The bank that helped fund the Mexican-American War and the purchase of Alaska met its downfall after helping Augusto Pinochet launder money.

This map, on display in the Library of Congress, and one of only seven known to exist, is the very first map of the United States.

This large garden vase urn has nothing to do with the seventh U.S. President—it was designed by one landscape designer to honor another landscape designer's contributions to the National Mall.

The house where Lincoln drafted the Emancipation Proclamation.

This tiny, one-acre cemetery serves as a reminder of when the Civil War got close to the nation’s capitol.

Ruins from the Parthenon and petrified wood line the interior of one of the world's most famous monuments.

Dedicated to the man who created the first radio wave communication system.

This bridge over D.C.'s Rock Creek Park is sometimes called the "Buffalo Bridge" because of its four buffalo sculptures, which were cast from a single piece of bronze.

A glimpse of the Pacific Northwest‘s indigenous culture in Washington, D.C.

The revival of a classic Art Deco theater.

The "Key of Keys" for Washington, D.C. and the apocryphal landing place for the military campaign that started George Washington's career is now at the bottom of a well.

The only female equestrian statue in Washington, D.C. is a 15th-century French heroine.

A terrace reminiscent of Rome's Spanish Steps is tucked away in a little park in Washington, D.C.

The Lincoln Memorial has inspired many, even though a word on the inscription appears to be spelled incorrectly.

The last remaining building in Washington, D.C., built by H.H. Richardson, one of America's most iconic architects.

A spectacular tribute to statesman and philanthropist Andrew Mellon.

Beneath unsuspecting visitors feet, a capsule containing pieces of America’s civil rights history.

A gift from Japan, 17th-century lantern stands among the cherry trees at D.C.'s Tidal Basin.

This historic boathouse was constructed using salvaged lumber from burned barns.

The hippo that stands on this university campus was once a drunken flea market purchase.

The only tennis court that falls under the jurisdiction of the central bank.

The most magical part of this Latin American and Caribbean art museum is a room covered in beautiful blue tiles from floor to ceiling.

Railroad officials in the early 1900s sought to spare travelers the sight of Roman soldiers’ private parts.

The 5.5-mile ring of steel posts around the Capitol Building is one of the largest (and most uniform) of its kind in the world.