"Congress may voluntarily remain in session throughout the summer, in order that our Congressmen may be protected from the intolerable discomforts and dangers of the ordinary outdoor weather!”

A hidden gem on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building designed by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted.

After his presidency, George Washington planned to live only a few blocks from the Capitol building.

Four bald cypress trees in Lafayette Square, across from the White House, mark the southern edge of a 100,000 year old cypress swamp.

This apartment building designed by a notable Washington D.C. architect housed the Qing Dynasty's Legation.

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 lightship turned museum, outfitted with artifacts from the vessel's past as part of the U.S. Lighthouse Service.

Metal dinosaurs lurk in a sculpture garden on the outskirts of a popular resort town.

This one-room schoolhouse was revitalized in 2007 as a museum focusing on the education of Black children during the early 20th-century.

Get up close and personal at this Fresnel Lens.

This 29-ton granite ball spins around at the slightest touch thanks to a scientific phenomenon.

The home of pigs, snakes, chameleons, and the alleged largest bunny in the United States.

A museum dedicated exclusively to aircraft used in the military.

This environmental engineering marvel keeps salt water from the Elizabeth River.

The nearly 120-year-old piece of pork wears a brass collar and was once a man's "pet ham."

Rowdy rebels fortified this home during the first popular uprising in United States history.

This statue is dedicated to Grace Sherwood, the last person in Virginia to be convicted of being a witch.

A derelict bit of transportation infrastructure hidden in the woods.

A striking memorial to the 21 lives lost in an explosion at the Washington Arsenal

Headquarters of the legendary clairvoyant's readings, spiritual hospital, and massage school.

One tiny triangular park commemorates the victims of a yellow fever epidemic—many of whom are buried right below the grass.

The childhood home of the famous general's mother is now a small, walled garden.

This cannonball stands as a reminder of the final act of a fleeting governor amidst a revolution.