Proposed D.C. Subway During World War II
Between 1930 and 1950, the population of Washington expanded incredibly. The crush of people needed a way to get to work, and though a proposed subway in 1912 never came to fruition, the idea resurfaced during...
What Did Metro Center Look Like Under Construction in 1973?
Check out this great set of photos from 1973, showing construction of Metro Center underground. Also, don’t miss these other great old Metro photos showing Dupont Circle we posted a while ago. Source: Library of Congress Source: Library...
Original Subway Planned for Downtown D.C. in 1912
Washington DC almost has a subway started in 1912, well before WMATA and Metro opened in 1976. Learn about what almost was built in the District.
Map of Metro Done in Braille
This is a map of Metro done with braille. I’m not sure what the date it on this, but since the Red Line stops at Silver Spring (why is it named Silver Spring?), it’s some time...
Unrealized Vision for Metro in 1966
As with any massive public project, Metro was full of contentious debates and heated arguments. Ultimately, we know where we ended up, but back in 1966, things we slightly different and proposals didn’t fully become realized....
Vintage Washington Metro Construction Photos
How cool are these? We stumbled across them on Metro’s Facebook page. Tunnel near Forest Glen Forest Glen construction Silver Spring station construction Gallery Place-Chinatown 1974 Gallery Place-Chinatown construction Archives construction 1975 Take a look at...
Brookland Waits for the Metro
Are you a long-time resident of Brookland? If so, you might remember the time when Metro just arrived. Or, like the article below, was about to arrive. This was printed in the Washington Post on August 6th, 1977....
Never Built: Metro’s Bridge Over Rock Creek
In these 1966 drawings, train cars roll under Connecticut Avenue, but above Rock Creek. These amazing early Metro plans never came to fruition. They depict the Red Line between Dupont Circle and Woodley Park.
Photo of Dupont Circle Metro Under Construction
Unfortunately, I didn’t find a larger version of this image, but it’s still pretty cool to see. Source: Rare Vintage Photos of Washington, D.C.
Proposed Kennedy Center Metro Stop Too Expensive
Interesting. Imagine if the Kennedy Center had its own Metro station. The walk from Foggy Bottom is kind of a pain in the ass. Unfortunately for the Kennedy Center, they’re still stuck in no man’s land...
OMG! Retro Metro … This Informercial is Amazing
This. Is. Awesome. Thanks to GoDCer Harrison for sharing this. We first came across it on InTheCapital. Is this the best 70s video or what?
D.C. Subway is Predicted in 1941
Here is a fascinating article we dug up in the Washington Post from April 8th, 1941. At the time, only Boston, New York and Philadelphia had subways. Of course, our country was thrown into World War...
Free Rides on Washington Metro’s Opening Day
Two hundred years after the Declaration of Independence, Washington, D.C. was getting ready to inaugurate its own underground public transit system, the new Washington Metro. It may shock you to hear this, but on Metro’s opening...
1969 Vision of Metro Center
Well over 30,000 passengers pass through Metro Center every single day, and upwards of 9.7 million do each year. It is the hub of Washington’s Metro (there almost was a second hub at Farragut Square). A...
Video of D.C. Streets Circa 1991
We love getting stuff like this from readers. Here’s the email we received last week from a GoDCer. Dear Ghosts of DC: I just uploaded a film to Youtube that I made in ’91 that documents...
Metro’s Bizarre 1970s Halloween Mockup
Here’s a weird image from the early archives of WMATA. It depicts “Halloween In Washington” but clearly stretches the bounds of reality — and Metro’s rules. Let’s face it… there’s no way a guy riding a...
Metro’s 17-Foot Long “Experimental Station”
This is a guest post by Aaron. He also wrote a really popular post on red metro trains. At first glance, this looks like a mundane promotional photo from the early days of Metro’s Judiciary Square station....
Metro Trains Were Almost Bright Red!
Washington Metro cars were almost bright red. Early mockups had the trains looking tomato red.
