Washington, D.C.
Library of Congress Book Conveyor Tunnel
A fantastic array of trays and cables once whisked books over to the Capitol at 600 feet per minute.
Places waywardwillard Wants to Go
2297
Places I want to go
Places on this traveler's wishlist.
Washington, D.C.
The National Gallery's Art Materials Collection
The institution is sitting on a goldmine of 21,000 paints, varnishes, pigments, and primers preserved for posterity.
Washington, D.C.
Hecht Company Warehouse
Art deco landmark on the outskirts of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Glenwood Cemetery's Chainsaw Sculptures
The towering figures were created from the cemetery's fallen old-growth trees.
Washington, D.C.
Mary's Garden
An overlooked oasis of quiet on the grounds of Washington's monumental basilica.
Washington, D.C.
Washington Monument Lightning Rod
The monument's pointy aluminum tip has been melted down by repeated lightning strikes.
Washington, D.C.
Abandoned Drawbridge Control Room
The hidden offices underneath Memorial Bridge have been locked up since 1976.
Washington, D.C.
Daguerre Monument
Go take a picture with the inventor of the daguerreotype photographic process.
Washington, D.C.
Capitol Tile Room
In the basement of the U.S. Capitol Building is a hidden storage room full of ornate floor tiles leftover from the 1850s.
Washington, D.C.
Alferd Packer Cannibal Plaque
A brass plaque dedicated to a convicted cannibal hangs in the National Press Club, and that's not even the craziest part of the story.
Washington, D.C.
International Temple of the Order of the Eastern Star
Obscure Freemasons still live in D.C.’s largest private residence.
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.
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.
Ruins of the Columbian Cannon Foundry
These recently uncovered walls are all that's left of Washington, D.C's first defense contractor.
Washington, D.C.
Uncle Beazley the Triceratops
A celebrity from the late Cretaceous period.
Washington, D.C.
Treasury Department Cash Vault
Where the U.S. government kept its actual treasure, before Fort Knox.
Washington, D.C.
Historic Elevator at Potbelly
This sandwich shop has a century-old elevator behind a sheet of plexiglass.
Permanently Closed
Washington, D.C.
United Brick Corporation Ruins
Once the supplier for noteworthy projects like the National Cathedral, this old brickworks now lies abandoned.
Washington, D.C.
Martha, the Last Passenger Pigeon
The remains of Martha, the last known passenger pigeon, serve as a tool to educate about conservation.
Washington, D.C.
Ruins of the McMillan Sand Filtration Site at Reservoir Park
An Industrial Revolution-era public work that purified water using nothing but sand.
Washington, D.C.
Smithsonian Sushi Collection
Seemingly unremarkable items like empty sushi trays, chef hats, and freshness stickers are being preserved so future generations can look back on this beloved cultural import.
Washington, D.C.
Amelia Earhart's Lockheed Vega
The "lovely red Vega" of the legendary record-settling pilot.
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.
Holt House
There's a crumbling old mansion inside the Smithsonian National Zoo.
