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

Potomac Park Flood Levee

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

Watergate Steps

Decades before the scandal, this staircase on the river was a literal "water gate."
Washington, D.C.

Zero Milestone

A monument in Washington D.C. marks the spot from which all other roads were supposed to stem.
Washington, D.C.

Albert Einstein Bronze Statue

The beloved statue at the National Academy of Sciences is oh so inviting to sit on.
Washington, D.C.

Renwick Gallery

The first purpose-built art gallery in the United States is once again open as a center of craft arts.
Washington, D.C.

The Exorcist Stairs

The site of the climactic scene from the classic horror film is now a historic landmark.
Washington, D.C.

Watergate Gas Station

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

Washington Coliseum

A historic arena where the Beatles played their first concert in the U.S.
Washington, D.C.

Space Window at the Washington National Cathedral

A tiny piece of the Moon is embedded in this stained glass masterpiece.
Washington, D.C.

Darth Vader Grotesque

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

National Park Seminary

A girls' boarding school inspired by the Chicago World's Fair, once abandoned, now restored to strange and scenic glory.
Kensington, Maryland

Washington, D.C. Temple

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

Herlong the Carved Dragon

A benevolent, 16-foot-tall river dragon lives on a suburban lawn.
Silver Spring, Maryland

Acorn Park

Giant acorn-shaped 19th century gazebo from which suburban Washingtonians gazed upon the original "silver" spring.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Murals of Maxo Vanka

Long hidden under grime, the politically radical murals of a little known Yugoslavian master are finally getting their due.
Millvale, Pennsylvania

Mr. Small's Funhouse

An 18th-century Catholic church converted into an eccentric temple of music and bacchanalia.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Forbes Field Wall

A portion of the old Pirates stadium over which a defining home run once flew still stands even after the rest of the stadium was torn down.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Conflict Kitchen

A take-out restaurant that only serves cuisine from countries with which the United States is in conflict.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Cathedral of Learning

The largest university building in the West is a gothic masterpiece containing dozens of theme rooms based on different countries.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Dippy the Dinosaur

A model of a dinosaur that was named for Andrew Carnegie stands outside the museum that also bears his name.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Kaufmann's Clock

Meet your friends, marry your true love, or tell your enemies to kiss your butt under this historic Pittsburgh timepiece.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Monongahela Incline

The United States’s oldest funicular railway glides up and down a steep Pittsburgh street.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

West End Overlook

The only way to see Pittsburgh is from the top of this lookout point, just like the ancient members of the native peoples did.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Canton Avenue

One of the steepest streets in the United States makes an intriguing challenge for cyclists.