy died in a fire at his West Hollywood apartment. He was 49 years old. Cassidy had fallen asleep while smoking and the cigarette had set fire to the couch. Apparently, he had been drinking (actually he had been out on the town that evening with actress Nanette Fabray), his blood alcohol level after death was 0.12%. The fire then spread throughout the apartment. His body was found on the floor as if he were trying to crawl to safety through sliding glass doors. He never made it. His body was burned and charred beyond recognition and had to be identified by dental remains, as well as Cassidy Family Signet rings on his hand. Official cause of death was ruled “extensive thermal burns of the body”. Cassidy was nominated twice for Emmy Awards, and starred in scores of TV series and films, as well as numerous stage productions. He was married to actress Shirley Jones who starred in the TV series, Partridge Family, with Cassidy’s son, David Cassidy. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder, Cassidy was an eccentric figure, once caught watering his lawn stark naked. In an odd coincidence, he had starred in a 1971 episode of the TV series Night Gallery, called “The Last Laurel”, in which he played a character who accidentally killed himself while sleeping.

Reg Evans


On February 7, 2009, veteran British/Australian actor Reg Evans and his partner, Angela Brunton, died in the 2009 Victorian bushfires. Also known as the Black Saturday bushfires, these were a series of bushfires that ignited or were burning across the Australian state of Victoria during extreme bushfire-weather conditions, resulting in Australia’s highest ever loss of life from a bushfire. 173 people died as a result of the fires, and 414 were injured. Evans is believed to have told friends he was planning to stay on to defend his property. Evans starred in many Australian TV series, as well as major motion pictures such as Mad Max, The Island and Gallipoli. His best-known role was as Keith Purvis in the TV series “Blue Healers.” He also appeared in ” “Matlock Police,” “Homicide,” and “Are You Being Served”.

Royce Applegate


Amazingly, only ten weeks after the death of Dennis Patrick, yet another actor was to die in a house fire. On January 1, 2003 television and film actor Royce Applegate died at the age of 63, at his Hollywood Hills home. The cause of the fire is unknown. Applegate died of smoke inhalation. Two firefighters were seriously burned fighting the fire. Applegate appeared in such movies as “Splash”, “The Getaway”, “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”, and “The Rookie,” as well as TV series such as Dallas,” “CHiPs,” “Twin Peaks” and “JAG.”

Dennis Patrick


On Sunday, October 13, 2002, only days after the tragic death of Ms Graves, actor Dennis Patrick was also killed in a fire at his house, also in Los Angeles. The 84-year-old Patrick, who played Vaughn Leland in the hit soap Dallas, was found dead by firefighters, with the body of his dog Josh on the floor next to him. It took more than 50 firefighters 30 minutes to put out the fire, cause of death was smoke inhalation. His ashes, and those of his dog, were spread at sea. Patrick was well known for his role in the TV show Dark Shadows. He logged over 1800 guest roles on TV programs during his four-decade career. He also holds the curious distinction of having played televisions first vampire in 1951, in a production of the show Stage 13.

Teresa Graves


On October 10, 2002, actress Teresa Graves, who appeared in TV’s “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In” and “Get Christie Love!,” died in a fire at her Los Angeles home. She was found unconscious inside the home, and was rushed to hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival. Fire officials suspected a faulty heater started the fire. She was 53 years old. Graves was best known for her title role as a police detective in the ABC series “Get Christie Love”. Graves was one of the first African American actresses to play a lead in a prime time TV show.

Butterfly (Thelma) McQueen


On December 22, 1995, actress Butterfly (Thelma) McQueen, famous for many film roles, but especially for her portrayal of Prissy in Gone with the Wind, died from burns received in a fire in her Augusta, Georgia, apartment. She was 84 years old at the time of her death. She had been attempting to light a kerosene heater in her apartment when it malfunctioned and burst into flames. She was found by firefighters lying on the sidewalk outside with severe burns over 70 percent of her body. She was taken to the hospital but died shortly afterwards from her burns.

