This lavish room at NYC's French Embassy is a rare relic from the end of the Gilded Age.

An echo chamber with a waterfall wrapped around its base at the Embassy of Canada in Washington, D.C.

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

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

A promising candidate for the lost rock laid by George Washington was unearthed, but the hunt is still on.

Art deco landmark on the outskirts of Washington, D.C.

In the basement of the U.S. Capitol Building is a hidden storage room full of ornate floor tiles leftover from the 1850s.

"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!”

D.C.'s first central library was born out of a chance encounter with the philanthropist whose name it bears.

A nostalgic bibliographic gem.

During the Industrial Revolution this “Temple of Invention” was full of intricate miniature machines and gadgets.

Light bulbs, scrap wood, and tinfoil comprise this homemade throne of the gods.

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

Rumor has it the uncarved lump behind the three famous suffragists is reserved for the first woman president.

A historic ruin just 20 feet away from a busy highway onramp.

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

The 606 is a decade in the making.

Hundreds of stone stairs and a winding medieval bridge connect this haunting Spanish island to the mainland.

A motel dedicated to Southwestern nostalgia.

An ornate plague column – built to celebrate life – claimed the lives of numerous artisans during its construction.

Looming communist pillar with a Czech twist.

A mocking tribute to the past and modern leadership of Prague.

An army of sleeping knights sculpted by a self-taught local artist beautifully depict an old Czech legend.

Unique house covered in a nightmarish mural of demons, ghosts and monsters.