Atlas Obscura - Curious and Wondrous Travel Destinations

The definitive guide to the world’s hidden wonders.

The final frontier.

Early Chinese Trick Photography Sent Chubby Babies Into Space

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

by Sabrina Imbler

Place of the Day

The House of Mugs

A North Carolina cabin completely covered in coffee mugs.

automotive history

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

A Syracuse rooftop still holds some pretty puzzling real estate.

February 19, 2020

The History of Race, Performance, and Drag Intersect in a Rare Photo of Thomas Dilward

The Devilishly Difficult Locks of Dindigul

The Archaeobotanist Searching Art for Lost Fruit

For One Photographer, Reptiles Rule the Galápagos

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Top Cities

Chef Point Bar & Restaurant

High-end dining has a home in this former gas station.

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The Asahi Flame

This enormous monument is one of the most iconic structures in Tokyo, rudely nicknamed "The Golden Turd."

Phlizz

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Stuart, Florida

Gilbert’s Bar House of Refuge

In a time before lifeguards, this house was a sanctuary for the shipwrecked.

isaacschultz

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Porto di Ripetta

An 18th century fountain and two columns are all that remains of Rome's forgotten river harbor.

LatiumMirabile

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Macquarie Island

The only place where Earth’s mantle lies above water.

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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.

Inside the Holographer's Laboratory

New York, New York

Tour of a Shoemaker's Workshop

Seattle, Washington

The Spies of Georgetown

Washington, D.C.

Explore The US Lunar Space Program

Downey, California

Stargaze through an Apollo 11 Telescope

Berthoud, Colorado

Lost and Long-Gone Graveyards of L.A.

Los Angeles, California

Inside Look at The Bunny Museum

Altadena, California

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

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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

For These Young Street Artists, Amman Is a Beige Canvas

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

Jason Ruffin 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

17 Jaw-Dropping Cliffhangers

Precarious observatories, windswept lighthouses, remote monasteries, and other places that are literally on the edge.

How Ancient Tooth Plaque Solved the Mystery of the Banana's Trans-Pacific Journey

3,000-year-old microparticles prove the fruit traveled across the ocean with early Pacific Islanders.

Reina Gattuso February 17, 2020

The Man Who Turned His Home Into a ‘Mosaic Palace’

Yossi Lugasi spent decades making portraits of famous people out of smashed ceramics.

Gitit Ginat February 17, 2020

This 6-Foot Brachiosaurus Fossil Hitched a Ride With Two Clydesdale Horses

Their names are Molly and Darla.

Sabrina Imbler February 17, 2020

objects of intrigue

How a Trashed Italian Manuscript Got Sewn Into a Sweet Silk Purse

Book waste can be beautiful.

Jessica Leigh Hester February 14, 2020

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