The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Stitcher Studios & Atlas Obscura

Bohemians, Bootleggers, and Bogus Bottles: A History of Absinthe Nov 21, 2024

Journalist and food writer Evan Rail considers himself a beer guy, but when a mysterious bright green spirit started shaking up the scene in the Czech Republic (where he lives) in the 1990s, he knew he had to learn more.

His latest book “The Absinthe Forger: A True Story of Deception, Betrayal, and The World’s Most Dangerous Spirit” looks back at the history of absinthe, why it was banned across Europe almost 100 years ago, and how its return to the market has inspired collectors, connoisseurs…and even conmen.

The Integratron Nov 20, 2024

In August 1953, airstrip operator George van Tassel claimed he was woken up in the middle of the night by an intelligent lifeform from outer space named Solganda. George says Solganda told him to build an energy rejuvenation machine – so that’s exactly what he spent the rest of his life doing…

For more information on visiting the Integratron check out their website. Plus, take a look at some photos from one of George van Tassel’s UFO conventions.

If you want to learn more, George tells his version of the “encounter with Solganda” in a 1964 interview.

St. Paul Island vs. the Rat Nov 19, 2024

On a remote island 200 miles off the coast of Alaska, a community hunts for a single, elusive rat.

Read Daniel Wu’s original reporting on the rat strike team.

Thanks to Freesound user mmiron for the wave sounds in this episode.

The Internet, IRL Nov 18, 2024

Places editors Michelle Cassidy and Diana Hubbell tell us about two real-world places that have been shaped by the internet.

We want your stories of places you're grateful for! Nov 16, 2024

Blame it on this time of year, but we've been ruminating a lot on the places we're thankful for. And we want to hear your thoughts for a future episode. What's a place that played a pivotal role in shaping your life? It can be a place you grew up, or a place you live in now. Maybe it's a park bench, or another place of community. Tell us about it, any stories behind it, and when and why you go there. Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message telling us your name and story. Just so you know, our mailbox will cut you off after two minutes so please call in again if you get disconnected. Or you can also record a voice memo and email it to us at Hello@AtlasObscura.com

The Wren’s Nest (Classic) Nov 15, 2024

The Wren’s Nest in Atlanta is both a museum and former home of journalist Joel Chandler Harris and a hub for modern storytellers.

Nate DiMeo’s Personal Memory Palace Nov 14, 2024

Nate DiMeo, host and creator of The Memory Palace podcast, walks us through some of the rooms in his own personal memory palace. We visit his grandfather’s old nightclub outside Providence, a beloved family home, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Visible Storage Unit, and a one-of-a-kind collection of glass flowers at Harvard University.

Preorder a copy of Nate’s new book, The Memory Palace: True Short Stories of the Past.

Check out the Memory Palace podcast, and listen to the episodes Nate made while he was Artist-in-Residence at the Met.

Malaria Bat Roosts Nov 13, 2024

During the early 20th century, malaria was ravaging the world. We hear the story of Dr. Charles Campbell, who had a plan to cure it. But as it turns out, his big idea was… rather batty.

The Sul Ross Desk Nov 12, 2024

In the 1980s, a group of friends on the track team at Sul Ross State University hauled a discarded dorm room desk to the top of a mountain. They left a notebook there to keep track of their run times and leave little notes for each other. Then… other people found it. And then… it started a tradition.

Visit the Atlas entry for the Sul Ross desk, and learn more about the archives containing the Sul Ross desk notebooks.

San Juan Sounds (Classic) Nov 11, 2024

San Juan Sounds is an iconic studio where musicians, engineers, and quite possibly a music-loving ghost carry on the island’s musical traditions, which date back hundreds of years.

This episode is produced in partnership with Discover Puerto Rico.

Weed Week: The International Church of Cannabis Nov 08, 2024

Travel to Denver Colorado and meet Steve Berke who helped found the first International Church of Cannabis in 2015.

Learn more about it here.

Weed Week: San Francisco Cannabis Buyers’ Club Nov 07, 2024

The San Francisco Cannabis Buyers’ Club was one of the first marijuana dispensaries in the country. Its members were people with AIDS, cancer, and other serious illnesses, and inside the club had stages, TV lounges, puzzles, and other things that would bring people together. Today, we meet the unexpected mix of gay rights organizers and cannabis advocates behind the club, and we hear about their unorthodox route to opening it – including why they tried to get busted by the police.

Weed Week: Jirzankal Cemetery Nov 06, 2024

An ancient cemetery in western China may hold the answer to a question asked by many a stoner: where on Earth did humans first smoke weed to get high?

Learn more about the cemetery in this 2019 paper in Science Advances.

Keep up with Rob Spengler’s archaeobotany lab here.

Weed Week: Dope Lake Nov 05, 2024

In 1976, an airplane carrying 6,000 pounds of smuggled weed crashed into a remote lake in Yosemite. A group of climbers had a heyday. Read John Long’s account of the crash, and check out Greg Nichols’ reporting on the same subject.

Plus: Where is the weirdest place you’ve ever cast a vote? Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and tell us about your local unusual polling location. Or, record a voice memo and email it to us at hello@atlasobscura.com.

Weed Week: Get Inside the CannaVan Nov 04, 2024

Cannabis is now legal in more than half of U.S. states, but it remains federally illegal – which makes doing research on the plant extremely difficult. Today, we meet a clever group of scientists who found their way around these laws… by literally driving around them.

Learn more about the CannaVan, and check out some of Rasha and Emma’s original reporting.

Spooky Week: The Gray Man (Classic) Nov 01, 2024

A South Carolina ghost story is a harbinger of hurricanes and a window into history. Read more in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/south-carolina-hurricane-ghost

Spooky Week: The Story of the Mad Gasser with Colin Dickey Oct 31, 2024

In 1944, a strange spate of “gas attacks” in a small Midwestern town reveals what was really lurking in mid-century America. Read Colin Dickey’s article about the mad gasser, and check out his Monster of the Month series.

Spooky Week: Places That Give Us the Creeps Oct 30, 2024

Listener stories about places that give off big creepy vibes – from an abandoned ice factory to a haunted university music building.

If you want to hear more about Luz Fleming’s ghost story, there’s a whole episode about it called Bennington Ghost Stories on a podcast called Yard Tales.

Spooky Week: No More Scary Stories at Camp Oct 29, 2024

To avoid traumatizing kids, many summer camps are banning scary stories. But can a little fun with fear be a good thing?

Check out Roxanne Hoorn’s article about this fading tradition.

Spooky Week: Elmer McCurdy’s Nine Lives Oct 28, 2024

In 1976, a television crew filming an episode of the show “The Six Million Dollar Man” descended on a rundown funhouse in Long Beach, California. While filming, they accidentally broke the arm off a wax dummy. Except...it wasn't a wax dummy. It was a real body. The body of a notorious train robber from the early 1900s, named Elmer McCurdy. Check out the Atlas entry for Elmer McCurdy’s grave.

For more information on Elmer, we recommend Mark Svenvold’s book “Elmer McCurdy: The Misadventures in Life and Afterlife of an American Outlaw.”

The Smallest Mollusk Museum (Classic) Oct 25, 2024

The Smallest Mollusk Museum in New York City is part of a fleet of tiny museums that might just have a big impact on the world.

Living on Mars Oct 24, 2024

Kelly and Zach Weinersmith walk Dylan through the practicalities of making a home on the red planet.

Check out their book A City on Mars everywhere books are sold.

The South's Hidden Confessional Oct 23, 2024

Outside the French Quarter lies Hidden South, an antique shop like any other. And hidden amongst the oddities is a bathroom full of secrets.

Aftel Archive of Curious Scents Oct 22, 2024

Producer Alexa Lim visits a collection of natural aromas in Berkeley, California. She gets a whiff of some of the world’s lesser known smells, and stumbles down the rabbit hole of the hidden world of scents.

Bessie Stringfield, Motorcycle Queen of Miami Oct 21, 2024

In the 1930s and 1940s, a young Black woman named Bessie Stringfield decided she’d strike out on her own and hit the road – and ended up crisscrossing the United States eight times, and becoming the first Black woman to ride a motorcycle through each of the lower 48 states. If she ran out of money, she’d join a circus. If she couldn’t find a place to stay, she’d sleep out under the stars. Read more about Bessie Stringfield in this Atlas Obscura article by Natalie Zarrelli.

Check out the work of cartoonist Joel Christian Gill online.

The Divorce Colony (Classic) Oct 18, 2024

For a brief period the small frontier city of Sioux Falls, South Dakota drew in socialites and celebrities who were desperate to end their marriages.

For more stories from the Divorce Colony, check out April White's book:The Divorce Colony: How Women Revolutionized Marriage and Found Freedom on the American Frontier.

The Hogs of Ossabaw Island Oct 17, 2024

Reporter Diana Hubbell brings us to an island off the coast of Georgia, and tells Dylan the story of an eccentric heiress, a daring mission, and the fight for North America’s most unusual pig.

Read Diana’s James Beard Award-winning article called “Saving the Hogs of Ossabaw Island.”

Skinny Houses Oct 16, 2024

Producer Talon Stradley takes us on a tour of three skinny houses – each with a big story inside. Do these skinny houses have you curious about spite houses?

Check out that episode here.

A Visit to the Reptile Super Show with Jacob Wysocki Oct 15, 2024

Comedian, actor, and podcaster Jacob Wysocki takes Dylan on a tour of a very special expo: The Reptile Super Show!

Listen to Jacob’s full experience at the Reptile Super Show (and his journey to other expos) here.

The Places We Loved and Lost Oct 14, 2024

We’re bringing you stories about places that you can no longer visit – this time we have stories about a hometown hangout spot, a beloved amusement park, a mural building in Queens, and a disappearing natural wonder.

Plus: We want to know about places that give you the creeps. Places that get under your skin and give you that eerie feeling. Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message telling us your name and story. You can also record a voice memo and email it to us at Hello@AtlasObscura.com.

The Stanley Hotel (Classic) Oct 12, 2024

We go inside a place that some paranormal investigators call the most active haunted location in the world. Before it was known as the inspiration for Stephen King...the Stanley Hotel had a reputation -- and ghosts -- of its own. Find more information about the Stanley Hotel and its events online.

This episode was produced with Visit Colorado. From culinary delights at world-class restaurants to unforgettable outdoor adventures, there's something for everyone to discover. Visit Colorado.com to start planning your getaway.

Phone Booth on a Roof (Classic) Oct 11, 2024

The City Hall in Lincoln, Illinois has an unusual architectural appendage with a curious history.

Read more about it here.

The Most (and Least) Accessible Travel Destinations with Cory Lee Oct 10, 2024

Traveling as a wheelchair user comes with some unique accessibility challenges, but Cory Lee has managed to visit 48 countries and all 7 continents. Cory is a travel blogger who shares his stories and tips for disabled travelers. He shares some of the most (and least) accessible destinations, hurdles he has encountered, and a few of his favorite memories from around the world. You can find Cory’s blog and group trips at CurbFreeWithCoryLee.com

Spruce Pine, Global Chokepoints, and the Future of Manufacturing Oct 09, 2024

The small mountain town of Spruce Pine provides nearly all of the ultra-pure quartz used to make the world’s semiconductors. When Hurricane Helene nearly wiped out the mines, it provided a stark wake-up call. Journalist Ed Conway joins Dylan to discuss what we can learn from this near-miss.

Check out more of Ed Conway’s reporting and subscribe to his Substack here. To support disaster relief efforts in North Carolina, you can donate to vetted organizations here or here.

Screeching Like Seagulls Oct 08, 2024

A group of seagull lovers in Belgium wants you to sympathize with these birds… by sounding just like them.

Spacing Out in South Korea Oct 07, 2024

After experiencing burn out, South Korean artist WoopsYang decides to take a rest and create an environment for others to space out… by having a competition.

It's Spooky Season! We want to hear your stories Oct 05, 2024

We want to know about places that give you the creeps. Places that get under your skin, give you that eerie feeling. And why? Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message telling us your name and story. Just so you know, our mailbox will cut you off after two minutes so please call back in if you get disconnected. You can also record a voice memo and email it to us at Hello@AtlasObscura.com

Mini Golfing in Myrtle Beach (Classic) Oct 04, 2024

In Myrtle Beach, mini-golf is not so mini. They’re hosting the Mini-Golf Masters, where titans of the tiny game will compete to see who rises to the top.

This episode was produced in partnership with Visit Myrtle Beach. Whether you’re a golfer or just looking to relax, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is 60 miles where you belong. Learn more at VisitMyrtleBeach.com

Studying the World’s Largest Parrot Colony with Juan Masello Oct 03, 2024

We head to the cliffs of Balneario El Condor in Argentina to visit a parrot city… and the parrot suburbs. And we meet the biologist who risks his life to study them.

Learn more about the parrot colony and Juan Masello’s work.

The Diefenbunker Oct 02, 2024

How 78 toilets exposed a Cold War secret in Carp, Ontario.

The Goose Who Wore Nikes Oct 01, 2024

In the late 1980s, a goose named Andy was born without webbed feet. A local Nebraskan inventor made him a pair of customized baby shoes and grew to care for the goose. But then – Andy was murdered. Twenty years later, the inventor's granddaughter picks up the pieces. To learn more information about Andy the Goose, check out Jessica’s website. You can also find information about attending Jessica’s one-woman show in Hastings on October 19th here. And check out Atlas Obscura reporter Cara Giaimo’s original story about Andy from 2016 which helped crack open this case.

An Update on California’s Jurupa Oak Sep 30, 2024

This summer we learned about a 15,000-year-old oak tree in California that was facing a potential housing development. Today, we learn its fate. Listen to our original episode about the Jurupa Oak here. Read Shannon Osaka’s article about the recent decision here.

Carhenge (Classic) Sep 27, 2024

This experimental automotive replica of Stonehenge has become a symbol of the town of Alliance, Nebraska. But residents haven’t always been fans.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/carhenge

Small Town, Big Story: The Pennsic Wars of Slippery Rock, PA Sep 26, 2024

Every summer, more than 10,000 people flock to this Pennsylvania town for two weeks for the largest gathering of medieval arts and culture anywhere in the world. This episode was produced in partnership with GoUSATV based on a video series we do with them called Small Town Big Story. To see this massive battle for yourself, check out our video about Slippery Rock.

Small Town, Big Story: Heating Up in Thermopolis, WY Sep 25, 2024

We go to a central Wyoming town, just a couple hours from Yellowstone, that's appropriately named Thermopolis. City of Heat. It’s home to one of the largest mineral hot springs in the world. But it turns out this town of less than 3,000 is also home to so much more. It’s a literal melting pot — of boiling water, rich rock formations, bath robes and dinosaur bones. This episode was produced in partnership with GoUSATV based on a video series we do with them called Small Town Big Story. To see some of the largest mineral hot springs in the world for yourself, check out our video about Thermopolis.

Small Town, Big Story: The Giant Omelet of Abbeville, LA Sep 24, 2024

We’re visiting a town 150 miles west of New Orleans in the absolute heart of Cajun country, where every year, thousands of people come from across the country to march through the streets, play music, celebrate French culture, and cook up an absolutely enormous omelet. This episode was produced in partnership with GoUSATV based on a video series we do with them called Small Town Big Story. To see the giant omelet for yourself, check out our video about Abbeville.

Small Town, Big Story: The Storytellers of Jonesborough, TN Sep 23, 2024

Every October, amateurs and professionals alike gather in this small town in the Appalachian Mountains to hone their storytelling chops and share them with crowds of thousands. In this episode, host Dylan Thuras takes his turn at the mic during the National Storytelling Festival.

This episode was produced in partnership with GoUSATV based on a video series we do with them called Small Town Big Story. To check out the storytelling capital of the world for yourself, check out our video about Jonesborough.

Enchanted Hart Haus (Classic) Sep 20, 2024

Steve and Amy Hartbauer have turned their home in residential Denver, CO into a massive mosaic and decade’s long expression of inner inspiration.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/enchanted-hart-haus

Our Material World with Ed Conway Sep 19, 2024

Dylan talks with journalist and author Ed Conway about three materials that our entire civilization depends on: salt, copper, and sand. They visit the biggest man-made hole on Earth, a salt mine large enough to fit the Eiffel Tower inside it, and a single mine in North Carolina that is essential to nearly all the world’s computer chips.

If you want to learn more, check out Ed’s book: Material World: The Six Raw Materials That Shape Modern Civilization.

Pining for the Places We Can No Longer Eat Sep 18, 2024

We asked you to send us stories about places you can no longer visit – and nearly everyone wrote in about a beloved closed restaurant. So today, we hear your stories of places you can no longer EAT.

We still want to hear your stories about other places you can no longer visit (beyond restaurants). Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message telling us your name and story. Or, record a voice memo and email it to us at hello@atlasobscura.com.

Smith Court Sep 17, 2024

In Boston’s Beacon Hill neighborhood, there was once a revolutionary community for African Americans willing to do whatever it took to maintain their own freedom – and help others achieve theirs. Learn more about planning a trip to Smith Court via the Black Heritage Trail.

The Hidden History of Eyeliner with Zahra Hankir Sep 16, 2024

Zahra Hankir is the author of the book Eyeliner: A Cultural History. She brings Dylan to three places across the globe where eyeliner plays a key cultural role: Egypt, Chad, and Los Angeles.

Roger Williams Root (Classic) Sep 13, 2024

The hunt to memorialize Rhode Island’s founder created one of the state’s strangest and most enduring myths. Learn more about Roger Williams relationship to local indigenous tribes here.

A Pasta Tour of Italy with Dan Pashman Sep 12, 2024

Cookbook author and Sporkful host Dan Pashman sets out on a research trip across Italy in search of highly regional pasta dishes that he can’t find anywhere else. Along the way, he learns a shocking truth about Italy and pasta, and ponders innovation and authenticity in one of the world’s most popular cuisines. Check out Dan’s new cookbook, Anything's Pastable: 81 Inventive Pasta Recipes for Saucy People.

The Day the Tractors Stood Still Sep 11, 2024

In May 2024, tractors across the American Midwest stalled. But that was only the first piece of a much larger story. Journalist Jason Koebler takes us to Nebraska and Illinois to find out what is going on with American tractors – and what Ukrainian hackers have to do with it. Read more of Jason’s reporting on John Deere and the Right to Repair movement.

Wood Island Lighthouse Sep 10, 2024

Over the course of its 200 year history, the lighthouse on Wood Island in Maine has been home to a celebrity dog, a grisly murder, some mischievous ghosts, and a monster storm that may or may not have been brought on by a pickpocket’s curse.

Learn more about Wood Island Lighthouse on their website (here’s Richard’s book.)

Want to hear more stories of mega storms, heroic sea rescues, and maybe even some more lighthouse ghosts? Here’s some information about Maine’s 60 historic lighthouses.

This episode was brought to you in partnership with the Maine Office of Tourism

The Wave Organ Sep 09, 2024

Producer Luz Fleming takes his son to revisit a special childhood spot that just happens to be a San Fransisco gem hiding in plain sight ... in the middle of the bay!

Wild Life Week: Rae Wynn-Grant and the Bear (Classic) Sep 06, 2024

Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant, Ph.D. is a wildlife ecologist specializing in large carnivores. And in this episode she unfolds a mystery for listeners.

Wild Life Week: Why Would a Researcher Pull a Lion’s Tail? Sep 05, 2024

Producer Abbey Perrault takes a trip into the Kenyan savanna, where she meets researchers who are studying how people share space with unlikely neighbors: lions. Along the way, she learns why a researcher would possibly pull the tail of a lion, and gets *extremely* up close and personal with two massive lionesses.

For more information, check out Lucrecia Aguilar's website, Sam Kiuna’s Twitter and Instagram, and Lion Landscapes.

Preorder your copy of Wild Life today!

Wild Life Week: Celery Makes A Nature Documentary Sep 04, 2024

We all love to zone out to a soothing nature documentary. But what you’ll learn about them in this episode will make you watch – and listen! – a lot more carefully. Reporter Abigail Keel tells Dylan about her conversation with sound designer and mixer Graham Wild about the not-as-real-as-you-may-think sounds that bring nature documentaries to life.

Preorder your copy of our new book, Wild Life, today!

Wild Life Week: The Female Alphas of Yellowstone Sep 03, 2024

Decades after eradicating its wolves, Yellowstone National Park decided to reintroduce them. In the 1990s, the wolves were thriving—until one wolf decided to make life hell for everyone around her. Our guest in this episode, Rick McIntyre, has written several books about the wolves of Yellowstone. His latest is Thinking Like a Wolf, which will be out in late October 2024.

Preorder your copy of Wild Life today!

Wild Life Week: Exploring Our Alien Planet with Cara Giaimo Sep 02, 2024

The natural world is weird. Dylan talks with Cara Giaimo, co-author of our forthcoming book Wild Life, about the world’s tiniest chameleon, an acrobatic fog catching beetle, and how shellfish hold the keys to Poland’s water supply.

Preorder your copy of Wild Life today, and get a free luggage tag!

Ottoman Bird Palaces (Classic) Aug 30, 2024

These miniature mansions and luxurious homes were built for the feathered residents of Istanbul.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/ottoman-bird-palaces

The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum Aug 29, 2024

The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is dedicated to telling the stories of the league’s greatest players, its impact on communities, and the game-changing innovations it brought to baseball.

Auctioning off Roadside America Aug 28, 2024

Pegged as the “world’s greatest indoor miniature village,” Roadside America was a beloved roadside attraction in Shartlesville, Pennsylvania. The creator Laurence Gieringer and his family ran the business for 85 years until its closure in 2021. Today, the pieces of this miniature village have been auctioned off to past visitors all over the country. And there may yet be more auctions this year.

Atlas Obscura Goes Off Assignment: Sa Cabaneta & Provincetown Aug 27, 2024

Saying farewell to summer with a lazy day in Mallorca, and a blustery night in Massachusetts. “3 p.m. in Sa Cabaneta” and “7:10 p.m. in Provincetown” were edited by Aube Rey Lescure. Both essays originally appeared in Off Assignment.

The Wimbledon Queue Aug 26, 2024

Producer Emma Morgenstern spends nearly 6 hours waiting in a famous line. Will she get into the most exclusive tennis tournament in the world – or face bigtime disappointment?

Seven Keys Lodge (Classic) Aug 23, 2024

The world’s largest random, assorted key collection located outside Denver, CO, was inspired by a literary infatuation and includes keys to danger and memory.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/baldpate-inn-key-collection

Are Cemeteries…Dying? Aug 22, 2024

In 2023, 60% of Americans chose to be cremated instead of having a traditional burial. If that trend continues, do cemeteries need to be worried about the future? Loren Rhoads, author of 222 Cemeteries To See Before You Die (which is coming out on August 27), explains how old cemeteries are working to bring in the living…and tells us about new and experimental ways to be buried and memorialized.

District Six Aug 21, 2024

District Six is a neighborhood in Cape Town South Africa that was destroyed under the apartheid regime. Today, a museum stands as a monument to the people who once called the neighborhood home.

Atlas Obscura Goes Off Assignment: To the Swimmer in the Borneo Rainforest Aug 20, 2024

Writer Meghan Gunn meets a stranger in the jungle, and writes him a letter.

This essay was edited by Aube Rey Lescure and originally appeared in Off Assignment. It was also included in The Best American Travel Writing 2021. If you have had a memorable encounter with a stranger, we want to hear about it. Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message, or record a voice memo and email it to us at Hello@AtlasObscura.com

Oh, the Places We Can’t Go Aug 19, 2024

The Atlas Obscura Places team brings us to a dazzling aquarium and a small town in the heart of what was once eastern Pennsylvania’s coal country. The catch? Neither place exists anymore. Do you have a place that you love that no longer exists? Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message, or send a voice memo to Hello@AtlasObscura.com.

Tell Us Your Story: Places To Remember Aug 17, 2024

Maybe it was a mom and pop shop that closed down. Maybe it was a facility that you often used and shut down. Or an art space that was replaced by a housing development. We want to hear about places that YOU can no longer visit. What was there before disappearing? Why was it important to you? How were you connected to this place? What do you remember about it? What did it look like? What is left of this place NOW? Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message telling us your name and story. Just so you know, our mailbox will cut you off after two minutes so please call back if you get disconnected! You can also record a voice memo and email it to us at Hello@AtlasObscura.com.

The Lost Boys of Robber’s Cave (Classic) Aug 16, 2024

In 1954, two groups of boys thought they were going to summer camp. But they’d been recruited for a different kind of summer experience.

What’s Happening to the Benin Bronzes? Aug 15, 2024

An update on the thousands of masks from the former Kingdom of Benin. These pieces of art and culture are spread in museums across the world, but a new discussion has reignited about if they should stay put.

The Wizard of Wamego Aug 14, 2024

The story of how a former nuclear missile silo in Wamego, Kansas became the site of the largest LSD bust in US history (allegedly). Fore more information, check out author Dennis McDougal’s website and Rolling Stone’s interview with Leonard Pickard.

Atlas Obscura Goes Off Assignment: The Selinsgrove Speedway and Muriwai Aug 13, 2024

An evening visit to a racetrack, and a late night walk on the beach. “8:45 p.m. at the Selinsgrove Speedway” was edited by Aube Rey Lescure and “10 p.m. in Muriwai” was edited by Tusshara Nalakumar Srilatha. Both essays originally appeared in Off Assignment.

A (Store) for the Birds Aug 12, 2024

Mike O’Connor’s Cape Cod store provides supplies for birders, gives away thousands of pounds of free potatoes, and inspires April Fools’ Day-related hijinks. For more information, check out the Bird Watcher’s General Store website.

Preorder your copy our new book,Wild Life, today!

Travels with Steve and Datsun (Classic) Aug 09, 2024

Today we hear from an Atlas Obscura user who, when he isn’t aboard an icebreaking warship for the Canadian Navy, spends weeks at a time road-tripping with his dog. Check out Steve’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/puppercycle/?hl=en

On the Hunt for Government Treasure with Mitch Yockelson Aug 08, 2024

Investigator Mitch Yockelson, a historian and academic turned archival bounty hunter, has a job that makes for pretty interesting dinner party discussion: tracking down the people who steal government property.

The Museum That Began in One Woman’s House Aug 07, 2024

Mary Maschal set out to document women’s history, unintentionally becoming part of it herself. Learn more about the Women's Museum of History here.

Atlas Obscura Goes Off Assignment: To the Father on the Bicycle Aug 06, 2024

A visitor in Cajicá, Colombia sees a stranger on a bicycle, and writes him a letter. This essay was edited by Carey Baraka and originally appeared in Off Assignment.

If you have had a memorable encounter with a stranger, we want to hear about it. Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message, or record a voice memo and email it to us at Hello@AtlasObscura.com.

The Red Book Aug 05, 2024

In the early 1900s, influential psychologist Carl Jung spent more than a decade documenting the strange images that popped up in his unconscious mind and documenting them all in a beautiful illustrated manuscript. After his death, his family thought the book was too bizarre to be made public and locked it away in a Swiss bank vault for decades.

MORE:

Learn more about the Jung House Museum (and visit the study where Jung wrote the Red Book) https://www.cgjunghaus.ch/en/

A link to the New York Times article mentioned: https://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/20/magazine/20jung-t.html

Road Trip Week: Meramec Caverns (Classic) Aug 02, 2024

This giant limestone cave outside of St. Louis, MO. is home to a combination of kitsch and world-class scenery.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/meramec-caverns

Road Trip Week: Exploring the Borscht Belt with Marisa Scheinfeld Aug 01, 2024

Dylan is joined by Marisa Scheinfeld, a photographer who has dedicated years to exploring the lost and abandoned properties of the Borscht Belt. A stretch of hundreds of hotels, resorts and summer camps where Jewish Americans would go to escape. Check out more of Marisa’s work here, including her book, The Borscht Belt: Revisiting the Remains of America’s Jewish Vacation Land.

Road Trip Week: Listener Stories Jul 31, 2024

You bring us road trip stories from all over the globe. Along the way, we hear about encounters with wild boars, a visit to a famously large ball of twine and a lifelong friendship that began on the back of motorcycles.

Road Trip Week: Alone with a Camera in the Desert Jul 30, 2024

Strap on your hiking boots and say goodbye to your spouse. We’re pulling off the highway and going on a trek through Dinosaur National Monument with photographer Randy Fullbright. To see Randy’s photos for yourself, check out his website or stop by his shop, Fullbright Studios, in Vernal, UT.

Road Trip Week: Where to Go Jul 29, 2024

It’s Road Trip Week! Dylan hops in a (virtual) car and embarks on a Great American Road Trip. Along the way, Atlas Obscura staffers recommend their favorite road trip stops – from a strange doll hospital, to a massive sculpture only visible during certain times of year, to a magical desert oasis.

Learn more about our recommendations:

Babyland General Hospital

Roadside America

Spiral Jetty

Drummond Basin

The Theater of Electricity (Classic) Jul 26, 2024

Step inside the Theater of Electricity in Boston and learn about the World’s Largest Air-Insulated Van De Graaff Generator.

