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

National Bonsai Museum

One of the dwarven trees dates back to 1625 and survived the Hiroshima bombing.
Washington, D.C.

Darth Vader Grotesque

The sci-fi villain is a little-known inhabitant of the U.S. capital's largest cathedral.
Washington, D.C.

Space Window at the Washington National Cathedral

A tiny piece of the Moon is embedded in this stained glass masterpiece.
Baltimore, Maryland

Site of Edgar Allan Poe's Death

The site where Poe "in great distress, and ... in need of immediate assistance" likely died.
Baltimore, Maryland

Fell Family Cemetery

Wedged between two sets of row houses is an awkwardly located family graveyard.
Washington, D.C.

Museum of Unnatural History

Giftshop catering to cryptozoologists and anyone with a sense of humor.
Washington, D.C.

Catacombs of Washington, D.C.

Franciscan monks created a facsimile of the Holy Land for North Americans who couldn’t afford the trip overseas.
Baltimore, Maryland

George Peabody Library

It's not hard to see why the historic Peabody Conservatory of Music's library has been described as a "cathedral of books."
Baltimore, Maryland

Ouija 7-Eleven

This simple convenience store sits on the location where the Ouija board was named—and has a plaque to prove it.
Baltimore, Maryland

Graffiti Alley

A hidden alley in urban Baltimore is a haven for graffiti artists.
Baltimore, Maryland

Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death

Eighteen miniature death-scene dioramas.
Laurel, Maryland

On the Brink

A haunting exhibit in a wildlife refuge center highlights threatened species and the conservation efforts needed to save them.
Washington, D.C.

The Capitol Stones

Enormous piles of historically significant stones, dumped by Congress in a forest, and abandoned for 60 years.
Fort Meade, Maryland

Architect of the Capitol Archival Warehouse

A remote horde of architectural treasures fit for Indiana Jones.
Silver Spring, Maryland

Acorn Park

Giant acorn-shaped 19th century gazebo from which suburban Washingtonians gazed upon the original "silver" spring.
Poolesville, Maryland

Seneca Quarry

This ruined quarry once produced the distinctive red sandstone used for construction projects in Washington, D.C.
Ellicott City, Maryland

St. Mary's College

The haunting "Hell House Altar" is one of the few remnants of an abandoned college that has been a magnet for local legends.
Silver Spring, Maryland

Aspin Hill Pet Cemetery

Dogs, cats, horses, monkeys, frogs, and fish are laid to rest at the second-oldest pet cemetery in the U.S.
Rockville, Maryland

Museum of Outdated Technology

The shelves in the back of this thrift store are devoted to saving, not selling, retro tech.
Ashton-Sandy Spring, Maryland

Underground Railroad Experience Trail

Walk a trail through a historic Quaker town that outlawed slavery in 1777 and was a major waypoint on the Underground Railroad.
Westminster, Maryland

Peep Show at Carroll Arts Council

Easter in Westminster may be the only time and place to behold Edgar Allen Poe made entirely of Marshmallow Peeps.
Germantown, Maryland

Earthoid Water Tank

The whole world in one water tank.
Smithfield, Virginia

World’s Oldest Edible Ham

The nearly 120-year-old piece of pork wears a brass collar and was once a man's "pet ham."
Denver, Colorado

History Colorado Center

This museum offers an actual time machine back through Colorado's past.