Gallaudet University

The first university for deaf and hard-of-hearing students in the world occupies a lovely manicured campus of bucolic green and Gothic accents north of Capitol Hill. Notable buildings include College Hall, an antique vision in brownstone, and Chapel Hall, a gorgeous Gothic structure that screams academia. Fun fact: the American football huddle was invented here when the Bisons (the school team) noticed other teams were trying to interpret their sign language while they plotted their plays. If you speak sign language, note that Gallaudet is a bilingual institution where English sign language and ASL are both practiced. Union Station is the closest Metro station, but it’s a little over a mile walk (25 minutes) from the Metro; you may want to cab or drive out here.