Destruction from Armenia's 1988 earthquake inspired an artist's sculptures of scrap metal.

The only medieval bridge in Britain with its defensive tower still in tact.

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

A muscular Art Deco monument represents the struggle between regulators and unbridled markets.

An overlooked memorial honoring the local Washington residents who died in World War I.

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

This unacceptably tall building was the real reason for Washington, D.C.'s skyscraper ban.

The little-known, 300-year history of the area includes former lives as a bustling tobacco port, parking lot, and industrial dump.

The Byzantine, pre-Columbian, and medieval art at this stately mansion are some of the most under-appreciated collections in D.C.

A much-maligned monument to teetotalism.

Light bulbs, scrap wood, and tinfoil comprise this homemade throne of the gods.

The beloved statue at the National Academy of Sciences is oh so inviting to sit on.

This imposing Masonic temple a mile from the White House was the first public library in Washington, D.C.

The first purpose-built art gallery in the United States is once again open as a center of craft arts.

During the Industrial Revolution this “Temple of Invention” was full of intricate miniature machines and gadgets.

A hidden gem on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building designed by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted.

This popular tourist cave was ignored for almost 200 years before being mined into an attraction.

One of a series of no-purpose kinetic artworks by Swiss sculptor Jean Tinguely.

One hundred years ago this small house in downtown Zürich became the birthplace of the Dada movement.

This unusual piece of Renaissance art depicting the bodily horror of crucifixion and skin disease may have been inspired by fungus-induced hallucinations.

A musical instrument played by the sea.

This 14th century wine cellar is home to the oldest barrel-stored wine in the world.

This 1,300 year old monastery built atop a single rock was once only accessible depending on the whims of the tide.

This well-preserved Cistercian Abbey in a romantic pastoral setting has inspired artists like the poet Wordsworth.