“The twin gods of Smooth Traffic and Ample Parking have turned our downtowns into places that are easy to get to, but not worth arriving at.” The quote is from urban designer Jeff Speck. It’s hard to think of a pithier one to describe the parking pandemic blighting America’s city … | Continue reading
The story of Dirce's punishment goes something like this: Dirce was a powerful demigoddess, who married Lycus, king of Thebes. Her niece Antiope was impregnated by Zeus, and she gave birth to twin sons Zethus and Amphion. Dirce was not fond of Antiope, so despite fleeing due to h … | Continue reading
Construction of the New York & Erie Railroad had been underway, off and on, for 14 years when it faced a compound problem in 1846. The railroad's charter from New York State required the road to be built as far as Binghamton by December 31, 1848. To get there, the track needed to … | Continue reading
These sand dunes are a spectacular site across the coast of St. Anne's in northwest England. A lush wildlife habitat, it is an important natural sea defense along the Fylde Coast and because the stretch of St. Anne's beach is so vast when the tide is out, it makes the landscape l … | Continue reading
The first floor of C-Boys Heart & Soul is awash in red velvet upholstery and vintage furnishings. A heart-shaped neon light glows behind the bar, and live music fills the venue seven days a week. In name and spirit, the venue is an homage to Louis Charles “C-Boy” Parks, the manag … | Continue reading
If you find yourself sitting in traffic on 1-35 in South Austin, you might find your eye drawn to Whip In's vintage neon sign. For almost 40 years, this fusion eatery has been a touchstone of the city's craft beer scene. In 1986, Amrit and Chandan Topiwala bought a convenience st … | Continue reading
In the Paris suburb of Noisy-le-Grand stands a massive, high-density housing complex sometimes described as a "palace," known for its postmodern architecture often associated with dystopian aesthetics. Named Espaces d’Abraxas after the Gnostic deity, it was designed by Spanish ar … | Continue reading
Each week, Atlas Obscura is providing a new short excerpt from our upcoming book, Wild Life: An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Living Wonders (September 17, 2024). In the early twentieth century, some prairie dog towns stretched for hundreds of miles. Cowboys and naturalists pas … | Continue reading
Athens has had numerous fortification walls around the city since ancient times. These walls were mostly made with scavenged material, primarily spoila from the buildings and monuments destroyed by earlier invaders mixed with mudbrick. In the 5th century BCE, Athenian statesman T … | Continue reading
The Copper River and Northwestern Railway completed the Gilahina Trestle in 1911. The main reason for its construction was to transfer mined copper from the mines in Kennecott, Alaska to Cordova. Amazingly, this trestle bridge was completed in just eight days. The bridge contains … | Continue reading
In honor of Endangered Species Day, held each year on the third Friday of May, we found some of the world’s most elusive creatures in the Atlas Obscura archive. Meet Puerto Rico’s wide-eyed frogs, Finland’s freshwater seals, and Indonesia’s singing dogs—and the scientists and cit … | Continue reading
Ty Walker squats on the grassy banks of a 150-foot-long, 10-foot-wide earthen pond lifting a net filled with thrashing young rainbow trout from the churning spring water. He nudges a pair of curious Great Pyrenees away, then carefully drops a dozen fish into a large bucket of wat … | Continue reading
Located three blocks from Kemah Boardwalk and the Galveston Bay, Th_Prsv (pronounced “The Preserve”) feels far from urban Houston, although it’s just a 45-minute drive from downtown. Kemah’s chain stores and amusement park rides offer no clues as to the fact that the world’s only … | Continue reading
On a grey and drizzly afternoon in the University of Edinburgh’s opulent graduation hall, J.K. Rowling waited to receive an honorary degree. But before the degree could be conferred, she had to take part in a long-standing tradition. University Principal Timothy O’Shea merrily ex … | Continue reading
The world has many extremes in the form of highest points, lowest points, most southern, northern, etc. Some are of local significance, denoting superlative points in a city, state, or country, while others claim the titles for larger areas, like continents and hemispheres. It's … | Continue reading
Penang is one of several cities around Southeast Asia that celebrates the Peranakan community, descendants of traders who arrived from overseas and married local Malay women. In Penang, those Peranakans are predominantly known as the Straits Chinese Peranakan, fusing traditions f … | Continue reading
