Washington, D.C.
D.C.’s Floating Chandeliers
Mysterious installations bring levity and light to a sometimes stodgy city.
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Places I've been
Places this traveler has marked as been there.
Washington, D.C.
Dumbarton Oaks Birthing Figure
This fertility idol of questionable authenticity inspired an iconic Indiana Jones artifact.
Washington, D.C.
Vigilant Firehouse
‘Bush the old fire dog died of poison July 5th, 1869. RIP.’
Washington, D.C.
Site of the Union Station Train Crash
A 1,100-ton train fell through the floor in 1953. Workers got it patched up in just 72 hours.
Washington, D.C.
U.S. Mint Coin Store
Coins and medals straight from the mint await visitors to this shop in the nation's capital.
Washington, D.C.
The Kreeger Museum
The legacy of a wealthy executive and his wife, this little-known art museum features works by Picasso, Monet, Renoir, Cezanne, and more.
Washington, D.C.
Letelier-Moffitt Monument
A diminutive memorial marks the site of a successful assassination by a right-wing death squad in America's capital.
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.
Russian Ambassador's Residence
Was there a small "backpack nuke" hidden in the attic? JFK apparently thought so.
Washington, D.C.
American University Experiment Station
The school tested mustard gas for the U.S. Army during World War I.
Washington, D.C.
Foundry Branch Tunnel
Once a sewer culvert, this road tunnel now offers cyclists and pedestrians a subterranean stroll under the C&O Canal.
Washington, D.C.
Strom Party Animal
A public art jibe at one of the United States’ oldest and longest-serving senators.
Washington, D.C.
Washington Aqueduct Emergency Pumping Station
These abandoned waterworks are crumbling into the Potomac River.
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.
Washington, D.C.
Watergate Gas Station
This seemingly out-of-place gas station by the Watergate hotel was once described as the most expensive gas station in the world.
Washington, D.C.
Howard Theatre
Through the decades, Black music stars have performed at this historic hub for music and the arts.
Washington, D.C.
The Sun Building
This nine-story building is the oldest standing skyscraper in D.C.
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.
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.
The Tabulating Machine Co.
The early data processor factory founded in Washington for the 1890 U.S. Census went on to become IBM.
Washington, D.C.
Waldseemüller’s 1507 World Map
This groundbreaking 16th-century map is known as "America's birth certificate."
Washington, D.C.
Capital Transit Co. Streetcar Barn
Before Metro, Washington had a robust streetcar network—and you see the remains of this infrastructure if you know where to look.
Washington, D.C.
Hinckley Hilton President's Walk
A hidden passageway now marks the site of an assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan that some say broke a 140-year-old curse.
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.
