Washington, D.C.
The Tabulating Machine Co.
The early data processor factory founded in Washington for the 1890 U.S. Census went on to become IBM.
Places calicobearcat Wants to Go
183
Places I want to go
Places on this traveler's wishlist.
Washington, D.C.
Bootlegging Room in the Cannon House Office Building
During Prohibition, the U.S. Congress had an "official" bootlegger, with his own Capitol Hill office.
Washington, D.C.
Capitol Air Conditioning Towers
"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, D.C.
National Archives Vault
An atomic bomb-proof strongbox protects the U.S. Constitution from terrorists and thieves.
Washington, D.C.
Knife Edge
Architecture lovers won’t stop touching the National Gallery's 19.5 degree marble prow.
Washington, D.C.
Godey Lime Kilns
A historic ruin just 20 feet away from a busy highway onramp.
Washington, D.C.
Legislative Bell System
An ear-piercing buzzer calls lawmakers to a vote with a series of long and short rings to form coded messages.
Washington, D.C.
Man Controlling Trade
A muscular Art Deco monument represents the struggle between regulators and unbridled markets.
Washington, D.C.
Missing Capitol Building Cornerstone
A promising candidate for the lost rock laid by George Washington was unearthed, but the hunt is still on.
Washington, D.C.
First FDR Memorial
One of the most influential presidents in U.S. history wanted only this plain, elegant monument as his lasting memorial.
Washington, D.C.
Library of Congress Book Conveyor Tunnel
A fantastic array of trays and cables once whisked books over to the Capitol at 600 feet per minute.
Washington, D.C.
Congressional Cemetery
The privately owned cemetery that holds room for Washington's finest when they step down from life.
Washington, D.C.
Capitol Tile Room
In the basement of the U.S. Capitol Building is a hidden storage room full of ornate floor tiles leftover from the 1850s.
Washington, D.C.
FDR's Swimming Pool
There's an old indoor swimming pool hidden directly underneath the White House Press Briefing Room.
Washington, D.C.
Inside the Capitol Dome
The walls of the iconic dome are hollow and have a secret stairway.
Washington, D.C.
District of Columbia Center Point
A little marble compass above George Washington's (empty) tomb in the Capitol marks where D.C.'s four quadrants intersect.
Washington, D.C.
Willard Hotel
Legend has it that President Grant’s frequent drinking in the lobby gave rise to the term “lobbyist.”
Washington, D.C.
The Portrait Monument
Rumor has it the uncarved lump behind the three famous suffragists is reserved for the first woman president.
Washington, D.C.
FDR's Bomb Shelter
The first presidential bomb shelter was located in an old vault under the Treasury, connected to the White House via tunnel.
Washington, D.C.
Washington Aqueduct Emergency Pumping Station
These abandoned waterworks are crumbling into the Potomac River.
Washington, D.C.
Treasury Department Cash Vault
Where the U.S. government kept its actual treasure, before Fort Knox.
Washington, D.C.
Senate Bathtubs
Senators used to relax in the nearly forgotten marble tubs now hidden in the U.S. Capitol Building's basement.
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.
Washington, D.C.
Historic Elevator at Potbelly
This sandwich shop has a century-old elevator behind a sheet of plexiglass.