Linda Darnell


On April 10, 1965, Hollywood actress Linda Darnell died in a house fire. She was 41 years old. The fire occurred at the house of her former secretary. She had been staying there, with friends, while preparing for a stage role. Her 1940 film, Star Dust, had played on television the night of the fire, and it was widely reported that Darnell had fallen asleep with a lit cigarette while watching it, but there was no evidence this was true. One account claims Ms Darnell was burned over 90 percent of her body when she ran into a burning area trying to save her friend’s child, not knowing that the young girl had already escaped. Ms Darnell had appeared in over 30 films and several TV programs. She played the lead role in Forever Amber (1947), and received positive reviews for her work in Unfaithfully Yours (1948) and A Letter to Three Wives (1949).

Gloria Dickson


Gloria Dickson was an American stage and screen actress of the 1930s and 1940s. Dickson died on April 10, 1945, during a fire at her Los Angeles home. She was 27 years old. The fire began when an unextinguished cigarette ignited an overstuffed chair on the main floor, while she slept upstairs. Her body, and that of her pet dog, were found in the bathroom, and it was assumed that she had attempted to escape through the bathroom window. She died from asphyxiation. Flames had seared her lungs, and her body had suffered first and second degree burns. Ms Dickson starred in over 20 Hollywood films, such as They Won’t Forget and They Made Me a Criminal.

Bobby Young


Robert Howard “Clifton” Young died on September 13, 1951, at the age of 33. He died in a hotel fire that started when he fell asleep while smoking. He was born Robert H. Young, and as Bobby Young he played “Bonedust” in nineteen Our Gang films from 1925 to 1931. His most notable films included School’s Out, Nora Prentiss, Pursued, Possessed, Dark Passage and Blood on the Moon. One of Young’s last films was the Roy Rogers western, Trail of Robin Hood, in which he played a sneering villain.

Claude Burroughs


Claude Burroughs was a young up and coming actor who had the misfortune of dying in a fire better-known than his short acting career. He died on December 5, 1876, in the tragic and devastating Brooklyn Theater fire. He was only 22 years old at the time. At least 278 people were killed in the fire, possibly more than 300. In terms of lives lost, it is the third worst theater fire in US history, behind only the Cocoanut Grove and Iroquois theater fires. The fire started when a drop hanging came into contact with a border lamp. As the fire spread, the actors at first stayed in character, trying not to cause the audience to panic. When the flames spread and the audience members grew frightened, the actors on stage pleaded for calm, to no avail. Burroughs and another actor thought they had time to get their coats (it was winter and cold outside). They never escaped the building. Their mangled bodies were found together beneath the collapsed stage, burned and battered beyond recognition. . At the time of his death he was playing Picard, the valet, in the play “The Two Orphans”. He made his first appearance on the stage in 1865, in “Hamlet” alongside Edwin Booth, who was the older brother of a more famous Booth – John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Lincoln.

The rule of the thumb is to pick yourself up, laugh it off and cry later, but some models have started avoiding the risk altogether.

At Dennis Basso's show, a model took a major tumble.


In 2009, at least four models fell dramatically during a Herve Leger show.


Strappy platforms don't hold up during London's fashion week.


Front row spectator Diddy broke the fourth wall when he lent a hand to Karen Elson at Zac Posen's show.


A rogue heel gets the best of a model at Z-Spoke's 2010 runway.


Despite repeated tumbles, none of the models pictured have reported any injuries.


During a Vivienne Westwood retrospective, a platform wedge stole the designer's thunder.


A model at China's fashion week gets a rare helping hand.


A model winces in pain after a serious fall on the runway.


Another model in platforms plummets at Leger's show.


At last week's Heart Truth celebrity runway show, veteran Christie Brinkley stepped on her gown...


Then actress Rose McGowan lost her footing as the crowd gasped.


Supermodel Agyness Deyn's dramatic plunge at a benefit for Haiti made front page headlines.


Source: Yahoo

This list contains really unnerving text, and some swearing! The only way this could EVER be work-safe, is if you work at a side-show in a circus! The items on this list are in no particular order.

[WARNING: contains adult material which is not safe for work.]

