EricGrundhauser's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
AO Member
Ames, Iowa

Elwood, the World's Tallest Concrete Gnome

Beating out all other concrete competitors, this massive garden feature's pointy hat has earned it a world record.
Kaymaklı Belediyesi, Turkey

Kaymaklı Underground City

While not Turkey's deepest underground city, this subterranean redoubt is the largest.
London, England

Fitzroy House

This historic London residence was once the womb of Scientology.
New York, New York

The Treasures in the Trash Collection

A New York garbage depot holds a secret collection of weird and wonderful refuse.
Derinkuyu, Turkey

Derinkuyu Underground City

The deepest underground city in Turkey was designed to protect 20,000 people behind massive stone doors.
Özkonak Belediyesi, Turkey

Özkonak Underground City

This ancient subterranean megalopolis is known for the hot oil traps that were installed above each of its entrances.
Colorado Springs, Colorado

Cheyenne Mountain Complex

The superstar of Cold War nuclear bunkers has been featured in countless films but is now barely operational.
Morondava, Madagascar

Avenue of the Baobabs

The centuries-old trees lining both sides of this dirt road may become Madagascar's first natural monument.
Kyoto, Japan

Sagano Bamboo Forest

The sound of swaying stalks in this stunning grove has been named a governmentally recognized sound.
Whittier, Alaska

Whittier, Alaska

This small city where almost everyone lives in the same building can only be reached via North America's longest tunnel.
Whittier, Alaska

Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel

Running under an entire mountain, the longest highway tunnel in North America is kept fresh using portal fans and jet fans.
Erfurt, Germany

Krämerbrücke

This historic stone bridge has an entire neighborhood clinging to its sides.
Fredericksburg, Virginia

Abandoned Virginia Renaissance Faire

The remains of a failed attempt at medieval nerdery are hidden deep in the woods of Virginia.
Villa Martelli, Argentina

Coloso

This giant power line tower is a robot that can express its moods in neon.
Prague, Czechia

Museum of Communism

This Prague museum collects brutalist relics and memories from the country's former Soviet rule.
Enshi, China

Sidu River Bridge

This highest bridge in the world spans such a great chasm that it had to be established using rockets.
Nackawic, New Brunswick

World's Largest Axe

The largest axe on the planet contains a time capsule that seems like it may never be discovered.
Farmington, New Mexico

Bisti Badlands

Seemingly grown on some other world, these New Mexico rock formations look like a disused science fiction set.
Managua, Nicaragua

La Chureca

The largest garbage dump in all of Central America is home to a tragic community that make their living from the refuse.
Alert Bay, British Columbia

World's Largest Totem Pole

This towering totem holds the title for the tallest in the world but only according to some.
Sunol, California

Bosco the Dog Mayor

The black lab that was voted mayor of a California town is forever remembered by a life-size statue.
Langkawi, Malaysia

Langkawi Sky Bridge

This dangerous-looking suspension bridge may have been too unstable to remain open.
Hapcheon, South Korea

Tripitaka Koreana

Over 80,000 carved wood blocks make up one of the world's oldest intact Buddhist canons.
Paris, France

La REcyclerie

This Parisian café sticks almost exclusively to an ethos of reuse.