Places marykate Wants to Go

This local mascot has been a presence in the area since the 1960s.

A whopping 14,000 copper coins cover this miniature fighter jet.

Once the largest trading firm of enslaved people in the U.S., this building is now a museum that preserves Alexandria's dark past.

Once forgotten and built over, this historic Black cemetery now houses a poignant memorial.

Originally dubbed "Retirement" by the Navy Commodore who built it in 1780, this beautiful mansion is now the centerpiece of a suburban community park.

The former home of Thomson Francis Mason, the mayor of Alexandria from 1827-1830.

A mammoth pair of Civil War artillery guns abandoned out in the forest.

America's first federal monument.

This cannon dating to 1755 has stood guard at this suburban intersection since 1915.

The only labyrinth within the city of Alexandria.

A small and somewhat hidden memorial to 68 local veterans of the Vietnam War.

This site is believed to be connected to the oldest house in Arlington County.

When it comes to handsignals (and colonialism) rock always beats scissors.

The most accurate timepiece in the world.

A hoard of sky catalogs, astrophysical journals, even the works of Galileo and Copernicus.

A painfully obvious spy house sits right across the street from the Russian Embassy.

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

Washington's top-secret Cold War-era doomsday communications tower is located in a small neighborhood park.

Surrounded by traditional homes, this Tolkien-esque dwelling stands out on a quiet street in suburban Maryland.

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

One of the few surviving examples of the first lock and dam system built on the Ohio River.

This campus chapel is Robert E. Lee's final resting place and a topic of debate about the legacy of the Civil War.

One of the few places where you can explore a 1918 paddlewheel steamboat from stem to stern.

What started as a display of antique hearses has grown into a museum exploring the history of the funeral industry.