Washington, DC, is home to so many different historical sites and monuments, and if you do manage to see everything or want to take a break and see another side of our Nation's Capital, there a few strange and interesting sites to see. So let's journey off of the usual path and check out some unique and hidden gems of the DC area.
National Museum of Health and Medicine
- Originally designed as a way to help doctors better understand how to treat war wounds, today the Museum chronicles medical history over the years. The Museum has quickly grown to include a collection of over 25 million different items, with displays and exhibits featuring human specimens, organs, medical abnormalities, as well many other unique items.
- Among the most popular items include such weird things as a giant hairball taken from the stomach of a girl who chewed on her hair, mummified siamese twins, the bullet that killed President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theater, and more. Although the strange and unique features will bring people in the doors, the real focus of this Museum is to educate and inform visitors about Health and Medicine.
The Exorcist Steps
- These old stone steps were made famous in the 1973 film The Exorcist. Located in Georgetown, the steps can be found at 36th and Prospect Streets, NW. There are a total of 97 steps that connect Prospect Street to M Street. The top of the steps offers great views of the surrounding area, just be sure not to fall down them.
Owney, Mascot of the Railway Service
- The National Postal Museum is home to a unique little dog. Owney was the unofficial mascot of the Railway Service in the late 1800s, traveling all over the country and even around the world with bags of mail. Though the little dog has since died, today he is preserved and on display with all of the tags he received on his journeys. Wearing a jacket that shows off his many tags, he sits eagerly as you learn his remarkable story.
These are just a few of the many possibilities of strange things you might want to experience while in DC. So if you need a break from all the historical sites check out one of these strange and intriguing places.
