Washington, D.C.
Capitol Building Tunnel System
Members of Congress have traveled between the buildings on Capitol Hill for a century hidden from tourists, press, and storm clouds.
Places leblancjt Wants to Go
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Places I want to go
Places on this traveler's wishlist.
Washington, D.C.
Treasury Department Cash Vault
Where the U.S. government kept its actual treasure, before Fort Knox.
Washington, D.C.
NIST Newton Apple Tree
A clone of a cloned tree that was so important it allegedly had its own guards.
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.
International Temple of the Order of the Eastern Star
Obscure Freemasons still live in D.C.’s largest private residence.
Washington, D.C.
Abandoned Drawbridge Control Room
The hidden offices underneath Memorial Bridge have been locked up since 1976.
Washington, D.C.
Watergate Steps
Decades before the scandal, this staircase on the river was a literal "water gate."
Washington, D.C.
The Big Chair
A super-sized promotional trick that is now a D.C. landmark.
Washington, D.C.
National Archives Vault
An atomic bomb-proof strongbox protects the U.S. Constitution from terrorists and thieves.
Washington, D.C.
The Mutilated Currency Division
An obscure public service from the U.S. government that redeems burnt, moldy, and soiled old greenbacks.
Washington, D.C.
Library of Congress Card Catalog
A nostalgic bibliographic gem.
Washington, D.C.
Inside the Capitol Dome
The walls of the iconic dome are hollow and have a secret stairway.
Washington, D.C.
East Potomac Park Mini Golf
The country's oldest continually-operated mini golf course lies hidden in plain sight, eclipsed by one of D.C.'s most popular tourist attractions.
Washington, D.C.
Secret Entrance to the White House
The winding route passes through an enclosed alleyway, two tunnels, and leads to the White House basement.
Washington, D.C.
Lincoln Memorial Undercroft
A cavernous three-story, 43,800-square-foot basement that was forgotten about for 60 years.
Washington, D.C.
FBI Spy House
A painfully obvious spy house sits right across the street from the Russian Embassy.
Washington, D.C.
Washington Mini Monument
There's a 12-foot-tall replica of the Washington Monument hidden under a manhole nearby.
Washington, D.C.
The Capitol Stones
Enormous piles of historically significant stones, dumped by Congress in a forest, and abandoned for 60 years.
Washington, D.C.
Space Window at the Washington National Cathedral
A tiny piece of the Moon is embedded in this stained glass masterpiece.
Washington, D.C.
Catacombs of Washington, D.C.
Franciscan monks created a facsimile of the Holy Land for North Americans who couldn’t afford the trip overseas.
Washington, D.C.
National Capitol Columns
The Corinthian columns that towered over Abraham Lincoln’s inauguration stand proud.
Washington, D.C.
International Spy Museum
Home to items never before seen by the public.
Chester, West Virginia
World's Largest Teapot
First a root beer ad, then a golf course clubhouse, and finally a massive teapot.
Point Pleasant, West Virginia
Mothman Statue
This red-eyed chrome beast pays homage to the popular modern myth of West Virginia's insectoid monster.
