Silver Spring, Maryland
National Park Seminary
A girls' boarding school inspired by the Chicago World's Fair, once abandoned, now restored to strange and scenic glory.
24
Places I've been
Places this traveler has marked as been there.
Washington, D.C.
The Exorcist Stairs
The site of the climactic scene from the classic horror film is now a historic landmark.
New York, New York
Grand Central Terminal Whispering Gallery
Whisper secrets in a busy station only to be heard on the other side of this acoustic arch.
New York, New York
The High Line
Elevated freight railway turned wildly successful urban park.
New York, New York
Old City Hall Station
The very first subway station in New York City is beautiful, decked out in chandeliers, and ... abandoned?
Washington, D.C.
Annie's Paramount Steakhouse
This restaurant has been a haven for D.C.'s LGBTQ community since the 1950s.
Washington, D.C.
Dumbarton Oaks
The Byzantine, pre-Columbian, and medieval art at this stately mansion are some of the most under-appreciated collections in D.C.
Washington, D.C.
USNO Master Clock
The most accurate timepiece in the world.
Permanently Closed
Washington, D.C.
Yenching Palace
The iconic D.C. restaurant where the Cuban Missile Crisis was negotiated, now a Walgreens.
Permanently Closed
Ellicott City, Maryland
Enchanted Forest Theme Park
Remnants of a storybook amusement park hidden behind a strip mall.
Washington, D.C.
Space Window at the Washington National Cathedral
A tiny piece of the Moon is embedded in this stained glass masterpiece.
District of Columbia
Darth Vader Grotesque
The sci-fi villain is a little-known inhabitant of the U.S. capital's largest cathedral.
Washington, D.C.
Hecht Company Warehouse
Art deco landmark on the outskirts of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Fort Reno Park
The only Civil War battle in Washington D.C. took place near this highest natural point in the city.
Bethesda, Maryland
Glen Echo Amusement Park
Once home to seven different roller coasters, Glen Echo has undergone many transformations since its founding in 1891.
Silver Spring, Maryland
National Museum of Health and Medicine
An astounding collection of medical specimens, including bits of President Lincoln.
Bethesda, Maryland
Congressional Country Club
Proto-CIA agents trained with grenades in the sand traps and fired machine guns from the fairways.
Bethesda, Maryland
Madonna of the Trail
She stares out across six lanes of traffic, clutching a musket and infant with determination.
Cabin John, Maryland
Union Arch Bridge
The bridge's highly-contested plaque (once again) honors Confederate President Jefferson Davis.
Bethesda, Maryland
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
FDR's Art Deco hospital tower was hopelessly inefficient.
Kensington, Maryland
Washington, D.C. Temple
The tallest The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple in the world soars above the Beltway.
Silver Spring, Maryland
Wheaton Station Escalator
The longest escalator in the Western Hemisphere takes over three minutes to ride down.
Silver Spring, Maryland
National Capital Trolley Museum
A suburban museum tells the story of a historic transportation network and even provides rides in antique trolley cars.
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.
