Michael was complaining about not having anything to do, so I was going to write a post on museums, but then I stumbled across something even better. check these out (all information from my new favorite site: RoadsideAmerica.com):
American Acropolis
National Arboretum
3501 New York Ave NE, Washington, DC
ruins! (the original 39 Capitol columns.)
Catacombs Replica
Mount Saint Sepulchre
1400 Quincy St NE, Washington
"One of the many duties of the busy Franciscan order is the preservation of Middle Eastern holy sites. Not many people know that, so the industrious friars decided to build their own, well-preserved Holy Land, a tourist attraction over here to show us what they do over there." AND there's a gift shop.
Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial Block
in front of the National Archives
9th Street NW and Pennsylvania Ave. NW
"This rectangular block of white marble is inscribed 'In Memory of Franklin Delano Roosevelt 1882-1945.'
The idea grew out of a conversation that Franklin Roosevelt had with Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter on September 26, 1941. Frankfurter reported that Roosevelt had said that if he were to have a monument in Washington, it should be in front of the National Archives and it should be no larger than his desk. And that is its size: 3 feet tall, 7 feet long, 4 feet wide."
Obscure Monument to Lobsterdom
corner of 6th, Water and Maine Street downtown
why is this in DC?
Revelation Dragon and Sabertooth Tiger
Glenwood Cemetery
2219 Lincoln Rd NE, Washington, DC
"Very wacky 30-foot tall sculptures made of wood. These can be found inside Glenwood Cemetery behind the Chapel. There are actually four sculptures: the main sculpture of the dragon arm catching a dragon, then a sabertooth tiger with woodland animals at his feet, then two angel statues. The sculptures were "inspired" by passages in the Bible from the Book of Revelation, Chapter 20:1-3, 7."
Roman Soldier Modesty Shields
In the main hall of Union Station, enter Uno's restaurant and go to the last table in the back of the restaurant that overlooks the lobby of Union Station.
PENISES. I think. no "verified" tips on the site.
Run-over Fireman Monument
Glenwood Cemetery
2219 Lincoln Rd NE, Washington, DC
"A macabre monument set in marble. This is a monument/burial site of Benjamin Grenup, a 19th century DC fireman who died when he was run over by the firetruck. The weird thing about the monument is that it includes a sculptured relief graphically depicting the very act of Grenup being being crushed by the truck. The image of the wailing fireman behind the truck (yelling, one supposes to the other fireman about what has happened) is very dramatic."
Stuffed Civil War Hero (Horse)
National Museum of American History
"Union Gen. Phil Sheridan's horse saw 19 pitched battles and was wounded several times." pony?
Temperance Fountain
the intersection of Pennsylvania Ave., 7th Street, Indiana Ave., and C Street NW
"In the 1870s and 1880s, Henry Cogswell, a San Francisco dentist, erected sixteen temperance fountains of his own design in various cities across America. In 1940, California Senator Sheridan Downey tried to have this one removed, calling it a "monstrosity of art." He failed, and it's the only one that survives."
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and museums you should still visit:
- Hirshhorn
- Library of Congress
- National Museum of American History
- National Museum of Natural History
- National Building Museum
- National Portrait Gallery
- National Gallery of Art
Previously in I Heart DC:
- 2/13: DC News You Can (Maybe) Use:
- 2/13: 101 Reasons To Love DC-Part 1
- 2/10: DC News You Can (Maybe) Use
- 2/9: DC News You Can (Maybe) Use
- 2/8: DC News You Can (Maybe) Use
- 2/8: Perfect Date Outfits + Outings
- 2/7: DC News You Can (Maybe) Use
- 2/6: DC News You Can Maybe Use:
- 2/2: DC News You Can (Maybe) Use:
- 2/1: DC News You Can (Maybe) Use:
God loves a cheerful giver.
I hope this post spawns 1000 awesome first dates.
You can just see it:
-I hung out with so and so last night.
-Oh yeah, what did you guys do?
-Oh, We (just) had some drinks by the Temperance Fountain and then went to see Roman Soldier Modesty Shields.
-Sweet.
Congrats, Becca, you've just committed yourself to being my chauffer. I was complaining about not having anything to do because I can't exactly get around. Eddie's got a sweet wheelchair he's been pushing me around in though. Hope you can operate a sweet wheelchair.
I wouldn't want to usurp Eddie's position.
as if it's some honorable duty. more of an onus. and he would only end up in the glenwood cemetery next to the run-over fireman since i would roll him down some stairs after all of the EtS shizzle. well, maybe not. i don't want to ruin my wheelchair.
The Mahatma Gandhi Memorial, while small, is also worth a visit.
http://www.indianembassy.org/gandhi/site_memorial.htm
einstein memorial. oft-overlooked, always awesome.
Since everyone is adding.......the Kahlil Gibran Memorial is a hidden gem.
jian - true. interesting fact about the einstein:
usually it is too crowded (unless you go late at night, which i recommend), but you can stand directly in the center of the mapped-out galaxy at einstein's feet and hear your own voice coming from behind you if you speak directly at einstein. you have to stand right in the center of the grid.
other audio treat: inside the small dome at the top of the canadian embassy stairs. it's a MAJOR echo chamber and nobody can hear the echos but the person standing under the rotunda.
*echoes
I love the echo chamber at the Canadian embassy, it's one of my top ten DC spots to take visitors.
the "american acropolis" is one of the most stunning sites in all of washington, dc. the drama of the emptiness, the story behind it, the beauty of rose petals floating through the channel in the middle of the base - it's amazing.
other washington oddities:
the lonely titanic memorial in sw,
the echo domes in all the rooms of the pre-columbian section of dumbarton oaks,
the memorial to bush the fire dog that survived a firehouse in georgetown transforming into a bad restaurant,
the darth vader gargoyle at national cathedral,
the grotesque churchill statue on mass ave
and, museums to treasure when that list makes you smack your head with its obviousness:
the aforementioned newly-renovated dumbarton oaks
the hillwood museum
the armed forces museum of pathology
yes, I didn't get very far in my museum list because I found out about so many other things I had never heard about.
both the Hillwood and Dumbarton Oaks are better in the spring or fall when you can also visit/appreciate the gardens.
You should try to find the original FDR memorial, not that recently built monstrosity. Dude wanted a memorial, if he was to have one, the size of his desk and nothing more.
Also the WWI Memorial is cool albeit run down.
The WWI memorial is amazing in the spring/ early summer. The overgrown trees surrounding the monument all flower that time of the year. It’s really rather beautiful. Actually, that’s were I am getting married this summer.
the WWI memorial is kind of sad because it seems so forgotten. i was just there yesterday. it's dirty and neglected like an old gravestone in the corner of a cemetery.
i like the 'glass half full' comment much better. the world needs more kerens..
http://nmhm.washingtondc.museum/
COOL.