This statue honors the author's groundbreaking family story.

This building at the south end of the boardwalk was once home to the U.S. Life-Saving Service and the U.S. Coast Guard before being rescued itself.

One of the oldest active carousels in the country—but it might be missed by all but the keenest-eyed boardwalk strollers.

A historic cemetery with unique artwork, a Civil War fort, and also happens to be the site of the Battle of Bladensburg.

Surrounded by traditional homes, this Tolkien-esque dwelling stands out on a quiet street in suburban Maryland.

The 72-foot giant escaped confinement in a large patch of mulch only to be reburied in the sandy shores of the Potomac River.

A swimming hole in the historic industrial quarry that supplied the marble for the Baltimore Washington Monument.

Once America's tallest structure, now a Baltimore landmark.

The whole world in one water tank.

The remnants of a wooden-hulled fleet built and abandoned in WWI, now home to a thriving ecosystem.

A 200-year-old bar with a cheeky name claims to have served Edgar Allan Poe his final drink.

It's not hard to see why the historic Peabody Conservatory of Music's library has been described as a "cathedral of books."

This apartment building designed by a notable Washington D.C. architect housed the Qing Dynasty's Legation.

A striking memorial to the 21 lives lost in an explosion at the Washington Arsenal

Once a sewer culvert, this road tunnel now offers cyclists and pedestrians a subterranean stroll under the C&O Canal.

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

The fountains of the U.S. Navy Memorial are annually salted with water from the Seven Seas as part of a nautical ritual.

Washington's top-secret Cold War-era doomsday communications tower is located in a small neighborhood park.

A 19th-century horse lover's bequest led to the construction of this unique fountain in Chicago.

Hidden on the 7th floor of a historic building, this Cajun spot features wall-to-wall bottles of hot sauce.

An actual 1957 Cadillac De Ville, encased in 15 cubic yards of concrete.

One of the largest pieces of scientific equipment ever carried on a NASA space shuttle sits in a Chicago alley.

The largest cemetery for enslaved people in Loudoun County was almost lost to history, if not for the research of a minister.

An eponymous directional signpost erected by the first president of the United States.