Before the Washington Monument, D.C. paid tribute to America鈥檚 founding father with an approximately 20-foot-tall statue in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood 鈥� approved way back in 1783.

In Thursday鈥檚 episode of 鈥淢att About Town,鈥� 海角精品黑料鈥檚 Matt Kaufax heads to Washington Circle to the lesser-known, original sculpture of the nation’s first president.

The statue depicts Washington riding his horse into the heat of conflict on the front lines at the Battle of Princeton, and it has a historical lore that goes beyond its forgotten nature.

This is Part 1 in a new series from Matt where he’ll be exploring lesser-known Revolutionary War sites around the nation’s capital!

Hear 鈥淢att About Town鈥� first every Tuesday and Thursday on 103.5 FM!

鈥淢att About Town鈥� is now also on YouTube. Follow听听补苍诲听听to subscribe and get the latest episodes wherever you are!

If you have a story idea you鈥檇 like Matt to cover,听email him听or chat with him on听听补苍诲听

Check out all 鈥淢att About Town鈥� episodes听here!

搁别补诲听part one听for more Easter eggs at the Jefferson Memorial.

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In the latest episode of 鈥淢att About Town,鈥� 海角精品黑料鈥檚 Matt Kaufax is among the first to try the cutting-edge gaming technology at Sandbox VR DC.

The attraction is a permanent installation near CorePower Yoga and is co-run by Sandbox and LOL Entertainment. D.C. is the third city across the U.S. to host this kind of space.

At Sandbox VR DC, visitors can navigate obstacles, fight zombies or battle monsters from other worlds. The venue features 11 different attractions, with multiple variations, using motion capture technology to track players鈥� movements in real time. After the experience, guests can watch video replays of their virtual adventures.

After strapping on the in-game sensors, it can feel like stepping onto the set of a Hollywood movie.

And speaking of Hollywood, the experience also includes exclusive games inspired by film and TV. One of them, 鈥淪quid Game Virtuals,鈥� was created in collaboration with Netflix. Other experiences are based on popular franchises such as 鈥淩ebel Moon鈥� and 鈥淪tranger Things.鈥�

More information and tickets are available on .

Hear 鈥淢att About Town鈥� first every Tuesday and Thursday on 103.5 FM!

鈥淢att About Town鈥� is now also on YouTube. Follow听听补苍诲听听to subscribe and get the latest episodes wherever you are!

If you have a story idea you鈥檇 like Matt to cover,听email him听or chat with him on听听补苍诲听

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What鈥檚 better than a story on the hidden secrets of D.C.鈥檚 Jefferson Memorial? A sequel!

In Thursday鈥檚 episode of 鈥淢att About Town,鈥� 海角精品黑料鈥檚 Matt Kaufax returns to the Tidal Basin, alongside everyone’s favorite ranger, Mike Litterst, with even more little-known lore behind this iconic memorial.

From a severed head to America’s very own “National Treasure” moment, to a very obscure connection to the King of Rock and Roll himself, these historical facts show there’s a lot more than meets the eye at this D.C. staple!

Hear 鈥淢att About Town鈥� first every Tuesday and Thursday on 103.5 FM!

鈥淢att About Town鈥� is now also on YouTube. Follow听听补苍诲听听to subscribe and get the latest episodes wherever you are!

If you have a story idea you鈥檇 like Matt to cover,听email him听or chat with him on听听补苍诲听

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An Arlington-based barbershop quartet chorus is bringing back a love of the four-part harmony in Virginia, one note at a time.

In Tuesday’s episode of “Matt About Town,” 海角精品黑料’s Matt Kaufax learns a new tune 鈥� or two 鈥� as he joins in song with the Arlingtones.

are a Northern Virginia chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society, a nationwide organization that aims to help preserve this uniquely American form of music.

At one of their frequent “guest nights,” Kaufax observed firsthand how anyone curious or remotely interested can come in, learn the history of barbershop, learn a song from scratch and make new friends in a welcoming community that flies under the radar in the D.C. area.

Hear 鈥淢att About Town鈥� first every Tuesday and Thursday on 103.5 FM!

