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

The tunnel under the Capitol Building where Congress takes out its trash.

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

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

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

A spectacular tribute to statesman and philanthropist Andrew Mellon.

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

The 28,000-year-old specimen is remarkably intact.

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

A tiny monument to the unsuccessful attempt by Thomas Jefferson to place the prime meridian in Washington.

This taxidermy horse was a Civil War hero.

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

The story behind this beloved toy—named for Theodore Roosevelt and owned by his grandson—is more complicated than you might guess.

The National Park Service’s best-kept secret with views that rival any in D.C.

Washington D.C.'s most famous pianist, composer, and bandleader still tickles the ivories outside Howard Theater.

The first memorial dedicated solely to the Black troops who fought for the Union.

The final residence of an educator, civil rights leader, and presidential advisor was also the first headquarters of the National Council of Negro Women.

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

This unassuming passageway played a key role in one of the most important events in U.S. history.

A journey begins with a single step, and for many, the road-trip of a lifetime started at this Chicago intersection.

Chicago's Navy Pier on Lake Michigan was a training hub for aircraft carrier pilots during WWII.

A spectacular remnant of an Adler and Sullivan masterpiece that was destroyed in 1972.

This memorial plaque remembers a strangely shallow maritime disaster known as "Chicago's Titanic."

Illegal drag racing two stories beneath Chicago’s streets.