Stories - Atlas Obscura

Sometimes, Gas Stations Are Beautiful

A new book captures their strange appeal.

How England Got Its Curvy Cucumbers Straightened Out

The cucumber straightener was a marvel of British horticulture.

A Town Named Asbestos Once Produced Most of the World's Asbestos Supply

Asbestos mining in Canada stopped only in the past decade.

Las Vegas Boulevard Just Took a Step Back in Time

The iconic, illuminated Silver Slipper has been restored to its original look.

The Complicated Business of Farming Snails in America

A burgeoning industry faces one big obstacle.

All the Bizarre Things Our Readers Have Found on the Beach

Functional light bulbs, messages from the dead, and lots and lots of dentures.

Unboxing a Prehistoric Fish

Watch how a 400-million-year-old species is preserved.

When Eating Crow Was an American Food Trend

The birds briefly became a delicacy.

Introducing Gastro Obscura's Black Sesame Sweet Soup Cook-Off

It's a wondrous dessert popular in Hong Kong, and we're challenging our readers to make it at home.

How to Make a Robot Move, Using Popcorn

The future is now and it’s happening, appropriately, at Cornell University.

The Ultimate Rich Kids Were the Children of Famous Explorers

Wealthy and entitled, as only the scions of conquistadors could be.

The Birth of Hawai‘i's Native-Language Newspaper Archive

Hawaiian-language experts are working to preserve a century’s worth of history.

Making Miniatures to Preserve Local Memories

Painstaking recreations of a rapidly changing city.

To Discourage Rodents From Eating Seeds, Scientists Are Getting Spicy

A ghost pepper–based coating could help ecosystems recover from wildfires.

The Crack Squad of Librarians Who Track Down Half-Forgotten Books

Reuniting stumped readers with the books from the edges of their memories.

Ireland's Coast Has Giant, Hidden Signs Telling Pilots Where They Are

A wildfire has just uncovered one of these "Éire" signs from World War II.

Drink Up at the Home-Museum Displaying Over 10,000 Beer Steins

Tours start at the kegerator.

Everybody Shut Up! We're Listening to Mars

When the red planet comes close to Earth, some people have tried to tune in to see if it has anything to say.