Our Lives Through Hollywood’s Eyes Jul 25, 2024

Writer and journalist Walt Hickey joins Dylan for a conversation about the different ways film and television have impacted us and our real world surroundings, a topic that’s the subject of his new book You Are What You Watch.

The Arrow Stork Jul 24, 2024

The story of a stork, a spear and a scientific mystery that led to breakthroughs in the way we understand bird migration.

A 15,000 Year Old Tree and a Housing Development Jul 23, 2024

In the California’s Jurupa Valley, residents discovered a treasure in their backyard: a 15,000 year old tree. Now, it may disappear.

Read Shannon Osaka’s article about the Jurupa Oak.

Meet the Man Who Sets America’s Living Rooms on Fire Jul 22, 2024

Today we visit the ATF Fire Research Laboratory where investigators recreate arson attacks and analyze burn patterns.

Read more about John Allen and his work at the world's largest fire research laboratory.

Discovery Hut (Classic) Jul 19, 2024

Atlas Obscura's Gemma Tarlach shares what it's like to step inside a relic from the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration, and to find traces of a famous lost party of explorers.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/discovery-hut

Hunting for Meteorites with Steve Arnold Jul 18, 2024

Today we're powering up our metal detectors and keeping a very close eye on the surface of the earth as we set out in the hunt for meteorites with Steve Arnold, who’s been in the game for more than three decades. If you want to learn more, check out Steve’s website, and read this profile of the meteorite hunting community.

This 80s Icon Has A Shrine In A Berlin Hostel Jul 17, 2024

In the basement of a Berlin hostel – in a corridor connecting their brewery to the luggage storage area – is a shrine to a pop culture icon with a surprising connection to the city’s history. (Hint: It’s David Hasselhoff.)

Plus: Atlas Obscura has a new book coming out! Pre-order your copy of Wild Life today.

My Life in Three Places: Dylan Thuras Jul 16, 2024

Dylan takes us on a tour of three places that have shaped his life.

Listen to our episodes about the Corn Palace, House on the Rock, and Gold Medal Flour.

Mother Jones and the Battle of Blair Mountain Jul 15, 2024

How a woman in her 70s inspired some of the biggest labor uprisings in American history.

Pigeon Towers of Iran (Classic) Jul 12, 2024

This elaborate architecture throughout Iran served a very unique purpose - gathering pigeon guano.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/pigeon-towers-iran

Getting Lost with Susan Orlean Jul 11, 2024

Travel writer Susan Orlean is an admitted terrible tourist. But she’s an expert at getting lost – with a purpose. Today, she takes us to some of the places that have shaped her life. And she talks about throwing out the guidebook – opening herself up to these experiences – and the art of getting lost.

A Walk Through Sandwich History with Barry Enderwick Jul 10, 2024

Barry Enderwick has made and tasted more than 1000 sandwiches from across history. Today, he and Dylan make – and eat three sandwiches that each tell us something about history, culture, and ourselves.

Pre-order Barry’s book, Sandwiches of History: The Cookbook, today! We also have a new book coming Pre-order a copy of Wild Life today!

The Mysterious Origins of Virginia’s Swimming Ponies Jul 09, 2024

For one day every July, the Assateague Channel on Virginia’s marshy eastern shore is filled with the bobbing heads of swimming ponies. These feral horses are celebrities in the area, but nobody actually knows exactly how they got there. Atlas Obscura senior editor Gemma Tarlach tells us the story and wrote about it here.

How Caribou Gave Us a Peek at Life 9,000 Years Ago Jul 08, 2024

In 2008, a researcher floating in a boat in Lake Huron had an idea for how to learn more about our prehistoric ancestors. It involved sonar, a lot of patience, and some very bumbling AI caribou. Listen to Morgan Springer’s original story here. For more stories about the land, water, and inhabitants of the Great Lakes, check out Points North wherever you get your podcasts.

We Want to Hear Your Unusual Road Trip Stories Jul 06, 2024

We're working on another listener-led episode and want to know: What is your favorite unusual road trip destination? The weirdest road trip memory holed deep in your subconscious. Where was it? What did it look like? What do you remember? Maybe there is a place you have taken a friend, or your own kids and just thought. Oh man, they are going to freak out… It can be a good memory, a bad memory, or just a weird one. Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message, or send a voice memo to Hello@AtlasObscura.com.

House the Giants Built (Classic) Jul 05, 2024

Anna Swan had an adventurous life before settling in Seville, Ohio and building a house large enough to fit her large life.

Double Header for the Fourth Jul 04, 2024

Today we have two classic episodes to share about hidden histories of America. In one, we’ll hear the story of an unconventional Revolutionary patriot – an enslaved woman who sued her enslaver. And in the other, we’ll learn about a group of Native American veterans who developed an unbreakable secret code during World War II – and the unlikely location where their legacy is preserved.

The Big Duck Jul 03, 2024

The story of a big idea, and a big duck – and how this duck would go on to become an important architectural landmark that would influence buildings all around the world.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/big-duck

New York City’s Black Oyster King Jul 02, 2024

Thomas Downing, who arguably invented fine dining in New York City, had a secret going on underneath the floor of his popular oyster house. Writer Briona Lamback tells us the story. If you want to read the full article, check out the link here. And if you’re looking for an oyster experience, Briona recommends Brooklyn-based The Real Mother Shucker, the city’s only oyster cart.

The Gilbert Baker Mural Jul 01, 2024

Gilbert Baker’s pride flag design is now a worldwide symbol for LGBT freedom and liberation. Now, his former stomping grounds remember his efforts with a beautiful mural. But there’s more to this pride-filled house than meets the eye. SEE the mural for yourself here and learn more about the artist here.

Jadeite Cabbage (Classic) Jun 28, 2024

This tiny stone cabbage has a big backstory stretching from the rich, treasure-laden halls of Beijing’s Forbidden City...through a harrowing wartime escape...to its prized place at the National palace museum in Taipei, Taiwan.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/jade-cabbage

Roop Kund Jun 27, 2024

Author Doug Preston brings us back into the world of his latest book, The Lost Tomb, with a story of a remote lake in the Himalayas where hundreds of human skeletons were discovered – puzzling scientists and researchers for years.

The Glove Museum Jun 26, 2024

This museum in New York is a recreated 19th century glove making workshop complete with sizing tools, cutting blocks, and irons. It’s also part studio, part exhibition space and the brainchild of a craftsman who dedicated his life to the art of glove-making.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-glove-museum

Grizzly Adams: America’s Mythic Mountain Man Jun 25, 2024

In the 1850s, one anonymous Massachusetts shoemaker became a national celebrity – all by exhibiting his “family” of captured grizzly bears.

In The Heart Of NYC, A Refuge For Birds Jun 24, 2024

A hospital and rehab center for birds in Manhattan started with a woman who just wanted to do all she could to help an injured goose. Decades later, it has become an institution.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/wild-bird-fund

The Start of a Language Jun 21, 2024

Places editors Michelle Cassidy and Jonathan Carey bring us stories about two specific languages that were created by people who gave us a glimpse into their worlds and cultures – real and imagined.

Nerding Out on Ancient Queens with Torri Yates-Orr Jun 20, 2024

History buff Torri Yates-Orr gives us the tea on Nefertiti, Cleopatra, and Amanirenas – and explains why we often don’t hear their full stories in history class.

For Keeps Books (Classic) Jun 19, 2024

In Atlanta, on this historic Auburn Avenue, sits a small bookstore and reading room that’s been called “an interactive art museum of Black Thought”

LEARN MORE: https://www.forkeepsbooks.com/

The Last Baldwin House Jun 18, 2024

James Baldwin’s former home in the South of France is a site that many visit hoping to feel the essence of the great African-American writer. But should it be?

America’s First Celebrity Bartender And The Book That Changed Bars Forever Jun 17, 2024

In the early days of drinking in America, bartenders passed down drink recipes simply via word of mouth. Then, a suit-wearing, itinerant bartender decked out in diamonds changed everything.

Plus, big news! “Atlas Obscura: Wild Life” is coming soon to bookstores near you. Pre-order your copy now!

Tell us your road trip stories & get travel advice from Dylan Jun 15, 2024

What is your favorite unusual road trip destination? Plus, Dylan wants your travel questions. Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message, or send a voice memo to Hello@Atlas Obscura.com.

The Noah Purifoy Desert Art Museum (Classic) Jun 14, 2024

Noah Purifoy was a pugilistic LA artist who eventually filled a 10 acre plot of land in Joshua Tree, CA with his off-kilter art.

Noah Purifoy’s Outdoor Museum: http://www.noahpurifoy.com/joshua-tree-outdoor-museum

Learn more about Dale Davis: https://dalebdavis.com/

Listen to our episode about Leimert Park: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/podcast-leimert-park-ii

Listen to our episode about the Watts Towers Art Center: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/podcast-watts-towers

In the Doldrums with Bernie Harberts Jun 13, 2024

Ultimate slow travel adventurer (and friend of the show) Bernie Harberts returns to tell us what happened when he spent months floating alone at sea. Bernie is also an author and filmmaker. You can read more about Bernie's travels at his website www.riverearth.com.

Your Stories Of Traveling With Parents Jun 12, 2024

Listener stories of hitting the road, parents in tow. We’ll hear about an unexpected run-in with a group of lumberjacks, a rare road trip with parents visiting from Thailand, and a heart-pounding incident in Istanbul. If you have a suggestion about our next call out episode or a place you would like us to look into, please write us an email at hello@atlasobscura.com. Or call us and leave us a message at 315-992-7902.

Black Cultural Archives Jun 11, 2024

We visit a London neighborhood that’s the epicenter of Caribbean culture and a place that aims to be the home for Black British history. Learn more about the Black Cultural Archives here.

The Secret Nazi Weather Station Named Kurt Jun 10, 2024

During the 1970s, archaeologists and fishermen stumbled across an abandoned military weather station on the coast of Labrador. It was labeled “Canadian Meteor Service.” The problem was: the Canadian Meteor Service didn’t put it there. In fact, the Canadian Meteor Service didn’t even exist.

MORE: You can visit Weather Station Kurt at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, which is only about 980 miles from its original location!

The Rotary Jail Museum (Classic) Jun 08, 2024

The only remaining operational Rotary Jail, found in Crawfordsville, Indiana, shows visitors how inmates were once locked within the building’s walls.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/rotary-jail-museum

Ruins of Le Jardin d'Agronomie Tropicale (Classic) Jun 07, 2024

This garden park in Paris, France contains the ruins of a colonial exhibition from 1907.

Controlled Cold with Nicky Twilley Jun 06, 2024

We get a crash course in the fascinating temperature-controlled ecosystem we’ve created to keep our food fresh – and available – all year round. Our guide is Nicky Twilley, co-host of the Gastropod podcast and author of the new book called Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed our Food, Our Planet, and Ourselves.

Welcome To Wall Drug Jun 05, 2024

In the South Dakota badlands, a small pharmacy employed an ingenious marketing gimmick, and boomed into a business that draws millions of visitors every year. It’s a story that involves giant dinosaurs, a mythological jack rabbit, and lots and lots of donuts.

Traveling With Kids: Please Send Help Jun 04, 2024

We’ve got a fun collaboration with podcasters SuChin Pak and Kulap Vilaysack, hosts of Add to Cart. Hear them chat with Dylan about traveling with kids – the good, the bad, and the vomit-y times. Pick up tips if you’re about to make your first or 10th trip with young people this summer.

Blue Spring State Park Jun 03, 2024

We head to Florida, the wintertime refuge for many, for a glimpse of a rehabilitation effort aimed at some very distinct creatures known for being gentle giants – manatees. This episode was produced in partnership with VISIT FLORIDA.

The Last Sears in New York City (Classic) May 31, 2024

Producer Johanna Mayer takes a trip to the last Sears in New York City, and a Brooklyn landmark, with two people whose lives were shaped by the department store.

Looking Toward the Sky with Summer Ash May 30, 2024

Telescope tourist, rocket scientist and STEAM educator Summer Ash gives us the nitty gritty on the V.L.A. - a 22-mile telescope in New Mexico whose formal name is literally “Very Large Array.” We talk about how this observatory works and what cosmic wonders it’s detected.

Canada Obscura: The Giant Orange Sphere May 29, 2024

CANADALAND host Jesse Brown introduces Dylan to a strange and decaying Quebecois fast food institution… housed inside a giant orange sphere. Today, the orange is a relic of a bygone era. But decades ago, this odd establishment was on track to become the McDonalds of Canada. We hear about the rise and fall of Montreal’s Orange Julep, and how its eccentric founder envisioned a Canada scattered with glowing orange spheres.

This week, we’re celebrating Canada’s strange, incredible, and wondrous places. This is the third story in our collaboration with CANADALAND. If you want to hear more stories from their great show, we recommend starting here:

This episode was produced by Kevin Sexton.

Canada Obscura: The Feral Horses of Sable Island May 28, 2024

Host Dylan Thuras brings us to a remote island off the coast of Nova Scotia. On Sable Island, we learn how – against all odds – a group of beloved feral horses have not only survived, but thrived. There’s only one problem: Some people want them gone.

This week, we’re celebrating Canada’s strange, incredible, and wondrous places. This is the second story in our collaboration with CANADALAND. If you want to hear more stories from their great show, we recommend starting here:

The Truth About Polkaroo

WTF, Marc Maron is Moving to Canada?

This episode was produced by Kevin Sexton.

Canada Obscura: The Real Life Winnie-The-Pooh May 27, 2024

CANADALAND host Jesse Brown tells Dylan the story of a Canadian man who adopted a black bear in the woods of Winnipeg – and how that bear became the inspiration for one of the most beloved children’s characters of all time.

This week, we’re celebrating Canada’s strange, incredible, and wondrous places. This is the first story in our collaboration with CANADALAND. If you want to hear more stories from their great show, we recommend starting here:

An Oral History of Just for Laughs Gags

The Newfoundlander

Who's Behind a Fake Trudeau Sex Scandal

This episode was produced by Kevin Sexton.

Maillardet’s Automaton (Classic) May 24, 2024

This mechanical boy in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was a mystery - until it began to write.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/maillardets-automaton

A Daring Story of Freedom with Edda Fields-Black May 23, 2024

Historian and author Edda L. Fields-Black tells us the fascinating and action-packed story of one of the most daring spy operations and raids of the entire Civil War – led by Harriet Tubman.

A Rogue Trip with Amir Siraj May 22, 2024

We catch up with Amir Siraj – friend of the show, scientist and world wanderer – who visited a new observatory in a Chilean desert that could help his search for rogue planets

Check out other episodes we’ve done Amir here and here.

From Seed to Significance May 21, 2024

Earlier this spring we shared the story of the city of Melbourne’s program to track trees, which morphed into a love fest. In this episode, we hear from YOU and your love letters to trees that play a special role in your life.

MORE: Want to be in an upcoming Atlas Obscura episode? We’re collecting listener stories right now about traveling with your parents. Tell us about a place you went with your parents that was special to you. Maybe it was the annual trip to Niagara Falls or a national park. Or maybe it was just a one time thing but had an outsized impact. Call and tell us at 315-992-7902 or email us at Hello@AtlasObscura.com.

The Ludlow Massacre Site May 20, 2024

The Ludlow colony in southern Colorado was once a bustling tent city and haven for miners and their families. But it was also the site of one of the country’s most monumental –and violent – clashes of the labor movement.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/ludlow-massacre-site

Shipwrecked Doritos (Classic) May 17, 2024

In 2006 a massive haul of Doritos was shipwrecked on Hatteras Island on the Outer Banks, leaving its mark on the town forever.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/shipwrecked-doritos

Gabbing Goblins with Colin Dickey May 16, 2024

Author Colin Dickey tells us the story of a Kentucky family who, in 1955, claimed to be in a wild gunfight with unidentified creatures who may or may not have been aliens. And we learn how this event had a mysterious, surprising, and shockingly long legacy that eventually inspired one of Hollywood's greatest movie makers to create multiple films about aliens and monsters and family.

MORE: Check out Colin’s column on Atlas Obscura, or check out his website here.

Underwater Sculpture Gardens May 15, 2024

Jason deCaires Taylor takes intentional art to another level with his sculptures that can be visited by humans and fish.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/underwater-sculpture-garden

Reppin MORE of our Weird Hometown Traditions May 14, 2024

From a rubber duck contest to hypnotizing chickens, listeners share stories about annual customs, events and practices that set their hometowns apart from others.

MORE: We're going to be bringing you more listener-led stories this year, and we need your help. Tell us about a place you went with your parents that was special to you. Maybe it was the annual trip to Niagara Falls or a national park. Or maybe it was just a one-time thing but had an outsized impact. Call and tell us at 315-992-7902 or email us at Hello@AtlasObscura.com.

Bonnie and Clyde Ambush Museum May 13, 2024

We visit the Louisiana town where the infamous – but often misunderstood – couple’s story came to an end.

Tell us your stories of traveling with your parents! May 11, 2024

We're going to be bringing you more listener-led stories this year, and we need your help. Tell us about a place you went with your parents that was special to you. Maybe it was the annual trip to Niagara Falls or a national park. Or maybe it was just a one time thing but had an outsized impact. Call and tell us at 315-992-7902 or email us at Hello@AtlasObscura.com.

The Livestock Living at the End of the World (Classic) May 10, 2024

The pigs once plopped on an uninhabited Auckland Island known for capturing castaways now play an important role in modern medical research.

To the Moon and Back with Rebecca Boyle May 09, 2024

Science writer and journalist Rebecca Boyle has a new book about all about the ways in which the moon has impacted nearly every aspect of human life – including our conception and invention of time.

MORE IN THE ATLAS: Rebecca is a regular contributor to Atlas Obscura and you can find more about her work here and check out her book here.

Musée Mécanique May 08, 2024

We empty out our change purse and visit Dan Zelinsky - the owner and head mechanic of the Musée Mécanique - one of the few remaining vintage arcades in the country.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/musee-mecanique-san-francisco

Beauly Priory Wych Elm May 07, 2024

A gnarly looking elm tree rumored to be older than Britain itself was the anchor in a community – until beetles got to it and it was suddenly gone one day. Thanks to the magic of technology, you can see a 3D scan of the Beauly Elm here.

READ IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/wych-elm-of-beauly-priory

Sans-Souci Palace May 06, 2024

We go to Haiti, and visit a royal residence once called the Versailles of the Caribbean. But though Sans-Souci Palace, once home to Haiti’s only king, is now ruins and rubble, it remains a large symbol – just as its creator intended. | Read about this in the Atlas HERE

Rhubarb Triangle (Classic) May 03, 2024

Farmers in Yorkshire, England take years to coax their rhubarb plants into a world-renowned delicacy using a century-old technique.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/rhubarb-triangle

Checking Into Hotel Imperial with Deborah Cohen May 02, 2024

On the eve of the Second World War, there was one place that was the source for all good stories — the Hotel Imperial in Vienna. It exuded luxury and power, and also was the converging spot for foreign correspondents in the 1920’s and ‘30s who were warning the world about the rise of dictatorship. Historian and author Deborah Cohen takes us back in time and into the lives of these influential journalists.

MORE Check out Deborah’s book here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/576473/last-call-at-the-hotel-imperial-by-deborah-cohen/

Exotic Feline Rescue Center May 01, 2024

Long before Joe Exotic got the country talking about big cats, there was Joe Taft – regular guy – who began raising and rescuing these types of felines in Indiana.

MORE: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/exotic-feline-rescue-center-2

Old Cahawba Apr 30, 2024

The Old Cahawba Archeological Park is perhaps one of Alabama's most famous ghost towns. But it once was the center of life in this southern state. We unravel the surprising tale of this onetime capital city.

SEE IT IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/old-cahawba-archeological-park

Atlas Obscura Presents: “Windsor Hum” from Twenty Thousand Hertz Apr 29, 2024

Today’s episode comes from Twenty Thousand Hertz, a podcast that reveals the stories behind the world's most recognizable and interesting sounds. On their show, they’ve explored topics like the sounds of other planets, the mind blowing ways that insects communicate, and secret spy messages that are broadcast on the radio.

In this episode, they take you to the US-Canadian border, where, in 2011, residents of Windsor, Ontario started experiencing a strange rumbling hum that rattled dishes and kept people awake at night. Then, after years of getting nowhere, the mystery of the Windsor Hum was finally solved... Or was it?

Tree Week: Forty Fruit Tree (Classic) Apr 26, 2024

The Tree of 40 Fruits in San Jose California is an horticultural marvel of 40 types of stone fruit trees grafted together to form a living work of art.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/tree-of-40-fruit

Tree Week: Killer Trees with Mary Roach Apr 25, 2024

We promise, this is not another sappy (pardon the pun) story about trees. Instead, author and science writer Mary Roach takes us deep into an ancient forest grove on Vancouver Island, in search of the danger trees and the people who seek them out.

Learn more about danger trees in Mary’s book, Fuzz.

Tree Week: Oh, the places you will go... to see these notable trees Apr 24, 2024

We spend some time with some celebrity trees – one in Washington, DC and one in Berlin – that have left an impact on all who visit them. Today’s stories are brought to you by Michelle Cassidy and Diana Hubbell, of the Atlas Obscura Places Team.

Tree Week: Love Letters Apr 23, 2024

In 2012, the city of Melbourne gave every tree a barcode and email address so people could report when it needed maintenance or attention. But, a funny thing started happening. Instead of reporting problems, people began emailing love letters to the trees.

MORE: Is there a special tree in your life? One worthy of a love letter? Let us know! Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message telling us your name and your love letter to a tree. Just so you know, our mailbox will cut you off after two minutes so please call again if that happens!

Tree Week: A Tasty Tale about Meyer Lemons Apr 22, 2024

Meyer lemons are so special that restaurants go out of their way to call them out on menus. Martha Stewart loves to bake with them. And yet, Meyer lemons also have a fascinating and kinda tragic backstory. Tune in for a very fun episode about this very particular fruit. Our guest in this episode is Mandy Naglich, professional taster and author of “How To Taste.”

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/meyer-lemon

Musk Ox Farm (Classic) Apr 19, 2024

The Musk Ox Farm in Palmer, Alaska aims to domesticate a species that used to roam the earth at the same time as the wooly mammoth.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/musk-ox-farm

How to make the best show about New York with John Wilson Apr 18, 2024

IN THIS EPISODE OF THE ATLAS OBSCURA PODCAST, Dylan sits down with “How To” creator and narrator John Wilson about his travels, his favorite places and his HBO series that is part documentary, part memoir, part essay — and unlike any other show on TV.

MORE: In their conversation, a few places come up that we’ve made episodes about. So if you want to hear about the Chrysler Building eagles, the House on the Rock or Organ Stop Pizza, click here, here and here.

Atalaya Apr 17, 2024

Just outside of Myrtle Beach sits a medieval castle that would feel out of place if not for its charm. We tell the story of the eccentric couple who, nearly a hundred years ago, built this fortress — which was turned into a popular part of the state park system. This episode was produced in partnership with Discover South Carolina.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/atalaya

Showgirl Magic Museum Apr 16, 2024

A one-room museum located in the basement of a church-turned-community arts center is crammed with mementos from a pretty spectacular period in history. We hang with some retired dancers who recall the time when Chinatown in San Francisco was filled with late night cabarets famed for their showgirls.

Reppin our Weird Hometown Traditions Apr 15, 2024

From Tractor Day to an Italian style wedding to the streets of New York City to throwing water into the air in negative 20 degree weather, we take a tour of some quirky hometown traditions.

Does the place you grew up have any unique traditions? We would love to hear from you!

Tell us about your hometown’s weird or unique local tradition. Walk us through what goes down—who’s there and what’s happening? Is there an interesting history behind it? What was your relationship to this tradition like when you were growing up—did you partake? What’s your relationship to it now? Did/does it play a role in how you think about the world, or the corner of it you come from?

Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message telling us your name and story. Or record a voice memo and email it to us at Hello@AtlasObscura.com.

Atlas Obscura Live: Two Places And A Lie Apr 12, 2024

This week wasn't special only because of the eclipse. We also recorded our first live show, during the Atlas Obscura Ecliptic Festival in Hot Springs, Arkansas. In this episode, hear host Dylan Thuras try to stump guests -- astrobiologist Dr. Graham Lau and science writer Rebecca Boyle -- and get them to guess which strange, incredible place is real or fake. Then, the tables are turned and Dylan has to guess. Special thanks to everyone who made this possible!

My Life in Three Places with Rick Steves Apr 11, 2024

Rick Steves has seen a lot of strange, incredible and wondrous places over his decades-long career as the leading authority on European travel. And today he is going to guide us through three places that helped shape his life.

Brown Mountain Lights Apr 10, 2024

We’re heading to the mountains of western North Carolina, where for more than a century, people have witnessed unusual displays of shimmering and sometimes even exploding lights. And we hang with a skeptical scientist who’s spent years trying to solve the mystery. This episode was produced in partnership with Visit North Carolina.

Minister’s Treehouse (Classic) Apr 09, 2024

The world’s biggest treehouse was inspired by a message from God.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/ministers-tree-house

Total Eclipse of Our Hearts Apr 09, 2024

Today, millions of people across North America donned solar glasses, and looked up. And since our show is all about wonder and curiosity and incredible places — a moment like the Great American Eclipse is something we take very seriously. If you missed it, or weren’t in the path of totality when the moon passed in front of the sun, we have you covered. Listen to this and sink into our shared once-in-a-generation experience, powered by voices across the continent.

Special thanks to everyone who contributed to this episode, especially those who joined us at the Atlas Obscura Ecliptic Festival.

Enjoy.

Stay Tuned: A special eclipse episode is coming tonight! Apr 08, 2024

Millions of people will be getting in their cars, breaking out the cardboard glasses and looking to the sky for today's Great North American Eclipse… which won’t occur again for another TWENTY years. Host Dylan Thuras will be smack dab in the path of totality in Hot Springs, Arkansas, where Atlas Obscura’s Ecliptic festival has been in full swing for the past few days. And for the first time ever, our podcast team will be marking this monoculture event by making and releasing an episode all in one day. Come back to your feed tonight for a very special episode!

Nevada Week: The Martin Apr 05, 2024

At The Martin, family-style dining is rooted in a very specific history and cultural experience that began with Basque sheepherders in the 1800s and has been carried on and celebrated ever since. This episode was produced in partnership with Travel Nevada and is part of Nevada Week, where we bring you stories all week from the Silver State.

LEARN MORE about The Martin and Travel Nevada

Nevada Week: How I Learned to Love Las Vegas Apr 04, 2024

A spectacular art installation is hidden inside an all-luxury shopping mall in Las Vegas. As of April 2024, the exhibit appears to be closed.

This episode is part of Nevada Week, where we bring you stories all week from the Silver State. Find out more about cool things to see, do and experience in the state by visiting Travel Nevada.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/akhob

Nevada Week: National Atomic Testing Museum Apr 03, 2024

Las Vegas was once the preferred tourist destination for watching weapons of mass destruction explode. This episode is part of Nevada Week, where we bring you stories all week from the Silver State. Find out more about cool things to see, do and experience in the state by visiting Travel Nevada.

Nevada Week: The Office of Collecting and Design Apr 02, 2024

Jessica Oreck has spent the last 30 years collecting odd and forgotten objects. Now, they’re all beautifully curated and on display in the Office of Collecting and Design in Las Vegas. This episode is part of Nevada Week, where we bring you stories from the Silver State. Find out more about cool things to see, do and experience in the state by visiting Travel Nevada.

LEARN MORE about The Office of Collecting and Design

Nevada Week: Molossia Apr 01, 2024

This micronation about an hour outside of Reno draws visitors from all over the world. This episode was produced in partnership with Travel Nevada and is part of Nevada Week, where we bring you stories all week from the Silver State.

LEARN MORE about Molossia and Travel Nevada

A Journey Through Death with Joanna Ebenstein Mar 29, 2024

Friend of the show Joanna Ebenstein tells us about her enduring fascination with death, how it led her to create the Morbid Anatomy Museum and, after some setbacks, why she eventually settled on her new home of Mexico City.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: If you are interested in mortality and death and medical images and anatomical presentations, check out Morbid Anatomy. Joanna is also working on a new book called Memento Mori: The Art of Contemplating Death to Live a Better Life. Pre-order it here.

A Journey Around the World with Sebastian Modak Mar 28, 2024

For one year, this journalist had the coolest assignment – as the New York Times “52 Places” reporter. Its charms and challenges were more than he ever imagined.

The Cincinnati Subway (Classic) Mar 27, 2024

There are two miles of abandoned tunnels beneath the streets of Cincinnati, OH. A relic of an attempt to establish underground transportation in the city.

Ganvie Lake Village Mar 26, 2024

A producer sits down with Dylan and recounts his trip to a place referred to as “The Venice of Africa.”

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/gavie-benin

Vent Haven Museum Mar 25, 2024

This museum in Kentucky is either your dream place or your nightmare, depending on how you feel about dummies. Because there are more than 500 of them there, resting in peace.

Tell us your plans for the Great North American Eclipse! Mar 24, 2024

The Great North American Eclipse will be April 8, 2024. Where will you be watching it? Who will you be with? And why is it important to you to see this marvelous event? Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message, or send a voice memo to Hello@AtlasObscura.com.