In the Brentwood neighborhood of Austin, there’s a place where you can find the Christmas spirit even in the sweltering heat of a Texas summer. Since Lala’s Little Nugget opened in 1972, this dive bar has been serving up cheap drinks and Yuletide cheer all year round. You’ll know … | Continue reading
Despite its cultural significance and rich heritage, the Dhow Building Yard in Muharraq remains refreshingly unspoiled by mass tourism, retaining its raw authenticity and charm. Unlike many tourist attractions meticulously curated for visitors, this working shipyard offers an unf … | Continue reading
A series of murals at the Botanic Garden of Smith College chronicles the history of plant life on Earth. Paintings include the mound-like stromatolites made of Cyanobacteria colonies in the Late Archaeon, the miniature forests of branching moss-like plants from the Devonian-era R … | Continue reading
Many museums that discuss history will inevitably also mention politics. However, very few museums have a focus on politics quite like the People’s History Museum, which has amassed an extensive collection of politically-oriented historical items covering over 200 years of Britis … | Continue reading
One of the largest medieval barns in England, Tithe Barn sits in the small and beautiful village of Bradford-on-Avon. Built to serve Barton Grange, it was a manor farm that belonged to the richest nunnery in medieval England in the mid-14th century. To seize control of the rector … | Continue reading
Listen and subscribe on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast apps. In this episode of The Atlas Obscura Podcast, author and Atlas Obscura columnist Colin Dickey tells us the story of a Kentucky family who, in 1955, claimed to be in a wild gunfight with unident … | Continue reading
There are more than 500 bobbleheads that are located in the two-sided glass display case. It has interior lighting so every bobblehead is visible. It is made of 3/8-inch clear tempered glass, which features vibration plates that cause the bobbleheads to bobble. Each year, various … | Continue reading
Built in 1710 as a farm house, this manor has allegedly hosted everyone from George Washington's spies to spectral inhabitants. In the 18th century, a girl by the name of Annette Williamson was accused of being a spy and brutally murdered. According to the current proprietors, sh … | Continue reading
Pannenkoeken, pancakes that range from dinner plate- to wagon wheel-sized, have been a Dutch specialty since the 17th century. Unlike fluffy American flapjacks, these thin, eggy pancakes use no leavener, but still have a bit more heft than Parisian crepes. Both sweet and savory p … | Continue reading
The history of the medieval city of Görlitz, Germany, is exciting—and mysterious. A multitude of legends surround the historical streets, squares, and buildings. If you cast your eyes to the upper floors of the building at 2 Fleischerstraße, you'll discover a small, stone sculptu … | Continue reading
The Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home is the main shelter for abandoned and vulnerable pets in the Scottish capital. Originally established in 1884, the EDCH is one of the city's oldest shelters. In 1957, the shelter was moved to its current Seafield location. The once-industrial neighb … | Continue reading
Deep in the heart of British Columbia, sits a ghost town and heritage site called Quesnel Forks. All that remains today are some wooden buildings and a cemetery that hints at the place's deep past. Quesnel Forks is located where the Quesnel and Cariboo rivers meet, creating a "fo … | Continue reading
Rumford, Maine is one of several places that pride themselves as an important historical site remembering Paul Bunyan and his trusty blue ox. On the banks of the Androscoggin River stands a 20-foot-high statue of lumberjack and legend Paul Bunyan, and Babe the blue ox. The story … | Continue reading
Best known for his 1958 novel The Once and Future King, T. H. White is considered one of the greatest Arthurian authors of modern literature. A British writer born in Bombay, White settled in Alderney in 1946 and lived there for the rest of his life, but his grave can be found in … | Continue reading
Nestled on the serene shores of Phu Quoc island, the Phu Quoc Prison History Museum carries a haunting legacy of suffering and resilience. Once a site of immense brutality during the Vietnam War, it now stands as a solemn memorial, bearing witness to the atrocities endured by pri … | Continue reading
“Out in the west Texas town of El Paso, I fell in love with a Mexican girl.” For many people, Marty Robbins’ classic gunfighter ballad is their first and sometimes only impression of Texas’ largest border city. They may be surprised to discover that the setting of the song, Rosa’ … | Continue reading
