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

Mary's Garden

An overlooked oasis of quiet on the grounds of Washington's monumental basilica.
Washington, D.C.

Chinatown Barnes Dance

The unique traffic pattern named for an influential urban planner is also known as the Pedestrian Scramble.
Washington, D.C.

Serenity Statue

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

U.S. Naval Observatory Library

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

Watergate Steps

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

Historic Elevator at Potbelly

This sandwich shop has a century-old elevator behind a sheet of plexiglass.
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.
Washington, D.C.

Kilroy Was Here

There’s a hidden military meme engraved on the World War II Memorial.
Washington, D.C.

Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception

Largest Roman Catholic church in North America.
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.
Knoxville, Tennessee

The Sunsphere

Knoxville’s architectural icon was the symbol of the 1982 World’s Fair, even catching the googly eye of Bart Simpson.
Winchester, Virginia

Museum of the Shenandoah Valley

Extraordinary objects lurk in this quintessential regional museum.
Williamsburg, Virginia

Lord Botetourt

Affectionately known as "Lord Bot," this historic statue has a cult social media following and rightly claims to be “the most metal inhabitant of the Wren Yard.”
Sterling, Virginia

Warp Drive

This pun was simply waiting to come to life, and one defense contractor made it so.
Winchester, Virginia

Patsy Cline's Childhood Home and Grave

The Grand Ole Opry's big voice came from a small home in rural Virginia where she was eventually buried.
Arlington, Virginia

Ronald Reagan National Airport's Historic Terminal A

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

George Washington Memorial Parkway

This isn't your average roadway—it's actually a National Park and a transportation pioneer.
Arlington, Virginia

Rosslyn Metro Escalator

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

Paley Park

A small peaceful park and waterfall tucked amid the urban grind of Midtown Manhattan.
New York, New York

Tompkins Square Temperance Fountain

A reminder to choose water over wine since 1888.
New York, New York

The Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

The home of the first American-born saint is one of the only curved buildings in New York.
Madrid, Spain

'Witches' Sabbath (The Great He-Goat)'

This macabre masterpiece of a mural is one of Francisco Goya's "Black Paintings."
New York, New York

767 Third Avenue

A Manhattan office building is home to the world's largest chess board.
Columbia, South Carolina

Neverbust Chain

This titanic steel chain linking two buildings was installed without permission but instantly beloved.