One of my favorite things to do when I travel around Southern California is drive through the neighborhoods and look at all of the unique architecture that pops up in each city. Many people think the houses in Southern California are nothing but stucco, but that is definitely not the case. Here are nine houses in Southern California that not only stand out architecturally, but most of them have a pretty interesting history as well. And because these houses are located in California, many of them have had appearances in movies and TV shows. You might even find that a few of these locations look very familiar to you.

1. Queen Anne Cottage in Arcadia

Located in the Los Angeles County Arboretum, this cottage is most famous for being the house in the show Fantasy Island where the character Tattoo rings the bell in the bell tower in the opening credits.

2. Neverland Ranch in Santa Barbara County

Did you know Michael Jackson's former residence, Neverland Ranch, is located in SoCal in Santa Barbara County? Although it was renamed Sycamore Valley Ranch after Jackson's death, this house still retains the history and mystery of its celebrity past.

Pictured here: The train station that's housed on the property where the amusement park is located.

3. The Chemosphere House in Los Angeles

Designed by architect John Lautner in 1960, this ultra modern home in the Hollywood Hills looks like it's right out of a Jetsons episode. You may recognize this house as it has made several appearances in films including Body Double, Charlie's Angels and, most recently, it was featured in the credits of Tomorrowland.

4. The Gehry Residence in Santa Monica

The home of architect Frank Gehry. This is known as the house built on top of another house because he literally added on to the existing house already on the lot. The design created a second facade (while keeping the original facade visible) with some unusual materials such as plywood, metal, and chain link.

5. Frank Gehry's Venice Beach House

Another architectural vision by Frank Gehry located in Venice Beach in Los Angeles. What an imagination!

6. The Spadena House in Beverly Hills

One look at the bizarre architecture and you can't help but wonder what this house looks like on the inside. Built in 1921, it was designed by Harry Oliver with an intentionally dilapidated style to create a "storybook" look and feel. It was recently remodeled in 2011 but still retains its original storybook style. This house has also made appearances on the big screen including the popular film Clueless in 1995.

7. The Skinny House in Long Beach

Registered as a city landmark in Long Beach, this three-story house was built in 1932 on a tiny 10 foot by 50 foot lot. The Skinny House was featured as the skinniest house in the US on the show Ripley's Believe It Or Not and In the Guinness Book of World Records.

8. The John Snowden House in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles

This home was built by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1926 and was named after its original owner, John Snowden. Over the years this house has developed the nickname "Jaws House" as the entrance looks just like the wide open mouth of a shark.

9. The Mushroom House in La Jolla

Although the official name for this bizarrely designed home is "The Pavilion," it is known to locals as The Mushroom House since it looks an awful lot like a mushroom. Located on Black's Beach, this private residence is the guest home to the main house located at the top of the beach's cliff. A 300-foot tram, as seen in the picture, creates easy access back and forth between the two properties.

What a mix of houses from the weird to the wacky to the wonderful. Most all of these locations are private residences, so if you find yourself going on a Sunday drive to see these homes please make sure to be respectful to the current owners as I imagine they receive a lot of traffic from curious folks like us who want to see a glimpse of their property in person.

Do you have any unique homes to suggest that should be added to the list? I would love to know so I can go check them out.