Atlas Obscura readers wrote in about the classic tales that taught them one thing—unease. | Continue reading
This love-filled collective and its compelling leader had quite the creative output. | Continue reading
There's only one Sigma Derby machine left. | Continue reading
And they have the "Ancient Lights" signs to prove it. | Continue reading
At the South Pole, the freezer is just a hole in the wall to the ice outside. | Continue reading
This imaginative gadget was designed to get operatives out of difficult situations. | Continue reading
A new way to experience Atlas Obscura with fellow explorers like you. | Continue reading
In northern Scandinavia, cups of coffee get enhanced with cheese. | Continue reading
Freedomland U.S.A., an American history-themed amusement park in the East Bronx, was demolished 50 years ago this summer. But fond memories live on among... | Continue reading
A seemingly silly gesture is done for the sake of safety. | Continue reading
Chopin's heart was taken from his body when he died and buried in a church where it was recently exhumed for a secret check up. | Continue reading
In 1919, a viscous 40-foot wave slammed into the city's North End, killing 21 people. | Continue reading
The fruit could soon look and taste more like chili peppers. | Continue reading
A linguistic exploration. | Continue reading
From the Mariana Trench to the Moon, we have have changed places we've barely even visited. | Continue reading
A new digital tour helps visitors jump back in time. | Continue reading
Education for women and emerging nationhood, illustrated with care and charm. | Continue reading
A peanut? Or maybe a bowling pin? | Continue reading
Beishan Broadcast Station, which once blasted propaganda across the ocean, has found another purpose. | Continue reading
Adding sound flourishes to films in post-production remains low-tech. | Continue reading
A view-altering observatory. | Continue reading
Atlas Obscura readers share their tried-and-true favorites. | Continue reading
How is the U.S. actually split geographically? | Continue reading
At least, not in this universe. | Continue reading
Bring binoculars. | Continue reading
Can you spot one in this picture? | Continue reading
It's fun to imagine it leapt out of the water like a torpedo—but unlikely. | Continue reading
Lam Qua's paintings depicting people with huge, bulbous tumors remain mesmerizing. | Continue reading
Beware the persimmon. | Continue reading
A unique online resource shows how camo can make a soldier stand out. | Continue reading
The creators revisit their hit game 25 years later. | Continue reading
Collapsing castle on the Hudson river was once the storage site of military surplus business. | Continue reading
In the era of pods, the iconic item has become an endangered species. | Continue reading
The Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program found yet another pinniped with an unusual nasal inhabitant. | Continue reading
Naturally! | Continue reading
The Corn Belt is making it rain. | Continue reading
Wafa Ghnaim is introducing people to "tatreez" through her workshops. | Continue reading
From canned beets to milk jugs, each exhibit relates to a wave of deadly disease. | Continue reading
You can move mountains and make it rain. | Continue reading
It was purely acci-dental. | Continue reading
This prehistoric figurine is the oldest known realistic depiction of a human face. | Continue reading
Attention, tinkerers: It's still solvable. | Continue reading
Giant WWII fortresses that fired 8,000 rounds a minute, now home to thousands of pigeons. | Continue reading
Let's talk about death, baby. | Continue reading
In 1973, a Michigan entrepreneur buried 30,000 mushroom pizzas—all for nothing. | Continue reading
They called it mellow yellow. | Continue reading
This Thanksgiving, why not feast on insects? | Continue reading