Arrows Across America (Classic) Mar 22, 2024

An adventurous couple sets out to document and unearth the arrow’s of America’s past, once used to help pilots find their way across the skies.

GET MORE You can learn more about Charlotte and Brian’s journey – and see photos of the arrows they’ve documented – at their website: dreamsmithphotos.com

WATCH THE ECLIPSE WITH US! The Great North American eclipse is April 8, and we're throwing a festival to celebrate. This is the last one in the U.S. for 20 years! So, we're inviting you to Hot Springs, Arkansas (which will be in the path of totality) from April 5th to April 8th. There will be bands, stargazing, panels and more. For information and tickets, click here.

Marching through the galaxy with Dr. Moiya McTier Mar 21, 2024

Author, astrophysicist, folklorist, and science communicator Dr. Moiya McTier guides Dylan through the galaxy, and along the way reveals why she loves space so much, how folklore helps people understand things bigger than themselves, and the origins of her award-winning book, Milky Way: An Autobiography of Our Galaxy.

MORE: If this conversation really got you into thinking about space and mythology, Moiya will be teaching a facts-based fictional worldbuilding course online with us starting May 14. Use code GALAXY20 at signup to get 20% off the class when you sign up here.

Arecibo Observatory (Classic) Mar 20, 2024

This site, and the enormous telescope that sits on it, is loved and lost to both scientists and everyday Puerto Ricans.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/arecibo-observatory

A Mission to find a Meteor with Amir Siraj Mar 19, 2024

Friend of the show Amir Siraj tells us the wild tale of his search for an interstellar object – a journey that led the astrophysicist to the bottom of the ocean floor.

Goblin Valley State Park (Classic) Mar 18, 2024

Today the story of how a street lamp, a tangle with municipal government, and a love of the stars led a man to Goblin Valley, Utah a “dark sky certified” place for lovers of the night sky.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/goblin-valley-state-park

The Last Big Mac in Iceland (Classic) Mar 15, 2024

Take a trip to a hostel in Iceland to visit the country’s last Big Mac, where the burger’s existence unfolds a story about economics and national identity.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/iceland-mcdonalds

Law of the Tongue Mar 14, 2024

Atlas Obscura writer Roxanne Hoorn brings us the story of an extraordinary relationship between people and killer whales. And, through conversation with Dylan, we learn how to better cohabitate as species on this planet.

Introducing Sound Detectives from LeVar Burton Mar 13, 2024

LeVar Burton presents SOUND DETECTIVES – a funny, engaging, and thought provoking podcast that invites elementary school-aged kids to explore the magic and mystery of sound.

Equal parts fun and informative, SOUND DETECTIVES encourages listeners to engage with the sound mysteries that surround us, while unlocking the door to people and cultures around the globe. Join the team on this semi-improvised comedy caper, and help return the mystery sounds before the world falls silent!

Listen to SOUND DETECTIVES on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

The Lighthouse Keeper Mar 12, 2024

We go to Fayerweather Island, off the coast of Connecticut, and get the story of Kate Moore, one of the first recorded woman lighthouse keepers. Over several decades, she poured her heart and soul into a task and defied common expectations of what a keeper should be.

The Grave of XYZ Mar 11, 2024

We go to Deep River, Connecticut – where the story of a botched bank robbery more than 100 years ago has taken on a life of its own as an urban legend.

MORE: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-grave-of-xyz-deep-river-connecticut

Organ Stop Pizza (Classic) Mar 08, 2024

The largest theater pipe organ in the world lives in a restaurant in Mesa, Arizona. Phenomenal musicians play requests while diners feast on pizza.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/organ-stop-pizza

Exploring the Abandoned with Blake Pfeil Mar 07, 2024

Dylan sits down with guest Blake Pfeil about what inspired him to begin exploring abandoned spots, what those spaces have taught him about escapism, sobriety and the sometimes blurry line between real and unreal that he finds there.

MORE: Blake is an artist and adventurer. He’s also the creator and host of the podcast “Abandoned: All-American Ruins.” Check it out here.

Mr. Kaor’s Letters Mar 06, 2024

We visit a quaint Dutch fishing village and attempt to unravel the mystery that unfolded there… a mystery that involved strange and curious letters and a voyage to the other side of the world.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/mr-kaors-portrait

GALS Gone Wild Mar 05, 2024

On our second day with Sporkful senior producer Andres O’Hara, we see what happens when invasive creatures that have made their way to the US refuse to leave… even when they’re slow and slimy.

MORE: If you like these episodes, and are looking for more surprising and fascinating food stories, check out The Sporkful, which just released a new series called Deep Dish, which looks at the surprising history of dishes like bagels, tacos al pastor, and tamales.

What Happens to the Food You Try To Sneak into the Airport? Mar 04, 2024

With the help from a podcast friend (Andres O’Hara of The Sporkful), we go inside one of the busiest airports on earth. And we find out the fate of all the food that gets confiscated by customs. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t get eaten.

If you like these episodes, and are looking for more surprising and fascinating food stories, check out The Sporkful, which just released a new series called Deep Dish, which looks at the surprising history of dishes like bagels, tacos al pastor, and tamales.

Madame Tussaud (Classic) Mar 01, 2024

Dylan braves one of New York’s most touristy sites to bring listeners the lesser-known history of Madame Tussaud’s origins.

Black History in Plain Sight with Places Editors Jonathan and Michelle Feb 29, 2024

For years, contributions from Black Americans to public spaces like beaches and museums have been hard to detect. Places Editors Jonathan and Michelle Cassidy take us to New Jersey’s Chicken Bone Beach and Chicago’s Field Museum to highlight a couple of these stories.

Jerry’s Hat Museum Feb 28, 2024

We visit Jerry’s Hat Museum, where a retiree has turned to an old chapel to house a collection of thousands of hats, pens, odds, ends and other artifacts from his Illinois hometown.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/jerrys-hat-museum-illinois

Hints of Home Feb 27, 2024

Listeners share their stories of places that made them feel at home, from the beaches of Australia to a ubiquitous coffee shop.

WE WANT YOUR STORIES! We’re working on a new slate of episodes that will feature listener stories, and want to hear yours.

Tell us about your hometown’s weird or unique local tradition. Walk us through what goes down—who’s there and what’s happening? Is there an interesting history behind it? What was your relationship to this tradition like when you were growing up—did you partake? What’s your relationship to it now? Did/does it play a role in how you think about the world, or the corner of it you come from?

Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message telling us your name and story. Just so you know, our mailbox will cut you off after two minutes so please call in if you get disconnected. You can also record a voice memo and email it to us at Hello@AtlasObscura.com.

Hotel Theresa (Classic) Feb 26, 2024

The Hotel Theresa in Harlem, New York played a pivotal role in the influential neighborhood’s cultural identity.

Eastern State Penitentiary (Classic) Feb 23, 2024

The founders of this prison in Philadelphia aimed to revolutionize incarceration for the better - and unintentionally created new horrors.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/eastern-state-penitentiary

Buffalo Soldiers National Museum Feb 22, 2024

A producer revisits her hometown (Houston) and goes to the Buffalo Soldiers Museum, learning about the contributions of Black members of the armed forces and one man in particular, who started the collection years ago in his garage.

Stone of Destiny Feb 21, 2024

This giant rock has been used in the coronation of every English monarch since the 1300s, but is it authentic? Or could the real one be in a Scottish bar? We parse through the evidence and debate!

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/glasgows-stone-of-destiny

World’s Loneliest House Feb 20, 2024

We visit the misnamed “world’s loneliest house” and visit the flocks of puffins who live there. Some people want to eat them, some want to protect them. And these two groups collide here.

If you want to learn more about the puffin situation in the Westman Islands, check out our episode called Puffin Patrol – about a community that sweeps the streets each night looking for lost pufflings and helping them find their way back to the beach.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/ellidaey-island-lodge

Boston’s Blue Hill Feb 19, 2024

We take a hike up Great Blue Hill in Boston and get more than a stunning view of the city. A visit to the peak reveals the story of a weather observatory with the longest continuous daily weather record in the United States.

The Goiter Belt (Classic) Feb 16, 2024

A public health crisis plagued the Midwest until a simple solution was introduced to a ubiquitous cooking ingredient.

Damanhur Feb 15, 2024

A mysterious religious community founded by an insurance agent-turned spiritual leader in northern Italy spent 15 years constructing an underground temple covered in intricate paintings, mosaics, trippy colors and images inspired by Roman, Greek and Egyptian mythology.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/temple-of-damanhur

Owamni Feb 14, 2024

Award-winning chef Sean Sherman, aka the Sioux Chef, has dedicated his Minneapolis restaurant to decolonized food and honoring indigenous meal traditions

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/owamni

Toy Story Feb 13, 2024

Mexico City is known for its museum and art scene. The collection at El Museo del Juguete Antiguo – The Antique Toy Museum – encourages visitors to lean into their imaginations – and reflect on the rich history and culture in this city.

Robert Is Here Feb 12, 2024

We go to south Florida and hear the story of a family that took a gamble on a humble roadside stand that blossomed into a fruit emporium and community staple.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/robert-is-here

Library of Congress Hair Collection (Classic) Feb 09, 2024

This collection, preserved by the United States Library of Congress, features locks of hair from cultural icons from Beethoven to General Ulysses S. Grant.

Kam Wah Chung & Co. Museum Feb 08, 2024

This museum in John Day, Oregon, was once a Chinese general store and medicine shop that dates back to the 1800s. But these days it’s a perfectly preserved time capsule, down to the fruit – down to the orange its former owner left on the counter in the 1950s. Tours of the shop are offered seasonally, but you can get a virtual look inside here.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS HERE

Welcome Home Feb 07, 2024

Hear staff stories about places in the world that made them instantly feel at home, from the Big Easy to the Magic Kingdom.

WE WANT YOUR STORIES: We’re working on a new slate of episodes that will feature listener stories, and want to hear yours.

Tell us about a place that makes you feel at home. What made it special? Have you returned there? What sticks out about this place that makes it unique to you? Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message telling us your name and story. Just so you know, our mailbox will cut you off after 2 minutes so please call in again if you get disconnected. You can also record a voice memo and email it to us at Hello@atlasobscura.com.

Moynaq Feb 06, 2024

A city in Uzbekistan used to be the site of one of the world’s largest seas. Now it’s a dusty reminder of one of the largest and most forgotten environmental disasters.

READ MORE: Visit the Stihia website here to learn more about the music festival that happens in Moynaq, including where it may be this year. And this news article is a good primer on some of the current conflicts and issues in the region.

Taquile Island Feb 05, 2024

This tiny island off the coast of Peru is an UNESCO World Heritage site for having the finest textile art. It’s also the place where a knitted hat represents and symbolizes a man’s code of honor, marital status, and love for life.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/taquile-island

Père Lachaise Cemetery (Classic) Feb 02, 2024

Producer Baudelaire Ceus searches for the resting place of famed author Richard Wright among the graves of other cultural icons like Gertrude Stein, Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf, and Sadegh Hedayat.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/pere-lachaise-cemetery

Seeking the (Minnesota-shaped) Forest Through the Trees - Part 2 Feb 01, 2024

We pick up the ball from internet sleuths and journalists and find the mysterious maker of a Minnesota-shaped forest, who’s never spoken about his secret project – until now.

Seeking the (Minnesota-shaped) Forest Through the Trees - Part 1 Jan 31, 2024

We follow one man’s journey down an internet rabbit hole that becomes a search for a one-of-a-kind forest and its mysterious creator.

Hello From The Otter Side Jan 30, 2024

At one time, sea otters had an enormous historical range—from Baja California, up the West Coast, through Alaska, Russia, and Japan. But these days, their levels are low. In this episode, we get an inside look at a groundbreaking program at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which is helping to reverse that by getting rescued sea otter pups back to the wild.

We produced this episode in partnership with the aquarium. To learn more about the program or get info on visiting, click here.

The Guerrero Jan 29, 2024

We follow a man’s quest to find the remains of a shipwrecked slave ship off the coast of the Florida Keys, and learn about its forgotten history, mysterious remains, and vital legacy.

LEARN MORE: Check out a documentary Karuna Eberl made about the ship – called “ The Guerrero Project.” She wrote an article about it. A local Florida historian named Gail Swanson wrote a book about the ship, called Slave Ship Guerrero. And of course, you can always get involved with Ken’s organization, Diving With a Purpose.

Moon Trees (Classic) Jan 26, 2024

These trees sprang from seeds that were brought to outer space.

Moon Tree Website: https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/moon_tree.html

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/categories/moon-trees

A Giant Spectacle in Goffstown Jan 25, 2024

We go to New Hampshire – but not for politics. Instead, we visit Goffstown, the pumpkin boat capital of New England, and meet the man who came up with an annual, improbable regatta.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: See a video of the annual pumpkin boat race here

Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern Jan 24, 2024

We go to Houston, where a gigantic underground vessel that used to be a water source is now an enchanting – and echo-filled – part of the downtown park system.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/buffalo-bayou-park-cistern

Slowjamastan Jan 23, 2024

We get out our passports and visit The Republic of Slowjamastan, a nation built on good vibes, good music and a dream of eliminating one very popular type of footwear.

Whimzeyland Jan 22, 2024

We go to Safety Harbor, Florida – where two artists have made their house into a magnet for creativity and culture, and where Troll Dolls, Jello molds, and bowling balls reign. This episode was produced in partnership with Visit St. Pete/Clearwater.

LEARN MORE: Visit kiaralinda.com to see pictures of some of the art at Whimzeyland and for information about getting a tour. And go to visitstpeteclearwater.com to learn about other fun and artsy things to do in the Tampa Bay region.

Forest of the Future Library (Winter Wonder Classic) Jan 19, 2024

This forest in Oslo, Norway will provide the trees for paper as part of a century long art project featuring famed contemporary authors.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/forest-of-the-future-library

Ark Two Shelter (Winter Wonder Classic) Jan 18, 2024

Forty-two school buses have been buried in Horning’s Mills, Ontario - covered in concrete, they can house up to 500 people in case of nuclear fallout.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/ark-two-shelter

Congo Square (Winter Wonder Classic) Jan 17, 2024

Congo Square in New Orleans is the heart of where African drumming found its way into American music and the birth of Jazz.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/congo-square

The Complaint Tablet of Ea-Nasir (Winter Wonder Classic) Jan 16, 2024

Turns out, complaining about bad service really is as old as time. Hear the story of an ancient Babylonian clay tablet that has launched a slew of modern memes. Click here for more.

Dmanisi (Winter Wonder Classic) Jan 15, 2024

An archeological site in the country of Georgia, which features the oldest, human skull fossils found outside of Africa, challenges what we think we know about our deep past.

Monkey Island (Winter Wonder Classic) Jan 12, 2024

An island off the coast of Puerto Rico is home to more than 1500 imported monkeys, which have been studied by researchers for decades.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/cayo-santiago-monkey-island

Cranes of the DMZ (Winter Wonder Classic) Jan 11, 2024

The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea has become an accidental bird sanctuary for one of the world’s most endangered crane species. Learn more about the International Crane Foundation at savingcranes.org.

Mafra Palace Library Bats (Winter Wonder Classic) Jan 10, 2024

A grand library in Portugal has some unexpected nighttime caretakers -- tiny bats.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/mafra-palace-library-bats

Parrots of Green-Wood Cemetery (Winter Wonder Classic) Jan 09, 2024

These Argentinian parrots have made an unlikely home in a Brooklyn, NY cemetery.

Luomus Spiders (Winter Wonder Classic) Jan 08, 2024

Finnish Museum of Natural History in Helsinki has had an infestation of Chilean recluse spiders for more than 50 years.

Micropia (Winter Wonder Classic) Jan 05, 2024

Take a trip to Micropia, the world’s only museum dedicated to microscopic organisms and learn about our invisible life companions.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/micropia

Milky Seas (Winter Wonder Classic) Jan 04, 2024

Join host Dylan Thuras, a satellite scientist, and a ship captain in search of gigantic swaths of bioluminescence that radiate up from the surface of the sea over thousands of square miles.

Laguna Del Diamante (Winter Wonder Classic) Jan 03, 2024

A toxic lake high in the Andes mountains in Argentina is home to microbes that provide a window to our planet’s past — and a key to securing its future.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/laguna-del-diamante

Relampago del Catatumbo (Winter Wonder Classic) Jan 02, 2024

There’s an everlasting lightning storm in Northwestern Venezuela that appears in the night sky nearly every night.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/relampago-del-catatumbo

The Various Ends of the World (Winter Wonder Classic) Jan 01, 2024

Science writer Peter Brannen takes listeners on a tour of the world’s five major mass extinctions.

Spacecraft Cemetery (Winter Wonder Classic) Dec 29, 2023

Where does space stuff go after it dies? To this spot deep, deep in the Pacific ocean.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/spacecraft-cemetery

Fun and Funny Science with Mary Roach (Winter Wonder Classic) Dec 28, 2023

Author Mary Roach takes us into the hidden corners of the scientific world. From training to poop in space to the surprisingly pleasant Common Cold Unit, all the way to the inside of Elvis’s colon. If you want to check out her work, we recommend starting with Packing for Mars.

The Grave of Miss Baker (Winter Wonder Classic) Dec 27, 2023

Visitors leave bananas on the grave of “America’s First Lady of Space,” an early astronaut whose incredible life was forgotten.

The Tunguska Event (Winter Wonder Classic) Dec 26, 2023

We head to a remote region of Russia, to the epicenter of what would become known as the Tunguska Event. An event that may seem unfathomable… except we have firsthand accounts from people who witnessed it.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/tunguska-event-epicenter

Amir Siraj and the Interstellar Object (Winter Wonder Classic) Dec 25, 2023

Amir Siraj was a sophomore in college when he discovered what may be the first documented interstellar object to hit Earth.

Tumbleweed Christmas Tree (Winter Wonder Classic) Dec 24, 2023

Chandler, Arizona creates a Christmas Tree made entirely of the diaspore of this Western plant.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/tumbleweed-christmas-tree

A Holiday Announcement Dec 23, 2023

Over the last two and a half years, the Atlas Obscura podcast has published well over 500 original episodes. For the next few weeks, we're taking a holiday break -- but not leaving you without wonder. Over the course of 20 episodes, host Dylan Thuras is going to take you on a journey starting in the cosmic reaches of space, to the earliest days of life on earth, through a tour of our fellow earthly creatures, and finally arrive at us, the great apes who record podcasts. We'll be back in late January with brand new episodes.

President Heads (Classic) Dec 22, 2023

42 giant busts of U.S. presidents are slowly crumbling in a field in Virginia.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/president-heads

Sniffing out What’s Special with Saskia Wilson Brown Dec 21, 2023

Specific smells have been linked to specific geographies, cultures, and mythologies for THOUSANDS of years. Today, we hear from Saskia Wilson-Brown about fragrance, power, and the power of scent.

MORE: Saskia is the founder of the Institute of Art and Olfaction, a nonprofit to expand access and education around scent. She also teaches a 3-part online class with us here at Atlas Obscura, and it runs a couple of times a year. Head to the online courses page on our website, and you can use code AMBERGRIS to get 15% off your registration.

Nightwalking with Bianca Giaever Dec 20, 2023

We learn about an age-old practice of nightwalking, with the help of two women who took it on as an experiment in the early chaotic days of the pandemic. Joining the conversation is Bianca Giaever, creator of one of our favorite podcasts of the year, Constellation Prize.

MORE: To hear Constellation Prize for yourself, you can head to thebeliever.net or anywhere podcasts are available. And if you want to learn more about nightwalking, check out this article Bianca wrote.

A Return to Recipe Graves Dec 19, 2023

Gastro Obscura’s senior editor Sam O’Brien returns to the podcast to go deeper with us on her strange beat – recipes etched into gravestones. We probe how food can help heal and remember those we’ve lost.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: Sam has written a bunch about recipe gravestones, and has even been on the podcast before. Read and listen to more of her work at these links:

The Family Recipes That Live On in Cemeteries

Podcast: The Spritz Cookie Gravestone

Podcast: Grandma Ida’s Nut Rolls Gravestone

Old City Hall Station Dec 18, 2023

A producer takes a detour for a glimpse of what some call New York’s worst kept secret – a train station that’s been shut down and sealed away for nearly a century.

MORE: Visit the New York Transit Museum’s website to learn how to become a member and book a tour of the station.

Pando the Trembling Giant (Classic) Dec 15, 2023

Fishlake National Forest is home to the biggest organism by mass on the planet - but this giant is shrinking and an usual group has banded together to help defend it.

Gourdlandia Dec 14, 2023

This magical wonderland in Ithaca, New York is devoted entirely—almost spiritually—to this unusual and versatile fruit. It's also the brainchild of Graham Ottoson, who is teaching an Atlas Obscura course on gourds. Listeners get 15% off by using code GOURDLOVE during registration. End credit music in this episode is from Alexander Fals (ngoni + vocals), Hayley Dayis (vocals), and Manuel Solarte (percussion). If you like what you heard, you can listen to more of their songs here.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/gourdlandia

New Bedford Whaling Museum Dec 13, 2023

An oozing whale skeleton isn't the only attraction at this Massachusetts museum. Hear how a producer’s visit revealed some surprising facts about an industry that helped enrich a city and was inclusive well before diversity became a buzzword.

Knoxville Weather Kiosk Dec 12, 2023

Back in the day, people were so hungry for info about the weather that they would stand in line all day to get a glimpse of a series of kiosks placed in towns across the country. We go to Tennessee to hear the story of one.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/knoxville-weather-kiosk

Ol Pejeta Rhino Cemetery Dec 11, 2023

A small cemetery in the grasslands of Kenya serves as a way to honor one of the most endangered animals in the world – the rhino – and elevate the plight of a species on the brink.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/ol-pejeta-rhino-cemetery

The Super Museum Dec 08, 2023

A midwest city has embraced what it means to be the namesake hometown of one very famous superhero. And at its center is a museum that holds the carefully cultivated collection of one superfan.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/super-museum-metropolis

Sunny Jim Cave (Classic) Dec 07, 2023

We follow a long set of wooden stairs deep underground to a sea cave with a mysterious and colorful past, and take in a spectacular, hidden view of the Pacific Ocean in La Jolla.

Learn more about The Cave Store: https://www.cavestore.com/

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/sunny-jim-cave-store

The Great Stalacpipe Organ (Classic) Dec 06, 2023

The Luray Caverns in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia are home to an instrument that draws out the secret sounds of millenia-old stone.

The Naica Cave (Classic) Dec 05, 2023

Professional Adventurer George Kourounis knew he needed to visit the Cave of the Crystals, located nearly a 1000 feet beneath northern Mexico, the moment he saw a photograph from inside the cave.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/giant-crystals-naica

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My Dec 04, 2023

We got so many responses to our question about listener experiences with animal encounters that we made a second episode. Experiences include a woman who touches a tiger’s tail, a man who plays peek-a-boo with a bear and a chance meeting of a herd of elk.

WE WANT YOUR STORIES: We’re working on a new slate of episodes that will feature listener stories, and want to hear yours.

Tell us about a place you’ve been to that made you instantly feel at home. What made it special? Have you returned there? What sticks out about this place that makes it unique to you? Why does it remind you of home? How does it connect to you?

Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message telling us your name and story. Just so you know, our mailbox will cut you off after two minutes, so you may need to call multiple times if your story is long.

You can also record a voice memo and email it to us at Hello@AtlasObscura.com

Museum of Broken Relationships (Classic) Dec 01, 2023

This episode will break your heart. And that’s a good thing.

Aurora Alien Gravesite Nov 30, 2023

A small town in Texas has embraced the story of the visit and demise of an otherworldly being from the 1800s… and what many say is America’s only alien gravesite.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/1800-s-alien-gravesite

If you can’t make it out to Texas, check out this documentary about the incident which is online.

Travel Ups and Downs Nov 29, 2023

A few weeks ago, our staff here at Atlas Obscura put out an episode about our traveling expectations – places that either blew us away… or were a major letdown. And today - we are hearing YOUR stories.

WE WANT YOUR STORIES: We’re working on a new slate of episodes that will feature listener stories, and we want to hear yours.

Tell us about a place you’ve been that made you instantly feel at home. What made it special? Have you returned there? What sticks out about this place that makes it unique to you? Why does it remind you of home? How does it connect to you?

Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message telling us your name and story. Just so you know, our mailbox will cut you off after two minutes, so you may need to call multiple times if your story is long.

You can also record a voice memo and email it to us at Hello@AtlasObscura.com

They Also Ran Gallery Nov 28, 2023

An art gallery in Kansas celebrates the losers of presidential elections.

Nue Nov 27, 2023

A Seattle restaurant pushes diners to eat beyond their borders through its embrace of global street foods.

Elephant Clock (Classic) Nov 24, 2023

The Elephant Clock, a replica of an ancient invention, sits in Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai, surrounded by stores like The Gap and H&M.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/elephant-clock

The Family Tree (Classic) Nov 23, 2023

A listener’s voicemail sent us searching for the story of a very special -- and giant -- oak tree in Peoria, Illinois, and the family of arborists who cared for it.

Dyatlov Pass Part 2 Nov 22, 2023

For decades, rumors and conspiracy theories swirled after nine people disappeared in the Ural mountains of the Soviet Union in 1959. But just a few years ago, the case was solved – even though many don’t accept the explanation. Journalist and author Doug Preston guides us through the second half of the story.

MORE: The mountain where the people disappeared has since been renamed Dyatlov Pass and is today a popular hiking destination. If you’re into this case and want to learn more – check out Doug’s new book The Lost Tomb, which will be released Dec 5.

Dyatlov Pass Part 1 Nov 21, 2023

Journalist and author Doug Preston guides us through the first half of a cliffhanger story about the mysterious disappearance of a group of hikers in the Soviet Union... and the myriad conspiracy theories that sprouted up afterward.

A Gaga Tour of the Town Nov 20, 2023

Producer Manolo Morales, a devoted Little Monster, gallivants around the Lower East Side via an immersive performance-art walking tour dedicated to an iconic pop star.

Martian Meteorites and Greek Columns (Classic) Nov 17, 2023

Places editors Jonathan and Michelle are back again with a few new standout entries to the Atlas … including a spot in Antarctica that’s home to the oldest Martian meteorite and a column in Greece that symbolizes the fear and ritual past generations embraced when faced with their own plague.

The Lightning Field Nov 16, 2023

For art nerds, the Lightning Field installation in the New Mexico desert is a bucket-list destination. It’s also a testament to the extraordinary control the artist who created it was able to exert, even after death. To reserve your spot to stay at the Lightning Field, sign up at the Dia Foundation's website.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/lightning-field

Tiny Bread Box Nov 15, 2023

A couple created what is perhaps the cutest and most filling micro-store to pop up during the pandemic. But to find it, you’ll have to trek through rural Vermont and look for the phone-booth sized box filled with baked goods.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/tiny-bread-box

Montezuma Well Nov 14, 2023

A mysterious sinkhole in Arizona has befuddled an exclusive group of divers who’ve gotten a glimpse of a strange world underneath its sandy bottom.

Café 't Mandje Nov 13, 2023

We’re in Amsterdam, learning about a bad-ass woman who championed queer folx and provided a safe haven throughout World War II via her quirky bar in the red light district.

MORE: Schedule a visit of Cafe Mandje with Badass Tours, which runs tours in Amsterdam focusing on women’s history, LGBTQ+ history, BIPOC history, Jewish history, or one tour tailored to your interests.

Brooklyn Latrine (Classic) Nov 10, 2023

A listener tells us about a treasure buried in his literal backyard, and the two strange men who showed up on his doorstep and asked to dig it up.

Dolly Parton’s Dreambox Nov 09, 2023

We will always love Dolly Parton, who’s installed a “dreambox” time capsule at her amusement park. In it, there’s a secret song that no one will hear until the legendary artist turns 100.

LEARN MORE about Dolly’s songwriting prowess in Unlikely Angel, a book by Hamilton College professor Lydia Hamessley.

A Long Walk Home Nov 08, 2023

We meet back up with our pal Bernie Harberts, the beast whisperer, who trekked 19 million mule steps across the United States only to find himself, for the first time, a little homesick.

MORE: To keep up with Bernie and to hear more about his travels, be sure to sign up for his newsletter – you can do that at his website: riverearth.com.

Gregynog Hall Nov 07, 2023

We go to the former estate of the Davies sisters, two unusually wealthy Welsh women who traveled the world, fell in love with art, served their country, and then dedicated their home to culture and community.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/gregynog-hall

The Immovable Ladder Nov 06, 2023

In a place where multiple world religions intersect, this unassuming little ladder is a symbol of the very delicate balance that keeps a church in Jerusalem running.

The Museum of Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft (Classic) Nov 03, 2023

Reporter Eric Grundhauser recounts a memorable visit to an unusual museum in Iceland, where he explored the ancient lore of the occult, learned how to steal milk from his neighbors, and laid his eyes upon a pair of pants… made of human flesh.

Yemrehanna Kristos Church (Classic) Nov 02, 2023

Photographer and author Paul Koudonaris brings listeners to this Ethiopian Church and explores ossuaries, jeweled skeletons, and death practices throughout the world.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/yemrehana-krestos-church

Scary Stories from Real Places (Classic) Nov 01, 2023

Atlas contributors bring listeners stories from spooky locations they’ve visited, and which continue to haunt them.

