foxbriar20'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.

The Dupont Underground

Long-abandoned trolley tunnels just a mile away from the White House are turning into an art space.
Washington, D.C.

Ruins of the McMillan Sand Filtration Site

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

Fort Stevens

This American Civil War-era fort still stands near the border between Washington, D.C. and Maryland.
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.
Washington, D.C.

Harewood Lodge

One of the first Second Empire-style buildings constructed in North America.
Washington, D.C.

'Ginevra de’ Benci' Portrait

The only Leonardo Da Vinci painting in the Western Hemisphere.
Washington, D.C.

The Kreeger Museum

The legacy of a wealthy executive and his wife, this little-known art museum features works by Picasso, Monet, Renoir, Cezanne, and more.
Washington, D.C.

USS Balao Conning Tower

Part of a WWII submarine is lurking outside the Washington Navy Yard parking lot.
Washington, D.C.

Hinckley Hilton President's Walk

A hidden passageway now marks the site of an assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan that some say broke a 140-year-old curse.
Washington, D.C.

Man Controlling Trade

A muscular Art Deco monument represents the struggle between regulators and unbridled markets.
Washington, D.C.

The L. Ron Hubbard House

Also known as the Founding Church of Scientology.
Washington, D.C.

Baptist Alley

This unassuming passageway played a key role in one of the most important events in U.S. history.
Washington, D.C.

'Cartwheel' Tower

Washington's top-secret Cold War-era doomsday communications tower is located in a small neighborhood park.
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.

Library of Congress Book Conveyor Tunnel

A fantastic array of trays and cables once whisked books over to the Capitol at 600 feet per minute.
Washington, D.C.

Navy Yard Railroad Gun

One of the largest artillery pieces in the world sits in a Washington D.C. parking lot.
Washington, D.C.

Treasury Department Cash Vault

Where the U.S. government kept its actual treasure, before Fort Knox.
Washington, D.C.

Capitol Tile Room

In the basement of the U.S. Capitol Building is a hidden storage room full of ornate floor tiles leftover from the 1850s.
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.

National Academy of Sciences

For 60 years, the academy had no permanent location until members voted Washington D.C. as its forever home.
Washington, D.C.

Arizona Avenue Trestle

The span is crooked and made from two older recycled bridges.
Washington, D.C.

Watergate Steps

Decades before the scandal, this staircase on the river was a literal "water gate."