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

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

This imposing Masonic temple a mile from the White House was the first public library in Washington, D.C.

Daily lunch spot for many of Washington, D.C.'s cab drivers.

The rogue roots are gradually consuming some of the historic marble grave markers.

These tourist trap caverns are said to be the former home of a legendary Pennsylvania Hermit.

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

This stately mansion, built in 1787 by America's first Secretary of the Navy, is rumored to be one of the most haunted buildings in Washington, DC.

A diminutive plaque recalls the treetop sniper who almost killed Abe Lincoln.

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

This abandoned school has had many lives since the early 1900s, and all of them doomed.

These recently uncovered walls are all that's left of Washington, D.C's first defense contractor.

Prison made famous by The Shawshank Redemption has been out of commission since 1990.

Superfans of The Shawshank Redemption can take a driving tour of most of the films real locations.

This recycled wax museum may be the only one that features John Travolta in a Bible scene.

Enormous piles of historically significant stones, dumped by Congress in a forest, and abandoned for 60 years.

Located at the former Lorton Prison the Lucy Burns Museum tells the story of the 91 year history of the prison including the dark chapter of its involvement in the women's suffrage movement.

The only Civil War battle in Washington D.C. took place near this highest natural point in the city.

An astounding collection of medical specimens, including bits of President Lincoln.

Once connected to the outside world by a single train track, this ghost town is looked after by the National Park Service.

This steamer is known as "The ship that built Cleveland."

A girls' boarding school inspired by the Chicago World's Fair, once abandoned, now restored to strange and scenic glory.

This campus chapel is Robert E. Lee's final resting place and a topic of debate about the legacy of the Civil War.

The tallest The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple in the world soars above the Beltway.