A derelict bit of infrastructure from the canal that once ran through D.C. is landlocked in the heart of the city.

Behind an abandoned storefront is an example of pioneering 1930s gas station architecture.

A muscular Art Deco monument represents the struggle between regulators and unbridled markets.

Also known as the Founding Church of Scientology.

While most wind tunnels test scale models, the "Cave of Winds" was large enough for actual airplanes.

An overlooked memorial honoring the local Washington residents who died in World War I.

Look closely and you’ll notice that the color changes a third of the way up the tower.

A diminutive plaque recalls the treetop sniper who almost killed Abe Lincoln.

The monument's pointy aluminum tip has been melted down by repeated lightning strikes.

This unacceptably tall building was the real reason for Washington, D.C.'s skyscraper ban.

Go take a picture with the inventor of the daguerreotype photographic process.

The only Civil War battle in Washington D.C. took place near this highest natural point in the city.

This nine-story building is the oldest standing skyscraper in D.C.

Legend has it that President Grant’s frequent drinking in the lobby gave rise to the term “lobbyist.”

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.

Architecture lovers won’t stop touching the National Gallery's 19.5 degree marble prow.

Rumor has it the uncarved lump behind the three famous suffragists is reserved for the first woman president.

A little marble compass above George Washington's (empty) tomb in the Capitol marks where D.C.'s four quadrants intersect.

The "lovely red Vega" of the legendary record-settling pilot.

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

Washington's iconic carousel has a nice piece of Civil Rights history.

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

A haunting tribute to pioneering photographer Clover Adams.

The oldest building in the District of Columbia was preserved because of a mistaken connection to George Washington.