This forgotten boat elevator was an engineering marvel in its heyday.

This unacceptably tall building was the real reason for Washington, D.C.'s skyscraper ban.

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

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

Legend has it that President Grant’s frequent drinking in the lobby gave rise to the term “lobbyist.”

Art deco landmark on the outskirts of Washington, D.C.

Obscure Freemasons still live in D.C.’s largest private residence.

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

Decades before the scandal, this staircase on the river was a literal "water gate."

The most accurate timepiece in the world.

The only Civil War battle in Washington D.C. took place near this highest natural point in the city.

The "lovely red Vega" of the legendary record-settling pilot.

Largest Roman Catholic church in North America.

The Byzantine, pre-Columbian, and medieval art at this stately mansion are some of the most under-appreciated collections in D.C.

The beloved statue at the National Academy of Sciences is oh so inviting to sit on.

Fittingly, America's museum of architecture is itself a magnificently designed old building.

A toxic ghost town sitting atop a massive coal fire.

Inside a former cabaret, seven floors of erotic art.

This bridge was constructed from the rubble of the infamous Bastille.

The water-powered carriages are long gone, but for over a century this funicular railway has been the fastest route to the highest point in Paris.

An "inside out" building in the historical center of Paris, featuring Europe’s largest modern art museum.

This iconic Parisian bookstore doubles as the "Tumbleweed Hotel" for traveling writers.

This abstract roadside poultry was saved from demolition by outraged drivers and pilots.

The trials and tribulations of marking Poe’s grave.