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

"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!”

A nostalgic bibliographic gem.

Members of Congress have traveled between the buildings on Capitol Hill for a century hidden from tourists, press, and storm clouds.

A former major munitions plant that has been converted into a sprawling art space.

This stately building in Alexandria, Virginia was built by Freemasons to honor one of their most famous members.

America's first federal monument.

The ruins of this Thomas-Jefferson-designed mansion have been left to crumble since the Christmas Day they burnt down.

This museum devoted to the gothic author holds such interesting ephemera as his socks and walking stick.

An organ located deep within a cave, whose "pipes" are the geological features of the cave itself.

An original apothecary from 1792.

Exact replica of the ancient monument, but much, much lighter.

A sacred site for Native Americans surveyed by George Washington and owned by both King George III and Thomas Jefferson.

A much-maligned monument to teetotalism.

Rumor has it the uncarved lump behind the three famous suffragists is reserved for the first woman president.

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

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

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

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

Light bulbs, scrap wood, and tinfoil comprise this homemade throne of the gods.

A traveling postal dog covered 48 states and more than 140,000 miles, and he lives on as taxidermy, patched up with a rabbit's foot and a pig's ear.

A haunting tribute to pioneering photographer Clover Adams.

A Civil War fort in the middle of Washington, D.C. has been swallowed by a forest.

Largest Roman Catholic church in North America.