Listen and subscribe on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast apps. Our show often focuses on interesting people and places. But in this episode of The Atlas Obscura Podcast, the team shares memorable encounters they’ve had with animals—everything from parakee … | Continue reading
The northeast corner of South Africa is a patchwork of landscapes, from open, hoodoo-studded plains in the interior and wetlands along the coast to surprising, dense coniferous forests—a relic of the colonial period, when alien species were brought from Europe to create massive p … | Continue reading
On the night of February 24, 1857, under gaslit torches in New Orleans's warehouse district, a Mardi Gras tradition was born. At the intersection of Julia and Magazine Streets, the Mistick Krewe of Comus kicked off Fat Tuesday with a parade that marched through the main thoroughf … | Continue reading
This small museum located in an old bank building (with drive-through teller machines still present) covers a unique but little-known period in American and labor history known as the Mine Wars. These "wars" started in central West Virginia in the 1910s and culminated with the 1 … | Continue reading
Since their introduction in the mid-19th century, music boxes have been a very popular novelty in Japan, where they are called orugōru from Dutch Orgel "organ." They are commonly found among the usual souvenirs at tourist gift shops, coming in many shapes and sizes. Established i … | Continue reading
Standing on a granite hillside off California's scenic 17-mile drive in Pebble Beach, the Lone Cypress is a western icon. It has been called one of the most photographed trees in North America. The Monterey cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa) looks out over Carmel Bay. Though its age … | Continue reading
A fascinating piece of gothic artwork sits just feet off the road in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. This functional fountain was originally specifically for horses to drink from. The more interesting and gothic feature of the fountain is that the spout is coming out of a gargoyle’s mo … | Continue reading
The main building of the University of Pune (now Savitribai Phule Pune University) used to be, once upon a time, the monsoon residence of the Governor of Bombay (now Mumbai) during the British era. Due to the weather conditions, Mumbai used to be the winter residence, Pune was th … | Continue reading
Drive north on narrow Houston Street in the northeastern section of Greenville, Texas, and you will see a mix of houses and industrial buildings. But at a seemingly random intersection, you will find an old entry gate and a historical marker, which is all that remains of Majors S … | Continue reading
Listen and subscribe on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast apps. In this episode of The Atlas Obscura Podcast, host Dylan Thuras takes us on a journey into the world of foraging with Alan Muscat, a foraging educator based in Asheville, North Carolina. Musca … | Continue reading
In 1931, Bell Laboratories physicist and radio researcher Karl Jansky set up a radio antenna on this site for experimental studies. While gathering data, his results were affected daily by static. He concluded that this was originating from space due to the fact that the time of … | Continue reading
This article is from Hakai Magazine, an online publication about science and society in coastal ecosystems. Read more stories like this at hakaimagazine.com. Chinese mitten crabs are a delicacy among some seafood lovers: deeply savory, with a distinctive tinge of sweetness. Diner … | Continue reading
The huge El Meson De Pepe’s restaurant is lined with posters, pictures, souvenirs, maps, flags, toys, and all kinds of mementos of Cuban life (including a replica hydroplane that flew from Key West to Cuba in 1913). These large-scale reproductions of Mario Sanchez’s colorful pict … | Continue reading
This boathouse, commissioned in 1905 for Cudworth Beye, a friend of Frank Lloyd Wright's, wanted a boathouse for the University of Wisconsin crew tea—in Buffalo, New York. The structure featured Wright's very first perfectly flat roof, and was the only boathouse he ever designed. … | Continue reading
Secret Obsessions is Atlas Obscura’s new column where we ask wondrous people to take us down a rabbit hole. This edition features the drummer of the British band Blur, Dave Rowntree, as told to Associate Editor Sarah Durn. I got my first telescope for Christmas when I was nine o … | Continue reading
This story was originally published in Undark and appears here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. In 2018, news spread around Saroj Duru’s village that four elephants had gathered at a nearby lake. Such creatures didn’t typically visit her region in central India—they wer … | Continue reading
