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

Atlas Obscura supports those standing against the institutionalized racism faced by Black communities.
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Happening This Week
Join these experiences from your computer or phone.
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Wonder From Home

Unboxing an Antique Ghost Show

Live from Illinois
$8 per device
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Wonder From Home

Dino 101

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

Step-by-Step: Writing A Personal History

Live from California
$60 per device
A 3-part workshop by historical journalist and author Hadley Meares.
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Wonder From Home

Backstage with a Magician

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

The Forged and the Filched - Mysteries of the Art World

Live from New York
$12 per device
A tour guide and an art crimes professor lead you on an hour-long romp through art history’s greatest mysteries.
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Wonder From Home

The Secret Arts: Space Origami

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

Mental Amusements

Live from New York
$35 per device
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Featured Trips
Our newest and most incredible trips.
food

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.
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wildlife & 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. 
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wildlife & 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.
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history

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.
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More Stories
music

The 90-Year-Old Virtuoso Keeping Naxi Music Alive in China

An underground musical tradition is under threat again.
Amy Zhang July 7, 2020
coral reefs

Turning On the Lights in the Ocean's Twilight Zone

The surprising colors of Australia's Coral Sea Marine Park.
Luna Shyr July 7, 2020
islands

The Strangely Quiet Afterlife of a Brazilian Prison Town

The tropical beauty of Dois Rios comes with an ugly history.
Alessio Perrone July 6, 2020
farms

The Lost Art of Growing Blueberries With Fire

Using all four elements to grow the perfect berry.
Luke Fater July 6, 2020
museums

Why Doesn't Iceland Have a Museum of Napkins?

An investigation.
A. Kendra Greene July 6, 2020
elvis

The Mississippi Town Where Elvis Tribute Artists Are Made

Tupelo, birthplace of The King, is the global hub for aspiring Jailhouse Rockers.
Laura Kiniry July 3, 2020
food

The Master Baker Giving San Francisco Sourdough a New Shape

For 40 years, Fernando Padilla has sculpted with dough.
Anne Ewbank July 2, 2020
food

How to Make Smoked Foods From Around the World on Your Stovetop

With advice and recipes from a renowned expert.
Luke Fater July 1, 2020
libraries

How Students Built a 16th-Century Engineer's Book-Reading Machine

The bookwheel helps readers browse eight texts at once. The only problem? It weighs 600 pounds.
Claire Voon July 1, 2020
science

For Sale: Proof That Legendary Scientists Were Real People, Too

Letters and trinkets show off the personal sides of Einstein, Hawking, and Schrödinger.
Matthew Taub July 1, 2020
dinosaurs

Behind a New Jersey Hardware Store, a Paleontological Bonanza

The third episode of TED’s Pindrop podcast was 66 million years in the making.
Anna Phelan June 30, 2020
insects

L.A.'s Insects Are Hairy, Iridescent, and Crazy Photogenic

The creatures are ready for their close-ups—in the name of getting a better handle on biodiversity in the bustling city.
Jessica Leigh Hester June 30, 2020
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