A 1,100-ton train fell through the floor in 1953. Workers got it patched up in just 72 hours.

"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!”

The little-known, 300-year history of the area includes former lives as a bustling tobacco port, parking lot, and industrial dump.

100 years later, they're still down there.

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

This robust fence in front of a historic Georgetown home is likely made from hundreds of recycled Revolutionary War firearms.

This unique museum cafeteria showcases the history and regional diversity of African American cuisine.

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

The house where John Wilkes Booth conspired with his co-conspirators.

A brass plaque dedicated to a convicted cannibal hangs in the National Press Club, and that's not even the craziest part of the story.

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

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

Mai Tais and Navy Grog served up in one of the original tiki bars.

The Laureates here get something even more coveted than a Nobel Prize: free parking for life.

This subtle Berkeley paving stone actually marks off a lawless tube of air that extends into space.

Where the alchemists dream of transmuting base metal into gold was actually achieved.

A creepy steel gremlin has protected the Bay Bridge since 1989.

This Oakland fairytale kingdom, fiercely devoted to childlike whimsy, was an early inspiration for Disneyland.

A historic hotel that made a cameo in Hitchcock's classic film has no intention of letting guests forget its fame.

A hidden gem, named after a San Franciscan icon, offers spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean.

Built in 1906, this unique building was the first Hindu temple in the United States.

A former hardware store near Yerba Buena is the official home of California's history.

This contorting sculpture is the tallest in San Francisco.

Home of modern dancer famously strangled by her own scarf.