On the Fourth of July this area will transform into a Pompeii-like storm of falling embers and ash.

An ominous concrete cube cuts a dystopian silhouette atop this California mountain.

Long-abandoned trolley tunnels just a mile away from the White House are turning into an art space.

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

One of the three perfect vellum copies of this historic book known to exist is on display in a specially-designed case.

This unassuming passageway played a key role in one of the most important events in U.S. history.

This Masonic lodge was the first major private building to be constructed in Washington, D.C. after the Civil War.

One of the most influential presidents in U.S. history wanted only this plain, elegant monument as his lasting memorial.

A much-maligned monument to teetotalism.

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

A spectacular tribute to statesman and philanthropist Andrew Mellon.

A glimpse of the Pacific Northwest‘s indigenous culture in Washington, D.C.

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

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

"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 5.5-mile ring of steel posts around the Capitol Building is one of the largest (and most uniform) of its kind in the world.

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

A three-story tower of books about Abraham Lincoln is one of the more unusual monuments to the president.

Over the last century, this elegant columned facade has been home to the headquarters of a bank, several nightclubs, and a restaurant.

Once home to the largest photo service in the United States.

This nine-story building is the oldest standing skyscraper in D.C.

D.C. once had its own tiny rival to the New York Stock Exchange.

Was there a small "backpack nuke" hidden in the attic? JFK apparently thought so.

The sculptor was instructed to add “stallion attributes” to the general's bronze mare.