Atlas Obscura - Curious and Wondrous Travel Destinations

The definitive guide to the world’s hidden wonders.

The road is no longer in use, but there's still a lot of nostalgia around it.

Along the Remains of Route 66, Road Trip Trash Has Become Treasure

Welcome to the "throw zone."

by Jessica Leigh Hester

Place of the Day

Hotel Belvédère

The abandoned Swiss hotel couldn't compete with climate change.

Tour Honolulu's Japanese Food Scene With This 1906 Map

More than a century ago, Takei Nekketsu mapped Japanese-owned businesses for recent immigrants.

November 15, 2019

Understanding How Bison Might Help Shape the Future of the Badlands

See What the Pyrenees Look Like From an Antique Airplane

The Uncertain Future of the World's Largest Secondhand Book Market

12 Historic Places at Risk From Rising Waters

Top Countries

Top Cities

Munich, Germany

Orlando di Lasso Statue

This tribute to the 19th-century composer is now an unusual shrine to Michael Jackson.

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Evanston, Illinois

Evanston Garage Door Gallery

The murals have transformed a residential alley into a vibrant drive-through gallery.

Added by scoutronic

Tacoma, Washington

Brown & Haley Factory Store

This century-old confectioner's outlet store was plucked right out of the Seattle World's Fair.

Added by Peter Abbott

Nafplio, Greece

Church of Agioi Pantes

A staircase made of gravestones leads up to this church built into a giant rock.

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Bronx, New York

Cafe al Mercato

Seriously good slices of Sicilian pizza lurk at the back of the Bronx's oldest enclosed market.

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Top Place Tags

art & performance

Cambodia: Contemporary Art, Spiritual Traditions, and Hidden Wonders

From $3,215 USD

Explore the vibrant art, religion, and food culture of the Kingdom of Cambodia, and spend time with the country's leading artists and performers.

science & nature

Science After Dark: Spotting Squid in the Tides of Oahu

From $3,535 USD

Just beneath the waves off the Hawaiian coast, there are schools of tropical fish, flotillas of sea turtles, and squads of squid. We’re diving in to explore some of their secrets.

art & performance

Desert Canvas: Art of Joshua Tree and the Mojave

From $2,360 USD

Join us as we venture deep into the High Desert, glimpsing massive sculptures, revitalizing domes, and fluorescent painted mountains along the way.

history & culture

Tunisia Through the Sands of Time

From $3,660 USD

Atlas Obscura Trivia for the World’s Most Adventurous Explorers

Brooklyn, New York

Atlas Obscura Trivia for the World’s Most Adventurous Explorers

Washington, D.C.

Flirting with Love

City of Industry, California

Ascend Ascend: A Poetic Performance

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Experience a public ritual for personal transformation with poet Janaka Stucky.

Discover Greenbelt Town of Tomorrow

Greenbelt, Maryland

Explore the Ruins of Seneca Quarry

Poolesville, Maryland

Hidden Stories at Graceland Cemetery

Chicago, Illinois

Bee Medicine: Oils, Salves and Balms

Seattle, Washington

Exploring Historic Homes of the Stars

Santa Monica, California

Hollywood Miniature Magic

Los Angeles, California

Two Bit Circus Bemusement Park Tour

Los Angeles, California

Japanese Incense and Tea Experience

Seattle, Washington

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Probing the Secrets of the Universe From Deep in the Australian Outback

Extreme heat, ants, and stray cell phones are big concerns.

Isaac Schultz November 13, 2019

This Five-Legged Cat Mummy Is Not as Strange as It Seems

A recently scanned cat mummy was probably not a scam, but the remains of animals that died on a sacred site.

Sabrina Imbler November 13, 2019

Found: Surprisingly Modern Paint on an Ancient Egyptian Gate

How did a pigment that Vermeer used in the 1600s wind up on Egyptian art from the 6th century BC?

Sabrina Imbler November 12, 2019

For Sale: Two Tiffany-Style Windows From a Historic South Side Church

The auctioneers think they’re Tiffany, but it’s actually hard to prove.

Sabrina Imbler November 12, 2019

The Cheese Makers Keeping Monterey Jack's Local Legend Alive

Only one farmstead in Monterey County still makes the famed cheese.

Rachel Wharton November 12, 2019

Picturing Manhattan's Shortest Buildings From the Ground Floor

A photographer set out to document single-story buildings—the anti-skyscrapers.

Jessica Leigh Hester November 11, 2019

Found: 17th-Century Warships at the Bottom of a Swedish Channel

They could be related to the famous, ill-fated "Vasa."

Isaac Schultz November 11, 2019

How a Cooking Show in Canada's Far North Celebrates Inuit Cuisine

Hunting, fishing, and sharing the catch are all part of the program.

Luke Ottenhof November 11, 2019

Some Ships Keep Sailing Even After They're Wrecked

A century-old iron scow is inching closer to the brink of Niagara Falls.

Jessica Leigh Hester November 8, 2019

A Minefield of Purple Urchins Devastated Kelp Forests in California

Warm water and "sea star wasting disease" helped urchins take over the coast, a new study finds.

Sabrina Imbler November 8, 2019

How Elephant Poop Becomes Fancy Paper in Sri Lanka

An elephant can defecate 16 times in one day—and its 200 pounds of dung can double as paper pulp.

Zinara Rathnayake November 8, 2019

To Defy the United States, Fidel Castro Built the World's Greatest Ice Cream Parlor

The socialist establishment, which is still slinging scoops, seated 1,000 customers.

Alex Mayyasi November 8, 2019

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