Stories - Atlas Obscura

This Meteorologist Keeps Standing in Front of East Iceland and People Are Upset

Weather is important.

December 21, 2016

Why Some Christians Are Forsaking Christmas

To them, Jesus is not the reason for the season.

December 21, 2016

fleeting wonders

This Chocolate Festival in Scotland Went Very Wrong in a Lot of Ways

Organizers cancelled after the first day.

December 21, 2016

Why Researchers Howl At Wolves—And Why Some Might Stop

For wolf experts, "elicited howling surveys" involve fearlessly imitating what they aim to study.

December 21, 2016

Watch Salvador Dali in the Greatest Chocolate Commercial Ever

The sweet stuff was apparently his hidden weakness.

December 21, 2016

Found: An Egg With No Yolk

Otherwise known as a "fart egg."

December 21, 2016

See Captivating Infographics from the Last Century

Selections from 128 years of "National Geographic" magazine's best charts, maps and diagrams.

December 21, 2016

The Final Christmas of 4 Catskills Villages Flooded to Create Reservoirs

You can take a shower in NYC today because the city sank a few hamlets.

December 20, 2016

Found: A Lot of Terrifying Creatures From the Deep Sea, Thanks to This Russian Fisherman

Here is your nightmare fuel, forever.

December 20, 2016

How Millions Of Secret Silk Maps Helped POWs Escape Their Captors in WWII

The ingenious maps played a role in some 750 successful escapes.

December 20, 2016

This Christmas, Jam a Candle in an Orange

Add some ribbon and candy kebabs and you've got yourself a Christingle.

December 20, 2016

There's A Secret Underground Art Gallery In Canada Dedicated To One Bulldog

The Hall of Zsu Zsi pays tribute to a beloved art world pet.

December 20, 2016

An Art Lover's Guide to Nevada

There are strange and beautiful creations in the desert and beyond.

interactive maps

A Year in Discovery: The 58 Greatest Finds of 2016

From bog butter to a ghost octopus, here's an interactive map of the year's best discoveries.

December 20, 2016

Found: The Original Ad for the Nintendo Entertainment System

Nintendo was getting ready to bring its gaming system to the U.S.

December 20, 2016

Whales Are Likely Behind the Mysterious Sound Coming from the Mariana Trench

Minke whales, in particular.

December 19, 2016

How Pleather Saved the DuPont Company—And Some Cows, Too

It's been around for decades.

December 19, 2016

Take a Virtual Tour of One of the World's Largest Gingerbread Cities

There's a lake, a Ferris wheel, and an operating train.

December 19, 2016