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

Roman Legionnaire Modesty Shields

Railroad officials in the early 1900s sought to spare travelers the sight of Roman soldiers’ private parts.
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.
Washington, D.C.

Carousel on the National Mall

Washington's iconic carousel has a nice piece of Civil Rights history.
Washington, D.C.

The Portrait Monument

Rumor has it the uncarved lump behind the three famous suffragists is reserved for the first woman president.
Washington, D.C.

Philo Farnsworth Statue

This statue of the "father of television" stands prominently in the United States Capitol.
Elberta, Alabama

Barber Marina

Come for the boats, stay to explore the intriguing assortment of art.
Elberta, Alabama

Bamahenge

Alabama has a fiberglass Stonehenge. With apologies to Spinal Tap, this one is full-size.
Pensacola Beach, Florida

Fort Pickens

One of the only Florida forts to remain in the hands of the Union all through the Civil War still stands as a historic stronghold.
Washington, D.C.

Senate Corncob Capitals

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

Library of Congress Card Catalog

A nostalgic bibliographic gem.
Washington, D.C.

Library of Congress Book Conveyor Tunnel

A fantastic array of trays and cables once whisked books over to the Capitol at 600 feet per minute.
Washington, D.C.

Capitol Bollards

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.
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.

Capitol Building Tunnel System

Members of Congress have traveled between the buildings on Capitol Hill for a century hidden from tourists, press, and storm clouds.
Washington, D.C.

Summerhouse

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

District of Columbia Center Point

A little marble compass above George Washington's (empty) tomb in the Capitol marks where D.C.'s four quadrants intersect.
Washington, D.C.

Culture House

A historic neighborhood church is reborn as a psychedelic arts collective.
Arlington, Virginia

Reagan National Airport Bird Cannon

The system of air guns are fired off remotely to scare any trespassing avians.
Arlington, Virginia

George Washington Memorial Parkway

This isn't your average roadway—it's actually a National Park and a transportation pioneer.
Fort Washington, Maryland

Fort Foote Rodman Guns

A mammoth pair of Civil War artillery guns abandoned out in the forest.
Alexandria, Virginia

The Grave of the Female Stranger

This grave marks the passing of a historic Jane Doe whose identity remains a mystery to this day.
Alexandria, Virginia

Gadsby's Tavern

This colonial tavern played host to George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and other famous early Americans.
Alexandria, Virginia

Carlyle House Historic Park

A superbly preserved example of Georgian residential architecture that was once home to one of the founders of Alexandria, Virginia.
Fort Washington, Maryland

Woodrow Wilson Bridge

This rare triple-jurisdiction drawbridge passes through Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.