FDR's Art Deco hospital tower was hopelessly inefficient.

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

This bug-eyed water wheel uses the power of the Sun to clean up Baltimore Harbor.

A priceless collection of the Nation's cryptologic history.

This stunning blue and gold room changed cities twice before becoming part of the Smithsonian.

A nostalgic bibliographic gem.

The bank that helped fund the Mexican-American War and the purchase of Alaska met its downfall after helping Augusto Pinochet launder money.

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.

One critic described it as "middle Mussolini, early Ramses, and late Neiman-Marcus." Another called it an architectural "natural disaster."

A line of blue paint marks the route of the inaugural parade.

Corn-inthian columns with a uniquely American take on neoclassical architecture.

A gorgeous mural outside a beloved D.C. restaurant pays homage to famous Black Americans.

A derelict bit of infrastructure from the canal that once ran through D.C. is landlocked in the heart of the city.

This seemingly out-of-place gas station by the Watergate hotel was once described as the most expensive gas station in the world.

An overlooked memorial honoring the local Washington residents who died in World War I.

Look closely and you’ll notice that the color changes a third of the way up the tower.

While most wind tunnels test scale models, the "Cave of Winds" was large enough for actual airplanes.

Before Nixon, "watergate" meant canals.

The monument's pointy aluminum tip has been melted down by repeated lightning strikes.

Washington's iconic carousel has a nice piece of Civil Rights history.

Those with a sharp eye can find the hidden image of a German Shepherd on the memorial's Mural Wall.

Members of Congress have traveled between the buildings on Capitol Hill for a century hidden from tourists, press, and storm clouds.

A little marble compass above George Washington's (empty) tomb in the Capitol marks where D.C.'s four quadrants intersect.

A museum cafe showcases Native American dishes and indigenous ingredients from across the Western Hemisphere.