鈥淢att About Town鈥� is now also on YouTube. Follow听听补苍诲听听to subscribe and get the latest episodes wherever you are!

If you have a story idea you鈥檇 like Matt to cover,听email him听or chat with him on听听补苍诲听

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A pay phone in Takoma Park, Maryland, has become locally famous for playing bird songs to anyone who picks up.

In the latest episode of “Matt About Town,” 海角精品黑料’s Matt Kaufax heads to the Maryland side of this D.C.-area neighborhood to connect to some feathered friends.

Installed in 2016 by local musician/artist and audio engineer David Schulman, this phone aims to connect anyone who passes by to nature, while showing that there’s more to the D.C. region than meets the eye.

From woodpeckers, ducks, crows, hawks, herons and doves, there鈥檚 a variety of birds calling you 鈥� literally 鈥� on the other line! There’s even a tribute to a legendary local wild rooster, who made Takoma Park his home in the ’90s.

Tune in to find out how this “hidden” attraction educates and entertains in the most unlikely location!

Hear 鈥淢att About Town鈥� first every Tuesday and Thursday on 103.5 FM!

鈥淢att About Town鈥� is now also on YouTube. Follow听听补苍诲听听to subscribe and get the latest episodes wherever you are!

If you have a story idea you鈥檇 like Matt to cover,听email him听or chat with him on听听补苍诲听

Check out all 鈥淢att About Town鈥� episodes听here!

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In a less-frequented part of the north end of Alexandria, Virginia’s Old Town, you鈥檒l find a little-known historical gem that goes all the way back to a time when the city was a part of D.C.

In the latest episode of 鈥淢att About Town,鈥� 海角精品黑料鈥檚 Matt Kaufax dives deep along the water to uncover the past of the historic Alexandria Canal, visiting canal lock No. 1, the former waterway’s main entrance.

The lock itself, jutting into the water in a “V” formation, is impressive enough, but a closer look into the canal’s backstory reveals a tale that’s equally curious.

Completed in 1843, the canal was supposed to fulfill the dream of the city’s founders: For Alexandria to be a gateway into D.C. for the rest of the world. The plan at the time was to export tobacco from Virginia and coal from Western Maryland and the canal’s builders looked to D.C.’s C&O Canal for inspiration.

But ironically, the Alexandria Canal was only in use for a short period of time after completion, before being rendered totally obsolete. Find out why in this video adventure!

Hear 鈥淢att About Town鈥� first every Tuesday and Thursday on 103.5 FM!

鈥淢att About Town鈥� is now also on YouTube. Follow听听补苍诲听听to subscribe and get the latest episodes wherever you are!

If you have a story idea you鈥檇 like Matt to cover,听email him听or chat with him on听听补苍诲听

Check out all 鈥淢att About Town鈥� episodes听here!

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If you stroll a little ways down from the Lincoln Memorial 鈥� and stop short of the incoming traffic 鈥� you鈥檒l find a wooden structure that looks like a toll booth.

The brown shack sits on the corner of Independence Avenue and 23rd Street SW, right before cars that whiz by it round the bend en route to the Kennedy Center.

Once a tiny shack for police tasked with directing traffic on Rock Creek Parkway, D.C.’s “Phantom Tollbooth” may never have been used to collect tolls from ghosts, but it certainly has a mystical look about it 鈥� and some fascinating history.

Find out more about how this structure, one that hardly anyone who drives by notices, has survived through the years in today’s episode of “Matt About Town!”

Hear 鈥淢att About Town鈥� first every Tuesday and Thursday on 103.5 FM!

鈥淢att About Town鈥� is now also on YouTube. Follow 听补苍诲听听to subscribe and get the latest episodes wherever you are!

If you have a story idea you鈥檇 like Matt to cover,听email him听or chat with him on听听补苍诲听

Check out all 鈥淢att About Town鈥� episodes听here!

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Throughout March, 海角精品黑料 is celebrating听Women鈥檚 History Month. Join us on air and online as we honor the achievements of women in the D.C. region.

If you’ve ever walked the streets of D.C., you’ve probably seen them: Old emergency call boxes.

