sdakss2's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Washington, D.C.

Renwick Gallery

The first purpose-built art gallery in the United States is once again open as a center of craft arts.
Washington, D.C.

FDR's Swimming Pool

There's an old indoor swimming pool hidden directly underneath the White House Press Briefing Room.
Washington, D.C.

White House Helipad

Disks are rolled out onto the south lawn to absorb the impact of Marine One's wheels like giant coffee coasters.
Little River, California

Pygmy Forest Trail

A raised boardwalk winds through a thicket of stunted, century-old trees no more than nine feet tall.
Nassau, Bahamas

Primeval Forest National Park

Impressive sink holes fill this untouched old-growth forest in the Bahamas.
Washington, D.C.

D.C.'s Underground Bald Cypress Fossils

Four bald cypress trees in Lafayette Square, across from the White House, mark the southern edge of a 100,000 year old cypress swamp.
Washington, D.C.

Jean Jules Jusserand Memorial

An obscure federal monument honors the French diplomat who served as Ambassador to the U.S. during WWI.
Washington, D.C.

National Cathedral Bell Tower

There’s a special club house at the top for the bell ringers.
Washington, D.C.

Eritrean Cultural Civic Center

Daily lunch spot for many of Washington, D.C.'s cab drivers.
Washington, D.C.

Sonny Bono Memorial Park

A small triangle of DC grass is the final resting place of one of Sonny and Cher's songs.
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.

The Mansion on O Street

With over 100 jam-packed rooms to explore plus elaborate tea services and events, the Mansion on O Street is a hidden treasure.
Washington, D.C.

National Archives Vault

An atomic bomb-proof strongbox protects the U.S. Constitution from terrorists and thieves.
Washington, D.C.

Temperance Fountain

A much-maligned monument to teetotalism.
Washington, D.C.

The National Gallery's Art Materials Collection

The institution is sitting on a goldmine of 21,000 paints, varnishes, pigments, and primers preserved for posterity.
Portland, Oregon

Portland Horse Rings

Tiny horses tethered to antique rings are scattered around the city.
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.

Inside the Capitol Dome

The walls of the iconic dome are hollow and have a secret stairway.
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.
Ponca City, Oklahoma

Pioneer Woman Statue

A larger-than-life monument to the overlooked women who braved Western expansion and broke down societal barriers.
Plymouth, Massachusetts

National Monument to the Forefathers

Plymouth's huge yet little-known memorial to the Pilgrims.
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.

Letelier-Moffitt Monument

A diminutive memorial marks the site of a successful assassination by a right-wing death squad in America's capital.
Washington, D.C.

The Brewmaster's Castle

This grand gothic brewery has been pumping out suds for over a hundred years.