Atlas Obscura - Curious and Wondrous Travel Destinations
THE GASTRO OBSCURA BOOK An eye-opening journey through the history, culture, and places of the culinary world. Just released! The Gastro Obscura book is here! Order Now
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Online
Online Course

Historical Nonfiction: Research-Based Writing With Hadley Meares

Starts Wed, Oct 20
4 Sessions
$195 per person
+ 2 other dates
Online
Online Course

When Walls Talk: Decoding a Building's History With Lauren Northup

Starts Thu, Oct 21
5 Sessions
$240 per person
Online
Experience

A Taste of the New York Public Library’s Unseen Culinary Collections

Thu, Oct 21
$20 per device
Dig into a helping of rare menus, cookbooks, and more gastronomical ephemera from the stacks of the New York Public Library!
Online
Online Course

Once Upon a Time: Fairy Tale Writing With Anca Szilágyi

Starts Sat, Jan 8
4 Sessions
$225 per person
+ 1 other date
Online
Experience

Trick-or-Treat: A Pick Your Path Adventure at the Academy of Natural Sciences

Tue, Oct 26
$20 per device
Online
Online Course

The Table as Canvas: Designing a Bizarro Dinner Party With Jen Monroe

Starts Tue, Oct 26
4 Sessions
$75 per person
Online
Experience

Monster of the Month w/ Colin Dickey: Bunnyman

Tue, Oct 26
$12 per device
Online
Online Course

3D Paper Art: Pop-Ups and Paper Engineering With Yoojin Kim

Starts Tue, Oct 26
4 Sessions
$245 per person
+ 1 other date
Online
Experience

Nina Nightingale's Charm School: Vintage Hallowe’en Decorations

Tue, Oct 26
$15 per device
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Featured Trips
Our newest and most incredible trips.
wildlife & nature

Searching for Russia’s Northern Lights

Russia
Nov 22–28, 2021
From $3,830 USD
Bear witness to the ethereal glow of the Northern Lights, explore Arctic Russia, and see life in the Polar Circle up close.
+ 1 other date
history

Turkmenistan and the Gates of Hell

Turkmenistan
Mar 18–27, 2022
From $3,475 USD
On this sweeping, eclectic adventure through Turkmenistan, marvel at the towering white-marble structures of Ashgabat, roam through barren deserts and a world-class canyon, and spend the night camped out beside the flaming Gates of Hell.
+ 2 other dates
history

Pyramids and Petroglyphs of Sudan

Sudan
Mar 22–Apr 1, 2022
From $5,680 USD
Journey along the Nile, across the Sudanese desert, and discover the pyramids and archaeological treasures of ancient civilizations.
+ 1 other date
food & drink

The Culinary Crossroads of Marseille

France
Jun 6–12, 2022
From $5,130 USD
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More Stories
cemeteries

Remembering When Americans Picnicked in Cemeteries

For a time, eating and relaxing among the dead was a national pastime.
Jonathan Kendall October 18, 2021
saints

The Bone-Shaped Sweets That Honor the Dead in Spain

Make the marzipan "limbs" that commemorate loved ones on All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day.
Vera Armus-Laski October 15, 2021
radioactive

The Canadian Team on the Hunt for Radioactive Artifacts

Historic objects made with dangerous elements are lurking in museum collections.
Emma Jacobs October 15, 2021
List

11 Horror Film Sets Where You Can Revisit Your Greatest Fears

In total safety. We think.
Jonathan Carey October 15, 2021
restaurants

How a Librarian and a Food Historian Rediscovered the Recipes of Moorish Spain

A new cookbook is a translation of a rare, 13th-century volume.
Tom Verde October 15, 2021
palaces

Why Were Human Sacrifices Buried Beneath Ancient Korea's 'Moon Castle'?

Remains sealed in the foundations suggest builders would do anything to protect the heart of a fledgling kingdom.
Bridget Alex October 15, 2021
rare books

For Sale: Ricky Jay's One-of-a-Kind Collection of Magic, Mystery, and Masterpieces

The late, legendary magician and actor always followed his curiosity.
Matthew Taub October 14, 2021
maps

Mapping the Ghostly Traces of Abandoned Railroads

An interactive, crowdsourced atlas plots vanished transit routes.
Jessica Leigh Hester October 14, 2021
farms

Podcast: Glaum Egg Ranch

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
The Podcast Team October 14, 2021
churches

The Curious Case of Norway’s Disturbing Demon Wall

A respected conservator restoring a centuries-old church mural saw the devil in the details—and created a wholly imagined, diabolical scene.
Gemma Tarlach October 13, 2021
museums

Podcast: Disgusting Food Museum

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
The Podcast Team October 13, 2021
food

Behind the Scenes of the New Gastro Obscura Book

It's out today!
Alex Mayyasi October 12, 2021
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