Teratophilia


Teratophilia is the sexual attraction to deformed or monstrous people. One version of Teratophilia is acrotomophilia, sexual attraction to amputees. Considerable commercial and amateur erotica is published apparently targeting people with such a sexual attraction. Persons attracted to amputees in particular are said to be engaging in amputee fetishism.

Emetophilia
Also known as Erotic Vomiting


Talk about blowing chunks! Obviously, the words “erotic” and “vomiting” are not often used together. However, they do have similarities: Both trigger the release of hormones that make you feel better; both are caused by stimulus; and, for men at least, both involving having fluids get forced through a tube and out of an orifice. The primary dissimilarity is that most people do not associate throwing-up with a pleasurable experience. Dr. Robert J. Stoller, a renowned sexologist and psychiatrist, begs to differ; Here he discusses the cases of three women: The first woman doesn’t do the Technicolor-yawn herself, instead, “…I can reach a sure orgasm by imagining someone vomiting in a hard, humiliating fashion…”; The second woman actually experiences an orgasm every time she throws up; The third and final woman describes it like this: “…Vomiting for me is like…an orgasm in that I’m tensed, I feel the…intense flood of good feelings almost continually throughout the vomiting and experience relief and quiet warmth in my body when I’m finished. It is not identical to an orgasm. I do not feel it intensely in my genitals alone, but I do feel it there as well as the rest of my body and…in my mouth…”. NOTE: There is also a practice known as “Roman-showers”, which is to become aroused by being vomited upon.

Autopederasty


Autopederasty is the near-impossible act of sticking one’s own fully-erect penis in one’s own rectum. Yes. Only a small percentage of people can do it, but it’s possible! There is a porno called “Go Fuck Yourself” that is devoted to the act, even going so far as to instruct people on how to do it!

NOTE: There are two other, more familiar variants: Autofellatio is when a man gives himself oral sex; Then, there is Autocunnilingus, where a woman gives herself oral sex.

Mummification


Mummification as a BDSM bondage practice involves restraining a living person’s body in a non-damaging way by wrapping it head to toe, or neck to toe, in materials like saran wrap, clingfilm, cloth, bandages, rubber strips, duct tape, plaster bandages, bodybags, or straitjackets. The end result is a person completely immobilized and looking like an Egyptian mummy. They may then either be left bound in a state of effective sensory deprivation for a period of time, or sensually stimulated in their state of bondage, before being released from their wrappings.

Salirophilia


Salirophilia is a sexual fetish or paraphilia that involves deriving erotic pleasure from soiling or disheveling the object of one’s desire, usually an attractive person. It may involve tearing or damaging their clothing, covering them in mud or filth, or messing their hair or makeup. The fetish does not involve harming or injuring the subject, only their appearance. The fetish sometimes manifests itself in the defacing of statues or pictures of attractive people, especially celebrities. The fetishist finds this sexually exciting, rather than mere vandalism. They sometimes form collections of defaced art for future enjoyment.

Pseudonecrophilia


Unlike real necrophilia, this is actually legal (not that that’s a good thing)! It’s quite simple, actually: One partner remains quiet (something we all wish we could have) and still, while the other has sex with him/her. For added realism, the “pseudo-dead” partner can lay in cold water for a while before the act! This particular practice met some notoriety, thanks to its appearance in the show, “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit”.

Cannibal Fantasies


These fantasies are obviously pretty explanatory. On the Deviant Desires website (based on the book of the same name), Katharine Gates explains that some people actually bring these fantasies to life in consensual role-playing! One of her friends, “…painted the woman’s nude body with dotted lines to represent cuts of meat.” One very tasteful website, Muki’s Kitchen, features photographs of female models trussed up in pans filled with vegetables, and stuffed with apples and carrots in every possible orifice. Thus, erotic feeding, messy fun, bondage, gags and vaginal or anal penetration may be incorporated into this practice.

Ponyplay


Ponyplay is a form of bondage that involves a “pony” and a rider. The pony is often outfitted with straps, a leather saddle, blinders, reins, and a bit in the mouth. The rider, sometimes utilizing either a riding crop or a whip, either gets pulled in a cart or rides the pony directly. The principal theme of animal roleplay is usually the voluntary or involuntary reduction (or transformation) of a human being to animal status, and focus on the altered mind-space created. The most common examples are probably canids (pup, dog, wolf), felines (cat, kitten, lion) or equines (pony, horse).

