A little marble compass above George Washington's (empty) tomb in the Capitol marks where D.C.'s four quadrants intersect.

An unassuming, powerful monument north of the U.S. Capitol bears witness to the resilience of Japanese Americans during a time of grave injustice.

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

This stunning blue and gold room changed cities twice before becoming part of the Smithsonian.

The walls of the iconic dome are hollow and have a secret stairway.

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

A nostalgic bibliographic gem.

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

Home to items never before seen by the public.

The United States Capitol's former columns still stand.

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

This elaborate towering structure was once famed for its revolutionary height.

Yo, Adrian!

One of 100 “Whaling Wall" murals painted in 13 different countries by a renowned marine life artist.

Site of an escape, ten murders, and some scalpings.

A recreated sign from the movie Jumanji has become a makeshift tribute to the film's late star.

Come for the gun-toting hillbilly madman, stay for the ice-cream loving basketball bears.

The once-abandoned 140-year-old hotel used in the movie "In Dreams."

A former zoo turned public park, where visitors can hang out in the old animal cages.

The highest point in the state of New Hampshire, and while unlikely "the worst weather in the world," it sure seems that way to hikers.

Even Henry David Thoreau found this glacial pothole irresistible.

America's oldest archaeological site or a muddled case of wishful thinking.

An ode to the friendship between four Pacific Rim countries.

One of the largest trees of its kind in California.