An allegorical sculpture in Maryland wears the artist’s politics on its trunk.

A labor of love built by local hang-gliding enthusiasts, this ideal launch spot was outlawed by the authorities and has since been largely abandoned.

A winding district gerrymandered into the shape of a mantis.

The oldest military monument in the United States.

One of the largest collections of Catalan literature and cultural materials outside of Spain, created by a community of 1960s expats.

Although built to generate electricity for Marylanders, this dam has become an all-you-can-eat buffet for American bald eagles.

This rare triple-jurisdiction drawbridge passes through Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.

A relic of FDR's brief foray into utopian urban planning.

The 72-foot giant escaped confinement in a large patch of mulch only to be reburied in the sandy shores of the Potomac River.

The tallest The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple in the world soars above the Beltway.

The world's oldest continuously operating airport was founded by the Wright Brothers.

Once home to seven different roller coasters, Glen Echo has undergone many transformations since its founding in 1891.

A priceless collection of the Nation's cryptologic history.

The land is home to swimming ponies and a legendary 18th-century treasure.

A local farm's collection of unusual structures from a now defunct storybook amusement park.

The longest escalator in the Western Hemisphere takes over three minutes to ride down.

An astounding collection of medical specimens, including bits of President Lincoln.