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.
Places From the Backwoods Wants to Go
3427
Places I want to go
Places on this traveler's wishlist.
Washington, D.C.
Embassy Gulf Service Center
Behind an abandoned storefront is an example of pioneering 1930s gas station architecture.
Washington, D.C.
Russian Ambassador's Residence
Was there a small "backpack nuke" hidden in the attic? JFK apparently thought so.
Washington, D.C.
Potomac Park Flood Levee
This mysterious structure by the Washington Monument is a flood barrier designed to protect the White House against rising waters.
Washington, D.C.
American University Experiment Station
The school tested mustard gas for the U.S. Army during World War I.
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.
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.
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.
The Sun Building
This nine-story building is the oldest standing skyscraper in D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Georgetown Waterfront
The little-known, 300-year history of the area includes former lives as a bustling tobacco port, parking lot, and industrial dump.
Washington, D.C.
Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office Museum
Before founding the American Red Cross, Clara Barton had a tremendous humanitarian impact by locating thousands of missing soldiers.
Washington, D.C.
Washington Aqueduct Castle Gatehouse
A building shaped like the Army Corps of Engineers logo, because why not?
Washington, D.C.
NASA Full Scale Wind Tunnel Propeller
While most wind tunnels test scale models, the "Cave of Winds" was large enough for actual airplanes.
Washington, D.C.
Washington Monument Access Hatch
Daredevil repair workers can worm their way out the access hatch, loop ropes over the apex and rappel down the monument.
Washington, D.C.
Churchill and Mandela Call and Response
When it comes to handsignals (and colonialism) rock always beats scissors.
Washington, D.C.
Sharpshooter's Tree
A diminutive plaque recalls the treetop sniper who almost killed Abe Lincoln.
Washington, D.C.
C&O Boat Elevator Ruins
This forgotten boat elevator was an engineering marvel in its heyday.
Washington, D.C.
The Cairo
This unacceptably tall building was the real reason for Washington, D.C.'s skyscraper ban.
Washington, D.C.
The K-9 of the Korean War Veterans Memorial
Those with a sharp eye can find the hidden image of a German Shepherd on the memorial's Mural Wall.
Washington, D.C.
Gun Barrel Fence
This robust fence in front of a historic Georgetown home is likely made from hundreds of recycled Revolutionary War firearms.
Washington, D.C.
Carousel on the National Mall
Washington's iconic carousel has a nice piece of Civil Rights history.
Washington, D.C.
Capitalsaurus Court
The discovery site of the "Capitalsaurus," the official dinosaur of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Arizona Avenue Trestle
The span is crooked and made from two older recycled bridges.
Washington, D.C.
Old Stone House
The oldest building in the District of Columbia was preserved because of a mistaken connection to George Washington.
