awiseman's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Washington, D.C.

Holt House

There's a crumbling old mansion inside the Smithsonian National Zoo.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

The Mutilated Currency Division

An obscure public service from the U.S. government that redeems burnt, moldy, and soiled old greenbacks.
Added by Joshua Sack
Washington, D.C.

Frederick Douglass's House, Cedar Hill

The famous abolitionist’s preserved estate is one of Washington's finest monuments to its great Black citizens.
Washington, D.C.

Rockefeller Mansion in Rock Creek Park

This leafy estate is worth $18 million and is so grand it has two mailing addresses.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

St. Elizabeths Hospital

Government testing at the asylum briefly explored using marijuana as a "truth serum" on Nazi prisoners of war.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

Church of Two Worlds

A Spiritualist house of worship where believers communicate with the dead in the spirit world.
Added by evyatarguttman
Washington, D.C.

Library of Congress Card Catalog

A nostalgic bibliographic gem.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

Theodore Roosevelt Island

The national park was once a plantation estate.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

The Cuban Embassy's Hemingway Bar

When it opened during the final years of the embargo, all the drinks and cigars were free.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

Inside the Capitol Dome

The walls of the iconic dome are hollow and have a secret stairway.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

Ruins of the McMillan Sand Filtration Site

An Industrial Revolution-era public work that purified water using nothing but sand.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

East Potomac Park Mini Golf

The country's oldest continually-operated mini golf course lies hidden in plain sight, eclipsed by one of D.C.'s most popular tourist attractions.
Washington, D.C.

Dumbarton Oaks

The Byzantine, pre-Columbian, and medieval art at this stately mansion are some of the most under-appreciated collections in D.C.
Added by Joshua Sack
Washington, D.C.

Mount Zion Cemetery's Underground Railroad Shelter

People escaping slavery may have hidden inside a corpse vault.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

Tudor Place

A historic estate packed with George Washington's heirlooms, and its own nuclear bunker.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

Lincoln Book Tower

A three-story tower of books about Abraham Lincoln is one of the more unusual monuments to the president.
satxwdavis Added by satxwdavis
Washington, D.C.

Secret Entrance to the White House

The winding route passes through an enclosed alleyway, two tunnels, and leads to the White House basement.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

Foundry Branch Trolley Trestle Ruins

A derelict bit of transportation infrastructure hidden in the woods.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

The Old Patent Model Museum

During the Industrial Revolution this “Temple of Invention” was full of intricate miniature machines and gadgets.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

FBI Spy House

A painfully obvious spy house sits right across the street from the Russian Embassy.
Josh Added by Josh
Washington, D.C.

Lincoln Memorial Undercroft

A cavernous three-story, 43,800-square-foot basement that was forgotten about for 60 years.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

Washington Mini Monument

There's a 12-foot-tall replica of the Washington Monument hidden under a manhole nearby.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

Riggs Library

A wondrous old library overlooking the nation's capital.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

Space Window at the Washington National Cathedral

A tiny piece of the Moon is embedded in this stained glass masterpiece.
Leslie McIntyre Added by Leslie McIntyre