Washington, D.C.
The National Gallery's Art Materials Collection
The institution is sitting on a goldmine of 21,000 paints, varnishes, pigments, and primers preserved for posterity.
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Places I've been
Places this traveler has marked as been there.
Washington, D.C.
Martha, the Last Passenger Pigeon
The remains of Martha, the last known passenger pigeon, serve as a tool to educate about conservation.
Washington, D.C.
Bare-Chested George Washington
Perhaps the most scandalous statue of America's first president.
Washington, D.C.
Amelia Earhart's Lockheed Vega
The "lovely red Vega" of the legendary record-settling pilot.
Permanently Closed
Washington, D.C.
The Unabomber's Cabin
It was once the base for a series of domestic terror attacks.
Washington, D.C.
Starship Enterprise NCC-1701
The actual model from the original "Star Trek" series is now on display at the National Air and Space Museum.
Washington, D.C.
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
Largest Roman Catholic church in North America.
Washington, D.C.
Peacock Room
This stunning blue and gold room changed cities twice before becoming part of the Smithsonian.
Washington, D.C.
Sergeant Stubby
The most decorated dog of World War I is preserved in the Smithsonian.
Washington, D.C.
Lincoln Book Tower
A three-story tower of books about Abraham Lincoln is one of the more unusual monuments to the president.
Washington, D.C.
National Bonsai Museum
One of the dwarven trees dates back to 1625 and survived the Hiroshima bombing.
Hershey, Pennsylvania
Hotel Hershey
This extraordinary Depression-era expenditure was modeled after a postcard of a Mediterranean hotel.
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Civil War Tails at the Homestead Diorama Museum
A diorama of the Civil War, fought by cats.
Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania
The Pennsic War at Coopers Lake
An otherwise quiet campground becomes a bustling medieval town for two weeks every year.
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Gettysburg Cyclorama
A dramatic, 360-degree recreation of Pickett's Charge in the Civil War.
Coudersport, Pennsylvania
Cherry Springs State Park
"Dark Sky Park" is heaven on Earth for astronomers, one of the rare U.S. locations with no artificial light pollution.
Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
John Brown's Fort
The last holdout of a pre-Civil War rebel who took the matter of slavery into his own hands.
Green Bank, West Virginia
Green Bank: A Town for 'Wi-Fi Refugees'
This rural community has attracted both scientists and techno-refugees due to its federally-mandated lack of technology.
Berkeley Springs, West Virginia
George Washington Bathtub
Berkeley Springs State Park boasts the nation's only monument commemorating presidential bathing.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philbert the Pig
This beloved marketplace mascot poops money and grants good luck.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Swann Memorial Fountain
A tour de force of a fountain, memorializing a man who loved fountains more than anything else.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Foucault Pendulum at the Franklin Institute
A daily replay of the experiment that proved the rotation of the Earth.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The Barnes Foundation
Dr Barnes' $25 billion private collection of art and arboretum.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Mütter Museum
America's most famous museum of medical oddities is home to the remains of Albert Einstein's brain.
