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

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Happening This Week
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Members Only
Online Experience

A Pick-Your-Path Adventure Through St. Louis' Eccentric City Museum

Thu, Jan 20
Free
You choose the wonders we'll see on a pick-your-path adventure through the eccentric exhibits & immersive scenes at St. Louis' City Museum!
Online Course

When Walls Talk: Decoding a Building's History With Lauren Northup

Starts Thu, Jan 20
5 Sessions
$240 per person
Online Course

Recreating Ancient Recipes With VAWAA

Starts Sun, Jan 23
3 Sessions
$235 per person
+ 2 other dates
Online Course

How to Read a Landscape: Botany & Ecology With Annie Novak

Starts Tue, Jan 25
3 Sessions
$65 per person
Members Only
Online Experience

Making and Moving Chinese Shadow Puppets

Thu, Jan 27
Free
Learn to assemble and manipulate your very own shadow puppet and immerse yourself in the history of this traditional Chinese art form!
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Featured Trips
Our newest and most incredible trips.
history & culture

Greece: Ancient Ruins to Modern Culture

Greece
Apr 20–30, 2022
From $6,570 USD
Discover the impact of Ancient Greece in today's modern-day culture by connecting the dots between legendary landmarks, such as the Oracle of Delphi, and local traditions still found today.
+ 3 other dates
wildlife & nature

By Land & Sea: Explore Alaska’s Prince William Sound

Alaska
May 14–20, 2022
From $5,970 USD
Explore the magical sheltered waterways of Prince William Sound.
food & drink

Los Angeles: America’s Culinary Frontier

Los Angeles
Jun 9–13, 2022
From $3,325 USD
+ 2 other dates
history

Turkmenistan and the Gates of Hell

Turkmenistan
Sep 16–25, 2022
From $3,475 USD
On this sweeping, eclectic adventure through Turkmenistan, marvel at the towering white-marble structures of Ashgabat, roam through barren deserts and a world-class canyon, and spend the night camped out beside the flaming Gates of Hell.
+ 2 other dates
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More Stories
disasters

How Volcanologists Tracked a Violent, Months-Long Eruption

Though the damage on La Palma in the Canary Islands is extensive, no lives were lost.
Robin George Andrews January 14, 2022
food

The Challenges of Writing a Continent-Spanning Cookbook

22 countries, 600-plus recipes, one giant book.
Anne Ewbank January 13, 2022
extinct animals

Inside the Years-Long, International Effort to Save One Tiny Mexican Fish

Scientists and schoolchildren worked together to bring the tequila fish back from extinction.
Sarah Durn January 13, 2022
festivals

Winter Fire Festivals Around the World That Don't Disappoint

What better way to push back against a long, cold winter?
Winnie Lee January 13, 2022
music

Podcast: Cisternerne

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
The Podcast Team January 13, 2022
history

The Archive That Treats Protest Buttons Like Rare Books

Hundreds of pins document a century of progressive causes and cool typography.
April White January 12, 2022
victorian

One of the Most Famous Victorian Dishes Is a Hilarious Lie

Brown Windsor soup was reportedly a favorite of the Queen. The only problem? It may not have existed.
Diana Hubbell January 12, 2022
witchcraft

Podcast: The Museum of Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
The Podcast Team January 12, 2022
List

9 Portland Places That Raise More Questions Than Answers

Welcome to Portland—prepare to be baffled.
List

6 Unexpected Portland Snacking Experiences

How to sip and snack like a longtime local in the City of Roses.
food

The Secret Lives of Kitchen Appliances

Before your favorite tools, cooking was hell.
Anne Ewbank January 11, 2022
science

Can Citizen Scientists Prevent Another Pacific Newt Massacre?

Cars are annihilating the tiny amphibians.
Shoshi Parks January 11, 2022
Read All Stories