Just outside Belfast on the N4 highway sits this piercing war memorial. The monument was built in 1970 as a replacement for the original, much smaller, monument that was placed in 1930. This piercing, brutalist piece commemorates the Battle of Bergendal which took place in Augus … | Continue reading
The history of Trutnov is intimately bound with dragons, as even the shortest term visitor will notice. Dragons adorn businesses throughout the city center and comprise some of the city's most prominent statues. Depending on the time of year, you may even be lucky enough to see o … | Continue reading
Situated within the Fremantle Cemetery lies the final resting place of Ronald Belford "Bon" Scott, lead vocalist of the popular rock band AC/DC. Bon was born on July 9, 1946, in a town north of the Scottish city of Dundee. (You can find a bronze statue of the singer in Kirriemuir … | Continue reading
As temperatures start to rise and beaches start to fill, it seems summer has officially arrived—bring on the backyard barbecues and picture-perfect picnics (perhaps in a secluded Georgian graveyard)! This year at Atlas Obscura, we’re doing the sunny season a little differently. W … | Continue reading
U.S. Highway 97 extends from Weed, California, up to the Canadian border. It runs along the eastern side of the Cascades and is a major north-south route that has become more important with the burgeoning development in eastern Oregon and Washington. Indeed, it has become an alte … | Continue reading
Forget steamy romances and pulpy mysteries. Atlas Obscura's list of this season's best beach reads is a litany of wild tales that are actually about beaches—the unexpected things they hid, the weird things that have washed up on them, and what it would take to build your own seas … | Continue reading
Listen and subscribe on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast apps. In this episode of The Atlas Obscura Podcast, we visit the U.S. National Tick Collection in Statesboro, Georgia, to learn what ticks, often thought of as little monstrosities, can teach us Our … | Continue reading
This article is from Hakai Magazine, an online publication about science and society in coastal ecosystems. Read more stories like this at hakaimagazine.com. Kelp is common along temperate shorelines around the world. For millennia, this large brown algae has been vital to coasta … | Continue reading
Like everywhere, advertisements are everywhere in Japan. It’s also quite infamous for its T.V. commercials, often shocking the world with their bizarre touch. Despite (or because of) our familiarity with it, however, advertisement largely remains an underappreciated art form. The … | Continue reading
Hibiya Park is a large public park situated near the Imperial Palace, an oasis among the metropolitan hustle and bustle of Tokyo. Established in 1903, it’s home to a century-old restaurant, an extensive library museum, Japan’s oldest open-air concert hall, and statues of Philippi … | Continue reading
“Remember in the first Terminator movie, when they’re crushing the Terminator? That’s basically what this machine does,” says Wesley Long, an equipment specialist in the Combat Feeding Division. The machine in question is capable of applying 20,000 pounds of downward force—roughl … | Continue reading
Feeding physically active soldiers requires thousands of calories a day more than the average civilian consumes. Here’s what some of history’s most notable warriors ate: The Spartans: Spartans weren’t exactly known for their luxurious lifestyles, but their warriors typically got … | Continue reading
From salted beef and canned bread to pizza and cheesecake, military food in the United States has come a long way. Revolutionary War: To keep soldiers from getting scurvy on their diet high in salted beef, pork, and fish, George Washington’s troops were given up to a quart of spr … | Continue reading
Whether invented at the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Systems Center or by subcontracted private companies, many processed foods now common in civilian life were first created by and for the military-industrial complex. SPAM: Hormel Foods Corporation invented the world’s most famous c … | Continue reading
Eran is an archaeological complex located in the Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh, home to numerous ancient ruins covering over three thousand years of history, from the Chalcolithic period (1800-700 BCE) to the 18th century. It flourished most around the 6th century, during the … | Continue reading
As the name suggests, Al Atawlah Heritage Mosque is a historical mosque. It was built in the 12th century, which means it does not date back to the early days of Islam and is one of the few that has not undergone thorough restructuring. This may be due to a combination of factor … | Continue reading