Nyotaimori


Nyotaimori (female body presentation), often referred to as “body sushi,” is the practice of eating sashimi or sushi from the body of a woman, typically naked. Nantaimori refers to the same practice using a male model. This sexual fetish is a subdivision of food play. As a result of being served on a human body, the temperature of the sushi or sashimi comes closer to body temperature. Before becoming a living sushi platter, the person is trained to lie down for hours without moving. She or he must also be able to withstand the prolonged exposure to the cold food. Body hair, including pubic hair, would also be shaved, as a display of pubic hair may be seen as a sexual act. Before service, the individual would take a bath using a special fragrance-free soap and then finish off with a splash of cold water to cool the body down somewhat for the sushi.

Agalmatophilia


Agalmatophilia is a paraphilia concerned with the sexual attraction to a statue, doll, mannequin or other similar figurative object. The attraction may include the desire for actual sexual contact with the objects, a fantasy of having sexual (or non-sexual) encounters with the animate or inanimate instances of the preferred objects, the act of watching encounters between the objects themselves, or sexual pleasure gained from thoughts of being transformed or transforming another into the preferred object. Agalmatophilia may also encompass Pygmalionism which describes a state of love for an object of one’s own creation.

From a commercial encouraging you to rent your wife to robots selling fried chicken (or attempting to do so), we look at ten commercials which are known for the notoriety rather than the products they are attempting to promote.

Arnold’s Vitamin Drink



A greater absurdity in the annals of television commercial history has not been recorded. By comparison, it is the toffee apple surrounded by candy floss, the benchmark against which all things bizarre are judged. Takeda Chemical Industries roped in the ‘Terminator’, Arnold Schwarzenegger to market a seemingly energy boosting substance and the result has been a pyrotechnic display beyond human reasoning. The jejune background score, Arnold’s attempt to speak Japanese, and the metamorphosis in the end make this a classic. Maybe this is what he had in mind when he said he’ll be back.

Of Monsters, transvestites and Light



While this commercial may not seem weird in the end, a second look will expound to you the theory of relativity. Unearthly, grotesque creatures create the suspense but the producers misjudged the addition of the transvestite as somewhat of an unfamiliar, foreign object. Now, this would be perfectly acceptable anywhere in the world but Thailand.

Hulk Hogan and the air conditioner



Hulk Hogan was the undisputed master of the ring who could possibly do anything and everything. Well, that’s what the makers of this advert for air conditioners thought. Because it is otherwise inexplicable why you would rope in a wrestling star to sing a lullaby to an infant to market a device from which cool air emanates into the room. And the song which is simply a tune of the days of the week does not make up for the faux pas. The only thing that could have made it worse is a video cassette of Hulk Hogan’s singing as a free gift. Simply excruciating.

Pufuleti Gusto



What do Romanians turn to when they need to inject optimism into life? After years of communist rule, high rates of unemployment, the defection of Nadia Comaneci and the retirement of Dan Petrescu and Gheorghe Hagi, they seem to have come up with the answer. Or that’s what this commercial claims. Because when you have just accidentally chopped off your head when peeling an orange, but still have the strength to ask for the Pufuleti snack, there must be something to it.

Ice Cream at the Bar



And now to some edification on the art of being illogical. Set an animated lass to cavort in a bar and then at the end of it all, tell the prospective customer to buy your brand of ice-cream. To make it more interesting use a blackboard somewhere along the way to feign erudition and make sure the girl carries the ice-cream with her so that the sensual waves trigger off pleasure which will become readily apparent. Essentially, make sure that your customer is made to believe that consuming ice-cream has the same effects as alcohol.

Sheila’s Wheels



‘For bonzer car insurance deals, girls get onto Sheila’s wheels’. If you are a girl in the United Kingdom (excluding Northern Ireland), you wont have to keep your hands on the steering wheel while you drive because ‘women make the safest drivers’. Coquettish crooning accompanied by a band which follows their tune as the convertible waltzes past the countryside is hardly the way to sell car insurance and just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, a mouse appears to be driving the car.