Spooky Sites with the Places Team (Classic) Oct 31, 2023

With Halloween just around the corner Jonathan Carey and Michelle Cassidy of the Atlas Places Team bring you two spooky legends of The Mothman from Point Pleasant, West Virginia and a potentially ghoulish forest in the Transylvanian Region of Romania.

Bloody Island (Classic) Oct 30, 2023

This island between Missouri and Illinois was a preferred meeting place for duels to the death in the early 1900’s.

Abandoned Chacaltaya Ski Resort (Classic) Oct 27, 2023

Hear from the caretakers of a ghost town in Bolivia that was once the world's highest ski resort.

The Art of the Heist with Noah Charney Oct 26, 2023

We chat with one of the leading experts on art theft – professor and author Noah Charney, who unpacks the cultural fascination with this type of crime. Charney also tells us the story of one of the most notorious real life art thieves.

MORE: Charney is teaching a course in art crime that begins Nov 7, 2023. To enroll, visit the courses page on our website and use code ARTCRIMEPOD for 15% off.

Great Plains Dinosaur Museum Oct 25, 2023

We visit a museum in Montana that’s a dream for dinosaur nerds, and home to bones that are the real deal, locally sourced and sustainably foraged.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/great-plains-dinosaur-museum

Venturing Into the Twilight Zone with Susan Casey Oct 24, 2023

Journalist Susan Casey takes us to the deep deep ocean, where she explores the relationship between humans and this mysterious underworld.

READ MORE: Find out more about Susan’s work here, including her new book.

Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame Oct 23, 2023

A basketball fan goes to the hall of fame – and no, it’s not the big one in Massachusetts that you may be thinking about. Hear the story behind a Midwest state’s special link to the sport.

Science that Doesn’t Stop (Classic) Oct 20, 2023

Host Dylan Thuras riffs on a subject that has long fascinated him: The world’s longest-running science experiments.

The Wishing Tree Oct 19, 2023

There’s a special tree in Portland that’s full of a city’s hopes, dreams, and wishes.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/portland-wishing-tree

The Golem Oct 18, 2023

We peek into the life and work of the oft-understood artist Niki de Saint Phalle, who was behind a strange and wildly popular playground sculpture in Jerusalem.

Robot Saints Oct 17, 2023

We meet the robot saints – sculptures made of wood and wire, of cams and pulleys during medieval times – that might just help us understand this new AI age we all find ourselves living in.

LEARN MORE about these inventions by reading City University of New York Professor Christopher Swift’s 2015 paper about these automated figures.

Nasothek Noses Oct 16, 2023

We get up close and nosey about a peculiar exhibit in Copenhagen that reveals a lot about what artists and society considered beautiful throughout the years

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/nasothek-nose-collection

The Plotz Plot (Classic) Oct 13, 2023

Josh Foer, the co-founder of Atlas Obscura, takes us to a remote patch of land in the Arizona desert, where he built (and later rebuilt) a museum in honor of the company’s former CEO, David Plotz.

The Plotz Plot is accessible from Adamana Road, off of I-40 exit 300, at 35.025639, -109.8195. The lock code is 4444.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/plotz-plot

The Stanley Hotel Oct 12, 2023

We go inside a place that some paranormal investigators call the most active haunted location in the world. Before it was known as the inspiration for Stephen King...the Stanley Hotel had a reputation -- and ghosts -- of its own. This episode was produced with Visit Colorado. Find more information about the Stanley Hotel and its ghost tours online.

Our Travel Expectations Oct 11, 2023

Travel is sometimes like a box of chocolates – never know what you’re going to get. In this episode, we share stories of places that blew us away, and those that didn't live up to the hype.

We want to hear YOUR stories about the places you've visited that far exceeded--or failed to meet your expectations. Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message telling us your name and story. (Just so you know, our mailbox will cut you off after two minutes so please call again if you get disconnected) You can also record a voice memo and email it to us at Hello@AtlasObscura.com.

The Tunguska Event Oct 10, 2023

We head to a remote region of Russia, to the epicenter of what would become known as the Tunguska Event. An event that may seem unfathomable… except we have firsthand accounts from people who witnessed it.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/tunguska-event-epicenter

Tolkien Takes Us Places Oct 09, 2023

This fall marks 50 years since JRR Tolkien’s death. In honor of the writer’s life and legacy, we want to take you back to the places where it all began.

La Piedra Movediza (Classic) Oct 06, 2023

A huge rock, teetering on the edge of a hill for thousands of years, brought tourism, fame, and what’s said to be a 100-year curse to the town of Tandil, Argentina.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/la-piedra-movediza

Grave Bells Oct 05, 2023

We go to Bonaventure Cemetery in Georgia to the grave of one Charles F. Mills to learn about a distinct – but at one time widespread – phobia – and the hope to be saved by a bell.

Baobab Fare Oct 04, 2023

The story of Chef Hamissi Mamba, whose family sought asylum in the US and years later founded an East African restaurant that serves up a small slice of Burundi in the Motor City. Find out more here.

Enchanted Woods Oct 03, 2023

We go to Wilmington, Delaware, to a 4-acre garden with characters and exhibits created using castoff materials and greenery that invites kids to drop screens and rules – and instead give in to a state of play.

Searching for Squids with Dr. Sarah McAnulty Oct 02, 2023

We go on a journey through the depths of the ocean, meeting a different squid deity at each stop along the way. Our guide is cephalopod expert, biologist and science educator, Dr. Sarah McAnulty.

LEARN MORE: Sarah is teaching a course this fall about the creatures that live in the deep sea. It starts October 3, 2023 and you can find more information here. If you want to sign up, you can use promo code CEPHALOPODCAST to take 15% off!

Secret Places with Ashley Ray (Classic) Sep 29, 2023

Podcaster Ashley Ray has more than a soft spot for her Midwest hometown. Hear why she thinks it may just be the best kept secret.

HEAR MORE FROM OUR GUEST: Ashley has her own podcast all about TV and culture. Check it out here: https://www.stitcher.com/show/tv-i-say-w-ashley-ray

GREAT NEWS: We’re up for an award - and you can help us win! Our podcast has been named a finalist for the Signal Awards! Go to vote.signalaward.com and vote for us in the best commute podcast category through Oct 5!

The 49th Parallel (Classic) Sep 28, 2023

A listener takes us to a town on the edge of the longest undefended border in the world.

Note: US-Canada border regulations have been updated since this episode first aired.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/uscanada-border-slash

GREAT NEWS: We’re up for an award - and you can help us win! Our podcast has been named a finalist for the Signal Awards! Go to vote.signalaward.com and vote for us in the best commute podcast category through Oct 5!

Lake Karachay (Classic) Sep 27, 2023

Lake Karachay in Ozersk, Russia is the site of a former secret Soviet Union nuclear facility - that’s inspired art despite the little that’s publicly known of the site.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/lake-karachay

GREAT NEWS: We’re up for an award - and you can help us win! Our podcast has been named a finalist for the Signal Awards! Go to vote.signalaward.com and vote for us in the best commute podcast category through Oct 5!

The Dedan Kimathi Post Office Tree (Classic) Sep 26, 2023

The Dedan Kimathi Post Office played a notable role in Kenya’s struggle for Independence.

GREAT NEWS: We’re up for an award - and you can help us win! Our podcast has been named a finalist for the Signal Awards! Go to vote.signalaward.com and vote for us in the best commute podcast category through Oct 5!

Twin Oaks Sep 25, 2023

An intentional community in rural central Virginia has been testing an interesting premise for decades — that maybe three, or four, or more parental figures are even better than two. This episode is part of a collaboration we did with Freakonomics. You can find a larger episode on this topic here.

Moses Gates and the Chrysler Building Eagles (Classic) Sep 22, 2023

Urban planner, Moses Gates, shares his unlikely experience with the residents of the 61st floor of one of New York City’s most iconic buildings..

The Fear Lab Sep 21, 2023

At Denmark’s largest haunted house attraction, it’s not just about the screams. Researchers are studying the effects – good and bad – that fear has on humans

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-science-of-horror-fear

The Ark of Citrus Sep 20, 2023

There are thousands of varieties of citrus, many more than just the navel oranges. And they’re all being preserved in a collection at the University of California Riverside. Learn more here.

Getting lost in Golden Gate Park Sep 19, 2023

Many of us rely on digital maps and GPS to get anywhere these days. Hear what happens when Producer Amanda McGowan finds herself lost in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park for a sport you may have never heard of – orienteering – which forces participants to navigate checkpoints with old fashioned maps and compasses.

MORE: If you think you might want to try orienteering, find a local group here.

Italy’s Bomb Squad Sep 18, 2023

We chat with writer Alessio Perrone about what he learned from the people who hunt for Italy’s unexploded bombs, leftover from times of war.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/italy-unexploded-ordnance

Harvard Bridge Smoots (Classic) Sep 15, 2023

How an MIT fraternity pledge instituted a new, unique unit of measurement.

The Atomic Clock Sep 14, 2023

How do we determine the time? Believe it or not, there is an official clock. It’s located in Boulder, Colorado at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and we go there to visit.

LEARN MORE: NIST doesn’t give public tours. But if you want to watch the seconds go by as precisely as humanly possible, dial (303) 499-7111.

Onöhsagwë:de’ Cultural Center Sep 13, 2023

We go to the Allegany territory of the Onödowá'ga people to learn about "The Creator's Game” – which evolved into the sport now known as lacrosse – and their constant fight to be recognized.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/onohsagwe-de-cultural-center

Bridget Cleary Sep 12, 2023

We explore the power of myth and folklore through the story of an Irish woman, whose husband murdered her because he believed she’d become a fairy.

Fenway Victory Gardens Sep 11, 2023

One of the last remaining World War II Victory Gardens in the U.S is quietly growing across from Boston’s Fenway Park.

Rites of Passage Sep 08, 2023

School is back in session. So for this episode, Jonathan Carey and Michelle Cassidy of the Atlas Places Team bring two stories - one from the campus of Gallaudet University and the other from Cornell University to tell us about usual traditions that take place in these universities.

Mini Golfing in Myrtle Beach Sep 07, 2023

In Myrtle Beach, mini golf is not so mini. It’s over the top! This episode was produced in partnership with Visit Myrtle Beach, and to find a list of all mini golf courses, go to VisitMyrtleBeach.com.

Face to Face Yet Again Sep 06, 2023

Our team has shared memorable encounters they’ve had with animals, and some were very unexpected. So this time we asked YOU about those experiences – and some of them are wild!

TELL US YOUR STORY We want to hear your stories too! Give us a call at (315) 992-7902, and leave a message telling us your name, and about the places you've visited that far exceeded--or failed to meet your expectations. You can also record a voice memo and email it to us at hello@atlasobscura.com. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Kennett Square Sep 05, 2023

Just an hour west of Philadelphia, there’s a charming town in Pennsylvania that produces about two thirds of all the mushrooms sold in the US. We visit during the town’s annual festival and check out the mycelium madness. This Small Town, Big Story episode is produced in partnership with Go USA TV. Check out our video series featuring Kennett Square here.

Carousel of Happiness (Classic) Sep 04, 2023

A music box given to Scott Harrison while he served in Vietnam inspired him to hand-carve all the animals for the Carousel of Happiness in Nederland, Colorado.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/carousel-of-happiness

Maine Windjammers Sep 01, 2023

We go back in time to another era of travel and take a trip on the oldest commercial sailing vessel in the United States. Click here to learn more about windjammers and here to book a trip with Captain Becky. This episode was made in partnership with the Maine Office of Tourism.

The Last White Deer of Mount Madonna (Classic) Aug 31, 2023

The story of the white deer on Mount Madonna, the two robber barons who put them there, and the last survivor of the herd.

How to Quarantine in a Ghost Town Aug 30, 2023

Back in 2020, a lot of people moved to faraway places to escape urban life amid a global pandemic. Brent Underwood bought and moved to an abandoned town. We check in, three years later. To learn more about Brent Underwood and Cerro Gordo, you can check out their instagram @brentunderwood and their youtube channel named Ghost Town Living.

It’s Getting Hot in Here Aug 29, 2023

Let’s all go to hell. Seriously. Hell, Michigan, that is :)

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/hell-michigan

Villa de Vecchi Aug 28, 2023

An abandoned mansion in Italy has become the source of rumors about ghost activity that some believe is justified by its very real gothic past.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/villa-de-vecchi

Dead Companions (Classic) Aug 25, 2023

We nearly stump host Dylan Thuras with a seemingly simple question: Who are the top five dead people he would like to go on a road trip with?

Arthurdale Aug 24, 2023

The New Deal is known for ushering a string of social safety net programs. But in this episode, we tell the saga of an ambitious, government-backed homestead project in West Virginia that never quite lived up to its hype.

Mysterious Sinkholes of Mt Baldy Aug 23, 2023

One family’s regular day of exploring some sand dunes at the edge of Lake Michigan turned into a wild tale of a little boy being sucked into a sinkhole, and the discovery of underground tunnels.

Embracing Adventure in Fayetteville Aug 22, 2023

A tiny town in West Virginia takes “living lift to the fullest” to a different level, with its embrace of extreme adventure activities. Like, for instance, a day where people sign up to jump off a bridge. This Small Town, Big Story episode is produced in partnership with Go USA TV. Learn more about Bridge Day here.

A Whale of a Tale with Daniel Kraus Aug 21, 2023

We chat with writer Daniel Kraus, who let his imagination run deep into the ocean after hearing a wild news story about an encounter between kayakers and a whale. And we get the backstory to Kraus’ new novel Whalefall, about a man who finds himself in the belly of a sperm whale.

Spacecraft Cemetery (Classic) Aug 18, 2023

Where does space stuff go after it dies? To this spot deep, deep in the Pacific ocean.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/spacecraft-cemetery

Demon Wall Aug 17, 2023

A small church in a village in Norway is home to an unusual and perplexing mural that’s become known for its demonic illustrations.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/demon-wall-norway

APOPO Rats Aug 16, 2023

This episode may have you reconsidering what you think about rats. That’s because at this training and research center in Tanzania, African Giant Pouched Rats are being raised up to sniff out landmines and disease, proving to be the heroes we all need.

Texas Painted Churches Aug 15, 2023

A series of churches in Texas that look unassuming from the outside in fact have some of the most intricately painted interiors. And for one of our listeners, these churches mean home – religiously and culturally.

Snake Island Aug 14, 2023

A tiny island off the coast of Brazil is known for being a dangerous place … purely because its inhabitants are, well, snakes. But we speak to a researcher who’s seen it up close and says it’s time for this place to shed its reputation.

Winchester Mystery House (Classic) Aug 11, 2023

Does this sprawling mansion in San Jose, California live up to its reputation as one of the most haunted places in the world?

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/winchester-mystery-house

Hartsdale Pet Cemetery Aug 10, 2023

The oldest operating pet cemetery in the world is just north of NYC, and it’s where dearly departed four-legged friends come to rest – and sometimes, even their owners. Grab your tissues.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/hartsdale-pet-cemetery

Gullah Museum Aug 09, 2023

We visit a museum in Georgetown, SC that’s dedicated to preserving and prioritizing the rich and historic Gullah Geechee culture.

READ MORE: http://www.gullahmuseumsc.com/

Burj Al Babas Aug 08, 2023

An incomplete luxury housing development in Turkey is a mashup of fairy tale and ghost town, and almost everyone has an opinion of (or wants to see) this place.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/turkey-castle-ghost-town

Pā‘ula‘ula / Russian Fort Elizabeth Aug 07, 2023

Producer Johanna Mayer and Atlas Obscura associate editor Sarah Durn tell us the story of a fort in Hawaii with two names – and how those names both preserve and erase its history.

Sunny Jim Cave (Classic) Aug 04, 2023

We follow a long set of wooden stairs deep underground to a sea cave with a mysterious and colorful past, and take in a spectacular, hidden view of the Pacific Ocean in La Jolla.

Learn more about The Cave Store: https://www.cavestore.com/

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/sunny-jim-cave-store

Jacko Steps Aug 03, 2023

We go to the Caribbean island of Dominica and hear the story of Jacko, a formerly enslaved man who became a national hero for his ingenious escape and emancipation efforts

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/jacko-steps

Dmanisi Aug 02, 2023

An archeological site in the country of Georgia, which features the oldest human skull fossils found outside of Africa, challenges what we think we know about our deep past.

Heating things up in Hatch Aug 01, 2023

Today we're headed just a couple hours south of Albuquerque to Hatch, New Mexico, a town where the heat doesn’t just come from the sun. It also comes from the signature crop: Hatch, New Mexico chiles. This Small Town, Big Story episode is produced in partnership with Go USA TV.

Learn more about New Mexico here.

Learn more about this story here.

Bone Vinyl Jul 31, 2023

In the Soviet Union, x-rays didn’t just give you a look inside the human body. They also gave you a glimpse of the outside world, thanks to music that was imprinted onto this unassuming medical tool.

Beale Treasure (Classic) Jul 28, 2023

Grab your pickaxes, your shovels, and your code breaking supercomputers because today we’re going on a treasure hunt.

Knight’s Spider Web Farm Jul 27, 2023

The family behind this farm relies on itsy bitsy helpers to produce one-of-a-kind art.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/knight-s-spider-web-farm

Amazon Night Hikes Jul 26, 2023

Hear how a trip to the jungle, and a series of nighttime hikes, cured producer Chris Naka’s bug-phobia, once and for all.

Spaces for Spies Jul 25, 2023

Places editors Jonathan Carey and Michelle Cassidy bring us two stories about two particular places whose histories intersect with real world American espionage.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: Check out our entry on the FBI House here and on the Wertheim Study in the NY Public Library here.

Mapping the Gay Guides Jul 24, 2023

For decades, a one of a kind travel guide opened up the world for gay travelers. Today, historians are using them to create an interactive map of LGBTQ spaces in midcentury America.

LEARN MORE: https://www.mappingthegayguides.org/

Rödstensgubben (Classic) Jul 21, 2023

A trip to Sweden prompts former show producer Sarah Wyman to dig into a superstitious story passed through generations about the Red Stone Man

Face to Face Jul 20, 2023

Our show often focuses on interesting people and places. But in this episode, the team shares memorable encounters they’ve had with animals – everything from parakeets to a very special opossum.

TELL US YOUR STORY: We want to hear your stories too! Give us a call at (315) 992-7902, and leave a message telling us your name, and about your own animal encounter. You can also record a voice memo and email it to us at hello@atlasobscura.com. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Darién Gap Jul 19, 2023

An infamous break in the road that links North and South America has been in and out the news for more than 100 years – for good reason. This stretch of jungle has been a magnet for adventure junkies, but also is the site of a growing humanitarian and migration crisis.

Learn More Info About The Gap: https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/15/americas/darien-gap-migrants-colombia-panama-whole-story-cmd-intl/index.html

How to help/advocacy groups:

https://www.nrc.no/feature/2023/the-jungle-may-swallow-you-surviving-the-darien-gap/

https://www.refugeesinternational.org/reports-briefs/filling-the-gap-humanitarian-support-and-alternative-pathways-for-migrants-on-colombias-edge/

Rick’s website:

https://www.jungletreks.com/

A house move like no other Jul 18, 2023

Author Dave Eggers has an enduring affinity for Idaho. In this episode, he chats with Dylan about a unique family that undertook what is perhaps one of the strangest, slowest moves in history. The fascinating tale provided inspiration for the writer’s new children’s book, Moving the Millers’ Minnie Moore Mine Mansion. Get the book here and learn more about Eggers' work here.

The Coffee Palace Jul 17, 2023

A majestic building in Santos, Brazil used to be the center of the coffee trade.

LEARN MORE: Go deeper with Professor Ian Read’s work here and read more in the Atlas here.

The Capitoline Wolf (Classic) Jul 14, 2023

Blind Guy Travels host Matthew Shifrin discusses a formative encounter with a wolf tied to the origins of Rome. Listen to Blind Guy Travels: https://radiotopiapresents.fm/blind-guy-travels

Man’s Best (Stiff) Friends Jul 13, 2023

Jonathan Carey and Michelle Cassidy of the Atlas Places Team bring us two charming stories of some very special canines who have been (literally) preserved for the ages.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: Learn about Sergeant Stubby here and Owney here

The Complaint Tablet of Ea-Nasir Jul 12, 2023

Turns out, complaining about bad service really is as old as time. Hear the story of an ancient Babylonian clay tablet that has launched a slew of modern memes. Click here for more.

A Friendly Town With An Ax To Grind Jul 11, 2023

Every year, lumberjacks and lumberjills from around the world flock to Hayward, Wisconsin – a couple hours north of Minneapolis – to compete in the Lumberjack World Championships. Join us as we get our hands dirty alongside the world’s most skilled in all-things chopping…and rolling. This episode is produced in partnership w ith GoUSA TV. If you want to see more Small Town, Big Story, watch now on GoUSA TV or on YouTube.

You can learn more about visiting Hayward here:

https://haywardareachamber.com/

Gunnar Schonbeck Exhibit Jul 10, 2023

For years, students at Bennington College snuck into a locked room for a glimpse of strange and magical instruments created by professor Gunnar Schonbeck. Today, we join his orchestra.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/no-experience-required

Magical Summer Memories Vol. 4 - The Magic of Water (Classic) Jul 07, 2023

In this final installment of summer stories we tackle a topic that transcends the seasons—the captivating magic of water during travel. If you’d like to share a story about your summer, record a voice memo and send it to hello@atlasobscura.com or leave a voicemail at 315-992-7902.

Magical Summer Memories Vol. 3 - The Cardiff Giant (Classic) Jul 06, 2023

In this installment we hear a listener’s tale of a theological dispute that became a real money-maker known to some as “Old Hoaxy.”

This is the third of a series of listener-powered episodes about summer travel stories. If you’d like to share a story about your summer, record a voice memo and send it to hello@atlasobscura.com or leave a voicemail at 315-992-7902.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/cardiff-giant

Magical Summer Memories Vol. 2 (Classic) Jul 05, 2023

This is the second of a series of listener-powered episodes about summer travel stories. If you’d like to share a story about your summer, record a voice memo and send it to hello@atlasobscura.com or leave a voicemail at 315-992-7902.

Magical Summer Memories Vol. 1 (Classic) Jul 04, 2023

This is the first of a series of listener-powered episodes about summer travel stories. If you’d like to share a story about your summer, record a voice memo and send it to hello@atlasobscura.com or leave a voicemail at 315-992-7902.

Special Episode: Witches and Ritual Around the Globe from Women Who Travel Jul 03, 2023

The nights in the northern hemisphere are drawing in, which means whispering stories of witches and spirits are top of mind for many of us. Lale chats with Mexico City-based author Brenda Lozano, whose new novel Witches looks at the lives of Mexican women who inherit gifts, and draws inspiration from the true story of a Mazatec Indigenous healer, or curandera, in Oaxaca who worked with psilocybin mushrooms in the 1950s and 60s. Plus, we revisit a recent conversation with author Dorthe Nors to learn more about the burnings of witch effigies along the rugged Danish coast.

For more from Women Who Travel, visit their website.

Museum of Quackery and Medical Fraud (Classic) Jun 30, 2023

We visit what might be the world’s largest collection of fraudulent, nefarious, or otherwise ineffectual medical machinery -- and meet the founder who brought it all together.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/museum-quackery

No Taste Like Home Jun 29, 2023

Asheville is a well-known foodie destination. In this ep we hear about a group that takes visitors into the wild – to learn all about North Carolina’s incredible biodiversity and to enjoy the foods that grow all around them. This episode is coproduced with Explore Asheville.

LEARN MORE about No Taste Like Home here. And find more cool things to do when you visit Asheville here.

We Heart Disasters… with John Marr Jun 28, 2023

Host Dylan Thuras meets a teenage hero: author John Marr, who created the infamous Murder Can Be Fun zine and chronicled tales of unusual amusement park ride deaths and other odd disasters

READ MORE: You can see back issues of MCBF here.

Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai Jun 27, 2023

Created by a volcanic eruption in 2015, this island in the South Pacific no longer exists… but we chat with a person who got to see it before it disappeared.

LEARN MORE about Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai in this Reuters article and see it in the Atlas here

The Italian War on Pasta Jun 26, 2023

Gastro Obscura Writer Sam Lin-Sommer tells us the story of the fascist war on pasta and its surprisingly delicious legacy.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/italian-futurist-pasta

Bone Wars Jun 23, 2023

You’ve probably heard about the Gold Rush. But what about the bone rush of the 1870s? Hear the story of a bitter rivalry between two paleontologists – and how this epic feud unearthed an epic amount of fossils we still admire today.

The Hand Collection Jun 22, 2023

You can learn a lot about a person from their hands. In this episode, we hear the story of a doctor who made it possible for us to hold onto the stories of presidents, astronauts, musicians, artists and more… through bronze molds of their hands.

Secret Places with Ashley Ray Jun 21, 2023

Podcaster, TV critic and comedian Ashley Ray has more than a soft spot for her Midwest hometown. Hear why she thinks it may just be the best kept secret.

HEAR MORE FROM OUR GUEST: Ashley has her own podcast all about TV and culture. Check it out here: https://www.stitcher.com/show/tv-i-say-w-ashley-ray

Flavor Graveyard Jun 20, 2023

Behind the Ben & Jerry's factory in Vermont sits a very peculiar graveyard... one dedicated to dearly departed ice cream flavors.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/ben-jerry-s-flavor-graveyard

Josephine Baker’s Chateau (Classic) Jun 19, 2023

Writer and travel educator Tracey Friley tells the story of the glamorous life of entertainer, French Resistance agent, and civil rights activist, Josephine Baker and the pilgrimages women still make to her chateau.

Learn more: www.traceyfrileytravel.com

Forbes Pigment Collection (Classic) Jun 16, 2023

A repository in Cambridge, Massachusetts holds over 2,700 pigments that’ve been quietly coloring the world around us since the beginning of human history.

World Famous Crochet Museum Jun 15, 2023

Step inside the cutest, most cuddly museum for handmade crafts. This museum, set near Joshua Tree National Park, has been called “a vortex of love and joy and peace.”

LEARN MORE about the museum and schedule your own visit by clicking here.

Reed College Reactor Jun 14, 2023

Students at Reed College study things like philosophy, history and English. But for the past 50 years they’ve also had access to a scientific instrument many people have never seen. We visit the World's only nuclear reactor operated by liberal arts undergraduates.

LEARN MORE about the reactor here.

The Greenbrier Jun 13, 2023

You’d never guess that beneath a historic, genteel southern resort sits a massive bunker that the US government built in case of catastrophic events. Hear the story of the Greenbrier Resort that was kept secret for decades.

Close to the Edge PART 2 Jun 12, 2023

We asked, you answered. Hear listener stories of near death travel experiences.

Maine’s Burning Blueberry Fields (Classic) Jun 09, 2023

Travel to Penobscot, Maine, where one farmer maintains the tradition of burning his crop each year to rejuvenate it the next.

Tabor Opera House Jun 08, 2023

Colorado is known for being a music and performance hub. And that history goes way back – all the way to a theater that staged high dramas, tragedies, tales of star-crossed lovers, and even inspired an opera of its own. This episode was co produced with Visit Colorado.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/tabor-opera-house-2 | Learn more about the shows happening at the opera house this summer by clicking here

Frozen Dead Guy Jun 07, 2023

Atop a mountain in a picturesque Colorado town is the frozen corpse of a Norwegian grandpa. We get the tale of how this came to be, from the person who for years has trekked up and down the mountain for this unique preservation mission.

Temple of Pythons Jun 06, 2023

We visit southern Benin to hear the story of the Temple of Pythons and clear up some misconceptions about one of the world's most misunderstood spiritual systems.

Fairy Castle Jun 05, 2023

A famous movie actress from the 1920s left the world a lasting piece of art — a remarkable miniature home that could be considered Chicago’s cutest piece of real estate.

Hitler’s Toilet (Classic) Jun 02, 2023

It roamed the seas, served an evil dictator, survived a war, and ended up in a New Jersey auto-repair shop bathroom.

Tonopah Mining Camp Jun 01, 2023

We step into the shoes of the miners who once labored in the Nevada mountains, via a trip to the Tonopah Historic Mining Park. This episode was produced in partnership with Travel Nevada.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/tonopah-mining-park

LEARN MORE about the Tonopah Historic Mining Park and Travel Nevada

Koutammakou May 31, 2023

A race is on to save this world heritage site that straddles the border of Togo and Benin. It’s home to remarkable earth tower homes called Takienta, and the Batammariba people, whose existence is threatened by climate change and migration.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/koutammakou-batammariba

Woman with the Handbag May 30, 2023

We go to Sweden, where some people are intent on making a woman a permanent symbol of resistance, whether or not she would have wanted it. Check out some of Samuel Merrill’s research work on the photo here.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/woman-with-the-handbag-statue

Tick Collection May 29, 2023

We go to Statesboro, Georgia to the US National Tick Collection to learn what ticks, often thought of as little monstrosities, can teach us.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/us-national-tick-collection

Tina Turner Museum (Classic) May 26, 2023

The Flagg Grove School in Brownsville, Tennessee has become a museum dedicated to its most famous student.