Touted as the only ski-flying hill outside of Europe, this structure in Ironwood, Michigan, is open to the public... but unfortunately not for ski jumping. Visitors can take a ride to the top to take in the impressive views during the Summer months. There are also hiking and moun … | Continue reading
At the center of the city's oldest public park, stands The Grand Fountain, one of only three of Scotland's Grade A-listed fountains. It and the surrounding land were donated to the city by industrialist and philanthropist Thomas Coates. The massive water fixture stands at 32 feet … | Continue reading
The Fortress of Deva, or Cetatea Devei in Romanian, is a thick-walled 13th-century castle atop a volcanic hill in the Transylvanian city Deva. As the capital city of the Huneadora County, Deva is also home to several of Romania's highest-profile heritage tourism sites; Corvin Cas … | Continue reading
Sarasbaug is an important historical landmark near Parvati Hill in Pune. In the center, there is an 18th-century temple of Lord Ganesh, which is called Sarasbaug Ganpati Temple. It is also known as Talyatla Ganpati which means "Ganpati of the Lake." In the temple complex there is … | Continue reading
Long before the butter boards and butter candles of today, tantalizing butter desserts that resembled delicate golden threads were a favorite in Colonial America. Known as “fairy butter,” this pale yellow confection accompanied sweet breads such as scones, gingerbread, and toweri … | Continue reading
There are more than 200 rivers in Scotland, with the River Tay being the longest. It is the seventh-largest river in the United Kingdom, spanning nearly 120 miles, (193 kilometers). Producing more water discharge than the combination of England's two largest rivers, the Thames an … | Continue reading
August Hermann Francke, the founder of the Francke Foundation, started to assemble art and natural history objects already during the 17th century. It was used as a school treasury and the objects were used as examples during the lessons. People were also allowed to view the whol … | Continue reading
Bat guano (dung) was an improbable boom commodity around the turn of the last century. It was an important ingredient in fertilizer before artificial nitrogen fixation had been invented. Every "bat cave" became the center of a burst of mining activity, and Nevada's Lovelock Cave … | Continue reading
Bítov Castle was built on the site of an eighth-century Moravian hillfort above the confluence of the rivers Dyje and Želetavka. The castle was built in the 11th century, but its current appearance largely dates back to the 19th century. Apart from the history and beautiful views … | Continue reading
This small park features a unique and monumental fountain wall, providing a great photo opportunity in the middle of Houston's popular Galleria area. The waterfall was designed and constructed by Harvey-Monarch Engineers and Builders and stands well over 60 feet tall. | Continue reading
The crystalline, sparkling blue waters of Cuatrociénegas are beautiful and very alluring. The town invites visitors to explore these aquatic treasures, but they are also highly protected. They are home to a diverse ecosystem of plants and fauna, including endemic species found no … | Continue reading
Pécel is a suburb of Budapest, located around 20 kilometers east of the Hungarian capital. This small town doesn't really offer much and it is unknown to most tourists, but it hides a true masterpiece of Baroque painting inside to so-called Ráday Palace. Ráday Palace sits in the … | Continue reading
For a few days every year from late March to Early April, hundreds of spotted salamanders travel through underground tunnels to avoid being crushed by road traffic in Amherst, Massachusetts. Henry Street is a two-lane roadway in North Amherst. It creates a dangerous divide betwee … | Continue reading
David Lloyd Kreeger was a highly successful businessman who served as President, Chairman, and CEO of Geico. He worked for the company from 1948 to 1974, and amassed a fortune estimated to be worth $50-$75 million. His largess facilitated his philanthropic pursuits as a dedicated … | Continue reading
You might be surprised to learn that the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum isn't just a collection of pro-Nixon propaganda. While the museum houses an impressive exhibit on Watergate and plenty of Nixon parodies, one of the most high-profile items that you might not e … | Continue reading
Monstrous and amazing concrete roadside sculptures emerge from the little wooded area just north of Beaver Meadows on Route 93 en route to Hazelton. A chaotic collection made by Joseph J. Woitko of great goblins, dragons, owls, and dinosaurs built from concrete, junk metal, and o … | Continue reading