The National Building Museum is one of my favorite places to visit when in Washington, D.C. Originally the headquarters of the U.S. Pension Bureau it also served a dual purpose as space for grand social functions including presidential Inaugural Balls. Once inside the Great Hall, you will quickly see why. It is 15 stories tall at its highest point with columns 75 feet high and 8 feet in diameter. Each of the columns was constructed from 70,000 bricks then painted to resemble marble. It would never do to have an ordinary looking stairwell in such a grand building and the architects did not disappoint.