For students and sightseers seeking to reach National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan's premier center of higher learning, the easiest route from the rest of the city is Xiziwan Tunnel, or Old Shoushan Cave. This concrete tunnel burrows through a mountain to reach the s … | Continue reading
Saanen goats are a Swiss breed known for their calm temperament, pointy ears, and tendency to climb the tallest structure in their immediate surroundings—an evolutionary tick that helped them evade predators in the mountainous environments they call home. While there are no such … | Continue reading
Chester is a small town in southern Illinois whose most famous historical citizens are today immortalized as characters in the Popeye the Sailor universe (PTSU). Indeed, the show’s creator, E.C. Segar—also a one-time Chester resident—took influence from real-life local figures in … | Continue reading
This store is nestled in lovely Magnolia Park. It’s one of the newer oddities shops in Burbank that carries everything from vintage taxidermy, haunted items, occult materials, art from local artists, clothing, jewelry, and more. There are many macabre items to see throughout the … | Continue reading
Long before it attained statehood in 1818, Illinois was a tallgrass prairie teeming with an array of wildlife. In the decades that followed, much of the land was subdivided, sold, and plowed to create farmland, becoming a “breadbasket state” but upending much of the natural ecosy … | Continue reading
In the southern reaches of the Prairie State, there’s a striking natural bridge nestled within a scenic national forest. The Pomona Natural Bridge is located in the northwest corner of Shawnee National Forest. Spanning 90 feet across a rocky ravine in a mature beech, oak, and hic … | Continue reading
Looking out over the blue waters of the bay, Ventnor Winter Gardens now stands on the grounds of the original Ventnor Parsonage. Purchased by the Ventnor Urban District Council in 1929, the Victorian stone parsonage with spacious gardens was transformed into a stunning venue that … | 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 sculptor Jason de Caires Taylor's Underwater Sculpture Garden. Located in the waters off of Saint George's, Grenada, Taylor takes intentio … | Continue reading
Croham Hurst Woods is an ancient woodland in the middle of suburban South Croydon, Surrey, that is considered a nationally important archaeological site. The entire woodland covers quite a steep hill, where evidence of late Mesolithic settlements has been found. Neolithic flint t … | Continue reading
At age 17, chef and video creator George Lee gave up eating meat for 100 days. His A-gong, or grandfather, had passed away, and in Lee’s native Taiwan, traditional Buddhist mourning rituals require the family to abstain from meat after the death of a relative, to accumulate good … | Continue reading
Even people who have grown up in the Portland metro area are often surprised to learn that there is a botanical garden in this outer southeast Portland neighborhood, and it's been open to the public for 40 years. There are magical trails, meadows for picnics, summer events like n … | Continue reading
Fetislam is an Ottoman stronghold in ruins, situated near the city of Kladovo. Constructed during the Ottoman Empire's reign in present-day Serbia, it served as a military outpost for Ottoman campaigns against Hungary. Built in 1524 under the directive of Suleiman the Magnificent … | Continue reading
The Mackinac Bridge, also known as "Mighy Mac" or "Big Mac," stretches some five miles long and connects Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas. Outside a storage facility in St. Louis, Michigan, you can find a miniature replica of the Mackinac Bridge. Though it's more than 200 ti … | Continue reading
Around 100 miles west of London in the west Wiltshire town of Bradford-on-Avon, a restored large rubber calender machine stands as a memorial to the town's 150th year of association with the rubber industry. Located on Kingston Road, it is one of the largest and heaviest objects … | Continue reading
On an early February morning in 2024 at the Missouri University of Science and Technology, David Westenberg dons safety goggles and latex gloves. The bespectacled microbiologist and professor of biological sciences for the last 27 years gently removes a series of test tubes conta … | Continue reading
Reprinted with permission from Otherworldly Antarctica: Ice, Rock, and Wind at the Polar Extreme by Edmund Stump, published by The University of Chicago Press. © 2024 by Edmund Stump. All rights reserved. Fortune smiled in 1970 when I landed a position on a research project bound … | Continue reading