Excelsior's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Places visited in Carthage, Tunisia
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Places visited in Samarkand, Uzbekistan
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Places visited in Haiti
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Places visited in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
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Places visited in Volgograd, Russia
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Places visited in Washoe County, Nevada
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Places visited in Victoria, Malta
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Places visited in Kanchanaburi, Thailand
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Cabin John, Maryland

Union Arch Bridge

The bridge's highly-contested plaque (once again) honors Confederate President Jefferson Davis.
Bethesda, Maryland

Magruder's Blacksmith Shop

One of the oldest standing structures in Montgomery County, Maryland.
Bethesda, Maryland

Glen Echo Amusement Park

Once home to seven different roller coasters, Glen Echo has undergone many transformations since its founding in 1891.
Harpers Ferry, West Virginia

Jefferson Rock

This shale formation along the Appalachian Trail once inspired the third president of the United States.
Harpers Ferry, West Virginia

Ruins of St. John's Episcopal Church

Built in the 1850s, this church was of the first five churches constructed in Harper's Ferry.
Harpers Ferry, West Virginia

John Brown's Fort

The last holdout of a pre-Civil War rebel who took the matter of slavery into his own hands.
Washington, D.C.

Riggs Bank

The bank that helped fund the Mexican-American War and the purchase of Alaska met its downfall after helping Augusto Pinochet launder money.
Washington, D.C.

Dumbarton Bridge

This bridge over D.C.'s Rock Creek Park is sometimes called the "Buffalo Bridge" because of its four buffalo sculptures, which were cast from a single piece of bronze.
Washington, D.C.

Japanese Stone Lantern

A gift from Japan, 17th-century lantern stands among the cherry trees at D.C.'s Tidal Basin.
Washington, D.C.

Almas Temple

One of the last mosaic tile facades found in the city.
Washington, D.C.

Library Of Congress Gutenberg Bible

One of the three perfect vellum copies of this historic book known to exist is on display in a specially-designed case.
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 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.

Organization of American States Building

The grand marble structure next to the White House is Andrew Carnegie's temple to Pan-American diplomacy.
Washington, D.C.

U.S. Mint Coin Store

Coins and medals straight from the mint await visitors to this shop in the nation's capital.
Washington, D.C.

Waldseemüller’s 1507 World Map

This groundbreaking 16th-century map is known as "America's birth certificate."
Washington, D.C.

Old Post Office Tower

The National Park Service’s best-kept secret with views that rival any in D.C.
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.

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.

Man Controlling Trade

A muscular Art Deco monument represents the struggle between regulators and unbridled markets.
Washington, D.C.

C&O Boat Elevator Ruins

This forgotten boat elevator was an engineering marvel in its heyday.
Washington, D.C.

Washington Aqueduct Castle Gatehouse

A building shaped like the Army Corps of Engineers logo, because why not?
Washington, D.C.

Washington Monument Marble Stripe

Look closely and you’ll notice that the color changes a third of the way up the tower.
Washington, D.C.

Knife Edge

Architecture lovers won’t stop touching the National Gallery's 19.5 degree marble prow.