cameronpayson's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Concord, Massachusetts

Old North Bridge

The phrase "the shot heard around the world" was coined after a skirmish at this bridge.
Concord, Massachusetts

Author's Ridge

This small section of the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery is rotten with famous authors' graves.
Washington, D.C.

The K-9 of the Korean War Veterans Memorial

Those with a sharp eye can find the hidden image of a German Shepherd on the memorial's Mural Wall.
Washington, D.C.

Washington Stock Exchange Building

D.C. once had its own tiny rival to the New York Stock Exchange.
Washington, D.C.

Walter Johnson Statue

This statue of one of baseball’s greatest pitchers looks like something out of a sci-fi horror movie.
Washington, D.C.

Washington Monument Marble Stripe

Look closely and you’ll notice that the color changes a third of the way up the tower.
Washington, D.C.

Smithsonian Sushi Collection

Seemingly unremarkable items like empty sushi trays, chef hats, and freshness stickers are being preserved so future generations can look back on this beloved cultural import.
Washington, D.C.

First Teddy Bear

The story behind this beloved toy—named for Theodore Roosevelt and owned by his grandson—is more complicated than you might guess.
Washington, D.C.

Sergeant Stubby

The most decorated dog of World War I is preserved in the Smithsonian.
Washington, D.C.

Carousel on the National Mall

Washington's iconic carousel has a nice piece of Civil Rights history.
Washington, D.C.

Historic Elevator at Potbelly

This sandwich shop has a century-old elevator behind a sheet of plexiglass.
Washington, D.C.

Holodomor Memorial

An easily overlooked memorial to a Ukrainian famine-genocide that killed over 4 million people.
Washington, D.C.

Memorial to Japanese-American Patriotism in World War II

An unassuming, powerful monument north of the U.S. Capitol bears witness to the resilience of Japanese Americans during a time of grave injustice.
Washington, D.C.

The Portrait Monument

Rumor has it the uncarved lump behind the three famous suffragists is reserved for the first woman president.
Washington, D.C.

Senate Bathtubs

Senators used to relax in the nearly forgotten marble tubs now hidden in the U.S. Capitol Building's basement.
Washington, D.C.

Senate Corncob Capitals

Corn-inthian columns with a uniquely American take on neoclassical architecture.
Washington, D.C.

Cuban-American Friendship Urn

The only National Monument ever to go missing for nearly 50 years then resurface in a dump.
Washington, D.C.

Clean Rivers Tunnel

An 18-mile-long tunnel for sewage waste will soon wind within the bowels of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.

District of Columbia Center Point

A little marble compass above George Washington's (empty) tomb in the Capitol marks where D.C.'s four quadrants intersect.
Washington, D.C.

Amelia Earhart's Lockheed Vega

The "lovely red Vega" of the legendary record-settling pilot.
Washington, D.C.

Mitsitam Native Foods Cafe

A museum cafe showcases Native American dishes and indigenous ingredients from across the Western Hemisphere.
Arlington, Virginia

James Parks Grave

Born a slave on the Arlington estate, Parks dug the first graves at Arlington National Cemetery, and was buried there, too.
Washington, D.C.

Library Of Congress Gutenberg Bible

One of the three perfect vellum copies of this historic book known to exist is on display in a specially-designed case.
Arlington, Virginia

Headstone-Eating Trees

The rogue roots are gradually consuming some of the historic marble grave markers.