jackjacobs17's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
Washington, D.C.

The Dupont Underground

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

Walter Johnson Statue

This statue of one of baseball’s greatest pitchers looks like something out of a sci-fi horror movie.
Fredericksburg, Virginia

Chatham Catalpas

These trees are living witnesses to events that inspired poet Walt Whitman’s service during the American Civil War.
Fredericksburg, Virginia

Rising Sun Tavern

Constructed by the younger brother of George Washington.
Fredericksburg, Virginia

Hugh Mercer Apothecary Shop

This war hero's old shop remembers the fine line between medicine and quackery during the Revolutionary War.
Washington, D.C.

Cuban-American Friendship Urn

The only National Monument ever to go missing for nearly 50 years then resurface in a dump.
Washington, D.C.

Peirce Mill Spy Station

Cold War intelligence agents monitored communist embassies from an attic in a former pigeon coop.
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.

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.

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.
Washington, D.C.

Theodore Roosevelt Island

The national park was once a plantation estate.
Saint Petersburg, Russia

Monument to Peter I

This effigy of Peter the Great is greatly disproportionate.
Saint Petersburg, Russia

Kunstkamera (Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography)

The oldest museum in Russia is home to a fascinating collection of nearly two million anthropological artifacts and anatomical curiosities.
Washington, D.C.

Reading Room at the Folger Shakespeare Library

Home to a vast and influential collection of Shakespeareana.
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.

Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument

Housing the National Women's Party since 1929, this historic house is now a monument to the fight for gender equality.
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.

National Public Radio's Honey Bee Hives

Atop this media building, two hives containing more than 30,000 bees keep the surrounding area vibrant.
London, England

The Wallace Collection Armory

An eccentric Victorian aristocrat's enormous collection of medieval armor and weapons from around the world.
London, England

Britain’s Oldest Door

At almost 1,000 years old, this is the oldest known door in all of Britain.
London, England

Modern Martyrs

The niches over the western entrance of Westminster Abbey honor individuals from the 20th century who gave their lives for their Christian beliefs.
London, England

Dirac Equation

The "beautiful" equation predicting the movement of all electromagnetic particles is engraved in front of Newton's tomb.
London, England

Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries

This long-hidden space above Westminster Abbey now displays the battle gear of the legendary King Henry V.