Whisper secrets in a busy station only to be heard on the other side of this acoustic arch.

Elevated freight railway turned wildly successful urban park.

This distinctive Crescent City tradition dates back to the days of horse-drawn carriages.

The second oldest continuously operating bar in Louisiana.

This knobby, drooping New Orleans oak is a favorite place both for climbing and for meeting giraffes.

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

It was once the base for a series of domestic terror attacks.

America's Most Wanted's set resides in this tribute to the history of crime and punishment.

On the Fourth of July this area will transform into a Pompeii-like storm of falling embers and ash.

A replica of the famous memorial statue at the Normandy American Cemetery hides in an office building in downtown D.C.

The innocent intentions of this monument are somewhat lost in the sculpture's muscled imagery.

A line of blue paint marks the route of the inaugural parade.

This mysterious structure by the Washington Monument is a flood barrier designed to protect the White House against rising waters.

Also known as the Founding Church of Scientology.

This seemingly out-of-place gas station by the Watergate hotel was once described as the most expensive gas station in the world.

A hidden passageway now marks the site of an assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan that some say broke a 140-year-old curse.

A derelict bit of infrastructure from the canal that once ran through D.C. is landlocked in the heart of the city.

A small token of gratitude from freezing cold journalists who were given a warm haven while covering JFK's inauguration.

This nine-story building is the oldest standing skyscraper in D.C.

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

The early data processor factory founded in Washington for the 1890 U.S. Census went on to become IBM.

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

Before Metro, Washington had a robust streetcar network—and you see the remains of this infrastructure if you know where to look.

Look closely and you’ll notice that the color changes a third of the way up the tower.