Seemingly unremarkable items like empty sushi trays, chef hats, and freshness stickers are being preserved so future generations can look back on this beloved cultural import.

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

A computer bug so primitive it was an actual insect.

A monument in Washington D.C. marks the spot from which all other roads were supposed to stem.

This statue of one of baseball’s greatest pitchers looks like something out of a sci-fi horror movie.

A historic estate packed with George Washington's heirlooms, and its own nuclear bunker.

A Spiritualist house of worship where believers communicate with the dead in the spirit world.

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

An overlooked tribute to one of the most important peace deals in American history.

Look closely and you’ll notice that the color changes a third of the way up the tower.

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

An obscure public service from the U.S. government that redeems burnt, moldy, and soiled old greenbacks.

This mysterious structure by the Washington Monument is a flood barrier designed to protect the White House against rising waters.

Helen Keller once broke ground on this historic center for the study of technologies to benefit the hearing impaired.

Sit where JFK proposed to Jackie or where Nixon dined on meatloaf at this storied pub.

These abandoned waterworks are crumbling into the Potomac River.

The oldest continuously operating fish market in the United States.

Government testing at the asylum briefly explored using marijuana as a "truth serum" on Nazi prisoners of war.

The only tennis court that falls under the jurisdiction of the central bank.

A small token of gratitude from freezing cold journalists who were given a warm haven while covering JFK's inauguration.

There’s a hidden military meme engraved on the World War II Memorial.

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

Before Nixon, "watergate" meant canals.

They sort through millions of dollars worth of diplomatic gifts on behalf of the government.