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The Definitive Guide to the World’s Hidden Wonders

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Hidden Wonders

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Avenue of the Giants
Place of the Day

Avenue of the Giants

Humboldt County, California

One of the most scenic stretches of road in America winds between some of the country's oldest trees.

Added By
journeylism
Featured Most Recent
  • Fort Antoine Theatre

    Monaco, Monaco

    Fort Antoine Theatre

    This public amphitheater was once a key part of Monaco’s defense strategy.

    Added By
    Mike Walker
  • Bobblehead Hall of Fame

    Milwaukee, Wisconsin

    National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum

    This quirky museum has a collection of more than 15,000 bobblehead dolls.

    Added By
    kathrynnicole
  • Domrémy-la-Pucelle, France

    Birthplace of Joan of Arc

    The woman who helped save 15th-century France was born in this humble home.

    Added By
    Shin Kiryu
  • Wreck of the Marjory Glen

    Argentina

    Wreck of the Marjory Glen

    This rusty hull was used as fighter plane target practice during the Falklands War.

    Added By
    Leo Fernandez
  • The “three rocks” tell the legend of a demon.

    Morioka, Japan

    Demon’s Hand Prints in the Rocks

    According to local folklore, a demon left his handprints on these boulders, which became the prefecture’s namesake.

    Added By
    Fred Cherrygarden
  • Azrou, Morocco

    Ben Smime Tuberculosis Sanatorium

    This abandoned hospital facility is associated with regicidal conspiracies and paranormal activities.

    Added By
    Max Cortesi
  • The Bard is represented on the sign.

    Manchester, England

    The Shakespeare

    This haunted 17th-century pub was moved to a new city when it was already almost 300 years old.

    Added By
    AdOYo
  • Mummers Parade

    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

    Mummers Museum

    A museum dedicated to the strange and extravagant costumes and memorabilia of the mummers, a tradition older than Philadelphia itself.

    Added By
    Dylan Thuras
  • Entrance.

    Washington, D.C.

    Battleground National Cemetery

    This tiny, one-acre cemetery serves as a reminder of when the Civil War got close to the nation’s capitol.

    Added By
    Jeff Gutman
  • Staircase and entry to the haunted Governor’s Bathroom.

    Ararat, Australia

    J Ward Museum

    Now a museum, this was once a prison facility and a hospital for the “criminally insane.”

    Added By
    Hollie Gallimore
  • An error in marble.

    Washington, D.C.

    Misspelling at the Lincoln Memorial

    The Lincoln Memorial has inspired many, even though a word on the inscription appears to be spelled incorrectly.

    Added By
    William Davis
  • Al Naslaa Rock in 2021.

    Tayma, Saudi Arabia

    Al Naslaa

    In the Arabian Desert, a surreal rock formation stands cut clean in half.

    Added By
    Fred Cherrygarden
  • Steinwache from the outside.

    Dortmund, Germany

    Steinwache

    Former Gestapo prison turned memorial museum.

    Added By
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  • Glasgow, Scotland

    Moving Image Archive

    Here you can see more than 100 years of Scotland’s history captured by amateur and professional filmmakers.

    Added By
    fionn
  • The front of the ruins.

    San Jose, California

    Ruins of the Bayside Cannery

    This crumbling warehouse was once the third-largest cannery in the U.S. and the first in the world to can green asparagus.

    Added By
    James Ricci
  • The Marble Throne is truly a sight to see.

    Tehran, Iran

    Golestan Palace

    Iran's "Rose Garden Palace," built during 131 years of rule by Qajar kings, consists of 17 stunning structures.

    Added By
    Lana Velkov
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Empty bottles of Vodka and Buckfast, lay outside a disused house in Kirkcaldy, Scotland.

food

How a Tonic Wine Brewed by Monks Became the Scourge of Scotland

Despite its pious origins, Buckfast has become associated with hooliganism.

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Written By
Natasha Frost
June 7, 2017
  • On January 5, in the historic harbor of Grado, Italy, the witches of the sea approach.

    pirates

    In This Seaside Town, the New Year Brings a Battle With the ‘Witches of the Sea’

    By Vittoria Traverso

  • A mine shaft elevator that descends some 3 kilometers underground offers scientists a glimpse of ancient Earth.

    science

    Searching for 'Dark Oxygen' in One of the World's Deepest Mines

    By Alice Sun

  • David “Mas” Masumoto’s Adopt-a-Tree program has helped preserve heirloom stone fruit.

    farms

    Inside the Japanese-American Farm Preserving Endangered Fruit

    By Sarah Lohman

  • Winds from the surrounding plateaus create an ideal environment for curing ham.

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    The Controversial Hams That Helped a French Cathedral Save Its Organ

    By Emily Monaco

  • ancient

    Romans Once Filled the Colosseum With Water and Staged an Epic Mock Sea Battle

    By Tao Tao Holmes

  • The author’s mother found the letters of a missing man.

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    Letters Hidden in My Family’s Attic Reveal a 1910s Bank Con in Key West

    By Asia London Palomba

  • A single garnet gleams on the muddy foreshore of the River Thames.

    archaeology

    The Curious Gems of the River Thames

    By Ellery Weil

Guagrilla at the still.

women

The Women Harvesters Fueling the Rise of an Ecuadorian Spirit

Every bottle of miske starts with their ancestral tradition of collecting agave in the highlands.

Read more
Written By
Mark Johanson
January 9, 2025
  • Rice is central to Sado Island’s economy and culture.

    islands

    How a Near-Extinct Bird Returned to the Rice Fields of Sado Island

    By Elena Valeriote

  • A single garnet gleams on the muddy foreshore of the River Thames.

    archaeology

    The Curious Gems of the River Thames

    By Ellery Weil

  • A mother manatee and her baby swim through the water in Crystal River, Florida, where manatees can be found year-round.

    science

    Florida’s Manatees Are Relative Newcomers, According to Historical Research

    By Atlas Obscura

  • Bethlehem loves its Peeps.

    giant food

    Why Pennsylvania Rings in the New Year With Bologna and Peeps

    By Sam O'Brien

  • The author’s mother found the letters of a missing man.

    banks

    Letters Hidden in My Family’s Attic Reveal a 1910s Bank Con in Key West

    By Asia London Palomba

  • From Māori ancestors to Antarctic researchers, we explore stories of coming home.

    exploration

    Coming Home: Our Favorite Reads

    By Roxanne Hoorn

  • Only when we venture far from the city lights do stars show themselves.

    travel

    10 Travel Resolutions From Atlas Obscura for 2025

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