Everyone knows the classic fable about the three little pigs and one big, bad wolf that blows their house down. One is made of sticks, one is made of straw, and one is made of bricks. There's a reason the brick house stayed up: it was sturdy with no obvious weaknesses.

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It isn't an obvious choice, but maybe one of the pigs should have considered making a house out of glass bottles, because that is exactly what one Michigan man did, and it has worked out pretty well for him.

Manistee Tourism via YouTube
Manistee Tourism via YouTube
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"The Bottle House", located in Manistee County, is one of Michigan's Historic Sites and is possibly the most fascinating of them all.

The Kaleva Bottle House, Manistee County

Building a home of glass is generally not the building material most would think to use, but John Makinen Sr. did just that. As the former owner of a bottling company, he noticed an excess of unused bottles in his factory.

Rather than just throw them out, he instead collected over 60,000 pop bottles, and because using them as the siding of his house, a project that started in 1903 and ended in 1941, a shocking 38 years. Sadly, according to the official Michigan Historic Site sign, he passed away before he could actually live in his dream home.

Manistee Tourism via YouTube
Manistee Tourism via YouTube
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The Manistee Tourism group provides a great retelling of the Kleva Bottle House and shows more of what is included in the house. The house is quite literally just a house on a street corner in a neighborhood, making this a blink-and-you 'll-miss-it historic site.

READ MORE: Michigan's Most Unique Playground Is Built Around Crayons

The house was purchased in 1986 by the Kaleva Historical Society and converted into the Historical Bottlehouse Museum, with weekend visiting hours from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. The museum features exhibits about Finnish-American history in the community, highlighting businesses, farming, and other early settlers.

Just goes to show that they really don't make homes like they used to.

Inside Michigan's Restaurant Relic: Rainforest Cafe

Rainforest Cafe has been in decline over the years, with the unique restaurant once having over 45 locations in the US and many more internationally. But RC is now down to 16 locations in the US, and one of those final locations is here in Michigan. 

Located in the Great Lakes Crossings Mall in Auburn Hills.

Gallery Credit: Tommy McNeill

Travel Back in Time With These 25 Classic Michigan Postcards

One of the most recognizable postcard designs around the country, the "Large Letter" style postcard has made its mark in history, running from the 1930s to the 1950s. Many cities around Michigan were either included in the original run or have made their own version over the years; try finding your city below.

Gallery Credit: Tommy McNeill