9 Ways You Can Own Famous Landmarks

If you're lucky enough to see the Kentucky Derby - standing-room tickets for May's 146th running recently sold for $89 online - you can wager a few bucks and perhaps take away a small profit for your memories. But it's possible to play the Derby another way: as a shareholder. Had you wagered $1,000 a year ago on the owner of Churchill Downs, you'd have $1,487, for a return of nearly 49%. Not bad.

You also can own a piece of the storied Empire State Building, deemed one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers, which includes marvels such as the Golden Gate Bridge, the Panama Canal and the Chunnel from England to France. Maybe country music's hallowed Grand Ole Opry strikes a chord. Or what about the world's most popular sports franchise?

For investors with a yen for a little history