Micropia (Classic) May 25, 2023

Take a trip to Micropia, the world’s only museum dedicated to microscopic organisms, and learn about our invisible life companions.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/micropia

American Chestnut Foundation (Classic) May 24, 2023

The story of the unimaginable destruction of the American Chestnut tree and the group of scientists, academics and tree lovers who are desperately trying to bring them back from the edge of extinction.

LEARN MORE: Visit https://acf.org/ to find out more about this massive conservation effort

The Mirror Lab (Classic) May 23, 2023

A spinning furnace tucked under the football stadium at the University of Arizona is building giant telescope mirrors.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/richard-f-caris-mirror-laboratory

Åtvidaberg Sun Cannon (Classic) May 22, 2023

Sun cannons have been around since the 1600s. But as far as we know, there’s only one left that’s still up and running. We pay it a visit.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/atvidaberg-sun-cannon

Chile Pepper Institute May 19, 2023

Habaneros! Jalapenos! Green! Red! These days, an appreciation for chiles is pretty mainstream. But that wasn’t always the case. We head to New Mexico to learn how this food became such a huge part of our culture, and visit an institute dedicated to its continual improvement.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/chile-pepper-institute

Fugitive Train Wreck May 18, 2023

A North Carolina town has become a draw for people who want to see the wreckage of the train wreck from the movie “The Fugitive.” But a more interesting – and true – story happened just a pistol shot away.

Theatricum Botanicum May 17, 2023

A once-blacklisted Hollywood star created a magical theater in Topanga Canyon, California, that still endures and inspires today.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/theatricum-botanicum

Voynich Manuscript May 16, 2023

One of the oldest books in the world is also the most misunderstood. A medievalist tells us about the Voynich, which is in the collection of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale.

Big Bertha Drum (Classic) May 15, 2023

She’s about 8 feet wide and 500 pounds. And her history spans all the way from the stockyards of Chicago... to a nuclear test during the Manhattan Project...to a stadium at the University of Texas at Austin.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/big-bertha-drum

Kilwa Kisiwani (Classic) May 12, 2023

We dig through more than 1,000 years of dirt, history, colonialism, and myth on the Swahili Coast.

Butter Sculptures May 11, 2023

Where can you find the smoothest, most scrumptious edible art? If you ask our host, Dylan, it’s in the Minnesota State Fair butter sculpture room. He’s joined in this episode by Gastro Obscura writer Sam O’Brien, who got the scoop on the yummy centerpieces.

Close to the Edge May 10, 2023

We all dream of the perfect vacation when everything goes right. This episode is about the opposite. Hear stories of people having near death travel experiences.

TELL US YOUR STORY: We want to hear your stories too! Give us a call at (315) 992-7902, and leave a message telling us your name, and about your own near-death travel experience. You can also record a voice memo and email it to us at hello@atlasobscura.com. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Iowa Remnant Prairies May 09, 2023

Elusive patches of land in America’s Midwest can show us what the environment was like 150 years ago and tell us about the future.

National Poo Museum May 08, 2023

We spend time with the world’s foremost poo enthusiasts, who operate a museum in England where poo is elegant, elevated and celebrated.

Mississippi River Basin Model (Classic) May 05, 2023

A walk through this scale model has you feeling like a giant, and striding from Baton Rouge to Omaha in an hour. LEARN MORE about the model and the group trying to revive it, here: https://friendsofmrbm.org/

The Nutmobile May 04, 2023

The next time you go out on a road trip, keep your eyes peeled for a peanut-shaped car that got its start as an advertising play during the Great Depression

Okomfo Anokye’s Sword May 03, 2023

Nestled in a hospital courtyard in Kumasi, Ghana, you’ll find the strength of the Asante people: the sword of Okomfo Anokye, planted in the ground over 300 years ago.

Hurricane Hunters May 02, 2023

We go on a bumpy ride with the Hurricane Hunters – the government’s team of scientists who fly into storms so the rest of us can have accurate info and research about massive weather events. Our guide is Nick Underwood, of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Distant Relatives May 01, 2023

At a food truck in Austin, tried and true barbecue favorites meet unexpected spices and flavor profiles. Here, chef Damien Brockway’s journey into family history led him to weave the flavors of the African diaspora into his food. This episode was produced in partnership with Travel Texas.

LEARN MORE about Distant Relatives and Travel Texas.

The Deadliest Lake (Classic) Apr 28, 2023

In 1986 an unknown natural disaster at Lake Nyos in Menchum, Cameroon left more than 1700 people dead in one night - and puzzled scientists. Listen to learn how they solved the mystery.

Moose Boulder Apr 27, 2023

How far would you go to find the largest island in the largest lake on the largest island in the largest lake on the largest island in the largest lake in the United States?

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/moose-boulder-debunked

The Last Wild Apple Groves Apr 26, 2023

The variety of apples we enjoy today have a common ancestor that lies in the forests of Kazakhstan, where scientists are studying the wildest version of the fruit.

Caring for Canids Apr 25, 2023

Welcome to the Judith A Basset Canid Education & Conservation Center, where a California couple has dedicated their lives to showing folks man has even more best friends than previously thought.

Telling Time through the Trees with the Places Team Apr 24, 2023

Jonathan Carey and Michelle Cassidy of the Atlas Places Team bring us stories about the trees that have witnessed history.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: Read the story of Emancipation Oak in Hampton, VA and the Travel Log from California.

International Cryptozoology Museum (Classic) Apr 21, 2023

It’s easy to dismiss Bigfoot, the yeti, the Loch Ness monster, and other cryptids as far-fetched X-Files fodder. But the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine aims to show that when investigations into unknown creatures are done right, they involve real science, and have real scientific value.

John Brown’s Farm Apr 20, 2023

In the Adirondacks of northern New York sits John Brown's Farm, a monument to the famous abolitionist, and the last vestige of Timbuctoo, an ambitious but failed settlement that some hoped could help African Americans secure the right to vote.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/john-brown-farm

For Keeps Books Apr 19, 2023

In Atlanta, on this historic Auburn Avenue, sits a small bookstore and reading room that’s been called “an interactive art museum of Black Thought.”

LEARN MORE: https://www.forkeepsbooks.com/

Pack Your Bag(pipes) with Ross Jennings Apr 18, 2023

Ross Jennings, aka the First Piper, has been on a world-spanning quest to play the bagpipes in every country of the world.

LEARN MORE: https://www.thefirstpiper.com/

Bete Giyorgis of Lalibela Apr 17, 2023

We go to Northern Ethiopia and learn about an ancient King who left a great legacy to his people and the world: the rock hewn church known as St. Giyorgis, where religious services are held to this day. See a virtual rendering of all the rock hewn churches of Lalibela at the Zamani Project.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/bete-giyorgis-lalibela

Red Sea Blue Hole (Classic) Apr 14, 2023

This stunning geological marvel just north of Dahab, Egypt has been called the deadliest dive spot in the world. But is that reputation deserved?

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/red-sea-blue-hole

Fun and Funny Science with Mary Roach Apr 13, 2023

Author Mary Roach takes us into the hidden corners of the scientific world. From training to poop in space to the surprisingly pleasant Common Cold Unit, all the way to the inside of Elvis’s colon. If you want to check out her work, we recommend starting with Packing for Mars.

Fairy Circles Apr 12, 2023

We head to the Namib Desert in Africa, where the landscape is dotted with mysterious, pimple-like indents known as fairy circles. Where do these things come from? Scientist Walter Tschinkel has spent the last several years studying and experiencing a natural occurrence so enchanting, locals describe it as “The footprints of the gods.”

Ashley House Apr 11, 2023

For decades, the Ashley House in Sheffield, Massachusetts preserved and promoted the story of Col. John Ashley, a wealthy businessman who opened his home to those fighting against British rule on the eve of America’s war for independence. But in this episode we hear a new narrative, about an enslaved woman and true patriot who tested the rhetoric of the revolution.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/ashley-house

Places Our Families Took Us Apr 10, 2023

Hear tales of our team’s most memorable family trips – like going on vacation with Thomas Jefferson, getting thrown in the ocean and meeting Klingons.

TELL US YOUR STORY: We want to hear your stories too! Give us a call at (315) 992-7902, and leave a message telling us your name, and about your own memorable family trip. Whatever it is, wherever you went, we want to hear about it. You can also record a voice memo and email it to us at hello@atlasobscura.com. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Yemrehanna Kristos Church (Classic) Apr 07, 2023

Photographer and author Paul Koudonaris brings listeners to this Ethiopian Church and explores ossuaries, jeweled skeletons, and death practices throughout the world.

Lady Liberty’s Little Sister Apr 06, 2023

In 1986, something really weird happened in Pennsylvania – a replica of The Statue of Liberty mysteriously appeared through the fog on the Susquehanna River. We unravel the mystery.

Yellowstone Zone of Death Apr 05, 2023

A 50 square mile patch of Yellowstone National Park in Idaho might just be the perfect place to commit a crime.

Arrows Across America Apr 04, 2023

An adventurous couple sets out to document and unearth the arrows of America’s past, once used to help pilots find their way across the skies. You can learn more about Charlotte and Brian’s journey – and see photos of the arrows they’ve documented – at their website: dreamsmithphotos.com

Museum of Clean Apr 03, 2023

A tidy little story from Pocatello, Idaho, home to the Museum of Clean

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/museum-of-clean

Grace Hopper’s Bug (Classic) Mar 31, 2023

Trailblazing computer scientist Grace Hopper shaped the way people use and talk about computers. Her actual computer bug is preserved at the Smithsonian Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/grace-hoppers-bug

The Beat Museum Mar 30, 2023

This San Francisco museum, curated by a super-fan of the Beats, is a shrine to an incredibly influential cultural movement and a destination for folks keeping it alive today. *An earlier version of this episode contained a mispronunciation and a misattributed quote. Both have been fixed and we regret the error.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/beat-museum

A Delicious Mission with Cheuk Kwan Mar 29, 2023

Filmmaker and writer Cheuk Kwan takes us for a round-the-world meal. Three courses, three incredible places. Three stories of Chinese immigration.

LEARN MORE: Cheuk Kwan’s new book is called “Have You Eaten Yet?” You can also check out “Chinese Restaurants,” his documentary series that started it all, on youtube https://www.youtube.com/@cheukkwan/featured

Wild Chocolate with Rowan Jacobsen Mar 28, 2023

Dylan chats with Rowan Jacobsen, a food journalist and host of the podcast called OBSESSION: Wild Chocolate. And he takes us on a journey that follows his multiyear quest into the Amazon rainforest to learn more about a mythical chocolate that has a dark history and the potential to save parts of the rainforest.

LEARN MORE: Check out Rowan's podcast here.

Great Balls of Twine with the Places Team Mar 27, 2023

Jonathan Carey and Michelle Cassidy of the Atlas Places Team bring us stories about the biggest balls of twine. Plus, a special guest adds an additional tangle to the tale.

Clown Motel (Classic) Mar 24, 2023

Tonopah, Nevada is home to the Clown Motel - an inn on the edge of the desert that’s packed with statues and figurines of Clowns. The eerie and fully-functioning inn is also a labor of love.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/clown-motel

The Pennsylvania Firefly Festival (Classic) Mar 23, 2023

The deep woods of Pennsylvania hold a phenomena that has drawn attention from scientists and people around the world, and was almost recently destroyed. To learn more about the Pennsylvania Firefly Festival visit https://www.pafireflyevents.org/.

The Shrek Donkey of Barron Park (Classic) Mar 22, 2023

We visit a park in Palo Alto, California, home of the world’s most famous donkey.

Cisternerne (Classic) Mar 21, 2023

A massive 19th-century reservoir under the city of Copenhagen has been repurposed as a contemporary art cave. We venture inside to learn more about its history, and bask in the incredible acoustics of the space.

Visit Cisternerne and Frederiksberg Museerne: https://frederiksbergmuseerne.dk/da/

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/cisternerne

Zone Rouge (Classic) Mar 20, 2023

A swath of land in Northern France still bears scars of the destruction of World War I. Destruction so bad that, in some cases, humans have never been allowed to return.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/zone-rouge

Tiny Doors of Atlanta (Classic) Mar 17, 2023

As part of Women’s History Month, we're sharing some episodes from the archive including this story about mysterious doors scattered throughout Atlanta. They dare you to imagine what might be found on the other side.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/tiny-doors-atl

Blurred lines with Stacy Horn Mar 16, 2023

Writer Stacy Horn tells us about a period in American history when the study of psychic phenomena and the paranormal was serious business at places like Stanford and Duke University. And she reveals the story of J.B. Rhine and Louisa Rhine, a scholarly couple who attempted to find the line where science ended and the unbelievable began. Horn is the author of Unbelievable: Investigations into Ghosts, Poltergeists, Telepathy, and Other Unseen Phenomena, from the Duke Parapsychology Laboratory.

Manuscript Writing Cafe Mar 15, 2023

We go to Tokyo, to a particular place that is both nemesis and best friend to all those procrastinators out there. (Yes, we’re looking at you :)

LEARN MORE: The Manuscript Writing Cafe is open Saturdays and Sundays and you can reserve your seat online.

https://koenji-sankakuchitai.blog.jp/ManuscriptWritingCafe/

NYC’s Most Beautiful Public Bathroom Mar 14, 2023

Producer Abigail Keel takes us on the most strange, wonderful and beautiful potty break. And tells us how – and where – you can do it too.

Exploring the underworld with Jessica Leigh Hester Mar 13, 2023

Writer Jessica Leigh Hester joins us on a deep dive into the sewer, the subject of her new book. We’ll talk about some of the interesting (and disgusting) things she found there … like fatbergs.

FIND OUT MORE: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/sewer-9781501379505/

WHM Classic: Luciadagen Mar 10, 2023

As part of Women’s History Month Atlas Obscura will be sharing some episodes from the archive, including this story about the origins of a Swedish holiday tradition which evolved from sinister pagan lore to a celebration of light, warmth and music.

More Wonders in Your Backyard Mar 09, 2023

Here the podcast team shares stories of wonder and curiosity that lies just outside your doorstep. Stories feature a troll bridge, a cemetery, natural methane vents, and more.

Tell us about a wonder in your backyard. Record a voice memo and send it to hello@atlasobscura.com or leave a voicemail at 315-992-7902.

The Dedan Kimathi Post Office Tree Mar 08, 2023

The Dedan Kimathi Post Office played a notable role in Kenya’s struggle for Independence.

Ouija Board 7-Eleven Mar 07, 2023

The Ouija Board went from a tool for communicating with the dead to a sleepover party game. This trip through the Ouija Board’s past features a pit stop at the Ouija 7-Eleven.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/ouija-7eleven

Big Apple Inn Mar 06, 2023

This restaurant in Jackson, Mississippi was a haven for Civil Rights leaders and has stood for four generations, 83 years, and a whole lotta pig ear sandwiches.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/big-apple-inn

WHM Classic: Forest of the Future Library Mar 03, 2023

As part of Women’s History Month Atlas Obscura will be sharing some episodes from the archive including this story about a forest in Oslo, Norway that will provide the trees for paper as part of a century long art project featuring famed contemporary authors.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/forest-of-the-future-library

The A. Everett Austin Facade House Mar 02, 2023

This architectural oddity in Hartford, Connecticut looks like a mansion… but is only one room deep.

The Discovery Tree Mar 01, 2023

California's longest-running tourist attraction is a stump that helped spark a conservation movement.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-discovery-tree

The Hampton House Feb 28, 2023

This simple brick building in Chicago, Illinois was the boyhood home of Civil Rights icon, Fred Hampton Sr. and a continued site for community organizing.

Nellie Mae Rowe’s Playhouse Feb 27, 2023

Nellie Mae Rowe decorated her home in Vinings, Georgia with homemade dolls and shiny bottle caps and placed paper streamers, pieces of colored glass and improvised sculptures throughout her yard.

BHM Classic: Leimert Park Feb 24, 2023

As part of Black History Month Atlas Obscura will be sharing some episodes from the archive including Producer Baudelaire Ceus’s journey to Leimert Park, a unique neighborhood in Los Angeles characterized by its historical relationship to Black liberation.

Thomas Merton's Hermitage Feb 23, 2023

This little house in New Haven, Kentucky is where Thomas Merton aka profit-poet aka the rebel monk tried to get away from the world.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/thomas-mertons-hermitage

Jadeite Cabbage Feb 22, 2023

This tiny stone cabbage has a big backstory stretching from the rich, treasure-laden halls of Beijing’s Forbidden City...through a harrowing wartime escape...to its prized place at the National palace museum in Taipei, Taiwan.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/jade-cabbage

Newtown Creek Nature Walk Feb 21, 2023

One man in Brooklyn, New York - armed with a homemade boat and an artistic vision - helped transform one of the most polluted industrial waterways in the US.

To listen to the Newtown Creek Audio Guide: http://www.newtowncreekfieldguide.com/

The Gankutsu Hotel Feb 20, 2023

Chiseled out of a stone cliff, one farmer's unfinished art project in Yoshimi, Japan lies in ruins. And an architect and a photographer are working to keep his legacy alive.

Email us about buying a copy of Arai-san and Karasaki-san’s photobook at hello@atlasobscura.com

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/gankutsu-hotel

Classic: Floating Freedom School Feb 17, 2023

As part of Black History Month Atlas Obscura will be sharing some episodes from the archive including the history of this paddleboat that gave some Black children a place to learn even when they were denied formal education on land.

Cactoblastis Memorial Cairn Feb 16, 2023

This site in Boonarga, Australia honors the cactoblastis - a humble moth that traveled across the globe, and became the hero of a continent.

Pushkin’s Duel Feb 15, 2023

The story of how famous Russian author Alexander Pushkin once faced a duel by The Black River on the outskirts of St. Petersburg features high drama, society scandals, a weird foot joke, and pistols at dusk.

Valentine's Day Classic: Chopin’s Heart Feb 14, 2023

For Valentine's Day, the Atlas team would like to bring you this tale of the heart….literally. The Church of the Holy Cross in Warsaw, Poland is the final resting place of famed composer Frédéric Chopin’s heart - smuggled there by Chopin’s sister after his death.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/chopin-s-heart

The Henry Miller Memorial Library Feb 13, 2023

This site is “not a Library where you can borrow books” nor “a memorial with dusty relics” but still aims to honor the spirit of American author Henry Miller.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/henry-miller-memorial-library

Black History Month Classic: Louis Armstrong Museum Feb 10, 2023

As part of Black History Month Atlas Obscura will be sharing some episodes from the archive including this journey to famed Jazz musician Louis Armstrong’s House in Corona, Queens in New York.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/louis-armstrong-house

The San Juan Island Pig War Feb 09, 2023

The killing of a British pig on an island off the coast of Northwestern Washington almost started a war between two of the world’s greatest military powers. 100 years later, a local artist commemorated the Pig War with a one-woman show, a troupe of mannequins, and a taxidermied pig.

Learn more about Steve Lyons’ play: https://www.lyonswrites.com/plays.html#

Creston Dinosaur Feb 08, 2023

This relic of roadside attractions in Creston, South Dakota is believed to be the first of its kind in North America

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/creston-dinosaur

The Rainmaker Feb 07, 2023

Professional rainmaker Charles Hatfield was either a scientist or a con man who had a particular influence on San Diego, CA.

Curious about cloud seeding? Learn more from our earlier podcast on the Lynmouth Flood: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/podcast-lynmouth-flood-memorial-hall

Marchand Dessalines Feb 06, 2023

Marchand Dessalines, Haiti is a town named after Jean Jacques Dessalines one of the leaders of the Haitian Revolution and one of the country’s founding fathers.

Black History Month: Black Star Square Feb 03, 2023

As part of Black History Month Atlas Obscura will be sharing some episodes from the archive including this story about a gigantic public square dedicated to Ghanaian independence - and producer Baudelaire Ceus’s introduction to soursop.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/black-star-square

The Westgate with Rico Gagliano Feb 02, 2023

Rico Gagliano, host of the MUBI podcast, takes listeners to The Westgate Movie Theater in Minneapolis for a story about a movie that flopped terribly when it was released that changed the course of the theater’s history.

Listen to the MUBI Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mubi-podcast/id1569229544

Freud Museum London Feb 01, 2023

Sigmund Freud’s famous psychoanalytic couch is preserved in his final office in London, England.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/freud-museum-london

Galileo’s Middle Finger Jan 31, 2023

Host Dylan Thuras leads listeners on a journey that leads to the preserved middle finger of Galileo Galilei, astronomer, physicist and engineer.

Tangier American Legation Museum Jan 30, 2023

This building in Tangier was one of the first pieces of land owned by the United States Government outside of the country, and was a gift from “America’s first friend.”

Classic: Cueva de los Tayos Jan 27, 2023

This Ecuadorian cave has captured the attention of government officials, scientists, and professional cavers and is home to a particularly rare creature.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/cueva-de-los-tayos

Rae Wynn-Grant and the Bear Jan 26, 2023

Rae Wynn-Grant, Ph.D. is a wildlife ecologist specializing in large carnivores. And in this episode she unfolds a mystery for listeners.

To hear more about her encounter with a lion: https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/podcast/not-your-average-field-trip/

Empress Anna’s Ice Palace Jan 25, 2023

Empress Anna’s Ice Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia was the site of an incredibly strange wedding. Was it a cruel joke? A strategic power move? Or something else?

Lee’s Legendary Marbles and Collectables Jan 24, 2023

Lee's Legendary Marbles & Collectables in York, Nebraska is a pilgrimage of sorts for serious collectors and a curiosity for the casual passerby.

Urnes Stave Church Jan 23, 2023

This intricately carved church in Luster is one of Norway’s great treasures of architecture.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/urnes-stave-church

Classic: The Great Stalacpipe Organ Jan 20, 2023

The Luray Caverns in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia are home to an instrument that draws out the secret sounds of millenia-old stone.

Cementerio Municipal José María Azael Franco Guerrero Jan 19, 2023

The José María Azael Franco Guerrero Cemetery in Tulcán, Ecuador is a topiary anomaly and a lush green paradise for the dead.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/tulcan-municipal-cemetery

The Lion House Jan 18, 2023

This abandoned lodge in Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique has been reclaimed by local lions - a story deeply enmeshed in the larger history of the country.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-lion-house-gorongosa-mozambique

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/kreischer-mansion

Berkeley South Asian Radical History Walking Tour Jan 12, 2023

Barnali Ghosh and Anirvan Chatterjee take us on a walking tour of Berkeley, CA, where they share their community's legacy of radical South Asian activism.

Learn more about the Berkeley South Asian Radical History Walking Tour: https://www.berkeleysouthasian.org/

The Mail Rail Jan 11, 2023

This railway was built for one purpose and one purpose only: to keep the London’s mail coming on time.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-mail-rail-london-england

Chicago Bridge Houses Jan 10, 2023

Drawbridge operators in Chicago, IL used to live at these specific homes nestled at the base of their bridges.

Making Films with Sky Hopinka Jan 09, 2023

Venture into the mind of Sky Hopinka, member of the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin and MacArthur Genius Grant recipient. He and host Dylan Thuras discuss his work, his past and what he’s still searching for out on the road.

Visit Sky's website to watch Jáaji Approx. and to learn more about his work: http://www.skyhopinka.com/jaaji-approximately

Classic: Million Dollar Point Jan 06, 2023

We visit Vanuatu in the South Pacific and go underwater to visit a very strange place from a very strange episode at the end of World War II.

Medical Clowning Program Jan 05, 2023

The history of medical clowning extends back to Ancient Greece and the time of Hippocrates and is taught in workshops throughout the world.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/medical-clowning-program-at-haifa-university

The Plant Jan 04, 2023

This former meat-packing plant in Chicago, Illinois is now a site where people work to create a new kind of community in the city’s post-industrial remains.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-plant-chicago-illinois

Classic: Post Office Bay Jan 03, 2023

Post Office Bay on the Galapagos Islands is a post office that runs on luck and the goodwill of visitors. It has a knack for bringing strangers together.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/post-office-bay

Classic: The World’s Quietest Room Jan 02, 2023

Experience the Orfield Anechoic Chamber: a room inside a concrete bunker that was once known as the quietest place on earth.

Classic: Re-up Your Luck Dec 30, 2022

We explore the power luck has on us all, rational or not, through the unlikely places people go to re-up.

Classic: Nepali Folk Musical Instrument Museum Dec 29, 2022

This secluded museum beats the drum for the preservation of Nepal's musical heritage.

Classic: Dude Chilling Park Dec 28, 2022

A renegade art project in Vancouver galvanized a small community, pitted residents against city government, and ultimately resulted in a new name for a chill park.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/dude-chilling-park

Classic: The Tank Dec 27, 2022

An industrial water tank-turned-concert hall in the high deserts of Colorado is nothing less than a sonic wonder of the world.

Classic: World’s Loneliest Tree Dec 26, 2022

About 400 miles south of New Zealand, on the subantarctic Campbell Island / Motu Ihupuku, stands a Sitka spruce whose nearest neighbor is 170 miles away.

Classic: The Forgotten Songs Sound Sculpture Dec 23, 2022

This unique installation in Sydney, Australia combines art and ornithology, commemorating the calls of the city’s lost birds. Plus, bin chickens!

Classic: Moses Gates and the Chrysler Building Eagles Dec 22, 2022

Urban planner Moses Gates shares his unlikely experience with the residents of the 61st floor of one of New York City’s most iconic buildings.

Classic: Newark Earthworks Dec 21, 2022

Updated December 2022. Built by indigenous people thousands of years ago, the Newark Earthworks are part cathedral, part cemetery, and part astronomical observatory. But today, this ancient ceremonial site is part of a golf course in Ohio.

Read Cedric Rose’s article: https://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/article/will-ohios-earthworks-become-a-world-heritage-site/

Learn more about the Newark Earthworks: http://worldheritageohio.org

Priscilla’s Homecoming Dec 20, 2022

The story of Thomalind and Priscilla is 300 years in the making and brings listeners to Bunce Island, off the coast of Sierra Leone.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/bunce-island

Tumbleweed Christmas Tree Dec 19, 2022

Chandler, Arizona creates a Christmas Tree made entirely of the diaspore of this Western plant.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/tumbleweed-christmas-tree

Classic: Spite Houses Dec 16, 2022

Home is where the grudge is. We survey a special kind of architecture that is both petty and personal.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/lists/spite-houses-around-the-world

Getting Lost Dec 15, 2022

Atlas contributors bring listeners stories of getting lost on transit, on romantic getaways, or while just trying to get home, and the joy that comes from finding yourself somewhere unexpected.

Duke Riley and the poly S. Tyrene Maritime Museum Dec 14, 2022

Artist Duke Riley has turned trash into a medium, like clay or paint, and an indictment. His exhibit DEATH TO THE LIVING, Long Live Trash will run through April 23, 2023 at the Brooklyn Museum of Art.

The Sponge Capital of the World Dec 13, 2022

Discover how Tarpon Springs, Florida became known as the Sponge Capital of the World. This “Small Town, Big Story” episode is produced in partnership with GoUSA TV.

To watch the video, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZShrVCpUK0

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/tarpon-springs-florida

Luciadagen Dec 12, 2022

In honor of Lucia Day on December 13, we’re diving into the origins of a Swedish holiday tradition which evolved from sinister pagan lore to a celebration of light, warmth and music.

Tune into SVT’s Lucia broadcast:https://www.svtplay.se/video/e3vGxaR/luciamorgon-fran-grafsnas

Classic: Puffin Patrol Dec 09, 2022

We go to the Westman Islands off the southern coast of Iceland and meet the heroes who save young birds that have wandered from their nests every summer.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/worlds-largest-puffin-colony

Fendika Cultural Center Dec 08, 2022

The story of the Fendika Cultural Center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia is the story of Melaku Belay and his journey from homelessness to international acclaim as a community leader.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/fendika-azmari-bet

Medfield State Hospital Dec 07, 2022

This abandoned hospital outside Boston, Massachusetts was originally conceived as a place to help people with mental health issues. But it wound up doing a lot of harm.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/medfield-state-hospital

Library of Congress Hair Collection Dec 06, 2022

This collection, preserved by the United States Library of Congress, features locks of hair from cultural icons from Ludwig van Beethoven to General Ulysses Grant.

Buckley's Cave Dec 05, 2022

One of Australia’s greatest stories of escape and survival centers around this rock formation in Point Lonsdale.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/buckleys-cave

How To Put Your Town on the Map Dec 02, 2022

How To! Host Amanda Ripley goes in search of the answer to the question “how to set up a roadside attraction that will bring visitors to your town” with expert Erika Nelson - the founder of the World’s Largest Collection of the World’s Smallest Things.

