Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast apps. Hi, Dylan here. You have reached the Atlas Obscura podcast line, the last functioning voicemail message machine in the world. Unfortunately, I’m not home right now, but leave me a message about a trip yo … | Continue reading
Not many people know that the small, remote college town of St. Mary's City was once the capital and chief city of Maryland. Even fewer know that it was one of the first places where the American principle of religious freedom was put into practice. The Province of Maryland was f … | Continue reading
It is not difficult to find the De Salvo family plot. Standing out amongst the flat slabs and marble obelisks, the De Salvo tomb features a detailed sculpture of the family carved into the marble. Even though it has been exposed to the elements for nearly a century, you can still … | Continue reading
In what is now a part of downtown in Słupsk, Poland, stands an odd-shaped local art gallery. However, the history of this structure has not always been so civil-minded. It owes its tall, narrow shape to it originally being built as a defense tower along the city’s walls in the 15 … | Continue reading
Little visibly remains of the period of Ottoman rule over Hungary during the 16th and 17th centuries. Although it is a period that many would rather forget, some reminders have been restored, including Gül Baba's Tomb in the country's capital. Gül Baba, known as the “Father of th … | Continue reading
In the quirky toy town of Seiffen, there’s no need to set your watch for the holiday season. All eyes turn to the famous Christmas clock perched above the town square, ticking down the days, hours, and minutes to Christmas Eve. When the clock strikes 5 p.m. on December 24th, the … | Continue reading
On August 23, 1989, the people of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia organized a protest against the Soviet Union (of which the three nations were then a part). Two million people, constituting approximately one third of the population of the Baltic nations, joined hands to form a 60 … | Continue reading
It is unclear how long the Grand Mud Mosque of Kong has been around, but the region it sits in has been inhabited since the 14th century. Islam quickly took hold in the region when it was introduced, and records indicate many mosques were constructed in the 18th century. However, … | Continue reading
Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, and Amazon. Rhym Guissé: A quick warning, some of the language and imagery used to describe this period of time may be upsetting. Please take care while listening. On my very first trip to Myrtle Beach, I wanted to orient m … | Continue reading
Marks & Spencer is potentially the most well-known department store chain in the United Kingdom. The chain originally started in 1884 as a stall in Kirkgate Market in Leeds selling simple household goods, but by the end of the nineteenth century, the business had already set up s … | Continue reading
In addition to national standardized testing, Japanese college admissions are marked by individual entrance exams for many schools. As such, hordes of senior high schoolers will descend upon a given college to take their exam. In hopes of aid in such ordeals, students also custom … | Continue reading
Rambadagalla is a small rural village that around 3,300 people call home. Surrounding this village in all directions are gentle rolling hills, mostly consisting of farmed land and tiny hamlets. Snaking up and down these hills are a few narrow roads that connect Rambadagalla to th … | Continue reading
Sylvia Plath, remembered for her confessional poetry and her novel The Bell Jar, was not buried in her native America. Rather, her grave is in a small Yorkshire village in which she never lived. The reason for this is that her estranged husband, fellow poet Ted Hughes, buried her … | Continue reading
The complex relationship between Catholicism and the indigenous peoples of the Americas, in Mexico in particular, is well-represented in the city of San Cristóbal de las Casas. Originally established under the name Villa Real de Chiapa in 1528, it was renamed San Cristóbal in 182 … | Continue reading
Nestled deep in the eastern Pyrenees mountains lies the Vall del Madriu-Perafita-Claror, a glacial valley renowned for its history and grandeur. At only 42.47 square kilometers (about 16 square miles), it is not very large, but still occupies nearly 10 percent of the tiny country … | Continue reading
This small but intriguing temple was built between the 8th and 10th century. The dating relies on an inscription on a pillar, which also reveals that the temple was part of a Buddhist monastery. Stylistically, Nalanda Gedige exhibits more Hindu than Buddhist traits, including the … | Continue reading
