petersaf's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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East Jerusalem, Israel

Immovable Ladder on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

A "miracle" that seems to produce more holy fistfights than holy revelations.
Jerusalem, Israel

Shrine of the Book

The home of the Dead Sea Scrolls is an abstract modernist dream.
Vatican City

Gallery of Maps - Galleria delle Carte Geografiche

Breathtaking and huge 430 year old maps of Italy.
Barcelona, Spain

Sagrada Família

Construction of Barcelona's iconic (but controversial) church is expected to be completed in 2026—a century after the death of its architect.
Barcelona, Spain

Casa Batlló

One of Antoni Gaudí's most classic buildings is well-known for its "dragon-back" design.
Paris, France

Paris Padlocks of Love

The celebrated eyesore created by starry-eyed sweethearts.
Niterói, Brazil

Niterói Contemporary Art Museum

An art museum with an eclectic design and a scandalous past.
Washington, D.C.

Owney the Postal Dog

A traveling postal dog covered 48 states and more than 140,000 miles, and he lives on as taxidermy, patched up with a rabbit's foot and a pig's ear.
Washington, D.C.

National Museum of Crime and Punishment

America's Most Wanted's set resides in this tribute to the history of crime and punishment.
Washington, D.C.

International Spy Museum

Home to items never before seen by the public.
Washington, D.C.

The Exorcist Stairs

The site of the climactic scene from the classic horror film is now a historic landmark.
Arlington, Virginia

Rosslyn Metro Escalator

At 207 feet, one of the world's longest continuous escalators.
Alexandria, Virginia

Torpedo Factory Art Center

A former major munitions plant that has been converted into a sprawling art space.
McLean, Virginia

Patowmack Canal

The semi-reclaimed ruins of this canal were once part of an ambitious plan to reroute the mighty potomac.
Luray, Virginia

The Great Stalacpipe Organ

An organ located deep within a cave, whose "pipes" are the geological features of the cave itself.
Roanoke, Virginia

Roanoke Star

Forget Hollywood, one of the biggest stars in the world can be found in Roanoke, Virginia.
Charlottesville, Virginia

The Raven Room

Edgar Allan Poe's old dorm is now a shrine to the author's legacy.
Natural Bridge, Virginia

The Natural Bridge

A sacred site for Native Americans surveyed by George Washington and owned by both King George III and Thomas Jefferson.
Reading, Pennsylvania

The Reading Pagoda

A failed piece of Orientalism has become the proud symbol of a community.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Wanamaker Building

The first American department store, and home to the largest operating musical instrument in the world.
Kennett Square, Pennsylvania

Longwood Gardens

This palatial botanical garden is home to one of the largest pipe organs ever installed in a private residence, and a piece of Wood's cycad.