caraobrien's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Corolla, North Carolina

Currituck Beach Lighthouse

Beautiful Gothic-inspired lighthouse stands out among the run-of-the-mill striped fare on Bodies Island.
Manteo, North Carolina

Freedmen's Colony of Roanoke Island

The lesser-known lost colony of Roanoke was a safe haven for formerly enslaved people during the Civil War.
Wilmington, North Carolina

Museum of the Bizarre

A curious collection of oddities including a lock of Alexander Hamilton's hair and Harry Houdini's ouija board.
Harris, North Carolina

Graveyard Island

The final resting place of the hundreds of bodies originally buried where Badin Lake sits now.
Davidson, North Carolina

Homeless Jesus

The first statue of Christ sleeping on a bench in the United States confused its affluent parish.
Huntersville, North Carolina

Carolina Raptor Center

From golden eagles to peregrine falcons, this rehabilitation and education center is a haven for birds of prey.
Charlotte, North Carolina

McGill Rose Garden

This scented city oasis was a labor of love.
Charlotte, North Carolina

Freshlist's Seasonal Produce Clock

A year-long seasonal produce clock highlighting a variety of fruits and vegetables from across the Piedmont region.
Charlotte, North Carolina

Fairy Ring Light

A permanent outdoor art installation made up of more than 100 mushroom-shaped lights.
Staten Island, New York

Kreischer Mansion

This empty Victorian manse on Staten Island is said to be haunted but is actually a real life crime scene.
Jacksonville, Florida

Fort Caroline National Memorial

This replica of a 16th-century French settlement memorializes one of the earliest attempts at a European settlement in North America.
Tonnerre, France

Fosse Dionne

This natural French spring has been turned into a magical grotto by Roman and medieval constructions.
Elefsina, Greece

Plutonian Cave of Eleusis

According to legend, this cavern holds the passage that Persephone used to travel to and from the underworld.
Uppsala, Sweden

Urdar's Well and Yggdrasil

Legend says this fabled well held part of a mythical Norse tree.
Tulsk, Ireland

Rathcroghan

This ancient Irish landscape boasts hundreds of legendary ruins.
Tangier, Morocco

Caves of Hercules

Along the most northwestern point in Africa is an ancient cave surrounded by legends.
Roche, England

Roche Rock Hermitage

This ruined 15th-century hermitage is steeped in myth and mystery.
Luxembourg, Luxembourg

Melusina Statue

This magenta statue commemorates the legendary marriage between a mermaid and the city's founder.
Holywood, Scotland

Garden of Cosmic Speculation

A 30-acre garden inspired by the principles of modern physics.
Queens, New York

Houdini's Grave

The final resting place of the great escape artist, where some still gather to wait for his escape from death.
Gablenz, Germany

Rakotzbrücke Devil's Bridge

This jaw-dropping 19th-century bridge uses its reflection to form what appears to be a perfect circle.
London, England

Tulip Stairs

The first geometric self-supporting spiral stairs in Britain are a truly beautiful sight.
Rochester, New York

The White Lady's Castle

An old dining hall now serves up ghost stories for lusty locals.
Australia

Macquarie Island

One of the only places where Earth’s mantle lies above water.