penelopejones's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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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
Arlington, Virginia

Rosslyn Metro Escalator

At 207 feet, one of the world's longest continuous escalators.
Added by Facebook1092450099
Arlington, Virginia

Dark Star Park

This unique historical monument features large concrete spheres designed to resemble fallen stars.
Michael Inscoe Added by Michael Inscoe
Arlington, Virginia

Pierre L’Enfant’s (Second) Gravesite

The controversial urban planner who designed Washington, D.C., was buried in Maryland, and can presently be found in Virginia.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Arlington, Virginia

Lockerbie Memorial Cairn

A gift from Scotland to the United States in memory of the 270 lives lost when Pan Am Flight 103 exploded over Lockerbie due to a terrorist bombing.
Added by blimpcaptain
Vienna, Virginia

Space Adventures

An eccentric company offers eccentric millionaires the opportunity to have spaceflight-related experiences.
Added by ekoptev
Washington, D.C.

Temperance Fountain

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

The Preamble in License Plates

The preamble to the U.S. Constitution written entirely from vanity license plates hangs in the Smithsonian museum.
e1savage Added by e1savage
Washington, D.C.

Watergate Fountain

The word "Watergate" will forever be associated with the infamous scandal in 1972, but this fountain is famous in its own right.
Added by blimpcaptain
Washington, D.C.

The Presidential Booths at Martin's Tavern

Sit where JFK proposed to Jackie or where Nixon dined on meatloaf at this storied pub.
Kendall Cairns Added by Kendall Cairns
Washington, D.C.

Freezing Newsmen Plaque

A small token of gratitude from freezing cold journalists who were given a warm haven while covering JFK's inauguration.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

USNO Master Clock

The most accurate timepiece in the world.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
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
Bethesda, Maryland

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center

FDR's Art Deco hospital tower was hopelessly inefficient.
Added by Joshua Sack
Silver Spring, Maryland

National Museum of Health and Medicine

An astounding collection of medical specimens, including bits of President Lincoln.
Dylan Added by Dylan
Rockville, Maryland

The Fitzgeralds' Gravesite

The final resting place of the tragic king and queen of the Jazz Age is tucked away in a small Maryland graveyard.
Added by nimckenzie
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 Transportation Walk

Outside the Department of Transportation, a collection of artifacts honors the history of how we get around.
AlexBass Added by AlexBass
Washington, D.C.

Rayburn House Office Building

One critic described it as "middle Mussolini, early Ramses, and late Neiman-Marcus." Another called it an architectural "natural disaster."
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

Capitol Bollards

The 5.5-mile ring of steel posts around the Capitol Building is one of the largest (and most uniform) of its kind in the world.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

The Lockkeeper's House

A derelict bit of infrastructure from the canal that once ran through D.C. is landlocked in the heart of the city.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

Man Controlling Trade

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

NASA Full Scale Wind Tunnel Propeller

While most wind tunnels test scale models, the "Cave of Winds" was large enough for actual airplanes.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

D.C. War Memorial

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