mswelch's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Lorton, Virginia

George Mason's Gunston Hall

The former home of the man whose radical ideas changed the nation.
GoCuriously Added by GoCuriously
Springfield, Virginia

Snydenstricker Schoolhouse

The last early 20th-century schoolhouse in Fairfax County has galvanized the community and engendered a spirit of service among residents.
Added by blimpcaptain
Washington, D.C.

USNO Master Clock

The most accurate timepiece in the world.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Wiltshire, England

Stonehenge

Famously misunderstood wonder of the ancient world
Claymore Added by Claymore
London, England

The Attendant, Fitzrovia

Drink your espresso at a Victorian-era urinal in this underground-restroom-turned-coffee-bar.
jessemiers Added by jessemiers
White Post, Virginia

The White Post

An eponymous directional signpost erected by the first president of the United States.
Sydney Rose Added by Sydney Rose
Washington, D.C.

Willard Hotel

Legend has it that President Grant’s frequent drinking in the lobby gave rise to the term “lobbyist.”
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

Organization of American States Building

The grand marble structure next to the White House is Andrew Carnegie's temple to Pan-American diplomacy.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

Potomac Park Flood Levee

This mysterious structure by the Washington Monument is a flood barrier designed to protect the White House against rising waters.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
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.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

Babcock Lake Fisheries

The U.S. Fish Commission’s effort to mass produce carp.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

Kilroy Was Here

There’s a hidden military meme engraved on the World War II Memorial.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

Fireworks Safety Zone on the National Mall

On the Fourth of July this area will transform into a Pompeii-like storm of falling embers and ash.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
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.
satxwdavis Added by satxwdavis
Washington, D.C.

Abandoned Drawbridge Control Room

The hidden offices underneath Memorial Bridge have been locked up since 1976.
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.

Chinatown Barnes Dance

The unique traffic pattern named for an influential urban planner is also known as the Pedestrian Scramble.
R Stemple Added by R Stemple
Washington, D.C.

National Building Museum

Fittingly, America's museum of architecture is itself a magnificently designed old building.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

Government Printing Office

Need a hardcopy of the 50-title Code of Federal Regulations? This is the place.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

Owney the Postal Dog

A traveling postal dog covered 48 states and more than 140,000 miles, and he lives on as taxidermy, patched up with a rabbit's foot and a pig's ear.
Annetta Black Added by Annetta Black
Washington, D.C.

Roman Legionnaire Modesty Shields

Railroad officials in the early 1900s sought to spare travelers the sight of Roman soldiers’ private parts.
Sydney Rose Added by Sydney Rose
Washington, D.C.

Site of the Union Station Train Crash

A 1,100-ton train fell through the floor in 1953. Workers got it patched up in just 72 hours.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Arlington, Virginia

Pentagon Taxi Tunnels Stubs

The Pentagon is so large that it was planned like a city, complete with internal highway infrastructure.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Arlington, Virginia

Gravelly Point Park

This lovely picnic spot featuring thunderous jet landings is an aircraft spotter’s dream.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter