In a press release:

FRIDAYS ARE MONUMENTAL!

TRAVEL CHANNEL’S HISTORY EXPLORER DON WILDMAN KICKS OFF

A NEW SEASON AND A NEW NIGHT OF ‘MONUMENTAL MYSTERIES’

Popular Series Moves to Fridays Beginning June 13 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT

CHEVY CHASE, MD (May 6, 2014) – Travel Channel’s resident history explorer Don Wildman is back with an all-new season of “Monumental Mysteries” on a new night beginning Friday, June 13 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT. Season two will feature 13 hour-long episodes with more intriguing stories from one end of the U.S. to the other. They include the odd story of Seattle’s colossal bronze of Communist Vladimir Lenin to the tale of the twisted sculpture of a headless chicken in Colorado. Wildman now stakes his ground on Fridays as he offers viewers historical travel trivia perfect for any social gathering. Every Friday night, Wildman searches the United States to investigate our nation’s structures, statues and national parks – and tells the incredible tales surrounding them.

“I love explaining the unknown facts behind the most familiar and iconic sights on our American landscapes,” said Wildman. “Once I learn why a monument exists, its function and its history, my world expands on a monumental scale, and I hope the show does the same for Travel Channel viewers.”

In the premiere episode, Wildman explores the following six monuments with captivating stories:

• At 65 feet and weighing 90 tons, Lucy was built in the shape of an elephant. A National Historic Landmark and popular tourist attraction of Margate City, NJ, this mammoth structure underwent an epic journey to save her from the wrecking ball.

• The grounds of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. have always been the focal point for expressions of both patriotism and protest. After a bomb explodes inside the building in 1915, an unusual manifesto claims this is only the start of a series of attacks.

• A New Orleans Creole townhouse stands in the Old French Quarter adorned with decorative cast iron balconies resembling an ornamental filigree cage. This architectural gem was once inhabited by what some people believe to be an immortal creature.

• The old-time pioneer town of Tombstone, Arizona keeps the legends of the Old West alive with the infamous “Oriental Saloon,” but few people know the story of a death-defying invention that began on its doorsteps.

• In an isolated sun-parched gorge, just two miles north of LA’s Sunset Boulevard, sits the mysterious ruins of Murphy Ranch. These dilapidated structures were once the home for a dangerous organization hell bent on world domination.

• The Manhattan Municipal building once housed the office of New York’s Chief Medical Examiner Charles Norris. When Norris heard of a mysterious illness consuming workers at an oil refinery in 1924, he quickly jumped on the case. What he discovered sparked one of the biggest medical scandals the nation had ever seen.

“Monumental Mysteries” is produced by Optomen Productions, Inc. for Travel Channel. For Optomen, executive producers are Nicola Moody and Dominic Stobart. Series producer is Edward Hambleton. For Travel Channel, executive producer is David E. Gerber.

Source: ©2014 Travel Channel. All Rights Reserved.