Tina Turner Museum Dec 01, 2022

The Flagg Grove School in Brownsville, Tennessee has become a museum dedicated to its most famous student.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/tina-turner-museum

Fluorescent Rocks of Sterling Hill Mine Nov 30, 2022

The Sterling Hill Mine in Ogdensburg, New Jersey is the site of a geological marvel that can’t be found anywhere else in the world.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/flourescent-rocks-of-sterling-hill-mine

Bread and Puppet Museum and Theater Nov 29, 2022

This radical puppet collective has shaped the small New England town of Glover, Vermont for decades. This “Small Town, Big Story” episode is produced in partnership with GoUSA TV.

To watch the video, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUrbyGqQDtc

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/bread-and-puppet-museum-and-theater

Moon Trees Nov 28, 2022

These trees sprang from seeds that were brought to outer space.

Moon Tree Website: https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/moon_tree.html

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/categories/moon-trees

Atlas Obscura Presents The Sporkful - A New Jersey Whiskey Mystery Pt. 2 Nov 25, 2022

The Sporkful team dives deeper into the history of the unknown whiskey bottle and the lives of those it touched.

Atlas Obscura Presents The Sporkful - A New Jersey Whiskey Mystery Pt. 1 Nov 24, 2022

Dan Pashman and the Sporkful team attempt to unravel the history of a bottle of whiskey found at an estate sale when the brand seems to not exist.

Classic: Clausland Mountain Tunnels Nov 23, 2022

Under the forests of Nyack, New York lays a series of dark and decrepit tunnels with militaristic roots but now attract graffiti artists and plenty of teen lore.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/claus-land-mountain-tunnels

Classic: Arecibo Observatory Nov 22, 2022

This site, and the enormous telescope that sits on it, is loved and lost to both scientists and everyday Puerto Ricans.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/arecibo-observatory

Classic: The White Squirrel of Prospect Park Nov 21, 2022

Our team goes on a quest to find Prospect Park’s elusive -- and perhaps most magical -- resident rodent.

Classic: Library of Mistakes Nov 18, 2022

A carefully curated collection of miscalculations in Edinburgh, Scotland serves as a warning for our gullibility, especially when it comes to money.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/library-of-mistakes

The Tanks of Flamenco Beach Nov 17, 2022

This beautiful beach made of sand and worn down coral is covered in the wreckage of tanks once used by the U.S. military for target practice.

Larry Spring Museum of Common Sense Physics Nov 16, 2022

Larry Spring’s Museum of Common Sense Physics in Fort Bragg, California begs the question: what do you do with a science museum where the science preserved inside is a kind of folk art?

Trailing of the Sheep Nov 15, 2022

Thousands of sheep take over downtown Ketchum, Idaho during the annual Trailing of the Sheep Festival. This “Small Town, Big Story” episode is produced in partnership with GoUSA TV.

To watch the video, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwlilGi6k7s

African Heritage House Nov 14, 2022

The African Heritage House in Mlolongo, Kenya is one of the greatest collections of African art in the world - and it has an unusual backstory.

Read more in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/african-heritage-house

Classic: Salton Sea Nov 11, 2022

The story of how humans desperate for water created a lake the size of the city of Los Angeles. And then, how that thirst turned toxic.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/salton-sea

Moving Monuments with the Places Team Nov 10, 2022

Jonathan Carey and Michelle Cassidy of the Atlas Places Team bring you stories of how sometimes giant monuments built for a specific site need to go on a journey.

To view the Rubjerg Knude Lighthouse move: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPa8b1WlbaI&t=3s

On The Appalachian Trail Nov 09, 2022

A voicemail from a listener takes us out on the Appalachian trail, where we ford rivers, climb mountains, and work our way across one of the most storied backpacking routes in North America.

Listen to our episode about your summer adventures: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/podcast-summer-adventures-22

Send a voice memo to hello@atlasobscura.com or call (315) 992-7902 to leave a message about your own travel quest.

The Wren’s Nest Nov 08, 2022

The Wren’s Nest in Atlanta is both a museum and former home of journalist Joel Chandler Harris and a hub for modern storytellers.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-wrens-nest

Laguna Del Diamante Nov 07, 2022

A toxic lake high in the Andes mountains in Argentina is home to microbes that provide a window to our planet’s past — and a key to securing its future.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/laguna-del-diamante

Atlas Obscura Presents Real Good Nov 04, 2022

Real Good is a podcast with the mission to highlight real people out in the world - trying to make it better. This excerpt features the Real Good hosts and Goalsetter CEO Tanya Van Court discussing financial literacy. The show is powered by US Bank.

Visit https://www.stitcher.com/show/real-good to listen to the show's fourth season.

Kasanka Bat Migration Nov 03, 2022

Kasanka National Park in Zambia hosts one of the largest – and most mysterious! – animal migrations on the planet.

Hacienda Napoles Nov 02, 2022

Medellín Cartel founder Pablo Escobar built himself a sort of Jurassic Park-meets-Disney World resort with drug money. He called it Hacienda Nápoles. Now it’s overrun by Hippos.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/hacienda-napoles

Thompson Ice House Nov 01, 2022

Thompson’s Ice House in Bristol, Maine is one of the only places in the United States where people gather every winter to take part in the age-old process of harvesting ice from a frozen pond. This “Small Town-Big Story” episode is produced in partnership with GoUSA TV.

To watch the video, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqxWG55-Mf8

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-thompson-ice-house-harvesting-museum-south-bristol-maine

Scary Stories from Real Places Oct 31, 2022

Atlas contributors bring listeners stories from spooky locations they’ve visited and which continue to haunt them.

Witch Cakes Oct 28, 2022

These cakes had a particular ingredient that some believe protected them from witchery - and sparked one of the best-known witch hunts in United States history.

Spooky Sites with the Places Team Oct 27, 2022

With Halloween just around the corner Jonathan Carey and Michelle Cassidy of the Atlas Places Team bring you two spooky legends of The Mothman from Point Pleasant, West Virginia and a potentially ghoulish forest in the Transylvanian Region of Romania.

Luomus Spiders Oct 26, 2022

The Finnish Museum of Natural History in Helsinki has been home to an infestation of Chilean recluse spiders for more than 50 years.

Houdini’s Grave Oct 25, 2022

Producer Johanna Mayer visits Houdini’s grave in Queens, NY and goes searching for evidence of the great beyond. To hear another take on Spiritualism check out our earlier episode - Cassadaga with Jamie Loftus.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/houdinis-grave

Cassadaga with Jamie Loftus Oct 24, 2022

The Atlas Obscura Podcast is launching a week of spooky-themed stories ahead of Halloween. We begin with Jamie Loftus’ newest podcast about Cassadaga, a small town in central Florida that is one of the last great bastions of a Victorian era religion called Spiritualism.

Check out some of Jamie’s work:

GHOST CHURCH

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ghost-church-by-jamie-loftus/id1619557591
My Year in MENSA -https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/my-year-in-mensa/id1492147103

And check out AO’s podcast on Lily Dale, another contemporary spiritualist community

LILY DALE

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/podcast-lily-dale-spiritualist-community

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/cassadaga

Classic: Valley of the Whales Oct 21, 2022

The fossils of Wadi al-Hitan (Valley of the Whales) in Egypt give us a glimpse of a remarkable evolutionary history.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/wadi-al-hitan

Times Square Hum Oct 20, 2022

Producer Johanna Mayer travels to Times Square in NYC, in search of a particular sound that may sometimes go overlooked.

Brown Dog Statue Oct 19, 2022

This memorial marks the life of a pup who sparked riots over animal rights issues in London, England.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/brown-dog-statue

Meramec Caverns Oct 18, 2022

This giant limestone cave outside of St. Louis, MO. is home to a combination of kitsch and world-class scenery.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/meramec-caverns

Louie Mattar’s Fabulous Car Oct 17, 2022

The San Diego Automotive Museum in California contains one man’s dream...of creating the ultimate road trip car.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/louie-mattars-fabulous-car

Classic: Bolton Strid Oct 14, 2022

Some say this little burbling creek is “The deadliest body of water on Earth.”

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/bolton-strid

Providence Island Oct 13, 2022

In 1820 a group of Black Americans set off to make a home in Africa. They landed in Providence Island and set the stage for the development of the country Liberia.

Navajo Code Talkers Burger King Oct 12, 2022

The Burger King in Kayenta, AZ is home to a small museum dedicated to a group of Native American veterans who developed an unbreakable secret code during WWII.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/burger-king-navajo-code-talkers-display

Emily Graslie Curates a World of Wonder Oct 11, 2022

Science communication superhero Emily Graslie shares how a pair of severed wolf heads helped her fall in love with science, about the road trip she took back to the beginning of time, and why she’s now looking for wonder in her own backyard.

Learn more about Emily Graslie (and watch her bug videos!): http://www.emilygraslie.com/

SubTropolis Oct 10, 2022

This former limestone mine in Kansas City, MO has been turned into a 55,000,000 square-foot industrial park and storage facility.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/subtropolis

Classic: The Institute of Illegal Images Oct 07, 2022

A mind-tripping place where the art stands out not because of what's on them but what's in them.

Kalakuta Museum Oct 06, 2022

Iconic musician Fela Kuti declared his home in Lagos, Nigeria, an independent state. He called it Kalakuta - and in 1977 it was invaded by the Nigerian Army.

The Portland Treasure Map Oct 05, 2022

A map in the archives of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library in Portland, OR may be the key to finding buried treasure that has yet to be found.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/buried-treasure-portland-oregon

The Battle of Atlanta Cyclorama Oct 04, 2022

The history of this 150-year-old immersive painting at the Atlanta History Museum features a scheming promoter, the cast of Gone with the Wind, Atlanta’s first Black mayor, and the voice of Darth Vader himself - and shows how our interpretations of art reflect the time in which we live. This episode is produced in partnership with Discover Atlanta.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/atlanta-cyclorama

Endangered Wolf Center Oct 03, 2022

The Endangered Wolf Center in Eureka, Missouri was founded by zoologist and wildlife TV host Marlin Perkins and was home to an extraordinary wolf who gives us hope for the future of wolf survival.

Classic: The 49th Parallel Sep 30, 2022

A listener takes us to a town on the edge of the longest undefended border in the world.

US-Canada border regulations have been updated since this episode first aired: https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/services/covid/menu-eng.html

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/uscanada-border-slash

Bloodroot Feminist Restaurant Sep 29, 2022

For more than 40 years Selma Miriam and Noel Furie have maintained the Bloodroot Feminist Vegetarian Restaurant and Bookstore as a place where women from all over the world can gather, share ideas, and share meals.

Visit Bloodroot: https://www.bloodroot.com/about

Learn more about the Feminist Restaurant Project: http://www.thefeministrestaurantproject.com/

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/bloodroot-feminist-vegetarian-restaurant

Oyotunji African Village Sep 28, 2022

Oyotunji is an African Village with real homes and real community founded in the 1970s and located in the US - just an hour south of Charleston, South Carolina.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/broken-angel

Enchanted Hart Haus Sep 26, 2022

Steve and Amy Hartbauer have turned their home in residential Denver, CO into a massive mosaic and decade’s long expression of inner inspiration.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/enchanted-hart-haus

Classic: Jatinga Bird Deaths Sep 23, 2022

An Indian village is home to one of the world’s oldest and greatest ornithological mysteries.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/jatinga-bird-suicide

Libre Intentional Artist Community Sep 22, 2022

Luz Flemming explores the home where he grew up, Libre - one of the longest lasting intentional communities still exists.

America’s “Quiet Zone” Sep 21, 2022

Green Bank, West Virginia is free of wifi and cell signals due to the massive telescope nearby that requires radio silence.

Summer Adventures ‘22 Sep 20, 2022

Today, a sampling of listener-submitted stories of summer adventures from the wild, strange and wonderful world in which we live.

Ark Two Shelter Sep 19, 2022

Forty-two school buses have been buried in Horning’s Mills, Ontario - covered in concrete, they’re house up to 500 people in case of nuclear fallout.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/ark-two-shelter

Classic: The Baalbek Trilithon Sep 16, 2022

This ancient temple complex in Northern Lebanon is one of the most well-preserved Roman ruins on earth, and one of the most overlooked.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/baalbek-trilithon

Gocta Waterfalls Sep 15, 2022

One of the world’s tallest waterfalls is nestled In Northwestern Peru, right where the Amazon rainforest crashes into the Andes Mountains.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/gocta

Chapel Creek Ranch Sep 14, 2022

This ranch in Sanger, Texas trains people in jousting and sword-fighting with the goal of making them knights of the highest order - for the Medieval Times dinner theater chain.

Grittiness and Romanticism in New York and Paris Sep 13, 2022

Whiting Writer’s Award, Best Literary Criticism award winner, and author of several critically-praised books, Lucy Sante speaks with host Dylan Thuras about digging into place and how our relationship to places can shape our identities.

To check out Lucy Sante’s work, please visit:

https://lucysante.com/

Growing the Atlas Sep 12, 2022

Jonathan Carey and Michelle Cassidy of the Atlas Places Team are on a mission to grow the Atlas community and include more wonderful and curious locations from Africa, Asia and South America. Two recent entries that caught their eyes include a market in Medeber, Eritrea and a women’s center in Kigali, Rwanda.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/medeber-market

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/nyamirambo-womens-center

Classic: Vigeland Mausoleum Sep 09, 2022

On the outskirts of Oslo, Norway, there’s a mausoleum some say is the city’s “best kept secret.” It’s the underrated masterpiece of a mostly unknown artist -- an artist who was overshadowed his whole life by his more successful brother.

Fairhaven Historic Markers Sep 08, 2022

Like a lot of historic neighborhoods, the sidewalks of Fairhaven in Bellingham, WA, are studded with small plaques commemorating local history. But unlike other neighborhoods, the markers in Fairhaven are a little bit darker, and a little bit weirder.
Thanks to Bellinghistory with the Good Time Girls. Learn more about their walking tours here: https://bellinghistory.com/

Elmina Castle Sep 07, 2022

At one time thirty thousand Africans per year were forced through Elmina Castle in Ghana, before they were taken across the world as part of the trans-atlantic slave trade.

The Loneliest Post Office Sep 06, 2022

Built on a tiny island in Antarctica, the “loneliest post office in the world” got its start as a top-secret British military outpost during World War II—and became beloved by stamp collectors around the world.

Learn more about the British Antarctic Survey: bas.ac.uk

Parrots of Green-Wood Cemetery Sep 05, 2022

These Argentinian parrots have made an unlikely home in a Brooklyn, NY cemetery.

Classic: Lynmouth Flood Memorial Hall Sep 02, 2022

A disaster in a seaside town got locals wondering about government conspiracies, weather control, and if human beings could actually, truly for real, make it rain.

The Coney Island Mermaid Parade Sep 01, 2022

The Coney Island Mermaid Parade isn’t linked to a holiday, religious affiliation or corporate celebration – it’s a celebration of having fun and getting a little weird.

The Lost Boys of Robber’s Cave Aug 31, 2022

In 1954, two groups of boys thought they were going to summer camp. But they’d been recruited for a different kind of summer experience.

Anne Spencer’s Garden Aug 30, 2022

This garden in Lynchburg, Virginia is the key to unlocking the writing and mind of Harlem Renaissance poet Anne Spencer.

The Corn Palace Aug 29, 2022

In Mitchell, South Dakota there stands a massive building covered in murals that are made completely from… corn!

Classic: Beishan Broadcast Wall Aug 26, 2022

On the tiny Kinmen Island, a bow-tie-shape strip of land between China and Taiwan, sits a giant weaponized wall of sound that still stands--and still broadcasts--today.

Pigeon Towers of Iran Aug 25, 2022

This elaborate architecture throughout Iran served a very unique purpose - gathering pigeon guano.

Take a virtual tour of a Pigeon Tower: https://ati3d.com/virtual_tour/pigeon

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/pigeon-towers-iran

Discovery Hut Aug 24, 2022

Atlas Obscura's Gemma Tarlach shares what it's like to step inside a relic from the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration, and to find traces of a famous lost party of explorers.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/discovery-hut

Clown Egg Register Aug 23, 2022

This collection of ceramic eggs records the personal makeup designs of clowns around the world - and to some extent a clowning code of conduct.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/clown-egg-register

Travels with Steve and Datsun Aug 22, 2022

Today we hear from an Atlas Obscura user who, when he isn’t aboard an icebreaking warship for the Canadian Navy, spends weeks at a time road-tripping with his dog.

Check out Steve’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/puppercycle/?hl=en

Classic: Hope Cemetery Aug 19, 2022

A graveyard in the “Granite Capital of the World” pays tribute to stone cutters and artisans who are buried amongst the sculptures they created.

Read more in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/hope-cemetery

The Honey Island Swamp Monster Aug 18, 2022

Atlas Obscura reporter Sarah Durn ventures deep into the Louisiana swamp in search of the legendary monster that prowls it.

Learn more about Jessica’s Honey Island Swamp & Kayak Tours: https://www.honeyislandkayaktours.com/

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/honey-island-swamp

Tiwai Island Aug 17, 2022

Civil war in Sierra Leone brought this beautiful island to the brink of destruction - now it’s making its comeback.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/tiwai-island

The Guy Who Sings Aug 16, 2022

Matt Farley has written dozens of songs about cities and towns across the United States. Why?

Grace Hopper’s Bug Aug 15, 2022

Trailblazing computer scientist Grace Hopper shaped the way people use and talk about computers. Her actual computer bug is preserved at the Smithsonian Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/grace-hoppers-bug

Classic: The Capital Stones Aug 12, 2022

Gigantic pieces of the United States Capitol rest in Rock Creek Park in Washington, DC - waiting for anyone willing to step off the beaten path.

Friendship Park Aug 11, 2022

Every Sunday, there’s a binational church service at Friendship Park, which straddles the U.S.-Mexico border. We sent two reporters to attend the church service — one on the U.S. side and one in Mexico — to learn more about how changes to the U.S. border have affected the park and the community.

Learn more about The Border Church: https://www.friendshippark.org/borderchurch

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/friendship-park

Seven Keys Lodge Aug 10, 2022

The world’s largest random, assorted key collection located outside Denver, CO, was inspired by a literary infatuation and includes keys to danger and memory.

Trevor Paglen and Experimental Geography Aug 09, 2022

MacArthur Genius Grant winner, artist, and experimental geographer Trevor Paglen and host Dylan Thuras discuss documenting government surveillance, AI, and place.

National Atomic Testing Museum Aug 08, 2022

Las Vegas, Nevada was once the preferred tourist destination for watching weapons of mass destruction explode.

Classic: The Thousand-Year Rose Aug 05, 2022

The world's oldest rose is so tough it survived being bombed in World War II.

The Blue Whale of Catoosa Aug 04, 2022

Catoosa, Oklahoma is the site of a massive landlocked whale - and possibly the greatest anniversary gift ever

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/catoosa-whale

Ottoman Bird Palaces Aug 03, 2022

These miniature mansions and luxurious homes were built for the feathered residents of Istanbul.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/ottoman-bird-palaces

Underwater Places Aug 02, 2022

Jonathan Carey and Michelle Cassidy of the Atlas Places Team bring listeners two stories where sculpture meets the depths: The Sunken Crosses of Malpique and a harbor in Odense, Denmark.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/sunken-crosses-of-malpique

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/hans-christian-andersen-odense-harbour

Concrete Animals of Mexico Aug 01, 2022

Producer Abbey Perreault gives listeners an introduction to the long-unknown creator behind the widely known concrete fauna of Mexico’s urban playscapes.

Classic: Milo Bitters Jul 29, 2022

A listener in Lawrence, Kansas takes us on his journey of discovering the secrets of his hometown.

Plain of Jars Jul 28, 2022

This archaeological landscape in Phonsavan, Laos is one of the most mysterious, important, and dangerous prehistoric sites in Southeast Asia.

Learn more about the Plain of Jars Archaeological Research Project: https://plain-of-jars.org/

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/plain-of-jars

The Smallest Mollusk Museum Jul 27, 2022

The Smallest Mollusk Museum in New York City is part of a fleet of tiny museums that might just have a big impact on the world.

Maillardet’s Automaton Jul 26, 2022

This mechanical boy in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was a mystery - until it began to write.

Buck Atom on Route 66 Jul 25, 2022

Space Cowboy Buck Atom stands watch over an old gas station in Tulsa, Oklahoma and is a link to the glory of Route 66’s Muffler Men.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/buck-atom

Welcome to Provincetown Jul 22, 2022

We're sharing with you a new Witness Docs show: Welcome to Provincetown, a documentary podcast in the vein of reality television about a small town on the Cape with a strong LGBTQIA+ history. Warning: The episode does contain explicit language. Find out more about Welcome to Provincetown and other Witness shows at: https://www.witnesspodcasts.com/

The Voice at Embankment Station Jul 21, 2022

The voice announcement at Embankment Station in London is unlike any other announcement on the Tube.

Roger Williams Root Jul 20, 2022

The hunt to memorialize Rhode Island’s founder created one of the state’s strangest and most enduring myths.

To Learn more about Roger Williams relationship to local indigenous tribes: http://library.providence.edu/encompass/narragansett-history/secondary-sources/the-landing-of-roger-williams/

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/roger-williams-root

Lake Lanier Jul 19, 2022

Legends and troubled history lay beneath Lake Lanier in Forsyth County.

Cranes of the DMZ Jul 18, 2022

The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea has become an accidental bird sanctuary for one of the world’s most endangered crane species.

Learn more about the International Crane Foundation: savingcranes.org

Classic: Wonders in Your Backyard Jul 15, 2022

Occasionally the podcast team requests messages about the strange and wondrous places you experience. These are some of first responses we received last year regarding our request to hear of wonders from listeners' backyards. Stories feature the world’s largest tin soldier, the home of the first public beach and a phone connecting us to people we’ve lost.

Tell us about a wonder in your backyard. Record a voice memo and send it to hello@atlasobscura.com or leave a voicemail at 315-992-7902.

Journey to Black Star Square Jul 14, 2022

Producer Baudelaire Ceus brings listeners to Accra, Ghana and a gigantic public square dedicated to Ghanaian independence.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/black-star-square

Vilcabamba Jul 13, 2022

This small town in Ecuador was thought to hold the fountain of youth and drew the curiosity of scientists and wellness practitioners alike.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/vilcabamba

Star Trek Original Series Set Tour Jul 12, 2022

Sets from the original 1960’s Star Trek have been recreated for fans and actors alike in Ticonderoga, New York.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/star-trek-original-series-set-tour

Disabled Hikers Jul 11, 2022

Syren Nagakyrie set out to make a whole world of incredible beauty more available to millions of people with disabilities - starting with the Olympic Peninsula in Washington.

Learn more about Disabled Hikers: https://disabledhikers.com/
Olympic National Park Trail Guides: https://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/physical-mobility-accessibility.htm

Classic: Pyramiden Jul 08, 2022

An abandoned Russian mining village is literally frozen in time.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/pyramiden

Congo Square Jul 07, 2022

Congo Square in New Orleans is the heart of where African drumming found its way into American music and the birth of Jazz.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/congo-square

Places Team Favorite Atlas Entries Jul 06, 2022

Jonathan Carey and Michelle Cassidy of the Atlas Places Team bring listeners stories of two of their favorite places that can be found in the Atlas - on in Washington, DC and one in Scotland.

Amir Siraj and the Interstellar Object Jul 05, 2022

Amir Siraj was a sophomore in college when he discovered what may be the first documented interstellar object to hit earth.

House the Giants Built Jul 04, 2022

Anna Swan had an adventurous life before settling in Seville, Ohio and building a house large enough to fit her large life.

Grasshopper Glacier Re-Listen Jul 01, 2022

A rapidly disappearing glacier holds the key to a forgotten species, a century-old entomological mystery, and… an opera. This episode previously aired in 2021.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/grasshopper-glacier

Floating Freedom School Jun 30, 2022

This paddleboat gave some Black children a place to learn even when they were denied formal education on land.

The Hodges Meteorite Jun 29, 2022

This meteorite is one of the very few on record to have hit a human being.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-hodges-meteorite-tuscaloosa-alabama

The Goiter Belt Jun 28, 2022

A public health crisis plagued the Midwest until a simple solution was introduced to a ubiquitous cooking ingredient.

Tiny Doors ATL Jun 27, 2022

A number of tiny, mysterious doors scattered throughout Atlanta, Georgia ask viewers to imagine what might be found on the other side.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/tiny-doors-atl

The House on the Rock Re-Listen Jun 24, 2022

Join host Dylan Thuras and producer Harry Huggins as they visit the unruly architecture of The House on the Rock - one of the inspirations for Atlas Obscura.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/house-rock

Catalina Island Bison Herd Re-Listen Jun 23, 2022

The strange story of Catalina Island’s herd of bison, and the harrowing story of producer Sarah Wyman’s encounter with these intimidating residents.

National Corvette Museum Sinkhole Re-Listen Jun 22, 2022

Eight rare vehicles at the National Corvette Museum in Kentucky vanish, thanks to a massive sinkhole.

The Cardiff Giant Re-Listen Jun 21, 2022

All summer we’ve been asking you to send us your summer travel stories. In this installment we hear a listener’s tale of a theological dispute that became a real money-maker known to some as “Old Hoaxy.”

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/cardiff-giant

Leimert Park Re-Listen Jun 20, 2022

Producer Baudelaire Ceus travels to Leimert Park, a unique neighborhood in Los Angeles characterized by its historical relationship to Black liberation.

Booming Dunes Re-Listen Jun 17, 2022

An audio postcard from the desert of Badain Jaran in China, home of the Booming Dunes, and possibly the coolest sand sounds you’ve ever heard.

Garbage Goat Jun 16, 2022

This sculpture in Spokane, WA was created by a"welding nun" decades ago.

The Divorce Colony Jun 15, 2022

For a brief period the small frontier city of Sioux Falls, South Dakota drew in socialites and celebrities who were desperate to end their marriages.

For more stories from the Divorce Colony, check out April White's book: The Divorce Colony: How Women Revolutionized Marriage and Found Freedom on the American Frontier.

https://thedivorcecolony.com/

The Cincinnati Subway Jun 14, 2022

There are two miles of abandoned tunnels beneath the streets of Cincinnati, OH. A relic of an attempt to establish underground transportation in the city.

The Places You Return To Jun 13, 2022

Atlas Obscura listeners share stories from places they love so much they keep going back.

La Paz Re-listen Jun 10, 2022

In the busy, traffic-packed capital city of Bolivia, we meet the zebras who keep the streets of La Paz safe for its citizens.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/la-paz-cebritas

World’s Oldest Edible Ham Jun 09, 2022

Atlas Obscura’s resident food and death reporter Sam O’Brien takes us to Smithfield, Virginia, where we meet a 120-year-old ham, and the people who love it.

Learn more about the Isle of Wight County Museum: www.historicisleofwight.com/

Let Sam eat the ham: hamtruther.com

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/worlds-oldest-edible-ham

Nakagin Capsule Tower Jun 08, 2022

This social and architectural experiment in Tokyo, Japan was once the leading building in a movement attempting to pair construction and biological growth.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/nakagin-capsule-tower

Phone Booth on a Roof Jun 07, 2022

The City Hall in Lincoln, Illinois has an unusual architectural appendage with a curious history.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/phone-booth-on-a-roof

Eastern State Penitentiary Jun 06, 2022

The founders of this prison in Philadelphia, PA aimed to revolutionize incarceration for the better - and unintentionally created new horrors.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/eastern-state-penitentiary

The Heidelberg Project Re-Listen Jun 03, 2022

We take you to East Detroit, where an artist transformed a largely abandoned street into an immersive, living museum -- which grew into something even bigger.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/heidelberg-project

San Juan Sound Jun 02, 2022

San Juan Sound is an iconic studio where musicians, engineers, and quite possibly a music-loving ghost carry on the Island’s musical traditions, which date back hundreds of years. This episode is produced in partnership with Discover Puerto Rico.

Madame Tussaud Jun 01, 2022

Dylan Thuras braves one of New York’s most touristy sites to bring listeners the lesser-known history of Madame Tussaud’s origins.

Two of Our Favorite Mummies May 31, 2022

Jonathan Carey and Michelle Cassidy of the Atlas Places Team bring listeners the stories of two mummies - one preserved in a bog in Jutland, Denmark and another at a monastery in Palermo, Italy.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/haraldsk-r-woman

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/capuchin-monastery

A Sound Garden May 30, 2022

An orchard of metal poles sits on a hill overlooking Lake Washington. And when the wind blows, this musical sculpture "sings the world into existence" with its unique sound.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/a-sound-garden

The Root Bridges of Cherrapunji Re-listen May 27, 2022

In the depths of Northeastern India, centuries-old bridges are not built, they are grown.

The Livestock Living at the End of the World May 26, 2022

The pigs once plopped on an uninhabited Auckland Island known for capturing castaways now play an important role in modern medical research.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/what-lives-on-auckland-islands

Carhenge May 25, 2022

This experimental automotive replica of Stonehenge has become a symbol of the town of Alliance, Nebraska. But residents haven’t always been fans.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/carhenge

Père Lachaise Cemetery May 24, 2022

Producer Baudelaire Ceus searches for the resting place of famed author Richard Wright among the graves of other cultural icons like Gertrude Stein, Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf, and Sadegh Hedaya.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/pere-lachaise-cemetery

Leaning Tower of Niles May 23, 2022

Niles, Illinois is home to an exact replica of Italy’s leaning tower of Pisa - only it’s half the size of the original structure.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/leaning-tower-niles

Not Lost in the Umbrella Covers Museum May 20, 2022

Brendan Francis Newnam, the host of the new podcast Not Lost, and Dylan Thuras discuss how getting lost is the best way to find yourself. And Brendan shares a great scene from his podcast where he and his co-host travel to the Umbrella Cover Museum on Peaks Island in Maine.

