Things to do in D.C.

by Carolinethrift

78 Places

Washington, D.C.

Rayburn House Office Building

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

Elliot Carter

Added by Elliot Carter

Washington, D.C.

Temperance Fountain

A much-maligned monument to teetotalism.

WhiskeyBristles

Added by WhiskeyBristles

Fort Washington, Maryland

Remains of Truxton Circle Fountain

Remains of a historic fountain that was mysteriously lost in the demolition of a D.C. traffic circle.

WhiskeyBristles

Added by WhiskeyBristles

Washington, D.C.

National Building Museum

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

Elliot Carter

Added by Elliot Carter

Washington, D.C.

The Old Patent Model Museum

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

Elliot Carter

Added by Elliot Carter

Washington, D.C.

Daguerre Monument

Go take a picture with the inventor of the daguerreotype photographic process.

R Stemple

Added by R Stemple

Washington, D.C.

Hecht Company Warehouse

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

LeahC

Washington, D.C.

Godey Lime Kilns

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

WhiskeyBristles

Added by WhiskeyBristles

Washington, D.C.

Zero Milestone

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

EricGrundhauser

Added by EricGrundhauser

Washington, D.C.

The Dupont Underground

Long-abandoned trolley tunnels just a mile away from the White House are turning into an art space.

WhiskeyBristles

Added by WhiskeyBristles

Washington, D.C.

USNO Master Clock

The most accurate timepiece in the world.

Elliot Carter

Added by Elliot Carter

Washington, D.C.

Serenity Statue

This poor little statue is the most vandalized memorial in Washington.

Elliot Carter

Added by Elliot Carter

Washington, D.C.

National Capitol Columns

The United States Capitol's former columns still stand.

LeahC

Washington, D.C.

United Brick Corporation Ruins

Once the supplier for noteworthy projects like the National Cathedral, this old brickworks now lies abandoned.

WhiskeyBristles

Added by WhiskeyBristles

Washington, D.C.

National Bonsai Museum

One of the dwarven trees dates back to 1625 and survived the Hiroshima bombing.

Elliot Carter

Added by Elliot Carter

Washington, D.C.

Darth Vader Grotesque

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

Mark Casey

Added by Mark Casey

Arlington, Virginia

Ronald Reagan National Airport's Historic Terminal A

The romance of early commercial flight still fills this Art Deco destination.

R Stemple

Added by R Stemple

Washington, D.C.

The Mansion on O Street

With over 100 jam-packed rooms to explore plus elaborate tea services and events, the Mansion on O Street is a hidden treasure.

Washington, D.C.

The Capitol Stones

Enormous piles of historically significant stones, dumped by Congress in a forest, and abandoned for 60 years.

Washington, D.C.

Summerhouse

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

VC Nickels

Added by VC Nickels

Washington, D.C.

Sergeant Stubby

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

Allison

Added by Allison

Washington, D.C.

The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations' Millennium General Assembly

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

Added by yorknl

Washington, D.C.

The Big Chair

A super-sized promotional trick that is now a D.C. landmark.

Washington, D.C.

Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens

A lovely aquatic park built by a one-armed Civil War veteran who made a fortune from lotuses.

Elliot Carter

Added by Elliot Carter

Arlington, Virginia

Rosslyn Metro Escalator

At 207 feet, one of the world's longest continuous escalators.

Added by Facebook1092450099

Washington, D.C.

The Brewmaster's Castle

This grand gothic brewery has been pumping out suds for over a hundred years.

Added by bachrach44

Washington, D.C.

Willard Hotel

Legend has it that President Grant’s frequent drinking in the lobby gave rise to the term “lobbyist.”

Elliot Carter

Added by Elliot Carter

Washington, D.C.

D.C.'s Underground Bald Cypress Fossils

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

erikmoe

Added by erikmoe

Washington, D.C.

Carnegie Library of Washington, D.C.

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

Elliot Carter

Added by Elliot Carter

Washington, D.C.

The Sun Building

This nine-story building is the oldest standing skyscraper in D.C.

Elliot Carter

Added by Elliot Carter

Washington, D.C.

Cher Ami

A heroic pigeon that, through a barrage of gunfire, delivered a message that saved over 100 lives in World War I.

Allison

Added by Allison

Alexandria, Virginia

The Grave of the Female Stranger

This grave marks the passing of a historic Jane Doe whose identity remains a mystery to this day.

Added by JohnBense

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.

Annetta Black

Added by Annetta Black

Washington, D.C.

Culture House

A historic neighborhood church is reborn as a psychedelic arts collective.

Elliot Carter

Added by Elliot Carter

Washington, D.C.

Dumbarton Oaks

The Byzantine, pre-Columbian, and medieval art at this stately mansion are some of the most under-appreciated collections in D.C.

Added by Joshua Sack

Washington, D.C.

Cuban-American Friendship Urn

The only National Monument ever to go missing for nearly 50 years then resurface in a dump.

Washington, D.C.

Washington Monument Marble Stripe

Look closely and you’ll notice that the color changes a third of the way up the tower.

Elliot Carter

Added by Elliot Carter

Washington, D.C.

U.S. Naval Observatory Library

A hoard of sky catalogs, astrophysical journals, even the works of Galileo and Copernicus.

Elliot Carter

Added by Elliot Carter

Arlington, Virginia

Dark Star Park

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

Michael Inscoe

Added by Michael Inscoe

Washington, D.C.

Mount Zion Cemetery's Underground Railroad Shelter

People escaping slavery may have hidden inside a corpse vault.

Elliot Carter

Added by Elliot Carter

Washington, D.C.

Washington Aqueduct Castle Gatehouse

A building shaped like the Army Corps of Engineers logo, because why not?

Elliot Carter

Added by Elliot Carter

Washington, D.C.

Man Controlling Trade

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

Elliot Carter

Added by Elliot Carter

Washington, D.C.

The Cairo

This unacceptably tall building was the real reason for Washington, D.C.'s skyscraper ban.

Elliot Carter

Added by Elliot Carter

Washington, D.C.

Holt House

There's a crumbling old mansion inside the Smithsonian National Zoo.

Elliot Carter

Added by Elliot Carter

Washington, D.C.

Capitalsaurus Court

The discovery site of the "Capitalsaurus," the official dinosaur of Washington, D.C.

Elliot Carter

Added by Elliot Carter

Washington, D.C.

The Lockkeeper's House

A derelict bit of infrastructure from the canal that once ran through D.C. is landlocked in the heart of the city.

Elliot Carter

Added by Elliot Carter

Arlington, Virginia

Pierre L’Enfant’s (Second) Gravesite

The controversial urban planner who designed Washington, D.C., was buried in Maryland, and can presently be found in Virginia.

Elliot Carter

Added by Elliot Carter

Arlington, Virginia

Headstone-Eating Trees

The rogue roots are gradually consuming some of the historic marble grave markers.

Elliot Carter

Added by Elliot Carter