Sumo Wrestling and Sprite



Sumo wrestling being a rather obscure sport to most people outside of Japan, it seems only natural that those who conjured up this idea were aiming for the bizarre. And that’s exactly where they got. Iridescent sumo wrestlers bumping into each other to create orgasmic pleasure? Naa. The event is far more likely to produce an earthquake. And all this to simply relate the idea of ‘LYMON’? Utterly disturbing.

Do not Murder



Of all the things that the Church of Scientology preaches ‘Do not murder’ is perhaps the least controversial. However, because it cannot end there, they went ahead and made an advertisement about it. The advert was supposedly an informational one which would act as a ‘roadmap to a happier life through values of compassion and caring that every member of a civilized society holds dear’. The content of the ad is simply a bullet which has just left a revolver while desperate voices cry out in the background and ends with the message ‘Do not murder’. Very obfuscating, indeed.

Robocop trying to sell fried chicken



You’ve goto hand it to the Koreans for coming up with something like this. The person who conjured up this idea must have been on something while coming up with this, because he or she has made a very absurd assumption that a robocop devours and relishes the same kind of food that humans eat. The entrance of this friendly monster through the television and the whisking away of the whole fridge at the end of the advert make it all the more unreal. What’s more, he wants ‘frieda chicken’. 



Rent a Wife



A Belgian video rental service used a twisted metaphor for this commercial, leading to controversy. It depicts a couple in the mood for love making when the man suddenly packs her off in a box for disposal. Seconds later, the doorbell rings with another woman at his disposal. There was no mention of the video rental service anywhere in the advertisement and the unsuspecting viewer might just have thought the rent-a-wife scheme to be true, only to have checked the website to find an innocuous rental store. Perhaps the creators of the advert should let the poets make use of the metaphors.

Forget nightclubs—instead, check out these after-dark hot spots delivering firefly spectaculars, midnight snacks, and stellar light shows. Here are destinations around the world that are worth staying up past your bedtime to explore.

Synchronous Fireflies, Near Gatlinburg, Tennessee


If you're looking for the firefly equivalent of sparklers, you may only need to head as far as your backyard. But for a real fireworks spectacular, you'll need to be in Elkmont, near Gatlinburg, Tennessee, during the approximately two weeks each year the synchronous fireflies put on their show. Unlike other fireflies, these blinking beetles flash in unison—or sometimes in wave patterns that lucky visitors can see ripple across hillsides. It's a show you don't want to miss, but you'll need to time your visit during the peak mating season, which usually occurs sometime between June 3 and 21. From Gatlinburg, you'll need to catch the trolley ($1 round-trip) to see the show.

More synchronous fireflies: The only other place in the world where you can see synchronous fireflies is in Kuala Selangor, Malaysia, where fireflies cluster around mangrove trees on riverbanks.

Night safari in Singapore


If your travel motto begins "When in Rome…," take note: When in Singapore, head to the Night Safari. This wildly popular after-dark animal park isn't just for tourists; it's a favorite of locals as well. Offerings range from trails through rainforests teeming with animals to trams that escort visitors past the wildlife of eight geographical regions in Asia and Africa. Tribal performances and educational programs round out the things to do. The Night Safari is open nightly from 7:30 p.m. to midnight.

More nights among the animals: In California the San Diego Zoo Safari Park and Safari West both offer sleepovers in well-appointed tents. An overnight offers more chances to see animals during their most active times.

Nighttime culture in Paris, France


Culture lights up the night throughout the year in Paris. The summer solstice brings the Fete de la Musique, when musicians and revelers fill the streets and places with song. During July and August at the Parc de la Villette (site in French), evening picnickers watch classic films from around the world on large outdoor screens. And in October the Nuit Blanche (site in French), or White Night, draws huge crowds with all-night access to galleries, museums, and cultural institutions.

