MMorlino's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Washington, D.C.

Rayburn House Office Building

One critic described it as "middle Mussolini, early Ramses, and late Neiman-Marcus." Another called it an architectural "natural disaster."
Washington, D.C.

Legislative Bell System

An ear-piercing buzzer calls lawmakers to a vote with a series of long and short rings to form coded messages.
Washington, D.C.

Senate Corncob Capitals

Corn-inthian columns with a uniquely American take on neoclassical architecture.
Washington, D.C.

Inaugural Parade Center Line

A line of blue paint marks the route of the inaugural parade.
Washington, D.C.

USS Balao Conning Tower

Part of a WWII submarine is lurking outside the Washington Navy Yard parking lot.
Washington, D.C.

Benjamin Grenup Monument

This grisly headstone doesn’t seem to be resting in peace.
Washington, D.C.

Missing Capitol Building Cornerstone

A promising candidate for the lost rock laid by George Washington was unearthed, but the hunt is still on.
Washington, D.C.

Washington Aqueduct Chemical Tower

Every drop of D.C. tap water flows through this old waterworks.
Washington, D.C.

Hoff's Harmonica Case Collection

More than 500 unique and specially designed cases collected by D.C.'s "Harmonica Case Man."
Washington, D.C.

Jean Jules Jusserand Memorial

An obscure federal monument honors the French diplomat who served as Ambassador to the U.S. during WWI.
Washington, D.C.

Washington Aqueduct Emergency Pumping Station

These abandoned waterworks are crumbling into the Potomac River.
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.

Vigilant Firehouse

‘Bush the old fire dog died of poison July 5th, 1869. RIP.’
Washington, D.C.

The Preamble in License Plates

The preamble to the U.S. Constitution written entirely from vanity license plates hangs in the Smithsonian museum.
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.

The Lockkeeper's House

A derelict bit of infrastructure from the canal that once ran through D.C. is landlocked in the heart of the city.
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.

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.

D.C. War Memorial

An overlooked memorial honoring the local Washington residents who died in World War I.
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.

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.

Embassy Gulf Service Center

Behind an abandoned storefront is an example of pioneering 1930s gas station architecture.