Alexandria, Virginia
Contrabands and Freedmen Cemetery
Once forgotten and built over, this historic Black cemetery now houses a poignant memorial.
892
Places I've been
Places this traveler has marked as been there.
Washington, D.C.
Roman Legionnaire Modesty Shields
Railroad officials in the early 1900s sought to spare travelers the sight of Roman soldiers’ private parts.
Washington, D.C.
Site of the Union Station Train Crash
A 1,100-ton train fell through the floor in 1953. Workers got it patched up in just 72 hours.
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.
Holodomor Memorial
An easily overlooked memorial to a Ukrainian famine-genocide that killed over 4 million people.
Washington, D.C.
Memorial to Japanese-American Patriotism in World War II
An unassuming, powerful monument north of the U.S. Capitol bears witness to the resilience of Japanese Americans during a time of grave injustice.
Washington, D.C.
Baptist Alley
This unassuming passageway played a key role in one of the most important events in U.S. history.
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.
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.
The Portrait Monument
Rumor has it the uncarved lump behind the three famous suffragists is reserved for the first woman president.
Washington, D.C.
Cher Ami
A heroic pigeon that, through a barrage of gunfire, delivered a message that saved over 100 lives in World War I.
Washington, D.C.
General Sheridan's Horse Rienzi Winchester
This taxidermy horse was a Civil War hero.
Washington, D.C.
Bare-Chested George Washington
Perhaps the most scandalous statue of America's first president.
Washington, D.C.
Sergeant Stubby
The most decorated dog of World War I is preserved in the Smithsonian.
Washington, D.C.
First Teddy Bear
The story behind this beloved toy—named for Theodore Roosevelt and owned by his grandson—is more complicated than you might guess.
Washington, D.C.
Rush-Bagot Monument
An overlooked tribute to one of the most important peace deals in American history.
Washington, D.C.
Georgetown Waterfront
The little-known, 300-year history of the area includes former lives as a bustling tobacco port, parking lot, and industrial dump.
Washington, D.C.
Old Stone House
The oldest building in the District of Columbia was preserved because of a mistaken connection to George Washington.
Washington, D.C.
Jean Jules Jusserand Memorial
An obscure federal monument honors the French diplomat who served as Ambassador to the U.S. during WWI.
Washington, D.C.
The Capitol Stones
Enormous piles of historically significant stones, dumped by Congress in a forest, and abandoned for 60 years.
Washington, D.C.
Fort DeRussy
A Civil War fort in the middle of Washington, D.C. has been swallowed by a forest.
Arlington, Virginia
Alexander's Island Border Dispute
The Pentagon sits on a former island that was in Virginia at low tide and D.C. at high tide.
Washington, D.C.
Theodore Roosevelt Island
The national park was once a plantation estate.