The ancient Egyptians ultimately never built another structure as large as the famous Great Pyramid of Giza. Although pyramids continued to be built, they ended up being on a much smaller scale, accompanied by a change in design and religious practices. The pyramids of the 5th an … | Continue reading
What makes the Transylvanian fortified citadel of Sighisoara, Romania so unique, besides the fact that it has been around since the 12th century and is one of the few medieval citadels still inhabited in Europe? Well, this is the actual birthplace of Vlad III Dracul, the inspirat … | Continue reading
In a fjord near Reykjavík, often bypassed by travellers, stands a rock that seems plucked from the pages of Icelandic folklore. Known as Steðji, or, Staupasteinn, this nearly three-meter-tall formation rises from the hill like a chalice carved by ice-giants. Its goblet-like shape … | Continue reading
They say, “Roses are red, violets are blue.” However, in a garden in the middle of a residential neighbourhood in Pune, they might say, “Roses come in all colours.” Jayantrao Tilak Rose Garden, in the area of Sahakar Nagar near Parvati Hill, is a treasure trove for rose enthusias … | Continue reading
From the looks of it, the Dunnington Mansion was left to waste decades or even a century ago. But this handsome manor only ceased to be someone's cared-for residence in the year 2000, and its neglect was completely against the wishes of its former owner. The Dunnington Mansion's … | Continue reading
In the courtyard of the 15th-century Bender Fortress, in the breakaway region of Transnistria, visitors might notice something strange: a cluster of bullet holes in one section of the wall. They don’t follow a clear trajectory or resemble typical conflict damage—they seem to focu … | Continue reading
An American Indian and leader of his tribe, Iyannough’s vast territory included Barnstable, Sandy Neck, Yarmouth, and part of Hyannis. He established relationships with early European settlers in 1621, roughly 18 months after the Mayflower arrived in Provincetown. A statue of Iya … | Continue reading
Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast apps. Have you ever been a regular anywhere? Like, is there a place in your neighborhood where people recognize you when you walk in or maybe the person working behind the counter always knows what you’re goin … | Continue reading
When Spanish Texas (also known as Tejas or the New Philippines) was permanently settled in 1716, one of its primary goals was to provide a buffer against French Louisiana and secure the Gulf of Mexico. As Spain established a mission here at San Miguel de los Adaes, at the very fr … | Continue reading
At the junction of two picturesque side streets in the center of Bordeaux, a small children's playground is home to the city's largest mur végétal, a vertical garden or green wall. Square Vinet was created in the 1970s as part of a regeneration project in the area, in the space l … | Continue reading
The arrival of Christianity in Sri Lanka goes back a long way. Did St. Thomas the Apostle go as far as Sri Lanka? He did make it to India during the 1st century, but it is difficult to ascertain if he actually reached Sri Lanka as well. If this early contact is shrouded in myster … | Continue reading
Lurking behind an active railway, and across a heavily overgrown field, it’s easy to miss this rough-hewn granite pyramid, 23 feet tall, with a 30 square foot base, in the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park in Fredericksburg, Virginia. The pyramid was original … | Continue reading
Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast apps. I want to tell you about a place that is both good and bad at the exact same time. It is truly crummy and totally lovable. It is 100 percent a tourist trap, and honestly, it’s a slightly cancelable touri … | Continue reading
The district of San Nicolas nowadays serves as the storage and warehouse facility of the many businesses based in the nearby Binondo district, owing to its strategic location in the middle of the Philippines’ busiest port. It is also the center for importing Chinese products. Eve … | Continue reading
If both Dakotas were just one state, it would be the fourth-largest in America, despite having just 1.7 million people. Yet, for 28 years, Dakota was indeed just one territory, even more sparsely populated than today. This being the time of the Wild West, a small building like th … | Continue reading
Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast apps. I recently learned that you can find a lot of old computer games on Steam. And when I say old, I mean old like Windows ’95 old. So I started poking around looking for this game that I was obsessed with w … | Continue reading
