calicobearcat's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
Places near me Random place
Loading map...
Washington, D.C.

Site of the Union Station Train Crash

A 1,100-ton train fell through the floor in 1953. Workers got it patched up in just 72 hours.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

Carnegie Library of Washington, D.C.

D.C.'s first central library was born out of a chance encounter with the philanthropist whose name it bears.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

Government Printing Office

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

The Winfield Scott Memorial

The sculptor was instructed to add “stallion attributes” to the general's bronze mare.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

The Dupont Underground

Long-abandoned trolley tunnels just a mile away from the White House are turning into an art space.
WhiskeyBristles Added by WhiskeyBristles
Washington, D.C.

USNO Master Clock

The most accurate timepiece in the world.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

U.S. Naval Observatory Library

A hoard of sky catalogs, astrophysical journals, even the works of Galileo and Copernicus.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

FBI Spy House

A painfully obvious spy house sits right across the street from the Russian Embassy.
Josh Added by Josh
Washington, D.C.

International Temple of the Order of the Eastern Star

Obscure Freemasons still live in D.C.’s largest private residence.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

The Cairo

This unacceptably tall building was the real reason for Washington, D.C.'s skyscraper ban.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

Palace of Wonders

Bar full of oddities, specimens, artifacts and homages to the great dime museums of the past.
Washington, D.C.

House of the Temple

This imposing Masonic temple a mile from the White House was the first public library in Washington, D.C.
Added by dtjd594
Cabin John, Maryland

Union Arch Bridge

The bridge's highly-contested plaque (once again) honors Confederate President Jefferson Davis.
WhiskeyBristles Added by WhiskeyBristles
Cabin John, Maryland

USDA Rammed Earth House

This suburban house is made of dirt, and almost sparked a revolution in home construction.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

Darth Vader Grotesque

The sci-fi villain is a little-known inhabitant of the U.S. capital's largest cathedral.
Mark Casey Added by Mark Casey
Washington, D.C.

National Cathedral Bell Tower

There’s a special club house at the top for the bell ringers.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

Space Window at the Washington National Cathedral

A tiny piece of the Moon is embedded in this stained glass masterpiece.
Leslie McIntyre Added by Leslie McIntyre
Washington, D.C.

Site of the Knickerbocker Disaster

You could be standing at the site of one of D.C.'s most fatal tragedies and not even know it.
WhiskeyBristles Added by WhiskeyBristles
Washington, D.C.

Holt House

There's a crumbling old mansion inside the Smithsonian National Zoo.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

The Cuban Embassy's Hemingway Bar

When it opened during the final years of the embargo, all the drinks and cigars were free.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Germantown, Maryland

Earthoid Water Tank

The whole world in one water tank.
lewblank Added by lewblank
Washington, D.C.

National Capitol Columns

The United States Capitol's former columns still stand.
LeahC Added by LeahC
Washington, D.C.

Hecht Company Warehouse

Art deco landmark on the outskirts of Washington, D.C.
LeahC Added by LeahC
Washington, D.C.

'Cartwheel' Tower

Washington's top-secret Cold War-era doomsday communications tower is located in a small neighborhood park.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter