Stories - Atlas Obscura

The Records the FBI Might Never Be Able to Find

The bureau's history isn't very well-organized.

October 21, 2016

The Strange World of Political Handshakes

They date back to ancient Babylonia.

October 21, 2016

Take a Tour of This Amazingly Decorated Halloween House

Get some inspiration for spookifying your abode.

October 21, 2016

Why Brazil’s State-Sponsored Brass Bands Are Constantly Playing Phil Collins

Against all odds, it's happening around the country.

October 21, 2016

The Strange Secret Behind the Tragic Deaths of Oscar Wilde's Half-Sisters

The fiery 1871 fate of the famous author's family was successfully hushed up for years.

October 21, 2016

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

Sniff or treat!

October 21, 2016

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

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