Bureau of Engraving & Printing

Cha-ching! Like a Pink Floyd single given stony form, this is where the most important currency in the world (well, for now…damn you euro!) gets churned out – something like $700 million a day. Forty-minute guided tours demonstrate how money is designed, printed and cut, from wads of green ink to the stuff that is sadly lacking in a travel writer’s wallet. During the summer season (April to August here), line up at the NBEP ticket kiosk (Raoul Wallenberg Pl) for tickets; arrive early (it opens at 8am), as only a limited number are distributed. For the rest of the year you can come in through the main entrance.