More nighttime culture: St. Petersburg, Russia, hosts one of the most famous White Nights festivals, with six weeks of opera, singers, ballet, and music during the summer months, when the sky never grows completely dark. And San Antonio's annual Luminaria lights up a March night with free dance, art, music, theater, and street performances.

Desert after dark, near Scottsdale, Arizona


The desert comes alive after dark, but you need the right equipment to catch all the action. In the Sonoran Desert near Scottsdale, Arizona, Stellar Adventures leads three- to four-hour night-vision tours. The special goggles transform the dark desert into a veritable stage for nocturnal wildlife. Tours cost $150 and include hotel pick-up, snacks, and beverages.

More dark desert adventures: The Night Lights tour at Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West in Scottsdale offers visitors the chance to appreciate the desert jewel in a softer light. Tours run on select nights throughout the year and cost $35 per person. And for a nighttime desert adventure on a budget, the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center in Ft. Davis, Texas, offers $5 Guided Flashlight Discovery Hikes on select summer Saturdays.

Bioluminescence in Vieques, Puerto Rico


For an unforgettable night out in Puerto Rico, head to the island of Vieques' Puerto Mosquito at dusk to witness the glowing waters. The bioluminescent bay is one of the few places in the world where a large concentration of microscopic organisms actually light up the water as you pass through it. To protect the fragile ecosystem, swimming isn't allowed, but kayak and boat tours provide the perfect way to experience the rare natural wonder.

More glowing bays: Puerto Rico also has two other bioluminescent bays: La Parguera in the southwest and Laguna Grande in Fajardo.

Stargazing on Mauna Kea, Hawaii


Wishing upon a single star is nice, but a nighttime trip to an observatory—where, on clear nights, you'll have thousands of stars to choose from—offers much better odds. The Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station on Hawaii's Big Island is open to stargazers every night of the year from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The evening program includes a documentary screening, star tours of the brightest constellations, and plenty of chances for visitors to look through the telescopes.

More stargazing: Travelers who don't want to make the trip up the mountain on their own can join a tour such as Hawaii Forest & Trail's Mauna Kea Summit & Stars Adventure. The eight-hour tour includes transportation, a picnic dinner, all the cold-weather gear you'll need (temperatures on the mountain reach freezing at night), a telescope, and a knowledgeable guide for $192 per person.

WaterFire in Providence, Rhode Island


When fire meets water on warm nights in Providence, magic happens. Crowds begin gathering along the banks of Providence's three rivers before dusk to secure front-row seats to WaterFire, a spectacle of firetenders (torch bearers) slipping slowly downstream in boats, lighting each of more than 80 floating bonfires. Each performance has its own soundtrack that is selected by Barnaby Evans, the artist responsible for the event. WaterFire events usually occur on Saturday evenings between late May and early October.

More fire on water: Since 2007, Kansas City has held WaterFire on Brush Creek. And WaterFire Columbus brings music, fire, and food to downtown Columbus from June through October.

Night markets in Taiwan


Night markets may have gotten their start in small villages—where farmers would gather when traveling salesmen came to town—but these days the phenomenon has an authentically urban vibe. Taiwan has some of the world's most vibrant night markets—after-dark minicities where locals and tourists flock to eat and shop. Shihlin is one of the country's most famous and popular markets, and is the place to go for signature dishes like oyster omelets, stinky tofu, and pearl milk tea.

More night markets: Night markets in North America tend to be seasonal, running throughout summer and into fall. Find thriving night markets in Philadelphia (locations change), in Richmond (near Vancouver), and in Chinatown in San Francisco.

Moonlight Tour in Yosemite Valley, CA


The rise of the full moon signals the start of the Yosemite Valley Moonlight Tour, which is offered on five nights around the full moon during late spring, summer, and early fall each year. The two-hour tram tour reveals the softly lit side of Yosemite's most beloved landmarks, including Half Dome, El Capitan, and Yosemite Falls. Plus, it's a great way to outsmart the crowds that clog valley roads during the day.

More nights out in national parks: San Francisco's Alcatraz is a very different sort of national park, but it also offers night tours, which take place Thursday through Monday throughout the year. The evening includes a ferry ride, a guided tour, and special presentations exclusive to night visits.