AislinKageno's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
Loading map...
Washington, D.C.

Freezing Newsmen Plaque

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

Hinckley Hilton President's Walk

A hidden passageway now marks the site of an assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan that some say broke a 140-year-old curse.
Washington, D.C.

Flag Office Elevator

The elevator that makes it possible to fly American flags in bulk over the U.S. Capitol
Washington, D.C.

Man Controlling Trade

A muscular Art Deco monument represents the struggle between regulators and unbridled markets.
Washington, D.C.

Washington City Canal Outfall

A portal into the bricked up canal that runs through the heart of Washington D.C.
Washington, D.C.

Embassy Gulf Service Center

Behind an abandoned storefront is an example of pioneering 1930s gas station architecture.
Washington, D.C.

First FDR Memorial

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

Bootlegging Room in the Cannon House Office Building

During Prohibition, the U.S. Congress had an "official" bootlegger, with his own Capitol Hill office.
Washington, D.C.

Watergate Gas Station

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

Russian Ambassador's Residence

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

Government Printing Office

Need a hardcopy of the 50-title Code of Federal Regulations? This is the place.
Washington, D.C.

Potomac Park Flood Levee

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

American University Experiment Station

The school tested mustard gas for the U.S. Army during World War I.
Washington, D.C.

The Sun Building

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

The Tabulating Machine Co.

The early data processor factory founded in Washington for the 1890 U.S. Census went on to become IBM.
Washington, D.C.

Letelier-Moffitt Monument

A diminutive memorial marks the site of a successful assassination by a right-wing death squad in America's capital.
Washington, D.C.

Washington Monument Access Hatch

Daredevil repair workers can worm their way out the access hatch, loop ropes over the apex and rappel down the monument.
Washington, D.C.

NASA Full Scale Wind Tunnel Propeller

While most wind tunnels test scale models, the "Cave of Winds" was large enough for actual airplanes.
Washington, D.C.

Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office Museum

Before founding the American Red Cross, Clara Barton had a tremendous humanitarian impact by locating thousands of missing soldiers.
Washington, D.C.

The Blessing of the Fleets Ceremony

The fountains of the U.S. Navy Memorial are annually salted with water from the Seven Seas as part of a nautical ritual.
Washington, D.C.

Washington Aqueduct Castle Gatehouse

A building shaped like the Army Corps of Engineers logo, because why not?
Washington, D.C.

State Department Protocol Gift Office

They sort through millions of dollars worth of diplomatic gifts on behalf of the government.
Washington, D.C.

'Cartwheel' Tower

Washington's top-secret Cold War-era doomsday communications tower is located in a small neighborhood park.
Washington, D.C.

Senate Bathtubs

Senators used to relax in the nearly forgotten marble tubs now hidden in the U.S. Capitol Building's basement.