One critic described it as "middle Mussolini, early Ramses, and late Neiman-Marcus." Another called it an architectural "natural disaster."

The grand marble structure next to the White House is Andrew Carnegie's temple to Pan-American diplomacy.

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

While most wind tunnels test scale models, the "Cave of Winds" was large enough for actual airplanes.

The "lovely red Vega" of the legendary record-settling pilot.

Obscure Freemasons still live in D.C.’s largest private residence.

A celebrity from the late Cretaceous period.

The actual model from the original "Star Trek" series is now on display at the National Air and Space Museum.

The most decorated dog of World War I is preserved in the Smithsonian.

This historic sunny-yellow building has an unfortunate connection to the sinking of the Titanic.

The Cadillac Ranch for monster truck aficionados.

Proto-CIA agents trained with grenades in the sand traps and fired machine guns from the fairways.

This massive swimming pool is the high tech home to the human-powered submarine races.

Home of the physician who set the leg of John Wilkes Booth after the Lincoln assassination.

The rooster who crossed the road lives on forever in Takoma Park, Maryland.

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

One of the oldest train stations still standing in Virginia played a vital role during the Civil War.

At Washington's Dulles Airport is a satellite museum (no pun intended) with three quarters of a million square feet of aircraft history.

A whopping 14,000 copper coins cover this miniature fighter jet.

This pun was simply waiting to come to life, and one defense contractor made it so.

A convincing little bit of ancient Egypt smack dab in Richmond, Virginia.

Inspired by a foil-wrapped potato, (seriously) the Markel Building has been deemed one of the 10 ugliest buildings in the world.

This unique historical monument features large concrete spheres designed to resemble fallen stars.

An original apothecary from 1792.