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.
Places keyholeelf Wants to Go
447
Places I want to go
Places on this traveler's wishlist.
Washington, D.C.
Mary's Garden
An overlooked oasis of quiet on the grounds of Washington's monumental basilica.
Washington, D.C.
Bare-Chested George Washington
Perhaps the most scandalous statue of America's first president.
Washington, D.C.
D.C.'s Underground Bald Cypress Fossils
Four bald cypress trees in Lafayette Square, across from the White House, mark the southern edge of a 100,000 year old cypress swamp.
Permanently Closed
Washington, D.C.
Site of the Knickerbocker Disaster
You could be standing at the site of one of D.C.'s most fatal tragedies and not even know it.
Washington, D.C.
Peacock Room
This stunning blue and gold room changed cities twice before becoming part of the Smithsonian.
Washington, D.C.
Library of Congress Card Catalog
A nostalgic bibliographic gem.
Washington, D.C.
Mount Zion Cemetery's Underground Railroad Shelter
People escaping slavery may have hidden inside a corpse vault.
Washington, D.C.
Inside the Capitol Dome
The walls of the iconic dome are hollow and have a secret stairway.
Washington, D.C.
Dumbarton Oaks
The Byzantine, pre-Columbian, and medieval art at this stately mansion are some of the most under-appreciated collections in D.C.
Washington, D.C.
USS Missouri Model Ship
The U.S. Navy’s preposterously detailed mini battleship took 77,000 hours to complete.
Washington, D.C.
George Washington's Townhouse Lots
After his presidency, George Washington planned to live only a few blocks from the Capitol building.
Washington, D.C.
Overthrust Fault
A surprising, but overlooked example of geology in the middle of the nation’s capital.
Washington, D.C.
Defense Intelligence Agency Museum
Amid the sprawling Defense Intelligence Agency Headquarters is one of Washington's least accessible museums.
Washington, D.C.
Mummified Bison
The 28,000-year-old specimen is remarkably intact.
Washington, D.C.
Rayburn House Office Building
One critic described it as "middle Mussolini, early Ramses, and late Neiman-Marcus." Another called it an architectural "natural disaster."
Washington, D.C.
White House Helipad
Disks are rolled out onto the south lawn to absorb the impact of Marine One's wheels like giant coffee coasters.
Washington, D.C.
Evelyn Y. Davis's Gravestone
A memorial to a shareholder activist feared by CEOs around the United States.
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.
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.
Washington City Canal Outfall
A portal into the bricked up canal that runs through the heart of Washington D.C.
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.
Vigilant Firehouse
‘Bush the old fire dog died of poison July 5th, 1869. RIP.’
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.
