Stories - Atlas Obscura

The Dazzling Designs for a New York That Never Existed

From skyscraper bridges to glass domes, an intoxicating glimpse at how New York might have looked.

October 21, 2016

Mapping the (Mostly) Sweet Scents of America's Candy Factories

Sniff or treat!

October 21, 2016

places you can no longer go

The Gigantic Nazi City that Was Never Built

Albert Speer designed a truly epic monstrosity that never saw the light of day.

October 20, 2016

9 Sacred and Superstitious Voodoo Sites You Can Visit Today

Where to pick up fetishes, voodoo dolls, animal bones, hexes, and curses.

October 20, 2016

31 days of halloween

We Tried to Talk to the Dead at New York's Only Spirit Church

A relaxing night at an inner-city seance.

October 20, 2016

The Tiered Burial Grounds Carved Into the Hillsides of Hong Kong

Photos of Hong Kong's intriguing cemeteries, where even the gravestones are high-rises.

October 20, 2016

This Replacement Head for a Jesus Statue in Canada Seems a Little Off

October 20, 2016

Exploring Execution Rocks

This eerie island in the Long Island Sound makes for the perfect haunted adventure.

Watch Scenes From the Captivating World of Underwater Migration

It's straight out of Finding Nemo.

October 20, 2016

satanic worship

The Fight to Save America From Satan's Subliminal Rock Messages

In the 1980s, many politicians were convinced there were devious, secret messages hidden inside popular records.

October 20, 2016

The ‘Silent Poison’ That Might Stop This Massive Annual Whale Slaughter

It's been a tradition in the Faroe Islands for over a millennium.

October 19, 2016

Watch This Bird Man Whistle 'Georgia On My Mind'

The only thing more impressive might be his mullet.

October 19, 2016

What It's Like to Be a Haunted House Worker Inside a Real Prison

Doing time at the Eastern State Penitentiary's very creepy haunted house.

October 19, 2016

31 days of halloween

The Goose Who Wore Nikes, and the Mystery of Who Murdered Him

The Nebraska celebrity bird delighted all—until he was brutally killed.

October 19, 2016

Peek Inside the World's Most Strange and Morbid Collections

Vintage ouija boards? Check. A taxidermied two-headed cow? Check.

October 19, 2016

The Lesbian Vampire Story That Came Before Dracula

Fangs, stakes, and Sapphic undertones.

October 19, 2016

Stolen Artifacts! Drunk Teens! And More True Tales of Florida's First State Archaeologist

Vernon Lamme was not your average archaeologist.

October 19, 2016

traveler beer company

Here Are Some of the World's Most Delightful 'Pumpkins'

A collection of surprising squashes.