The Atlas Obscura Guide To

Washington, D.C.

188 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Washington, D.C.

Unusual
Attractions
in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

National Capitol Columns

The United States Capitol's former columns still stand.

38.9104, -76.9676

The stairs at night

Washington, D.C.

The Exorcist Stairs

Site of the climactic scene from The Exorcist.

38.9055, -77.0702

Added by Leslie McIntyre

One the many bathrooms in the Mansion.

Washington, D.C.

The Mansion on O Street

With over 100 jam packed rooms to explore and elaborate tea services and events, the Mansion on O is a hidden treasure.

38.9084, -77.0457

Espionage Tools

Washington, D.C.

International Spy Museum

“They say you're judged by the strength of your enemies”—James Bond, Quantum of Solace.

38.8969, -77.0235

Added by caraobrien

The Brewmaster's Castle

Washington, D.C.

The Brewmaster's Castle

This grand gothic brewery has been pumping out suds for over a hundred years.

38.9081, -77.0445

Added by bachrach44

Remnants of the streetcar station.

Washington, D.C.

The Dupont Underground

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

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Added by WhiskeyBristles

North American collection

Washington, D.C.

National Bonsai Museum

One of the dwarven trees dates back to 1625 and survived the Hiroshima bombing.

38.9120, -76.9687

Added by Elliot Carter

The moon rock is located in the center of the red planet in the Space Window's upper half

Washington, D.C.

Space Window at the Washington National Cathedral

A tiny piece of the moon is embedded in this stained glass masterpiece.

38.9311, -77.0716

Added by Leslie McIntyre

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Unique
Food & Drink
in Washington, D.C.

Senate Bean Soup

Gastro Obscura

Senate Bean Soup

Bean soup is always on the menu in the U.S. Senate.

Gastro Obscura

Added by Anne Ewbank

Are we missing a unique food or drink in Washington, D.C.?

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Stories
About Washington, D.C.

Beware the Demon Cat!

Why the U.S. Capitol's 'Demon Cat' Legend Is So Persistent

A lot of it has to do with paw prints.

by Eric Grundhauser

Selma Burke won a competition to create a relief sculpture of Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1943.

Who Really Designed the American Dime?

The controversy that has long roiled the coin world.

by Christina Ayele Djossa

January 17, 2018

President Johnson and Secretary McNamara approach the Pentagon's only passenger elevator on February 29, 1968.

What Do You Do When the President Gets Trapped in an Elevator?

LBJ, the Pentagon’s only passenger lift, and concern that a military coup was afoot.

by Elliot Carter

January 03, 2018

The three corpse flowers in the United States Botanic Garden Conservatory, on August 11.

3 Corpse Flowers Are About to Bloom in Washington, D.C.

They're expected to open up right around the solar eclipse on August 21.

by Kelsey Kennedy

August 11, 2017

The Route 66 record holder was bested by a bigger rocking chair in Illinois.

How the U.S. Lost the Title for the World's Largest Chair

After a century of states battling it out for the honor, the current record holder is in... Austria.

by Kavya Ram Mohan

The whole collection, back in the vault.

The Folger Shakespeare Library Will Lend Chilly Readers a Handmade Shawl

The reading room's head of circulation has created an informal lending library of coziness.

by Sarah Laskow

The White House

Found: The Earliest Color Footage of the White House

It features Herbert Hoover playing with a six-pound medicine ball.

by Sarah Laskow

It still works, too.

Found: A Miniature Working Model of the National Archives Vault

It had been forgotten down in the basement.

by Elliot Carter

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Washington, D.C.

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