This humble marker recalls the West Asheville & Sulphur Springs Electric Railway Company, whose trolleys used to run past this site between 1891 and 1895. Edwin Carrier, who made his fortune in lumber, built an empire in West Asheville including the Sulphur Springs Hotel, a dam a … | Continue reading
Saint Paul's Well is a water well located in the old town of Tarsus, Turkey that is said to have belonged to Paul the Apostle. The well is on the UNESCO tentative list of world heritage sites in Turkey. The well's depth is 18 meters and its mouth width is 1.15 meters. Christians … | Continue reading
Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast apps. Dylan Thuras: What is the largest souvenir that you’ve ever brought home from a trip? One time, my wife and I were living in Hungary, in Budapest, for a year. We found a taxidermy—it was antique—it was a … | Continue reading
Rundfunkmuseum Cham is a museum with a large collection of historic radio and TV sets in a former telecommunication office. It opened in 2017. The museum has two unique features: It has its own medium-wave transmitter, a unit of the last medium-wave broadcasting transmitter of th … | Continue reading
Rosenborg Castle is the home to many trappings of the Danish monarchy, including the crown jewels and the thrones of the king and queen. It is also home to a less regal chair, one that displays an unexpected love of practical jokes. Located in the Regalia Room (just off of the Kn … | Continue reading
Established in 1773 in a location that was at the time outside Riga’s city limits, the multidenominational Great Cemetery (Lielie kapi) was once the city’s most prestigious burial ground. Members of the aristocracy, political leaders, religious leaders, business leaders, performe … | Continue reading
In 1981, when Guanajuato was just becoming the tourist attraction it is known as today, the engineer Augusto Videgaray wanted to spread the word about the city’s ghost stories and paranormal events. Putting his mechanical knowledge to work, he bought some of the dolls, which he a … | Continue reading
The landscape of South Wales is filled with the ruins of various medieval castles and other buildings. The stone tower located in a field outside of Pontyclun might appear to be one of these medieval ruins. Locally nicknamed the Witch's Tower, the tower is about 82 feet (25 meter … | Continue reading
During the interwar period, the Turkish ruling elite had a complicated and evolving relationship with fascist ideologies, particularly Italian Fascism. When liberal democratic concepts and responses to urgent issues had lost credibility worldwide, the formulations of Kemalism and … | Continue reading
Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast apps. Dylan Thuras: Okay, big question. What is the single best McDonald’s menu item full access to the entire internationalized menu, but you only get one. Gary He: Oh, man. I really love the egg bulgogi burg … | Continue reading
Ernest Hemingway was born and raised in Oak Park, a suburb of Chicago, but few know that he spent every summer of his childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood in Northern Michigan. The Hemingway family built and maintained a vacation home on Walloon Lake near Petoskey on the s … | Continue reading
Cruising through the Nevada desert, you might think you're hallucinating when this extraterrestrial outpost materializes on the horizon. Just past the infamous Area 51, this kitschy roadside attraction is like a UFO that crash-landed into a souvenir shop—and that is meant in the … | Continue reading
Robert P. McCulloch had many ventures throughout his life, but he is perhaps best known for moving the 1831 London Bridge brick-by-brick to Arizona. Done to bring visitors to his planned town at Lake Havasu City, McCulloch pursued a similarly unique project for another developmen … | Continue reading
A couple miles up a dirt road off of U.S. 20 lie a few basic structures and a small cemetery from the now deserted town of Gebo, Wyoming. Once a booming coal settlement, its population dwindled as mining operations shut down. Most of the town was bulldozed in 1971, but the cemete … | Continue reading
Beginning in the 1980s, the metalheads and music lovers of small-town Ferndale, Washington, began to paint Metallica's band logo on a section of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe bridge that runs by Main Street. Despite being seen as a nuisance in the early years and having been c … | Continue reading
Beneath your feet, history unfolds—literally. Tucked into the terrace of Berlin’s new Archaeology Center on Museum Island lies a vast mosaic that serves as both artwork and archaeological echo. At first glance, it might appear decorative. But this 20-by-20 foot (6-by-6 meter) nat … | Continue reading