Haunted DC by Metro

Count the sides. Go ahead — you'll find six, not eight, which makes the name a centuries-old misnomer that nobody bothered to fix. Tayloe built this brick puzzle in 1801 to fit an awkward corner lot, and the odd angles became the whole point. You're looking at the building that briefly ran the country. After the British torched the White House in 1814, the Madisons moved in here, and it was upstairs that the Treaty of Ghent got signed, ending the War of 1812. The ghosts, supposedly, are Tayloe's two daughters — both said to have died on that spiral staircase after arguments with their father over forbidden suitors. Visitors report lilac perfume, screams, and a servant bell system that rings with no cords pulled. Here's the overlooked part: the glassy modern building curving behind it is the American Institute of Architects headquarters, deliberately built in a crescent so it would bow to the old house instead of dwarfing it. Practical tip — the museum keeps short, fickle hours, so check before you walk over. The garden gate, though, is usually open and free.