addyfree's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Washington, D.C.

NASA Full Scale Wind Tunnel Propeller

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

Knife Edge

Architecture lovers won’t stop touching the National Gallery's 19.5 degree marble prow.
Washington, D.C.

Carousel on the National Mall

Washington's iconic carousel has a nice piece of Civil Rights history.
Washington, D.C.

Chinatown Barnes Dance

The unique traffic pattern named for an influential urban planner is also known as the Pedestrian Scramble.
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.

Amelia Earhart's Lockheed Vega

The "lovely red Vega" of the legendary record-settling pilot.
Washington, D.C.

National Archives Vault

An atomic bomb-proof strongbox protects the U.S. Constitution from terrorists and thieves.
Washington, D.C.

The Unabomber's Cabin

It was once the base for a series of domestic terror attacks.
Washington, D.C.

Starship Enterprise NCC-1701

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

National Building Museum

Fittingly, America's museum of architecture is itself a magnificently designed old building.
Washington, D.C.

Space Window at the Washington National Cathedral

A tiny piece of the Moon is embedded in this stained glass masterpiece.
San Francisco, California

Venus Statue

This contorting sculpture is the tallest in San Francisco.
San Francisco, California

Clarion Alley

This one-block alleyway is stuffed with street art that is colorful, cultural, and intensely political.
San Francisco, California

John McLaren Statue

The legendary statue-hating superintendent of Golden Gate Park is honored with... a statue.
San Francisco, California

Murphy Windmill

Once the largest windmill outside of Holland, with enormous 114 foot sails.
San Francisco, California

Dutch Windmill

The key to turning shifting dunes into the green oasis of Golden Gate Park.
San Francisco, California

Faery Door

San Franciscans leave gifts and messages for the magical beings that live behind the tiny, mysterious door installed on a tree in Golden Gate Park.
San Francisco, California

Golden Gate Park Bison

San Francisco's urban bison herd has persisted in the face of extinction, development, and disease.
Chicago, Illinois

300 South Wacker Drive

A 400-foot-tall tall map of Chicago makes this once-ignored building stand out.
Chicago, Illinois

Lower Lower Wacker Drive

Illegal drag racing two stories beneath Chicago’s streets.
Chicago, Illinois

Crown Fountain

The twin towers in this Chicago fountain use 50 foot tall video screens to spit on people.
Chicago, Illinois

Leather Archives & Museum

Chicago's museum dedicated to the history of bondage and fetishism is more textbook than titillation.
Chicago, Illinois

Palmer House Hilton

This historic hotel invented the chocolate brownie.
Chicago, Illinois

Tiffany Dome

This massive stained-glass masterpiece is thought to be the largest Tiffany dome in existence.