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

Foundry Branch Tunnel

Once a sewer culvert, this road tunnel now offers cyclists and pedestrians a subterranean stroll under the C&O Canal.
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.
Washington, D.C.

Washington Aqueduct Chemical Tower

Every drop of D.C. tap water flows through this old waterworks.
Washington, D.C.

General Sheridan's Horse Rienzi Winchester

This taxidermy horse was a Civil War hero.
Washington, D.C.

Dumbarton Oaks Birthing Figure

This fertility idol of questionable authenticity inspired an iconic Indiana Jones artifact.
Washington, D.C.

Vigilant Firehouse

‘Bush the old fire dog died of poison July 5th, 1869. RIP.’
Washington, D.C.

Russian Ambassador's Residence

Was there a small "backpack nuke" hidden in the attic? JFK apparently thought so.
Washington, D.C.

Capital Transit Co. Streetcar Barn

Before Metro, Washington had a robust streetcar network—and you see the remains of this infrastructure if you know where to look.
Washington, D.C.

Man Controlling Trade

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

Washington Aqueduct Castle Gatehouse

A building shaped like the Army Corps of Engineers logo, because why not?
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.

Tivoli's Astounding Magic Supply

The district's only illusionarium supports free writing programs for local students with every purchase.
Washington, D.C.

FDR's Bomb Shelter

The first presidential bomb shelter was located in an old vault under the Treasury, connected to the White House via tunnel.
Washington, D.C.

Abandoned Drawbridge Control Room

The hidden offices underneath Memorial Bridge have been locked up since 1976.
Washington, D.C.

Georgetown's Haunted Halcyon House

This stately mansion, built in 1787 by America's first Secretary of the Navy, is rumored to be one of the most haunted buildings in Washington, DC.
Washington, D.C.

Grace Hopper's Bug

A computer bug so primitive it was an actual insect.
Washington, D.C.

Peirce Mill Spy Station

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

House of the Temple

This imposing Masonic temple a mile from the White House was the first public library in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.

Rockefeller Mansion in Rock Creek Park

This leafy estate is worth $18 million and is so grand it has two mailing addresses.
Washington, D.C.

St. Elizabeths Hospital

Government testing at the asylum briefly explored using marijuana as a "truth serum" on Nazi prisoners of war.
Washington, D.C.

Library of Congress Card Catalog

A nostalgic bibliographic gem.
Washington, D.C.

FBI Spy House

A painfully obvious spy house sits right across the street from the Russian Embassy.
Washington, D.C.

Riggs Library

A wondrous old library overlooking the nation's capital.
Washington, D.C.

Culture House

A historic neighborhood church is reborn as a psychedelic arts collective.