Places whitakerdeanna Wants to Go

One man's homage to the sun continues to grow like a glass fractal.

Originally conceived as part of a proposed Arizona State Capitol building in the 1950s, this structure built in 2004 stands as a monument to the architect's legacy.

The unusual burial monument of Arizona's first governor.

A geological mystery on Camelback Mountain.

A historic hydroelectric power plant serves as the unusual backdrop for a public park.

A self-built castle made by a mysterious man.

Thousands of Mexican Free-Tailed Bats soar around an abandoned storm drain at sunset each summer.

The first permanent memorial to a unique secret weapon of World War II.

This small, unassuming street is now a canvas for color and creativity.

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.

Go take a picture with the inventor of the daguerreotype photographic process.

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

The sculptor was instructed to add “stallion attributes” to the general's bronze mare.

A girls' boarding school inspired by the Chicago World's Fair, once abandoned, now restored to strange and scenic glory.

Obscure Freemasons still live in D.C.’s largest private residence.

An amazing example of early-20th-century architecture, this church features marble transported from Utah.

A gorgeous mural outside a beloved D.C. restaurant pays homage to famous Black Americans.

An overlooked oasis of quiet on the grounds of Washington's monumental basilica.

One of the dwarven trees dates back to 1625 and survived the Hiroshima bombing.

Once the supplier for noteworthy projects like the National Cathedral, this old brickworks now lies abandoned.

Two dozen pinball games hidden away inside a most unlikely location.

A historic cemetery with unique artwork, a Civil War fort, and also happens to be the site of the Battle of Bladensburg.

A lovely aquatic park built by a one-armed Civil War veteran who made a fortune from lotuses.

An unusual sculpture, an interesting history, in a strange place, for a good cause.