In Tuesday’s episode of “Matt About Town,” 海角精品黑料’s Matt Kaufax explains how these markers have found new life 鈥� commemorating some of history’s most prominent women’s rights leaders.

The renovation was completed in 2019, with nine call boxes near the White House in Downtown D.C., refurbished with brass murals, new paint and heartfelt tributes to women who were true historical groundbreakers.

Hear 鈥淢att About Town鈥� first every Tuesday and Thursday on 103.5 FM!

鈥淢att About Town鈥� is now also on YouTube. Follow听听补苍诲听听to subscribe and get the latest episodes wherever you are!

If you have a story idea you鈥檇 like Matt to cover,听email him听or chat with him on听听补苍诲听

Check out all 鈥淢att About Town鈥� episodes听here!

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The Smithsonian鈥檚 National Air and Space Museum is getting a total makeover to celebrate 50 years since opening its doors to the public.

In the latest episode of 鈥淢att About Town,鈥� 海角精品黑料鈥檚 Matt Kaufax put on his hard hat to get an exclusive first look inside two of five new wings set to open July 1. The last two renovated areas will open by the end of 2026.

From the a scale model of the Hubble Space Telescope to a German V-2 rocket from 1944, all the way to Blue Origin鈥檚 New Shepard rocket, some of the new pieces added to the Air and Space Museum are (literally) out of this world.

In total, the museum has undergone renovations on around 20 separate wings since 2018, with this last group marking the final touches before all construction is complete.

The five exhibits opening on the museum’s 50th anniversary will also coincide with America’s 250th anniversary this summer, making Air and Space (and the entire Smithsonian Institution) a great spot to add to your must-see list!

Hear 鈥淢att About Town鈥� first every Tuesday and Thursday on 103.5 FM!

鈥淢att About Town鈥� is now also on YouTube. Follow听听补苍诲听听to subscribe and get the latest episodes wherever you are!

If you have a story idea you鈥檇 like Matt to cover,听email him听or chat with him on听听补苍诲听

Check out all 鈥淢att About Town鈥� episodes听here!

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The Jefferson Memorial is one of the iconic locations on many D.C. tours, but did you know about the secrets it’s hiding in plain sight?

In the latest episode of 鈥淢att About Town,鈥� 海角精品黑料鈥檚 Matt Kaufax dives into some little known facts 鈥� some hidden Easter eggs, if you will 鈥� about the memorial.

These fun facts, historical nuggets you can use to flex your knowledge next time you visit, are bits of information that go to show: just when you think you know everything, there’s still more history to uncover in D.C., even in some of its most familiar places!

Hear 鈥淢att About Town鈥� first every Tuesday and Thursday on 103.5 FM!

“Matt About Town” is now also on YouTube. Follow and to subscribe and get the latest episodes wherever you are!

If you have a story idea you鈥檇 like Matt to cover,听email him听or chat with him on听听补苍诲听

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For the last three years, 海角精品黑料’s “Matt About Town” segment has brought you some of the D.C. region’s most interesting feature news stories every Tuesday and Thursday.

Starting Tuesday, March 24, in addition to being available on 海角精品黑料.com, full episodes of “Matt About Town” will also be available on YouTube.

You can watch on and also .

“Matt About Town” content will also still be available on your favorite social media platforms. But instead of full episodes, you’ll get highlights of the current week’s episode 鈥� almost like a movie trailer.

Be on the lookout for the debut YouTube episode of “Matt About Town,” featuring the hidden secrets of D.C.’s Thomas Jefferson Memorial!

And, as always, you can hear “Matt About Town” segments on air every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday on 103.5 FM, 107.7 FM and 103.9 FM.

If you have a story idea you鈥檇 like Matt to cover,听email him听or chat with him on听听补苍诲听

Check out all 鈥淢att About Town鈥� episodes听here!

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The library is working to preserve 135-plus years of physical media on its 45-acre Packard Campus.

We’ve visited a nitrate film vault containing thousands of Hollywood’s most popular classics, a state-of-the-art theater capable of playing movies in any format, and a public digital repository that provides online access to some of cinema’s most important works.

And one thing from our tour has become clear: there’s no place and no operation quite like the Packard Campus anywhere else in the world!