The Places We Return To May 19, 2022

Atlas Obscura contributors take listeners to some of the places they loved so much they keep going back.

Got your own place that calls you to return again and again? Submit a voice memo to hello@atlasobscura.com

Monongahela Incline May 18, 2022

This funicular in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania used to offer coal and steel workers a respite from the smog of industry.

Goblin Valley State Park May 17, 2022

Today the story of how a street lamp, a tangle with municipal government, and a love of the stars led a man to Goblin Valley, Utah a “dark sky certified” place for lovers of the night sky.

The Last Big Mac in Iceland May 16, 2022

Take a trip to a hostel in Iceland to visit the country’s last Big Mac, where the burger’s existence unfolds a story about economics and national identity.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/iceland-mcdonalds

The Boiling River Re-Listen May 13, 2022

A river in the Amazon is so hot that anything that falls into it will die … but how did it get this way?

Ruins of Le Jardin d'Agronomie Tropicale May 12, 2022

This garden park in Paris, France contains the ruins of a colonial exhibition from 1907.

The Maiden of Deception Pass May 11, 2022

Thousands of years ago, a young woman named Ko-kwal-alwoot crouched over a set of tide pools, looked into the water, and saw a face looking back at her that wasn’t her own. Today, her descendants are still telling the story of what happened next.

Learn more about the Samish Indian Nation: https://www.samishtribe.nsn.us/

National Ice Core Lab May 10, 2022

Scientists in Denver, Colorado store and conduct tests on miles of ice core samples dating back hundreds of thousands of years.

Forestiere Underground Gardens May 09, 2022

This underground oasis in Fresno, California is a winding maze of rooms and passageways filled with lush citrus trees.

Mafra Palace Library Bats Re-listen May 06, 2022

A grand library in Portugal has some unexpected nighttime caretakers -- tiny bats.

The Noah Purifoy Desert Art Museum May 05, 2022

Noah Purifoy was a pugilistic LA artist who eventually filled a 10 acre plot of land in Joshua Tree, CA with his of-kilter art.

Noah Purifoy’s Outdoor Museum: http://www.noahpurifoy.com/joshua-tree-outdoor-museum

Learn more about Dale Davis: https://dalebdavis.com/

Listen to our episode about Leimert Park: https://pod.link/1555769970/episode/1a593d4fba52c8d48fd9e62728a2a16f

Listen to our episode about the Watts Towers Art Center: https://pod.link/1555769970/episode/18849745a4259a207da75f53dfa6e657

Upton Chamber May 04, 2022

An underground chamber in Upton, MA puzzled some New Englanders while others long knew its ancient origins.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/upton-chamber

Benin Bronzes May 03, 2022

Thousands of masks from the former Kingdom of Benin are spread throughout museums across the world. Is that where they belong?

Hashima Island May 02, 2022

Hashima Island in Japan was once the most densely populated place on Earth. Until – almost overnight – everyone left.

Additional information for this episode was provided by Joshua Synenko of Trent University.

Sputnik IV Crash Site Re-listen Apr 29, 2022

Typically, space junk ends up deep in the Pacific Ocean. This is the story of when it plunged back to earth … onto a street in small-town Wisconsin.

Read more in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/sputnik-crash-site

Forest of the Future Library Apr 28, 2022

This forest in Oslo, Norway will provide the trees for paper as part of a century long art project featuring famed contemporary authors.

The Last Tenement Apr 27, 2022

The Last Tenement in Boston’s old West End has come to represent everything that can go wrong with urban planning.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-last-tenement

The Timbuktu Manuscripts Apr 26, 2022

These documents highlight the intellectual legacy of an ancient civilization based in Timbuktu, Mali.

Islands of America Apr 25, 2022

Writer and island-hopper Anna Marlis Burgard takes us on a tour of three of the 135 strange, incredible, and wondrous islands she’s explored in the United States.

Learn more about Anna's Islands of America adventure: http://www.islandsofamerica.com/

CORRECTION: A previous version of this episode misidentified the name of the Skete on Nelson Island. It is the St. Nilus Skete, not the St. Nicholas Skete.

Ubatuba Whale(s) Re-listen Apr 22, 2022

We dig into the tales of TWO whales washing ashore along the southeastern coast of Brazil. And learn how one became a scientific marvel and the other, a local landmark.

Read more in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/ubatuba-whale

Bloody Island Apr 21, 2022

This island between Missouri and Illinois was a preferred meeting place for duels to the death in the early 1900’s.

The Louis Armstrong House Museum Apr 20, 2022

Famed Jazz musician Louis Armstrong’s house in Corona, Queens in New York is now a museum preserving his legacy.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/louis-armstrong-house

Gnomesville Apr 19, 2022

A community of kitschy lawn gnomes have taken over an Australian roundabout.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/gnomesville

The Ends of the World Apr 18, 2022

Science writer Peter Brannen takes listeners on a tour of the world’s five major mass extinctions.

Shoreham Power Plant Re-listen Apr 15, 2022

We venture out to Long Island, not for the beautiful beaches, or an Islanders game, or to hang with Billy Joel. We're here to explore the fraught history of a gigantic, ominous sea foam-green nuclear power plant.

Listener Encounters with the Unknown Apr 14, 2022

Last month we asked listeners about your encounters with the unknown, and boy did you all deliver! This presents two stories we received from listeners Maggie and Melissa.

The Rotary Jail Museum Apr 13, 2022

The only remaining operational Rotary Jail, found in Crawfordsville, Indiana, shows visitors how inmates were once locked within the building’s walls.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/rotary-jail-museum

Watts Towers Apr 12, 2022

One of the United State’s most famous pieces of self-built architecture consists of seventeen interconnected towers that rise like inverted ice cream cones from the ground - the tallest reaching over 100 feet.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/watts-towers

Museum of Innocence Apr 11, 2022

This museum built of memories in Istanbul, Turkey was created in a book before it was created in real life.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-museum-of-innocence-2-istanbul-turkey

Traveling While Aging (Classic) Apr 08, 2022

Host Dylan Thuras confronts the good and the bad ways travel changes as you move through different life stages.

Lake Natron Apr 07, 2022

Lake Natron in Monduli, Tanzania can leave welts and burns on human skin but is a bit of a paradise for another animal.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/lake-natron

Sinchi Warmi Amazon Lodge Apr 06, 2022

Learn how a group of indegnous women in Puerto Misahuallî, Ecuador fought “machismo” to become entrepreneurs and build an eco-friendly getaway.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/sinchi-warmi-amazon-lodge

Chemin de la Mâture Apr 05, 2022

This treacherous path cut through a stretch of the Pyrenees Mountains in France may have played a key part in one nation’s quest for international influence and possibly helped foment a revolution.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/chemin-de-la-mature

Corpus Clock and Chronophage Apr 04, 2022

Explore a modern landmark in a medieval city. The Corpus Clock in Cambridge, England honors both the past and future of telling time.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/corpus-clock-corpus-christi-chronophage

Gastropod’s “Buried Treasure: Weeds, Seeds, and Zombies.” Apr 01, 2022

Atlas Obscura presents Gastropod’s episode “Buried Treasure: Weeds, Seeds, and Zombies.” Gastropod Hosts Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley examine a scientific quest – and one of the world’s longest running experiments - to see how long weeds can survive. They find zombie seeds, a treasure hunt, and more.

Gastropod: https://gastropod.com/buried-treasure-weeds-seeds-and-zombies/

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/dr-beals-seed-viability-experiment

The World’s Oldest Living Things Re-listen Mar 31, 2022

As part of Women’s History Month Atlas Obscura will be sharing some episodes from the archive including this tour of the world's oldest living things - with artist Rachel Sussman who’s been documenting these ancient things for 10 years.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/womens-history-month
READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:
https://www.atlasobscura.com/lists/worlds-oldest-living-things

The Office of Collecting and Design Re-listen Mar 30, 2022

As part of Women’s History Month Atlas Obscura will be sharing some episodes from the archive including this conversation with Jessica Oreck who has spent the last 30 years collecting odd and forgotten objects. Now, they’re all beautifully curated and on display in the Office of Collecting and Design in Las Vegas.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/womens-history-month
Follow the Office of Collecting and Design on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/office.of.collecting/?hl=en
READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/office-of-collecting-and-design

The Kalamazoo Gals of the Old Gibson Guitar Factory Re-Listen Mar 29, 2022

As part of Women’s History Month Atlas Obscura will be sharing some episodes from the archive including this story of the women who stepped up to produce thousands of guitars during World War II, only to be written out of the history.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/womens-history-month
Read more in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-old-gibson-guitar-factory-kalamazoo-michigan

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Re-listen Mar 28, 2022

As part of Women’s History Month Atlas Obscura will be sharing some episodes from the archive including this story of a national park in Southwest Uganda that is home to nearly half the world’s population of endangered mountain gorillas. They and the local community rely on each other to survive.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/womens-history-month
Learn how to help the Bwindi Mountain Gorillas: https://ctph.org/
Sound of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and the mountain gorillas was recorded by Nick Penny. To see more of Nick’s work, visit: https://www.nickpennyphotography.com/
READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/bwindi-impenetrable-forest

Kulning Re-Listen Mar 25, 2022

As part of Women’s History Month Atlas Obscura will be sharing some episodes from the archive including this story of how herdswomen in Northern Sweden have lured cows home with haunting melodies.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/womens-history-month

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/what-is-kulning

Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary Mar 24, 2022

Criminal and This is Love host Phoebe Judge brings us to the ancient ruins of Torre Argentina in Rome - the site of Julius Caesar’s assasination, which also happens to double as an enormous sanctuary for cats.
READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/torre-argentina-roman-cat-sanctuary

Life Changing Locations with the Places Team Mar 23, 2022

Jonathan Carey and Michelle Cassidy of the Atlas Places Team bring listeners two Atlas Obscura locations developed as the result of a life-changing decision - to embark on a massive art project and live.
READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/hercules

Pyramid of Djoser Mar 22, 2022

Travel to the world’s oldest intact pyramid in Egypt - and learn about the genius who also influenced the fields of architecture, astronomy, and medicine.
READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/pyramid-of-djoser

Edna Lawrence Nature Lab with Brian Chesky Mar 21, 2022

AirBnB founder and CEO Brian Chesky discusses how design experiences, like those found at the Edna Laurence Nature Lab, shape his work.

Good Vibrations Antique Vibrator Museum Re-Listen Mar 18, 2022

As part of Women’s History Month Atlas Obscura will be sharing some episodes from the archive including this museum’s buzzing collection which honors vibrator history.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/womens-history-month

Ford’s Folly Mar 17, 2022

A giant abandoned dam in Sudbury, Massachusetts, marks the inglorious failure of America’s champion of industry to triumph over nature.
READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/fords-folly-water-dam

Rhubarb Triangle Mar 16, 2022

Farmers in Yorkshire, England take years to coax their rhubarb plants into a world-renowned delicacy using a century-old technique.
READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/rhubarb-triangle

Haitian Monument Mar 15, 2022

The Haitian Monument in Savannah, Georgia was built to commemorate the Haitian soldiers who came to the rescue of Patriots fighting in the Revolutionary War.

Kuruvungna Sacred Springs Mar 14, 2022

Eight thousand years ago, this land’s first inhabitants built a village around a sacred spring. And today, in what is now Los Angeles, CA, their descendants still work to protect the site.

Learn more about the Gabrielino-Tongva Springs Foundation: http://gabrielinosprings.com/wpsite/

Women of the Black Panther Mural Re-Listen Mar 11, 2022

As part of Women’s History Month Atlas Obscura will be sharing some episodes from the archive starting with the story of how a 30-foot-tall mural on the side of a house in West Oakland is teaching an often left out part of the history of the Black Panther Party-- the women who fueled the movement.

Read more in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/black-lives-matter-murals

Learn more about this project and sign up for a tour of the mini-museum here: http://www.westoaklandmuralproject.org

Possum Monument Mar 10, 2022

Wausau, Florida’s monument and annual festival celebrate this furry critter’s contributions to the community.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/possum-monument

Elephant Clock Mar 09, 2022

The Elephant Clock, a replica of an ancient invention, sits in Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai, surrounded by stores like The Gap, and H&M.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/elephant-clock

Hotel Theresa Mar 08, 2022

The Hotel Theresa in Harlem, New York played a pivotal role in the influential neighborhood’s cultural identity.

The Capitol Stones Mar 07, 2022

Gigantic pieces of the United States Capitol rest in Rock Creek Park in Washington, DC - waiting for anyone willing to step off the beaten path.

Brushes with the Unknown Mar 03, 2022

Members of the Atlas Obscura team share their experiences with unknown phenomena.

Civic Musical Road Mar 02, 2022

The grooves cut in this road outside Lancaster, CA play the finale of the William Tell Overture.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/civic-musical-road

St. Brigid’s Well Mar 01, 2022

St. Brigid’s well in Clare, Ireland is site integral to the story of how a pagan goddess became a Christian saint.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/st-brigid-s-well

The Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office Feb 28, 2022

This office, established by the founder of the American Red Cross, changed the lives of thousands of Civil War soldiers and their families.

Vermontasaurus Feb 24, 2022

This folk art dinosaur was almost pushed to extinction due to lack of a building permit.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/vermontasaurus

Lake Karachay Feb 23, 2022

Lake Karachay in Ozersk, Russia is the site of a former secret Soviet Union nuclear facility - that’s inspired art despite the little that’s publicly known of the site.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/lake-karachay

Sites of Vision with the Places Team Feb 22, 2022

Jonathan Carey and Michelle Cassidy of the Atlas Places Team bring listeners two Atlas Obscura locations created by people compelled by visions - the East West Peace Church in Munich, Germany, and the Source du Nil in Musenyi, Burundi.

Ponyhenge Feb 21, 2022

Lincoln, Massachusetts is home to one of the strangest pony herds you’re likely to see - and it’s been growing for more than a decade.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/ponyhenge

The Last Sears in New York City Feb 17, 2022

Producer Johanna Mayer takes a trip to the last Sears in New York City, a Brooklyn landmark, with two people whose lives were shaped by the department store.

Extreme Travel with Dave Seminara Feb 16, 2022

Host Dylan Thuras speaks with Dave Seminara, author of the book Mad Travelers, about extreme travel and the people who love it.

Panorama of the City of New York Feb 15, 2022

The Panorama of the City of New York a star of the 1964 World’s Fair where it competed for attention with new technology like touch-tone phones and the Ford Mustang. The artwork now lives in the Queens Museum.

International Cocoa Quarantine Center Feb 14, 2022

Nicola Twilley takes us to suburban London, where a 1000 square meter greenhouse is all that stands between us and the chocapocalypse.

Listen to the Malta Lazaretto episode: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/podcast-quarantine-at-malta-lazaretto

Listen to Gastropod: https://gastropod.com/

Read Until Proven Safe:

https://untilprovensafe.com/

Milky Seas Feb 10, 2022

Join host Dylan Thuras, a satellite scientist, and a ship captain in search of gigantic swaths of bioluminescence that can radiate up from the surface of the sea over thousands of square miles.

The Theater of Electricity Feb 09, 2022

Step inside the Theater of Electricity in Boston and learn about the World’s Largest Air-Insulated Van Der Graaf Generator.

Leimert Park Feb 08, 2022

Producer Baudelaire Ceus travels to Leimert Park, a unique neighborhood in Los Angeles characterized by its historical relationship to Black liberation.

Quarantine at Malta Lazaretto Feb 07, 2022

Writers Geoff Manaugh and Nicky Twilley take us inside a crumbling, centuries-old quarantine facility, and we explore the history and future of quarantine.

Read “Until Proven Safe: The History and Future of Quarantine”: https://untilprovensafe.com/

Learn more about the Malta Lazzaretto: https://www.midimalta.com/en/the-lazaretto

Boulders Beach Penguin Sanctuary Feb 03, 2022

Boulders Beach in Simon’s Town in South Africa, is a destination where sunbathers, tourists, and penguins share both the beach and parts of the town.

Monkey Island Feb 02, 2022

Monkey Island, Cayo, Santigo is an island off the coast of Puerto Rico where more than 1500 imported monkeys have lived and been studied by researchers for decades.

The Citadelle Laferriere Feb 01, 2022

The Citadelle Laferriere in Haiti was built to ensure the island remained free after Haitians defeated French colonizers.

Bell Ringing of Old North Church Jan 31, 2022

Boston’s Old North Church was cemented in American History by Paul Revere’s famous midnight ride. But now the ringers who play these bells in a centuries-old style are adding a twist.

City Museum Jan 27, 2022

In 1993 Bob Cassilly began to turn an old shoe factory into a massive interactive museum that now includes a plane fuselage, caves, and a ten-story slide.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/city-museum

Gorgeous Grotesques with the Places Team Jan 26, 2022

Jonathan Carey and Michelle Cassidy of the Atlas Places Team find beauty and fascination at the sites of warped and bizarre statues in Nuremberg, Germany and Urgnano, Italy.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/der-hase

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-grotesques-of-urgnano-castle

Musk Ox Farm Jan 25, 2022

The Musk Ox Farm in Palmer, Alaska aims to domesticate a species that used to roam the earth at the same time as the sabretooth and wooly mammoth.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/musk-ox-farm

Chopin’s Heart Jan 24, 2022

The Church of the Holy Cross in Warsaw, Poland is the final resting place of famed composer Frédéric Chopin’s heart - smuggled there by Chopin’s sister after his death.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/chopin-s-heart

Razzouk Tattoo Jan 20, 2022

Razzouk Tattoo in Jerusalem has given Christian pilgrims permanent souvenirs from their travel for centuries.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/razzouk-ink

Great Zimbabwe Jan 19, 2022

Visit the ruins of an ancient economic powerhouse’s capital city, Great Zimbabwe in the nation of Zimbabwe and learn how a colonial empire was determined to rewrite its story.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/great-zimbabwe

Lily Dale Spiritualist Community Jan 18, 2022

Reporter Sam O’Brien takes us to Lily Dale, the world’s largest surviving community of spiritualists, where she learns (even if you don’t believe in ghosts) there’s more than one way to connect with the dead.

Relampago Del Catatumo Jan 17, 2022

There’s an everlasting lightning storm in Northwestern Venezuela that appears in the night sky nearly every night.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/relampago-del-catatumbo

Cisternerne Jan 13, 2022

A massive 19th-century reservoir under the city of Copenhagen has been repurposed as a contemporary art cave. We venture inside to learn more about its history, and bask in the incredible acoustics of the space.

Visit Cisternerne and Frederiksberg Museerne: https://frederiksbergmuseerne.dk/da/

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/cisternerne

The Museum of Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft Jan 12, 2022

Reporter Eric Grundhauser recounts a memorable visit to an unusual museum in Iceland, where he explored the ancient lore of the occult, learned how to steal milk from his neighbors, and laid his eyes upon a pair of pants… made of human flesh.

Organ Stop Pizza Jan 11, 2022

The largest theater pipe organ in the world lives in a restaurant in Mesa, Arizona. Phenomenal musicians play requests while diners feast on pizza.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/organ-stop-pizza

Alnwick Poison Garden Jan 10, 2022

The Alnwick Poison Garden in England is a place where stopping and smelling the flowers could actually kill you. The garden is dedicated entirely to plants that are narcotic or deadly.

The Unclaimed Baggage Center Jan 06, 2022

The Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro, Alabama bills itself as “the nation’s only retailer of lost luggage.” If you’ve ever lost a bag during air travel, it probably wound up there - along with many other treasures and oddities. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/unclaimed-baggage-center

Beer Can House Jan 05, 2022

John Milkovisch spent 18 years covering his Houston home in beer cans. The house has been preserved for visitors since John’s death in 1988.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/beer-can-house

Grandma Ida’s Nut Rolls Gravestone Jan 04, 2022

Resident food and death correspondent, Sam O’Brien, returns to tell us about a grave with a nut roll recipe engraved on it and the layered and touching story behind the treat.

Know of a recipe grave in your local cemetery? Email us at hello@atlasobscura.com, and include “Recipe Graves” in the subject line.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Jan 03, 2022

A national park in Southwest Uganda is home to nearly half the world’s population of endangered mountain gorillas. They and the local community rely on each other to survive.

Learn how to help the Bwindi Mountain Gorillas: https://ctph.org/

Sound of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and the mountain gorillas was recorded by Nick Penny. To see more of Nick’s work, visit:

https://www.nickpennyphotography.com/

https://www.instagram.com/nickp.pics/

Read more in the Atlas:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/bwindi-impenetrable-forest

Beechey Island Graves Part 2 Re-Listen Dec 30, 2021

In this two-part series, we venture towards frozen graves tied to an infamous Arctic expedition. We follow two groups of adventurers, separated by more than 170 years, and play witness to the disasters that befell them all.

Beechey Island Graves Part 1 Re-Listen Dec 29, 2021

In this two-part series, we venture towards frozen graves tied to an infamous Arctic expedition. We follow two groups of adventurers, separated by more than 170 years, and play witness to the disasters that befell them all.

Read More in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/graves-of-beechey-island

Hachiko Re-Listen Dec 28, 2021

After a profound show of devotion for his master, a dog becomes the symbol of loyalty for an entire nation.

Gold Medal Flour Re-Listen Dec 27, 2021

The crumbled ruins of the world’s largest flour mill became one of Minneapolis’ most prominent graffiti-writing locations, and later a museum.

The Village Where Every Person’s Name Is a Song Re-Listen Dec 23, 2021

In Kongthong, India, every person’s name is a unique song, composed by their mother within a week of their birth, part of a centuries-old tradition.

The Family Tree Re-Listen Dec 22, 2021

A listener’s voicemail sent us searching for the story of a very special -- and giant -- oak tree Peoria, Illinois, and the family of arborists who cared for it.

Seljavallalaug Swimming Pool Re-Listen Dec 21, 2021

The oldest (maybe) swimming pool in Iceland is a stunning oasis built into the side of a lush hill.

Read more in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/seljavallalaug

Widow Jane Mine Re-Listen Dec 20, 2021

This old cement mine in Rosendale, New York, has been used as everything from a mushroom farm to a recording studio.

Read more in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/widow-jane-mine

Happy Holidays from the Atlas Obscura Team Dec 16, 2021

The Atlas production team would like to share some of their favorite holiday places as 2021 comes to a close. This episode will be followed by a series of re-listen episodes from the past year, published over the next two weeks.

Shipwrecked Doritos Dec 15, 2021

In 2006 a massive haul of Doritos was shipwrecked on Hatteras Island on the Outer Banks, leaving its mark on the town forever.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/shipwrecked-doritos

The Naica Cave Dec 14, 2021

Professional Adventurer George Kourounis knew he needed to visit the Cave of the Crystals, located nearly a 1000 feet beneath northern Mexico, the moment he saw a photograph from inside the cave.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/giant-crystals-naica

Post Office Bay Dec 13, 2021

Post Office Bay on the Galapagos Islands is a post office that runs on luck and the goodwill of visitors. It has a knack for bringing strangers together.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/post-office-bay

Carousel of Happiness Dec 09, 2021

A music box given to Scott Harrison while he served in Vietnam inspired him to hand-carve all the animals for the Carousel of Happiness in Nederland, Colorado.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/carousel-of-happiness

The Past Beneath Our Feet with the Places Team Dec 08, 2021

Jonathan Carey and Michelle Cassidy of the Atlas Places Team catch listeners up on the new and surprising additions to Atlas Obscura that capture their attention. This includes a heiress’s pet cemetery and ruins visible beneath a grocery store floor.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/doris-dukes-pet-cemetery

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/aungier-street-lidl-archaelogy

Museum of Minerals and Crystals Dec 07, 2021

This small mineral museum in Dodgeville, Wisconsin is home to plenty of rocks - some of which may rival those in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.

Lake Nyos - The Deadliest Lake Dec 06, 2021

In 1986 an unknown natural disaster at Lake Nyos in Menchum, Cameroon left more than 1700 people dead in one night - and puzzled scientists. Learn how they solved that mystery.

Centers for Disease Control Museum Dec 02, 2021

Visit a museum inside the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, which documents how public health officials have slowed the spread of disease through history.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/cdc-museum

Abandoned Chacaltaya Ski Resort Dec 01, 2021

Hear from the caretakers of a ghost town in Bolivia that was once the world's highest ski resort.

Micropia Nov 30, 2021

Take a trip to Micropia, the world’s only museum dedicated to microscopic organisms and learn about our invisible life companions.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/micropia

Tree of 40 Fruits Nov 29, 2021

The Tree of 40 fruits in San Jose California is an horticultural marvel of 40 types of stone fruit trees grafted together to form a living work of art.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/tree-of-40-fruit

Looking for Pawpaws Nov 25, 2021

The Sporkful host Dan Pashman brings listeners on a quest to find a fruit indigenous to North America that has never been industrialized - but may be seeing a resurgence.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/foods/pawpaw-fruit

International Cryptozoology Museum Nov 24, 2021

It’s easy to dismiss Bigfoot, the yeti, the Loch Ness monster, and other cryptids as far-fetched X-Files fodder. But the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine aims to show that when investigations into unknown creatures are done right, they involve real science, and have real scientific value.

Monster of the Month Series: https://www.atlasobscura.com/experiences/monster-of-the-month-with-colin-dickey

The Jagannath Temple Nov 23, 2021

In a collaboration with our friends at Science Diction, we explore the Indian temple complex that gave rise to the word "juggernaut," which means an unstoppable force. But the real story behind it is far more complicated.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/jagannath-temple

Sunny Jim Cave Nov 22, 2021

We follow a long set of wooden stairs deep underground to a sea cave with a mysterious and colorful past, and take in a spectacular, hidden view of the Pacific Ocean in La Jolla.

Learn more about The Cave Store: https://www.cavestore.com/

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/sunny-jim-cave-store

CORRECTION: A previous version of this episode misstated L. Frank Baum's role in the creation of The Wizard of Oz. He was the author, not the illustrator.

Red Sea Blue Hole Nov 18, 2021

This stunning geological marvel just north of Dahab, Egypt has been called the deadliest dive spot in the world. But is that reputation deserved?

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/red-sea-blue-hole

What Makes an Atlas Obscura Place? Nov 17, 2021

Jonathan Carey and Michelle Cassidy of the Atlas Places Team aim to answer the question at the heart of Atlas Obscura - “What kind of place merits an Atlas Obscura entry?”

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://https://www.atlasobscura.com/faq

The Office of Collecting and Design Nov 16, 2021

Jessica Oreck has spent the last 30 years collecting odd and forgotten objects. Now, they’re all beautifully curated and on display in the Office of Collecting and Design in Las Vegas.

Follow the Office of Collecting and Design on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/office.of.collecting/?hl=en

The Forgotten Songs Sound Sculpture Nov 15, 2021

This unique installation in Sydney, Australia combines art and ornithology, commemorating the calls of the city’s lost birds. Plus, bin chickens!

The Hot Ale Flip Nov 11, 2021

Visit the taverns of colonial America to take a frothy sip of the hot ale flip and how it helped pave the way for contemporary mixology.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/foods/hot-ale-flip

The International Church of Cannabis Nov 10, 2021

Travel to Denver Colorado and meet Steve Berke who helped found the first International Church of Cannabis in 2015.

The Plotz Plot Nov 09, 2021

Josh Foer, the co-founder of Atlas Obscura, takes us to a remote patch of land in the Arizona desert, where he built (and later rebuilt) a museum in honor of the company’s former CEO, David Plotz.

The Plotz Plot is accessible from Adamana Road, off of I-40 exit 300, at 35.025639, -109.8195. The lock code is 4444.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/plotz-plot

The House on the Rock Nov 08, 2021

Join host Dylan Thuras and producer Harry Huggins as they visit the unruly architecture of The House on the Rock - one of the inspirations for Atlas Obscura.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/house-rock

Haw Par Villa Nov 04, 2021

This amusement park in Singapore holds the Ten Courts of Hell, a series of dioramas that depict the kind of horrible fates awaiting people who behaved badly on Earth.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/haw-par-villa

The Capitoline Wolf Nov 03, 2021

Matthew Shifrin, host of the podcast Blind Guy Travels, stops by to tell us about a memorable trip he took to Italy, and a visit with an ancient wolf he’s never forgotten.
Listen to Blind Guy Travels: https://radiotopiapresents.fm/blind-guy-travels

Cueva de los Tayos Nov 02, 2021

This Ecuadorian cave has captured the attention of government officials, scientists, professional cavers and is home to a particularly rare creature.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/cueva-de-los-tayos

Yemrehanna Kristos Church Nov 01, 2021

Photographer and author Paul Koudonaris brings listeners to this Ethiopian Church and explores ossuaries, jeweled skeletons, and death practices throughout the world.

