Government

A nostalgic bibliographic gem.

Where the U.S. government kept its actual treasure, before Fort Knox.

An extensive, if one-sided, history of U.S. law enforcement's war on drugs.

Ninety feet off the valley floor is an ancient dwelling put under protection of the U.S. government by Teddy Roosevelt.

There's a 12-foot-tall replica of the Washington Monument hidden under a manhole nearby.

One of just a few cities in the world to base their center of government on an island. Others: Paris and Osaka.

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.

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

Need a hardcopy of the 50-title Code of Federal Regulations? This is the place.

Ruins of a former government building destroyed during the Georgian-Abkhaz war in the wake of the fall of the Soviet Union.

One critic described it as "middle Mussolini, early Ramses, and late Neiman-Marcus." Another called it an architectural "natural disaster."

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

This mysterious structure by the Washington Monument is a flood barrier designed to protect the White House against rising waters.

The man who was president for only one day and spent most of it asleep.

"Congress may voluntarily remain in session throughout the summer, in order that our Congressmen may be protected from the intolerable discomforts and dangers of the ordinary outdoor weather!”

Washington's top-secret Cold War-era doomsday communications tower is located in a small neighborhood park.