Atlas Obscura - Curious and Wondrous Travel Destinations

The definitive guide to the world’s hidden wonders.

The Dry Valleys are vast, with much less ice.

If You Look Very, Very Close, Antarctica Is Teeming With Life

Meet the icy continent's menagerie of microbes.

by Jessica Leigh Hester

Place of the Day

India's Giant Technicolor Squirrels

The resplendent rodents are the state animal of Maharashtra.

Meet the Rocket Scientist Who's Also a Whole Hog Pitmaster

Dr. Howard Conyers is preserving a community tradition.

January 15, 2020

How to Make Sense of an Undrowned Town

The Language Used Only by Lake Kivu's Fishermen

The Leech's Journey, From Welsh Lab to American Hospitals

In 1930s New York, the Mayor Took on the Mafia by Banning Artichokes

Top Countries

Top Cities

San Agustín Etla, Mexico

La Planta (Power Plant)

Pause in an abandoned hydroelectric station, now overrun with wildlife, to consider a thought-provoking poem.

larissa

Added by larissa

Qumran National Park

The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in the ruins of this ancient monastic community.

ErezSpeiser

Added by ErezSpeiser

Chimalhuacán, Mexico

'Guerrero Chimalli'

This controversial, abstract sculpture is meant to represent an Aztec warrior.

linkogecko

Added by linkogecko

Greater Manchester, England

Greater Manchester Police Museum & Archives

This 19th century police station now puts the history of the Manchester City Police on display.

The Urban Wanderer

Added by The Urban Wanderer

Santpoort-Zuid, Netherlands

Brederode Castle

The ruins of a medieval castle that once belonged to one of the most powerful families in the Netherlands.

Claudia Crobatia

Added by Claudia Crobatia

Add a Place to the Atlas

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.

history & culture

Tunisia Through the Sands of Time

From $3,660 USD

art & performance

Extraordinary Island: Puerto Rico's Hidden Wonders

From $1,970 USD

science & nature

Texas Hill Country: Bat Caves & Beyond

From $1,195 USD

Explore aquifers, caverns, and karsts while tracking millions of Mexican free-tailed bats, and learn how they maintain balance in the Hill Country ecosystem.

Rare Herb Tasting Tour at FarmOne

New York, New York

Walking the Hidden Wonders of Midtown

New York, New York

Visit NYC's Oldest Magic Shop After Dark

New York, New York

Atlas Obscura's Wonders of FiDi

Inside the Holographer's Laboratory

New York, New York

Tour Chicago's Largest Prop House

Chicago, Illinois

White House Tales of Scandal & Intrigue

Washington, D.C.

A Hoppin' Good Time at The Bunny Museum

Altadena, California

Explore the Ruins of Seneca Quarry

Poolesville, Maryland

Lasting Impressions in Print

Carson, California

Cooking with Critters

Los Angeles, California

Scent-Making and Hollywood History

Los Angeles, California

View All Experiences

Ash From the Taal Eruption Will Stick Around ‘Pretty Much Forever’

Some ash particles will blow or wash away, but others will get sealed into the sedimentary record.

Jessica Leigh Hester January 15, 2020

How Vikings Hunted Themselves Off of Greenland

Even marauding Norsemen can be guilty of entrepreneurial overreach.

Isaac Schultz January 15, 2020

Can a War of the Wasps Save Hawai‘i’s Wiliwili Trees?

It's a classic good wasp/bad wasp situation.

Sabrina Imbler January 15, 2020

How Aboriginal Hunting and 'Cool Burns' Prevent Australian Wildfires

The current crisis has pushed the country to consider cultural burning.

Reina Gattuso January 14, 2020

What the Color 'Haint Blue' Means to the Descendants of Enslaved Africans

In the Lowcountry, the unique shade is both protective talisman and source of unspeakable suffering.

Shoshi Parks January 14, 2020

The Missing Grave of Margaret Corbin, Revolutionary War Veteran

She's the only woman veteran honored with a monument at West Point. But where was she buried?

Shane Cashman January 14, 2020

Sold: Pierre de Coubertin’s Blueprint for the Olympics

The 14-page speech is now the world’s most expensive piece of sports memorabilia.

Isaac Schultz January 13, 2020

New Mexico Will Tear Down a Historic Chicano Mural to Build an Art Museum

The artist, Gilberto Guzman, once wanted to restore the painting. But state officials say it’s too unstable.

Sabrina Imbler January 13, 2020

Exploring the Haphazard Archive of a Paris Film Legend

Henri Langlois rescued thousands of rare reels, but was "famously bad" at caring for them.

Emma Jacobs January 13, 2020

When Trippy Black-Light Murals Brought the Cosmos Down to Earth

The paintings once dazzled and enlightened mid-century planetarium-goers.

Jessica Leigh Hester January 10, 2020

An Australian Researcher Is Linking Cow Moos and Moods

Their individual voices help them as a herd.

Isaac Schultz January 10, 2020

In Little Cayman, Things Are Looking Up for the Enormous, Friendly Nassau Grouper

Signs of recovery for the so-called "puppies of the sea."

Sabrina Imbler January 10, 2020

Read All Stories