Disks are rolled out onto the south lawn to absorb the impact of Marine One's wheels like giant coffee coasters.

An overlooked memorial honoring the local Washington residents who died in World War I.

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

Corn-inthian columns with a uniquely American take on neoclassical architecture.

A line of blue paint marks the route of the inaugural parade.

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

A hidden passageway now marks the site of an assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan that some say broke a 140-year-old curse.

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

One of the most influential presidents in U.S. history wanted only this plain, elegant monument as his lasting memorial.

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

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

This seemingly out-of-place gas station by the Watergate hotel was once described as the most expensive gas station in the world.

When it comes to handsignals (and colonialism) rock always beats scissors.

Need a hardcopy of the 50-title Code of Federal Regulations? This is the place.

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

The oldest building in the District of Columbia was preserved because of a mistaken connection to George Washington.

Architecture lovers won’t stop touching the National Gallery's 19.5 degree marble prow.

An easily overlooked memorial to a Ukrainian famine-genocide that killed over 4 million people.

A historic arena where the Beatles played their first concert in the U.S.

Obscure Freemasons still live in D.C.’s largest private residence.

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

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

Perhaps the most scandalous statue of America's first president.

"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!”