The bank that helped fund the Mexican-American War and the purchase of Alaska met its downfall after helping Augusto Pinochet launder money.

Outside the Department of Transportation, a collection of artifacts honors the history of how we get around.

This free, take-a-book shop seems like a trick but isn't.

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

This fertility idol of questionable authenticity inspired an iconic Indiana Jones artifact.

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

Art deco landmark on the outskirts of Washington, D.C.

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

Before Nixon, "watergate" meant canals.

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

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

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

A super-sized promotional trick that is now a D.C. landmark.

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

The oldest continuously operating fish market in the United States.

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

A museum cafe showcases Native American dishes and indigenous ingredients from across the Western Hemisphere.

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

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

The "lovely red Vega" of the legendary record-settling pilot.

The actual model from the original "Star Trek" series is now on display at the National Air and Space Museum.

This historic boathouse was constructed using salvaged lumber from burned barns.

The most accurate timepiece in the world.

The institution is sitting on a goldmine of 21,000 paints, varnishes, pigments, and primers preserved for posterity.