Atlas Obscura - Curious and Wondrous Travel Destinations

The definitive guide to the world’s hidden wonders.

The mango button lock opens only when you turn the key after pressing a hidden button.

The Devilishly Difficult Locks of Dindigul

They're precisely handcrafted to outthink thieves.

by Kamala Thiagarajan

Place of the Day

Lost Gardens of Heligan

A 400-year-old U.K. garden has been lovingly restored.

For These Young Street Artists, Amman Is a Beige Canvas

Color, community, and empowerment are enlivening Jordan's capital.

February 18, 2020

How a British Guild Rebuilt a Vandalized Royal Cake Replica

On the Hunt for the Wild Relatives of America's Favorite Produce

What Were 29 Exotic Snakes Doing In a U.K. Trash Bin?

The 30-Hour Ferry Rides That Keep Indonesia Connected

Top Countries

Top Cities

Naters, Switzerland

Naters Beinhaus

This ossuary is more than five centuries old and is heralded as one of the finest in Switzerland.

Added by yaz666

Flagstaff, Arizona

Monument to the Flagstaff Flag Staff

A replica of the flagpole that gave a frontier town its name.

WhiskeyBristles

Added by WhiskeyBristles

The Flying Donkey

Rome's first modern graffito is all that is left of a peaceful protest from the 1970s.

LatiumMirabile

Added by LatiumMirabile

Los Alamos, New Mexico

Fuller Lodge Art Center

Once a dining hall for summer campers, this lodge was a popular haunt for nuclear physicists working on the Manhattan Project.

Added by mikewalker

De Leon Springs, Florida

Old Spanish Sugar Mill

Flip your own pancakes in this old sugar mill within a Florida state park.

lukefater

Added by lukefater

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Top Place Tags

art & performance

Extraordinary Island: Puerto Rico's Hidden Wonders

From $1,970 USD

art & performance

Beyond the Quarter: Music and Reinvention in New Orleans

From $1,415 USD

Explore the rich soundscape of New Orleans, tracing the social, political, and spiritual roles these traditions have played throughout history and in contemporary culture.

art & performance

Santa Fe Weekend: New Art, Ancient Traditions

From $1,280 USD

Spend a weekend immersed in the rich history, deeply rooted tradition, and constantly evolving art-scape of northern New Mexico.

art & performance

Vienna: Salon Sonatas and Klimt Up Close

From $2,625 USD

Immerse yourself in Vienna’s rich artistic culture of past and present—from the historic coffee houses that have hosted creative salons for centuries to world-renowned musical venues.

New York City Clock Walk

New York, New York

Atlas Obscura's Wonders of FiDi

New York, New York

Visit Brooklyn's Cabinet of Curiosities

Brooklyn, New York

Walking the Hidden Wonders of Midtown

New York, New York

Tour Chicago's Largest Prop House

Chicago, Illinois

Come Out & Play at a DIY Amusement Park

Los Angeles, California

Inside Look at The Bunny Museum

Altadena, California

Exploring a Secret Fort

Washington, D.C.

Scent-Making and Hollywood History

Los Angeles, California

The Abandoned Zoo Ruins of Griffith Park

Holllywood, Los Angeles, California

International Church of Cannabis Art Tour

Denver, Colorado

Inside the Holographer's Laboratory

New York, New York

View All Experiences

Early Chinese Trick Photography Sent Chubby Babies Into Space

Inside a historian’s collection of endearing, goofy early 20th-century portraits.

Sabrina Imbler February 20, 2020

Life Along the Border That Cuts Cyprus in Two

In Nicosia, physical barriers separate the Greek and Turkish communities—but many residents don't seem to mind.

Rachel Button February 20, 2020

The World’s Largest Bottle of Wine Just Spilled in Austria

We're gonna need a bigger napkin.

Luke Fater February 20, 2020

For Sale: A Sprawling Carriage Factory and the House on Its Roof

A Syracuse rooftop still holds some pretty puzzling real estate.

Jessica Leigh Hester February 19, 2020

For the Madagascan Aye-Aye, the Rule of Thumb Comes in Two

The extra digits are yet another of the odd animal's oddities.

Isaac Schultz February 19, 2020

The ‘Pie Designer’ Baking Up a Diverse Vision of America

Lauren Ko is as American as mango pie.

Vonnie Williams February 19, 2020

How One Man and His Dog Rowed More Than 700 Kākāpōs to Safety

In the late 19th century, Richard Henry laid a blueprint for modern conservation in New Zealand.

Sabrina Imbler February 19, 2020

Iowa's 'Denmark on the Prairie' Creates Hygge Away From Home

The tiny town has imported a 19th-century windmill and starred in two Danish TV shows.

Stacy Brooks February 19, 2020

Floridians Are Eating Their State Tree to Help Their State Animal

Swamp cabbage is native, but a nuisance.

Kristen A Schmitt February 18, 2020

A Fossilized Skull May Solve the Mystery of a Chameleon Migration

A raft very likely carried chameleons between Madagascar and mainland Africa—but in which direction?

Sabrina Imbler February 18, 2020

What Is the Hardest Language in the World to Lipread?

There's a whole lot we don't know about vision and speech perception.

Dan Nosowitz February 18, 2020

See 500 Years of Artful Nature Illustrations

Over 57 million pages of wildlife are catalogued.

Isaac Schultz February 17, 2020

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