Washington, D.C.
Washington Monument Lightning Rod
The monument's pointy aluminum tip has been melted down by repeated lightning strikes.
1931
Places I've been
Places this traveler has marked as been there.
Permanently Closed
Washington, D.C.
Babcock Lake Fisheries
The U.S. Fish Commission’s effort to mass produce carp.
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.
Japanese Stone Lantern
A gift from Japan, 17th-century lantern stands among the cherry trees at D.C.'s Tidal Basin.
Washington, D.C.
Fireworks Safety Zone on the National Mall
On the Fourth of July this area will transform into a Pompeii-like storm of falling embers and ash.
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.
Federal Reserve Tennis Court
The only tennis court that falls under the jurisdiction of the central bank.
Washington, D.C.
State Department Protocol Gift Office
They sort through millions of dollars worth of diplomatic gifts on behalf of the government.
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.
Peacock Room
This stunning blue and gold room changed cities twice before becoming part of the Smithsonian.
Washington, D.C.
Andrew Jackson Downing Urn
This large garden vase urn has nothing to do with the seventh U.S. President—it was designed by one landscape designer to honor another landscape designer's contributions to the National Mall.
Washington, D.C.
Carousel on the National Mall
Washington's iconic carousel has a nice piece of Civil Rights history.
Washington, D.C.
National Building Museum
Fittingly, America's museum of architecture is itself a magnificently designed old building.
Washington, D.C.
The Mary Surratt Boarding House
The house where John Wilkes Booth conspired with his co-conspirators.
Washington, D.C.
Hidden Figures Way
A street in front of NASA's D.C. headquarters has been named in honor of the Black women who were essential to early spaceflight.
Washington, D.C.
International Spy Museum
Home to items never before seen by the public.
Washington, D.C.
The Mutilated Currency Division
An obscure public service from the U.S. government that redeems burnt, moldy, and soiled old greenbacks.
Washington, D.C.
Inside the Capitol Dome
The walls of the iconic dome are hollow and have a secret stairway.
Washington, D.C.
District of Columbia Center Point
A little marble compass above George Washington's (empty) tomb in the Capitol marks where D.C.'s four quadrants intersect.
Washington, D.C.
Philo Farnsworth Statue
This statue of the "father of television" stands prominently in the United States Capitol.
Washington, D.C.
Missing Capitol Building Cornerstone
A promising candidate for the lost rock laid by George Washington was unearthed, but the hunt is still on.
Washington, D.C.
Legislative Bell System
An ear-piercing buzzer calls lawmakers to a vote with a series of long and short rings to form coded messages.
Washington, D.C.
The Portrait Monument
Rumor has it the uncarved lump behind the three famous suffragists is reserved for the first woman president.
Washington, D.C.
Senate Corncob Capitals
Corn-inthian columns with a uniquely American take on neoclassical architecture.