In today’s episode, 海角精品黑料’s Matt Kaufax concludes his visit to the wondrous space where it all started 鈥� in the heart of Packard’s National Audio-Visual Conservation Center.

Here, he got the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to examine one of the rarest reels of film on earth: a nitrate negative of the 1903 film that changed cinema forever.

The last person to examine this reel before Matt? Oh, just Oscar-winning director Quentin Tarantino. No big deal.

Enjoy this behind-the-scenes finale from a perspective hardly anyone else gets to see.

Hear 鈥淢att About Town鈥� first every Tuesday and Thursday on 103.5 FM!

If you have a story idea you鈥檇 like Matt to cover,听email him听or chat with him on听听补苍诲听

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Located in the heart of the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center on the Library of Congress’ Packard Campus, the Nitrate Film Vault contains nearly 150,000 reels of pre-1951 film shot on nitrate stock.

At one point, nitrate was universally used in the film industry, which is why so many classics are stored there.

The vault contains the world’s largest collection of original studio negatives from all the big Hollywood studios, such as Columbia Pictures, Universal Pictures, Walt Disney Pictures, RKO Pictures and Warner Bros.

In this episode of “Matt About Town,” 海角精品黑料’s Matt Kaufax takes you behind the scenes to a place few people in the region get to see.

Hear 鈥淢att About Town鈥� first every Tuesday and Thursday on 103.5 FM!

If you have a story idea you鈥檇 like Matt to cover,听email him听or chat with him on听听补苍诲听

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Located inside the Library of Congress’ National Audio-Visual Conservation Center in Culpeper, Virginia, the theater is open to anyone from the public. The Library screens films three days per week, most weeks of the year, and a lot of the films they show are original prints that can be found in the physical media vaults of the 45-acre campus.

The auditorium space itself is totally unique, with an elegant, timeless style including red velvet cushions, wood paneling and a pit area for an organ player to perform the scores of old silent films they often screen.

The central mission of the Packard Campus Theater is to preserve the traditional filmgoing experience.

In today’s episode of “Matt About Town,” head projectionist David March took 海角精品黑料 behind the scenes in a way that few ever get to experience.

Hear 鈥淢att About Town鈥� first every Tuesday and Thursday on 103.5 FM!

If you have a story idea you鈥檇 like Matt to cover,听email him听or chat with him on听听补苍诲听

Check out all 鈥淢att About Town鈥� episodes听here!听

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In Tuesday’s episode of “Matt About Town,” 海角精品黑料 explored the collection of nearly 1,300 works that have helped shape the art form we know as movies today.

The is an online project of the Library of Congress, spearheaded by the audiovisual conservation operation happening at the library’s Packard Campus in Culpeper, Virginia.

If you click around the website, you’ll find it has a little bit of everything.

You might find classic cartoons like a 1936 short of “Popeye” next to a cut of the Claymation movie “Peter Cottontail” from 1971. Or you’ll stumble upon color footage of World War II from 1945, next to a tape of a Rolling Stones performance from the 1960s. Then, one more scroll of your mouse leads you to an episode of “The Danny Kaye Show” from 1965.

The National Screening Room has tons of classic films that have been selected as part of the National Film Registry as well, including pictures that revolutionized cinema like “The Great Train Robbery (1903), to “St. Louis Blues” (1928), to “Modesta” (1956), to Oscar winners like “The House I Live In,” starring Frank Sinatra, also from 1945.

The library said they try to make the widest selection of films available to the widest audience through its collection, and constantly add more as part of their ongoing mission to digitize all their physical media assets stored on the 45-acre Packard Campus.

Tuesday’s episode includes excerpts from several recognizable听films, including recent selections to the National Film Registry that haven’t been added yet. But it could be available for free online one day.

These movies, and their importance to history and culture, cannot be overstated. The fact that the Library of Congress has made them all available to anyone with access to the internet is a national treasure!

Hear 鈥淢att About Town鈥� first every Tuesday and Thursday on 103.5 FM!

If you have a story idea you鈥檇 like Matt to cover,听email him听or chat with him on听听补苍诲听

Check out all 鈥淢att About Town鈥� episodes听here!

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