Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Magneto Mural
The Master of Magnetism dominates the walls of a scrap metal yard to keep graffiti artists at bay.
Places smj99 Wants to Go
264
Places I want to go
Places on this traveler's wishlist.
Millvale, Pennsylvania
Mr. Small's Funhouse
An 18th-century Catholic church converted into an eccentric temple of music and bacchanalia.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Cathedral of Learning
The largest university building in the West is a gothic masterpiece containing dozens of theme rooms based on different countries.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
The Weeping Glass
A beautiful oddities shop crammed with strange and morbid curiosities.
Permanently Closed
Washington, D.C.
Palace of Wonders
Bar full of oddities, specimens, artifacts and homages to the great dime museums of the past.
Washington, D.C.
Ben's Chili Bowl Mural
A gorgeous mural outside a beloved D.C. restaurant pays homage to famous Black Americans.
Washington, D.C.
National Academy of Sciences
For 60 years, the academy had no permanent location until members voted Washington D.C. as its forever home.
Alexandria, Virginia
George Washington’s Whiskey
Taste the white whiskey that the United States' first president once distilled and enjoyed.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Wagner Free Institute
A rare view of a preserved Victorian science museum.
Washington, D.C.
Gun Barrel Fence
This robust fence in front of a historic Georgetown home is likely made from hundreds of recycled Revolutionary War firearms.
Washington, D.C.
Owney the Postal Dog
A traveling postal dog covered 48 states and more than 140,000 miles, and he lives on as taxidermy, patched up with a rabbit's foot and a pig's ear.
Washington, D.C.
Grace Hopper's Bug
A computer bug so primitive it was an actual insect.
Washington, D.C.
The Cuban Embassy's Hemingway Bar
When it opened during the final years of the embargo, all the drinks and cigars were free.
Permanently Closed
Washington, D.C.
The Unabomber's Cabin
It was once the base for a series of domestic terror attacks.
Washington, D.C.
Renwick Gallery
The first purpose-built art gallery in the United States is once again open as a center of craft arts.
Washington, D.C.
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
Largest Roman Catholic church in North America.
Washington, D.C.
Lincoln Book Tower
A three-story tower of books about Abraham Lincoln is one of the more unusual monuments to the president.
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.
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.
National Building Museum
Fittingly, America's museum of architecture is itself a magnificently designed old building.
Washington, D.C.
Foundry Branch Trolley Trestle Ruins
A derelict bit of transportation infrastructure hidden in the woods.
Washington, D.C.
Summerhouse
A hidden gem on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building designed by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted.
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.
Riggs Library
A wondrous old library overlooking the nation's capital.
