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

Washington Monument Lightning Rod

The monument's pointy aluminum tip has been melted down by repeated lightning strikes.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
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.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

Watergate Steps

Decades before the scandal, this staircase on the river was a literal "water gate."
Molly McBride Jacobson Added by Molly McBride Jacobson
Washington, D.C.

USNO Master Clock

The most accurate timepiece in the world.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

U.S. Naval Observatory Library

A hoard of sky catalogs, astrophysical journals, even the works of Galileo and Copernicus.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
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.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

Peirce Mill Spy Station

Cold War intelligence agents monitored communist embassies from an attic in a former pigeon coop.
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.

Theodore Roosevelt Island

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

The Unabomber's Cabin

It was once the base for a series of domestic terror attacks.
WhiskeyBristles Added by WhiskeyBristles
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.

Summerhouse

A hidden gem on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building designed by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted.
VC Nickels Added by VC Nickels
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.

The Capitol Stones

Enormous piles of historically significant stones, dumped by Congress in a forest, and abandoned for 60 years.
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
Washington, D.C.

The Exorcist Stairs

The site of the climactic scene from the classic horror film is now a historic landmark.
Leslie McIntyre Added by Leslie McIntyre
Washington, D.C.

National Bonsai Museum

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

The Dupont Underground

Long-abandoned trolley tunnels just a mile away from the White House are turning into an art space.
WhiskeyBristles Added by WhiskeyBristles
Queens, New York

La Guardia's Art Deco Marine Air Terminal

A remnant from the golden age of aviation still in use today, Pan Am's Clipper service took off from this Art Deco gem.
Luke J Spencer Added by Luke J Spencer
Brooklyn, New York

Staten Island's Lost Subway Tunnel

An abandoned subway tunnel that could have reinvigorated Staten Island still lies somewhere beneath this Brooklyn park.
Luke J Spencer Added by Luke J Spencer
Bronx, New York

Bartow Station

A former connection to City Island, it has been abandoned since the 1930s.
puzzles Added by puzzles
New York, New York

New York's Oldest Phone Number

Need to book a room at the Hotel Pennsylvania? Just dial up 6-5000.
Luke J Spencer Added by Luke J Spencer
Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn Army Terminal Building B

Empty, but not abandoned, this cavernous Brooklyn loading dock was once considered the largest individual building in the world.
EricGrundhauser Added by EricGrundhauser
Queens, New York

TWA Flight Center at JFK Airport

This futuristic airport terminal was abandoned for decades before reopening as a hotel—with a vintage plane of its own parked out back.
lewblank Added by lewblank