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

Was there a small "backpack nuke" hidden in the attic? JFK apparently thought so.

A bas relief commemorates the "Nuns of the Battlefield" who cared for soldiers on both sides of the conflict.

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

This imposing Masonic temple a mile from the White House was the first public library in Washington, D.C.

The first memorial dedicated solely to the Black troops who fought for the Union.

Largest Roman Catholic church in North America.

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

The sci-fi villain is a little-known inhabitant of the U.S. capital's largest cathedral.

A tiny piece of the Moon is embedded in this stained glass masterpiece.

A haunting tribute to pioneering photographer Clover Adams.

These unusual rooms on wheels are holdovers from the 1960s.

FDR's Art Deco hospital tower was hopelessly inefficient.

The tallest The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple in the world soars above the Beltway.

A faded sign from the 1920s remembers Baltimore's resistance toward banning alcohol.

This bug-eyed water wheel uses the power of the Sun to clean up Baltimore Harbor.

The longest escalator in the Western Hemisphere takes over three minutes to ride down.

Baltimore's classic clock tower was once topped by a rotating, 20-ton medicine bottle.

The design of this historic domed church was influenced by Thomas Jefferson and intended as a statement of religious freedom.

An outlandish shoe shaped house built by an eccentric millionaire.

An almost life-sized elephant named Ms. Ellie greets visitors at this jumbo-themed museum.

A labor of love built by local hang-gliding enthusiasts, this ideal launch spot was outlawed by the authorities and has since been largely abandoned.