Washington, D.C.
U.S. Naval Observatory Library
A hoard of sky catalogs, astrophysical journals, even the works of Galileo and Copernicus.
Places ShellybearG Wants to Go
347
Places I want to go
Places on this traveler's wishlist.
Washington, D.C.
Capital Transit Co. Streetcar Barn
Before Metro, Washington had a robust streetcar network—and you see the remains of this infrastructure if you know where to look.
Washington, D.C.
Steam Tunnels Under Capitol Hill
100 years later, they're still down there.
Washington, D.C.
FDR's Bomb Shelter
The first presidential bomb shelter was located in an old vault under the Treasury, connected to the White House via tunnel.
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.
Carnegie Library of Washington, D.C.
D.C.'s first central library was born out of a chance encounter with the philanthropist whose name it bears.
Washington, D.C.
Watergate Steps
Decades before the scandal, this staircase on the river was a literal "water gate."
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.
Washington, D.C.
Cher Ami
A heroic pigeon that, through a barrage of gunfire, delivered a message that saved over 100 lives in World War I.
Washington, D.C.
Volta Laboratory & Bureau
Helen Keller once broke ground on this historic center for the study of technologies to benefit the hearing impaired.
Washington, D.C.
Tudor Place
A historic estate packed with George Washington's heirlooms, and its own nuclear bunker.
Washington, D.C.
Culture House
A historic neighborhood church is reborn as a psychedelic arts collective.
Washington, D.C.
Frederick Douglass’s House, Cedar Hill
The famous abolitionist’s preserved estate is one of Washington's finest monuments to its great Black citizens.
Washington, D.C.
National Archives Vault
An atomic bomb-proof strongbox protects the U.S. Constitution from terrorists and thieves.
Washington, D.C.
Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument
Housing the National Women's Party since 1929, this historic house is now a monument to the fight for gender equality.
Washington, D.C.
Albert Einstein Bronze Statue
The beloved statue at the National Academy of Sciences is oh so inviting to sit on.
Washington, D.C.
Starship Enterprise NCC-1701
The actual model from the original "Star Trek" series is now on display at the National Air and Space Museum.
Washington, D.C.
FBI Spy House
A painfully obvious spy house sits right across the street from the Russian Embassy.
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.
Rockefeller Mansion in Rock Creek Park
This leafy estate is worth $18 million and is so grand it has two mailing addresses.
Washington, D.C.
Inside the Capitol Dome
The walls of the iconic dome are hollow and have a secret stairway.
Washington, D.C.
Titanic Memorial
This lonely waterfront memorial to the men of the Titanic was erected by the "Women of America."
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.
Washington, D.C.
Library of Congress Card Catalog
A nostalgic bibliographic gem.
