mratomic's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Bologna, Italy

Bologna Zoological Museum

This zoological museum began as the first great curiosity cabinet.
Bologna, Italy

Towers of Bologna

Over 100 towers were built in Bologna during the Middle Ages, but only 22 survive.
Bologna, Italy

Fountain of Neptune

Legend has it this fountain built to symbolize the Pope’s power hides a strange secret concerning Neptune's manliness.
Lisbon, Portugal

National Museum of Ancient Art

This little-known national museum houses over 40,000 works of art from across the world.
Lisbon, Portugal

Church of Santa Engrácia

Portugal's National Pantheon has a history of curses, collapses and financial problems.
Lisbon, Portugal

Rhinoceros of Belem Tower

A king's pet, a pope's gift, an artist's inspiration, and a tragic shipwreck.
Lisbon, Portugal

Cinemateca Portuguesa

In addition to showing films, this one-screen arthouse cinema from the late 1940s is a museum of old film equipment.
Lisbon, Portugal

Electricity Museum

Located in the thermoelectric factory that once powered the entire city, this Portuguese museum is shockingly fascinating.
Lisbon, Portugal

Santa Justa Lift

This Industrial Age architectural and engineering gem helps visitors and residents alike traverse Lisbon, “The City of Seven Hills.”
Lisbon, Portugal

National Coach Museum

An exquisite collection of fairytale conveyances that puts most car museums to shame.
Lisbon, Portugal

Pavilhão Chinês

Ring the bell to enter a bar that looks equal parts museum and old curiosity shop.
Washington, D.C.

The Unabomber's Cabin

It was once the base for a series of domestic terror attacks.
Washington, D.C.

Waldseemüller’s 1507 World Map

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

Philo Farnsworth Statue

This statue of the "father of television" stands prominently in the United States Capitol.
Washington, D.C.

Man Controlling Trade

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

Defense Intelligence Agency Museum

Amid the sprawling Defense Intelligence Agency Headquarters is one of Washington's least accessible museums.
Washington, D.C.

Daguerre Monument

Go take a picture with the inventor of the daguerreotype photographic process.
Washington, D.C.

The Presidential Booths at Martin's Tavern

Sit where JFK proposed to Jackie or where Nixon dined on meatloaf at this storied pub.
Washington, D.C.

Inside the Capitol Dome

The walls of the iconic dome are hollow and have a secret stairway.
Washington, D.C.

Peacock Room

This stunning blue and gold room changed cities twice before becoming part of the Smithsonian.
Washington, D.C.

The Old Patent Model Museum

During the Industrial Revolution this “Temple of Invention” was full of intricate miniature machines and gadgets.
Washington, D.C.

Lincoln Memorial Undercroft

A cavernous three-story, 43,800-square-foot basement that was forgotten about for 60 years.
Washington, D.C.

International Spy Museum

Home to items never before seen by the public.
Washington, D.C.

The Exorcist Stairs

The site of the climactic scene from the classic horror film is now a historic landmark.