Isla de Las Muñecas Oct 28, 2021

An island filled with hundreds of hanging and decomposing dolls is a window into the sociology of why we pursue experiences that inspire fright, fear, and an attraction to the macabre.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/la-isla-de-las-munecas

Hårgaberget Oct 27, 2021

We send reporter Sarah Wyman to northern Sweden to climb a mountain, explore a grim legend, and listen to the devil’s violin.

Listen to Lena Jonsson’s music: https://www.lenajonsson.com/

Listen to Bengt Jonsson play the kohorn: https://youtu.be/vNWnh-k80mM

Clown Motel Oct 26, 2021

Tonopah, Nevada is home to the Clown Motel - an inn on the edge of the desert that’s packed with statues and figurines of Clowns. The eerie and fully-functioning inn is also a labor of love.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/clown-motel

The Real Alchemist of Castle Frankenstein Oct 25, 2021

Two members of the Atlas Obscura team go in search of the true story that may have inspired the literary classic, Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/castle-frankenstein

The Pennsylvania Firefly Festival Oct 21, 2021

The deep woods of Pennsylvania hold a phenomena that has drawn attention from scientists and people around the world, and was almost recently destroyed.

The Great Stalacpipe Organ Oct 20, 2021

The Luray Caverns in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia are home to an instrument draws out the secret sounds of millenia-old stone.

Maine’s Burning Blueberry Fields Oct 19, 2021

Travel to Penobscot, Maine, where one farmer maintains the tradition of burning his crop each year to rejuvenate it the next.

The World's Quietest Room Oct 18, 2021

Experience the Orfield Anechoic Chamber: a room inside a concrete bunker that was once known as the quietest place on earth.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/orfield-labs-quiet-chamber

Glaum Egg Ranch (Re-listen) Oct 14, 2021

In honor of the release of our new book, we bring you another Gastro Obscura Classic: A ranch on the outskirts of Aptos, California features a magical machine that dispenses music, joy, and 18 of the freshest eggs in the land.

Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer's Guide is a whirlwind tour of the world's edible wonders. Order your copy today!

Disgusting Food Museum (Re-listen) Oct 13, 2021

In honor of the release of our new book, we bring you another Gastro Obscura Classic: Open your minds and steel your stomachs as we go to a food museum in Sweden that challenges what exactly makes something delicious… or disgusting.

Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer's Guide is a whirlwind tour of the world's edible wonders. Order your copy today!

Read more in the Atlas:https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/disgusting-food-museum

Sourdough Library (Re-listen) Oct 12, 2021

In honor of the release of our new book TODAY, we bring you a Gastro Obscura Classic: Inside a living, breathing collection of sourdough starters in Belgium

Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer's Guide is a whirlwind tour of the world's edible wonders. Order your copy today!

Read more in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/sourdough-library

The Spritz Cookie Gravestone Oct 11, 2021

Explore the unexpected combination of recipes and graves through the story of Naomi Odessa Miller Dawson’s spritz cookies.

This week we’re celebrating the release of our new bookt! It's called Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer's Guide, a whirlwind tour of the world's edible wonders. Pre-order your copy, and as a bonus you'll get some mathematically efficient cookie cutters!

We’ll be running classic Gastro Obscura-themed episodes of the podcast all week long, so stay tuned for more edible audio wonders!

Seashell Shrines and Bones with the Places Team Oct 07, 2021

Places editors Jonathan and Michele are back again with a few new standout entries to the Atlas … including ancient ossuaries and a shrine covered in shells that’s far from the sea.

We have a new book coming out! It's called Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer's Guide, a whirlwind tour of the world's edible wonders.Pre-order your copy, and as a bonus you'll get some mathematically efficient cookie cutters!

The Last White Deer of Mount Madonna Oct 06, 2021

The story of the white deer on Mount Madonna, the two robber barons who put them there, and the last survivor of the herd.

We have a new book coming out! It's called Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer's Guide, a whirlwind tour of the world's edible wonders.Pre-order your copy, and as a bonus you'll get some mathematically efficient cookie cutters!

The Scarpetta House Oct 05, 2021

From the Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death we move to the Scarpetta house, where full-size reenactments help investigators perfect their skills in evaluating death.

We have a new book coming out! It's called Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer's Guide, a whirlwind tour of the world's edible wonders.Pre-order your copy, and as a bonus you'll get some mathematically efficient cookie cutters!

Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death Oct 04, 2021

Eighteen macabre miniatures housed at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore Maryland have shaped the field of criminal investigation.

We have a new book coming out! It's called Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer's Guide, a whirlwind tour of the world's edible wonders.Pre-order your copy, and as a bonus you'll get some mathematically efficient cookie cutters!

Magical Summer Memories Vol. 4 - The Magic of Water Sep 30, 2021

All summer we’ve been asking you to send us your summer travel stories. And in this final installment of summer stories we tackle a topic that transcends the seasons - the captivating magic of water during travel.

We have a new book coming out! It's called Gastro Obscura: a Food Adventurer's Guide, a whirlwind tour of the world's edible wonders.

Pre-order your copy at Atlasobscura.com/book, and as bonus you'll get some mathematically efficient cookie cutters!

The Mammoth Site of Hot Springs Sep 29, 2021

We sift through the dirt to solve a mystery involving a massive mammoth grave site.

We have a new book coming out! It's called Gastro Obscura: a Food Adventurer's Guide, a whirlwind tour of the world's edible wonders.

Pre-order your copy at Atlasobscura.com/book, and as bonus you'll get some mathematically efficient cookie cutters!

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/mammoth-site

The Curse of the Kreischer Mansion Sep 28, 2021

Host Dylan Thuras visits a Staten Island mansion with a dubious and vitriolic past, only to learn the site’s curse may not be as obvious as it seems.

We have a new book coming out! It's called Gastro Obscura: a Food Adventurer's Guide, a whirlwind tour of the world's edible wonders.

Pre-order your copy at Atlasobscura.com/book, and as bonus you'll get some mathematically efficient cookie cutters!

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/kreischer-mansion

Pando the Trembling Giant Sep 27, 2021

Fishlake National Forest is home to the biggest organism by mass on the planet - but this giant is shrinking and an usual group has banded together to help defend it.

We have a new book coming out! It's called Gastro Obscura: a Food Adventurer's Guide, a whirlwind tour of the world's edible wonders.

Pre-order your copy at Atlasobscura.com/book, and as bonus you'll get some mathematically efficient cookie cutters!

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/pando-the-trembling-giant

Magical Summer Memories Vol. 3 - The Cardiff Giant Sep 23, 2021

All summer we’ve been asking you to send us your summer travel stories. In this installment we hear a listener’s tale of a theological dispute that became a real money-maker known to some as “Old Hoaxy.”

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/cardiff-giant

Rödstensgubben Sep 22, 2021

A trip to Sweden prompts producer Sarah Wyman to dig into a superstitious story passed through generations about the Red Stone Man.

Martian Meteorites and Greek Columns with the AO Places Team Sep 21, 2021

Places editors Jonathan and Michele are back again with a few new standout entries to the Atlas … including a spot in Antarctica that’s home to the oldest Martian meteorite and a column in Greece that symbolizes the fear and ritual past generations embraced when faced with their own plague.

The World’s Largest Collection of Small Versions of Large Things Sep 20, 2021

Artist Erika Nelson didn’t set out in life to necessarily become one of the foremost connoisseurs of large things, but her museum in Lucas, KS is nevertheless the ultimate tribute to the roadside attraction.

Magical Summer Memories Vol. 2 – Via Francigena Sep 16, 2021

All summer we’ve been asking you to send us your summer travel stories. Our second installment in the series follows one listener from London to Rome – on foot.

Nepali Folk Musical Instrument Museum Sep 15, 2021

This secluded museum beats the drum for the preservation of Nepal's musical heritage.

The Mirror Lab Sep 14, 2021

A spinning furnace tucked under the football stadium at the University of Arizona is building giant telescope mirrors.

Good Vibrations Antique Vibrator Museum Sep 13, 2021

This museum’s buzzing collection honors vibrator history.

Magical Summer Memories Vol. 1 Sep 09, 2021

All summer we’ve been asking you to send us your summer travel stories. This is the first of a series of listener-powered episodes about this magical season.

World’s Loneliest Tree Sep 08, 2021

About 400 miles south of New Zealand, on the subantarctic Campbell Island / Motu Ihupuku, stands a Sitka spruce whose nearest neighbor is 170 miles away.

Million Dollar Point Sep 07, 2021

We visit Vanuatu in the South Pacific and go underwater to visit a very strange place from a very strange episode at the end of World War.

Atlas Obscura 101 Sep 06, 2021

We’ve made 100 episodes of the show and figured it was time to hear from the people who make it happen. Enjoy! (And go back and catch up on any episodes you’ve missed)

Kulning: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-atlas-obscura-podcast/episode/kulning-82833088

Mafra Library Bats: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-atlas-obscura-podcast/episode/mafra-palace-library-bats-84059889

Clausland Mountain Tunnels: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-atlas-obscura-podcast/episode/clausland-mountain-tunnels-200225799

The White Squirrel of Prospect Park: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-atlas-obscura-podcast/episode/the-white-squirrel-of-prospect-park-200230461

Bolton Strid: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-atlas-obscura-podcast/episode/bolton-strid-200226079

Booming Dunes: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-atlas-obscura-podcast/episode/booming-dunes-84568835

The Village Where Every Person's Name Is a Song: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-atlas-obscura-podcast/episode/the-village-where-every-persons-name-is-a-song-200229462

Hachiko: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-atlas-obscura-podcast/episode/hachiko-200223598

Museum of Broken Relationships: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-atlas-obscura-podcast/episode/museum-of-broken-relationships-200228325

Newark Earthworks: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-atlas-obscura-podcast/episode/newark-earthworks-200225907

Grasshopper Glacier: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-atlas-obscura-podcast/episode/grasshopper-glacier-83007114

Women of the Black Panther Mural: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-atlas-obscura-podcast/episode/women-of-the-black-panther-mural-200226616

Kilwa Kisiwani: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-atlas-obscura-podcast/episode/kilwa-kisiwani-200229175

Milo Bitters Sep 02, 2021

A listener in Lawrence, Kansas takes us on his journey of discovering the secrets of his hometown.

Arecibo Observatory Sep 01, 2021

This site, and the enormous telescope that sits on it, is loved and lost to both scientists and everyday Puerto Ricans.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/arecibo-observatory

Big Bertha Drum Aug 31, 2021

She’s about 8 feet wide and 500 pounds. And her history spans all the way from the stockyards of Chicago...to a nuclear test during the Manhattan Project...to a stadium at the University of Texas at Austin.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/big-bertha-drum

Åtvidaberg Sun Cannon Aug 30, 2021

Sun cannons have been around since the 1600s. But as far as we know, there’s only one left that’s still up and running. We pay it a visit.

Dead Companions Aug 26, 2021

We nearly stump host Dylan Thuras with a seemingly simple question: Who are the top five dead people he would like to go on a road trip with?

The Tank Aug 25, 2021

An industrial water tank-turned-concert hall in the high deserts of Colorado is nothing less than a sonic wonder of the world.

Beishan Broadcast Wall Aug 24, 2021

On the tiny Kinmen Island, a bow-tie-shape strip of land between China and Taiwan, sits a giant weaponized wall of sound that still stands--and still broadcasts--today.

Places with a Purpose Aug 23, 2021

There are tens of thousands of entries in the Atlas -- In these episodes, we hear from the people who sift through them, Jonathan and Michele, and hear about their favorites.

Learn more about submitting to the Atlas here: https://www.atlasobscura.com/faq

American Chestnut Foundation Aug 19, 2021

The story of the unimaginable destruction of the American Chestnut tree and the group of scientists, academics and tree lovers who are desperately trying to bring them back from the edge of extinction.

LEARN MORE: Visit https://acf.org/ to find out more about this massive conservation effort

Traveling While Aging Aug 18, 2021

Host Dylan Thuras confronts the good and the bad ways travel changes as you move through different life stages.

Mississippi River Basin Model Aug 17, 2021

A walk through this scale model has you feeling like a giant, and striding from Baton Rouge to Omaha in an hour.

LEARN MORE about the model and the group trying to revive it, here: https://friendsofmrbm.org/

Forbes Pigment Collection Aug 16, 2021

A repository in Cambridge, Massachusetts holds over 2,700 pigments that’ve been quietly coloring the world around us since the beginning of human history.

The White Squirrel of Prospect Park Aug 12, 2021

Our team goes on a quest to find Prospect Park’s elusive -- and perhaps most magical -- resident rodent.

Vigeland Mausoleum Aug 11, 2021

On the outskirts of Oslo, Norway, there’s a mausoleum some say is the city’s “best kept secret.” It’s the underrated masterpiece of a mostly unknown artist -- an artist who was overshadowed his whole life by his more successful brother.

The World’s Oldest Living Things Aug 10, 2021

Artist Rachel Sussman takes us on a tour of the world's oldest living things, which she’s been documenting for 10 years.

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/lists/worlds-oldest-living-things

The Shrek Donkey of Barron Park Aug 09, 2021

We visit a park in Palo Alto, California, home of the world’s most famous donkey.

Malcolm and the Mermaid Aug 05, 2021

Host Dylan Thuras chats with author and podcaster Malcolm Gladwell about a beloved Disney movie, and the deeper questions it raised about the stories we tell ourselves -- and our children -- about places real and imaginary.

Hear more: You can listen to Malcolm Gladwell’s series on The LIttle Mermaid, and other stories in the latest season of Revisionist History here

La Piedra Movediza Aug 04, 2021

A huge rock, teetering on the edge of a hill for thousands of years, brought tourism, fame, and what’s said to be a 100-year curse to the town of Tandil, Argentina

Read more in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/la-piedra-movediza

Winchester Mystery House Aug 03, 2021

Does this sprawling mansion in San Jose, California live up to its reputation as one of the most haunted places in the world?

Salton Sea Aug 02, 2021

The story of how humans desperate for water created a lake the size of the city of Los Angeles. And then, how that thirst turned toxic.

Read more in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/salton-sea

The Boiling River Jul 29, 2021

A river in the Amazon is so hot that anything that falls into it will die … but how did it get this way?

The Village Where Every Person’s Name Is a Song Jul 28, 2021

In Kongthong, India, every person’s name is a unique song, composed by their mother within a week of their birth, part of a centuries-old tradition.

The Kalamazoo Gals of the Old Gibson Guitar Factory Jul 27, 2021

The story of the women who stepped up to produce thousands of guitars during World War II, only to be written out of the history.

The Family Tree Jul 26, 2021

A listener’s voicemail sent us searching for the story of a very special -- and giant -- oak tree Peoria, Illinois, and the family of arborists who cared for it.

Beale Treasure Jul 22, 2021

Grab your pickaxes, your shovels, and your code breaking supercomputers because today we’re going on a treasure hunt.

Kilwa Kisiwani Jul 21, 2021

We dig through more than 1,000 years of dirt, history, colonialism, and myth on the Swahili Coast.

Oh The Places We Could Go! Jul 20, 2021

There are tens of thousands of entries in the Atlas -- today we meet the people who sift through them.

Learn more about submitting to the Atlas here: https://www.atlasobscura.com/faq

Josephine Baker’s Chateau Jul 19, 2021

Writer and travel educator Tracey Friley tells the story of the glamorous life of entertainer, French Resistance agent, and civil rights activist, Josephine Baker and the pilgrimages women still make to her chateau.

Learn more: www.traceyfrileytravel.com

Sputnik IV Crash Site Jul 15, 2021

Typically, space junk ends up deep in the Pacific Ocean. This is the story of when it plunged back to earth … onto a street in small-town Wisconsin.

Read more in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/sputnik-crash-site

Spacecraft Cemetery Jul 14, 2021

Where does space stuff go after it dies? To this spot deep, deep in the Pacific Ocean.

Read more in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/spacecraft-cemetery

Catalina Island Bison Herd Jul 13, 2021

The strange story of Catalina Island’s herd of bison, and the harrowing story of producer Sarah Wyman’s encounter with these intimidating residents.

The Baalbek Trilithon Jul 12, 2021

This ancient temple complex in Northern Lebanon is one of the most well-preserved Roman ruins on earth, and one of the most overlooked.

Read More in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/baalbek-trilithon

Introducing Toxic: The Britney Spears Story Jul 09, 2021

Comedians Tess Barker and Babs Gray, who you might know from Lady to Lady or the now legendary Britney’s Gram podcast, are here to bring you a brand new investigative series about Britney Spears' conservatorship and the court system that's allowed it to persist.
After launching the #FreeBritney movement, they started to dig… And what they found out, you won’t want to miss!
Join Tess and Babs as they talk to exclusive sources, examine new sides of the story, and uncover disturbing truths about our legal system that go way beyond Britney.
Listen to Episodes 1 & 2 right now: link.chtbl.com/ToxicThePodcast

Harvard Bridge Smoots Jul 08, 2021

How an MIT fraternity pledge instituted a new, unique unit of measurement.

Valley of the Whales Jul 07, 2021

The fossils of Wadi al-Hitan (Valley of the Whales) in Egypt give us a glimpse of a remarkable evolutionary history.

Read more in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/wadi-al-hitan

Dude Chilling Park Jul 06, 2021

A renegade art project in Vancouver galvanized a small community, pitted residents against city government, and ultimately resulted in a new name for a chill park

Read more in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/dude-chilling-park

A (Quick) 4th of July Greeting from the Largest Pothole in the World Jul 05, 2021

Host Dylan Thuras convinces his family to stop at this most unusual attraction in Pennsylvania

Read More in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/archbald-pothole

Museum of Broken Relationships Jul 01, 2021

This episode will break your heart. And that’s a good thing.

Science that Doesn’t Stop Jun 30, 2021

Host Dylan Thuras riffs on a subject that has long fascinated him: the world’s longest-running science experiments.

Shoreham Power Plant Jun 29, 2021

We venture out to Long Island, not for the beautiful beaches, or an Islanders game, or to hang with Billy Joel. We're here to explore the fraught history of a gigantic, ominous sea foam-green nuclear power plant.

The Danse Macabre Jun 28, 2021

Mortician Caitlin Doughty gives us a dance lesson in the two-step we were all born to do.

Check out Doughty’s ‘Ask a Mortitican’ series here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi5iiEyLwSLvlqnMi02u5gQ

Beechey Island Graves Part 2 Jun 24, 2021

In this two-part series, we venture towards frozen graves tied to an infamous Arctic expedition. We follow two groups of adventurers, separated by more than 170 years, and play witness to the disasters that befell them all.

Beechey Island Graves Part 1 Jun 23, 2021

In this two-part series, we venture towards frozen graves tied to an infamous Arctic expedition. We follow two groups of adventurers, separated by more than 170 years, and play witness to the disasters that befell them all.

Pics or it Didn’t Happen - Part 2 Jun 22, 2021

A few weeks ago we dropped an episode debating whether technology has helped or hurt our modern travel experience. It sparked a lot of reaction, and we hear some of that today.

Ubatuba Whale(s) Jun 21, 2021

We dig into the tales of TWO whales washing ashore along the southeastern coast of Brazil. And learn how one became a scientific marvel and the other, a local landmark.

Read more in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/ubatuba-whale

Women of the Black Panther Mural Jun 17, 2021

A 30-foot tall mural on the side of a house in West Oakland is teaching an often left out part of the history of the Black Panther Party-- the women who fueled the movement.

Read more in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/black-lives-matter-murals. Learn more about this project and sign up for a tour of the mini-museum here: http://Www.westoaklandmuralproject.org

Cebritas de La Paz Jun 16, 2021

In the busy, traffic-packed capital city of Bolivia, we meet the zebras who keep the streets of La Paz safe for its citizens.

Read more in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/la-paz-cebritas

Museum of Quackery and Questionable Medical Devices Jun 15, 2021

We visit what might be the world’s largest collection of fraudulent, nefarious, or otherwise ineffectual medical machinery -- and meet the founder who brought it all together.

Read more in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/museum-quackery

Historic Myrtle Beach Colored School Museum & Education Center Jun 14, 2021

The story of a community that came together in the 1930s to build this schoolhouse, and then came together again several decades later to build it a second time and preserve its legacy

Best Summer Ever (Tell Us About It) Jun 11, 2021

Calling all listeners! We want to hear about your memorable summer travel experiences: road trips, unforgettable places, summer traditions, magical memories. Leave us a message at 315-992-7902, or send an email or a voice memo to hello@atlasobscura.com.

Moses Gates and the Chrysler Building Eagles Jun 10, 2021

Urban planner, Moses Gates, shares his unlikely experience with the residents of the 61st floor of one of New York City’s most iconic buildings..

Booming Dunes Jun 09, 2021

An audio postcard from the desert of Badain Jaran in China, home of the Booming Dunes, and possibly the coolest sand sounds you’ve ever heard

Bolton Strid Jun 08, 2021

Some say this little burbling creek is “the deadliest body of water on Earth.,”

Read more in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/bolton-strid

The Heidelberg Project Jun 07, 2021

We take you to the east side of Detroit, where an artist transformed a largely abandoned street into an immersive, living museum -- which grew into something even bigger

Read more in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/heidelberg-project

Newark Earthworks Jun 03, 2021

Built by indigenous people thousands of years ago, the Newark Earthworks are part cathedral, part cemetery, and part astronomical observatory. But today, this ancient ceremonial site is part of a golf course in Ohio.

Read Cedric Rose’s article: https://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/article/will-ohios-earthworks-become-a-world-heritage-site/

Learn more about the Newark Earthworks: http://worldheritageohio.org

Re-up Your Luck Jun 02, 2021

We explore the power luck has on us all, rational or not, through the unlikely places people go to re-up

Clausland Mountain Tunnels Jun 01, 2021

Under the forests of Nyack, New York lays a series of dark and decrepit tunnels with militaristic roots but now attract graffiti artists and plenty of teen lore.

National Corvette Museum Sinkhole May 31, 2021

Eight rare vehicles at the National Corvette Museum in Kentucky vanish, thanks to a massive sinkhole

Jatinga Bird Deaths May 27, 2021

An Indian village is home to one of the world’s oldest and greatest ornithological mysteries

Library of Mistakes May 26, 2021

A carefully curated collection of miscalculations in Edinburgh, Scotland serves as a warning for our gullibility, especially when it comes to money.

Read more in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/library-of-mistakes

Glaum Egg Ranch May 25, 2021

A ranch on the outskirts of Aptos, California features a magical machine that dispenses music, joy, and 18 of the freshest eggs in the land.

Spite Houses May 24, 2021

Home is where the grudge is. We survey a special kind of architecture that is both petty and personal.

Hitler’s Toilet May 20, 2021

It roamed the seas, served an evil dictator, survived a war, and ended up in a New Jersey auto-repair shop bathroom.

Mafra Palace Library Bats May 19, 2021

A grand library in Portugal has some unexpected nighttime caretakers -- tiny bats. Read more in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/mafra-palace-library-bats

Wonders in Your Backyard May 18, 2021

You’ve been leaving us messages about the strange and wondrous places in your towns, like the world’s largest tin soldier, the home of the first public beach and a phone connecting us to people we’ve lost.

Disgusting Food Museum May 17, 2021

Open your minds and steel your stomachs as we go to a food museum in Sweden that challenges what exactly makes something delicious… or disgusting.

Basilica Cistern May 13, 2021

An old friend takes us under the streets of Instanbul and into an encounter with Medusa.

National Museum of Health and Medicine May 12, 2021

A boxy, Brutalist building in Silver Spring, Maryland contains one of the greatest collections of disease, injury, and human body bits ever assembled.

Mike the Headless Chicken May 11, 2021

The strangest, most famous resident from this Colorado town happens to be a headless fowl.

Puffin Patrol May 10, 2021

We go to the Westman Islands off the southern coast of Iceland and meet the heroes who save young birds that have wandered from their nests every summer.

Pics or it Didn't Happen? May 06, 2021

There was a time when we didn't walk around with computers in our pockets and exploring a new place required a paper map. In this episode, we dig into the ultimate debate: has technology ruined or elevated travel? Send us your questions about traveling or tell us a story by emailing a voice message to hello@atlasobscura.com

Sourdough Library May 05, 2021

Inside a living, breathing collection of sourdough starters in Belgium.

Read more in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/sourdough-library

Brooklyn Latrine May 04, 2021

A listener tells us about a treasure buried in his literal backyard, and the two strange men who showed up on his doorstep and asked to dig it up.

The Institute of Illegal Images May 03, 2021

A mind-tripping place where the art stands out not because of what's on them but what's in them.

The Belt and Berm, Part 2 Apr 29, 2021

A special journey told in two parts, beginning with the world’s largest conveyor belt in the Western Sahara and ending on your dinner plate

The Belt and Berm, Part 1 Apr 28, 2021

A special journey told in two parts, beginning with the world’s largest conveyor belt in the Western Sahara and ending on your dinner plate.

A Memory Made in Malawi Apr 27, 2021

Today we flip the focus from the memorable places we visit to the memorable people we meet on our adventures.

The 49th Parallel Apr 26, 2021

A listener takes us to a town on the edge of the longest undefended border in the world. Our theme and end credit music was composed by Sam Tyndall.

Hachiko Apr 22, 2021

After a profound show of devotion for his master, a dog becomes the symbol of loyalty for an entire nation.

The Thousand-Year Rose Apr 21, 2021

The world's oldest rose is so tough it survived being bombed in World War II.

Narcisse Snake Dens Apr 20, 2021

A Canadian community comes together to save its slithering neighbors... the largest single concentration of harmless garter snakes in the world

Read more in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/narcisse-snake-dens

Communist Mummies Apr 19, 2021

Humans have a primal need to honor their dead. We take you on a tour of our favorite communist mummies.

Our theme and end credit music was composed by Sam Tyndall.

President Heads Apr 15, 2021

Giant busts of U.S. presidents are slowly crumbling in a field in Virginia.

Read more in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/president-heads

How I Learned to Love Las Vegas Apr 14, 2021

A spectacular art installation is hidden inside an all-luxury shopping mall in Las Vegas.

Read more in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/akhob

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Burnham Block Apr 13, 2021

Six tiny houses built for working class people form the largest intentional cluster of Wright homes anywhere.

Zone Rouge Apr 12, 2021

A swath of land in Northern France still bears scars of the destruction of World War I. Destruction so bad that, in some cases, humans have never been allowed to return.

Read more in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/zone-rouge

Our theme and end credit music was composed by Sam Tyndall.

Grasshopper Glacier Apr 08, 2021

A rapidly disappearing glacier holds the key to a forgotten species, a century-old entomological mystery, and… an opera.

Read more in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/grasshopper-glacier

Hope Cemetery Apr 07, 2021

A graveyard in the “Granite Capital of the World” pays tribute to stone cutters and artisans who are buried amongst the sculptures they created.

Read more in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/hope-cemetery

Pyramiden Apr 06, 2021

An abandoned Russian mining village is literally frozen in time.

Read more in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/pyramiden

The Root Bridges of Cherrapunji Apr 05, 2021

In the depths of Northeastern India, centuries-old bridges are not built, they are grown.

Our theme and end credit music was composed by Sam Tyndall.

Kulning Apr 01, 2021

For centuries, herdswomen in Northern Sweden have lured cows home with haunting melodies.

Read more in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/what-is-kulning

Gold Medal Flour Mar 31, 2021

The crumbled ruins of the world’s largest flour mill became one of Minneapolis’ most prominent graffiti-writing locations, and later a museum.

Merrymount Mar 30, 2021

How an English party animal turned 1620s-era Quincy, Massachusetts into the world’s least likely party town.

The Gray Man Mar 29, 2021

A South Carolina ghost story is a harbinger of hurricanes and a window into history.

The Grave of Miss Baker Mar 25, 2021

Visitors leave bananas on the grave of “America’s First Lady of Space,” an early astronaut whose incredible life was forgotten.

Minister’s Treehouse Mar 24, 2021

The world’s biggest treehouse was inspired by a message from God.

Seljavallalaug Swimming Pool Mar 23, 2021

The oldest (maybe) swimming pool in Iceland is a stunning oasis built into the side of a lush hill.

Read more in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/seljavallalaug

Lynmouth Flood Memorial Hall Mar 22, 2021

A disaster in a seaside town got locals wondering about government conspiracies, weather control, and if human beings could actually, truly for real, make it rain.

Camp Anza Mar 18, 2021

A listener from Riverside, California, reminisces about his hometown's history as a star-studded WWII camp.

The Museum of Bad Art Mar 17, 2021

A basement museum in Somerville, Massachusetts is dedicated to collecting awful artwork. But what makes art bad, really?

Read more in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/museum-bad-art

Widow Jane Mine Mar 16, 2021

This old cement mine in Rosendale, New York, has been used as everything from a mushroom farm to a recording studio.

Read more in the Atlas: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/widow-jane-mine

The Gates of Hell Mar 15, 2021

A gigantic crater of fire in Turkmenistan has been burning for nearly fifty years.

Introducing: The Atlas Obscura Podcast Feb 26, 2021

Coming March 15: A new audio guide to the world’s strange, incredible, and wondrous places.

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