Atlas Obscura - Curious and Wondrous Travel Destinations
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The definitive guide to the world’s hidden wonders.

Enjoy inspiring stories, incredible online experiences, and livestreams with the Atlas Obscura community.
Upcoming Online Experiences
Online
Wonder From Home

The Secret of Seattle's Disappearing Hill

Live from Washington
$7 per device
A virtual walk through a Seattle land alteration project.
Online
Wonder From Home

Backstage with a Magician

Live from New York
$25 per device
Online
Wonder From Home

Christie's x Atlas Obscura: Ancient Astronomy by Aldus

Live from New York
$8 per device
Join us for a deep dive into historic art and its rich history with Christie's art specialists.
Online
Wonder From Home

The Secret Arts: Silhouette Portraits

Live from NY
$10 per device
Learn about the world's rarest arts from the most curious craftspeople. Enter the world of the Secret Arts!
Online
Wonder From Home

Music Happy Hour with Erica Mancini

Live from
$8 per device
Online
Wonder From Home

Members Only: Supernatural Cats of Japan

Live from Washington
Free
Our most popular online experience to date, brought back exclusively for members!
Online
Wonder From Home

Accidental Discoveries: Inventions

Live from New York
$7 per device
Science is full of accidental discoveries. Dive into a rabbithole of missed targets; will it end in a Nobel Prize or a melted chocolate bar?
Online
Wonder From Home

Dino 101

Live from New York
$7 per device
Who says dinosaurs are just for kids?
Online
Wonder From Home

Gastro Obscura: Acid Trip, Travels in the World of Vinegar—Japan

Live from New York
$25 per device
Explore the vinegar-making practices, recipes and traditions of Japan with Michael Harlan Turkell.
Online
Wonder From Home

Christie's x Atlas Obscura: Decoding a Symbolist Painter

Live from New York
$8 per device
Join us for a deep dive into historic art with Christie's art specialists.
Online
Wonder From Home

The Hidden Lives of Owls

Live from Washington
$5 per device
Online
Wonder From Home

Weird Homes Tour: Ghosts in the Machines

Live from Texas
$10 per device
Step inside Brandon Hodge's home with his Mysterious Planchette archive and massive collection of historical spirit communication artifacts.
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Featured Trips
Our newest and most incredible trips.
culinary adventures

Forest to Table in Alpine Slovenia

Slovenia
From $2,865 USD
Alongside local experts, we'll munch our way through Slovenia's stunning alpine pastures, forests, and lakes—gathering wild foods, making mountain tea, and crafting a charismatic cheese.
Learn More
science & nature

Science After Dark: Spotting Squid in the Tides of Oahu

Hawaii
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. 
Learn More
science & nature

Wings & Wonders: Birds of New Zealand

New Zealand
From $5,360 USD
Explore the spectacular birdlife, biodiversity, and natural wonder of Aotearoa alongside seasoned conservationists.
Learn More
history & culture

Searching for Russia’s Northern Lights

Russia
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.
Learn More
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More Stories
landscapes

Art Challenge: Take a Photograph Inspired by a Wondrous Place

Show us how far-flung sights inspire you, even when you're stuck at home.
Michelle Cassidy May 28, 2020
libraries

Explore the Whimsical Flora of a 15th-Century Italian Folio

An herbal a day will take the green from your gills away—and perhaps apply it to your thumb.
Isaac Schultz May 28, 2020
List

History Tour: Adventures at the Poles

The race to the ends of the Earth, in 14 remarkable places.
Jessica Leigh Hester May 27, 2020
List

The Most Remote Restaurants in the World

Get away from it all—except the food.
Luke Fater May 27, 2020
art

The Delightful Doodles and Hidden Scribbles on the Backs of Artworks

George Eksts has digitized 200,000 works on paper. Several hundred had writings or drawings on the back.
Karen Chernick May 27, 2020
natural wonders

Share the World’s Wonders With Atlas Obscura Zoom Backgrounds

Calling into work from the Gates of Hell has never been easier.
Isaac Schultz May 26, 2020
food

Meet the New York State Parks Interpreter Who Cooks to Uncover the Past

As a culinary historian, Lavada Nahon is working to bring the state's African American history to light.
Vonnie Williams May 26, 2020
museums

The Epic Journey of an Exquisite Jade Pagoda

It started life as a jadeite boulder in modern-day Myanmar. Now it's a celebrated part of a Chicago museum.
Claire Voon May 26, 2020
space exploration

After 9 Years Abroad, Astronaut Launches Are Back in the U.S.A.

The blastoff this week on a SpaceX rocket—the first ever private launch—could be a big step toward commercial space travel.
Luna Shyr May 25, 2020
crime

Around the World in Things You Can't Do to Flags

You might be able to tell where you are by what happens if you set one ablaze.
Dan Nosowitz May 25, 2020
forests

China's Water Forests Bring an Artificial Order to Nature

And offer tranquility among "living fossils."
Winnie Lee May 25, 2020
manuscripts

The Things Inside This 105-Year-Old Time Capsule Have Hardly Aged a Day

The slew of ephemera was tucked in a copper box behind a cornerstone at Arlington National Cemetery.
Jessica Leigh Hester May 22, 2020
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