Stories - Atlas Obscura

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.

Inside the Perplexing 'Tom and Becky' Contest in Mark Twain's Hometown

Every year, two 12-year olds are chosen to represent the famous characters.

October 18, 2016

Why UFO Conspiracists Have So Many Opinions About 'Angel Hair’

The mysterious silky substance is the source of much speculation.

October 18, 2016

This Guy Allegedly Tried To Steal a Venetian Blind By Stuffing It Into His Coat

The surveillance photo is good.

October 18, 2016

Watch This Strange-Looking Monkey Slug Take Over a Mailbox

A fuzzy posterior hides the creature's slimy translucent underbelly.

October 18, 2016

fleeting wonders

Gävle Goat Copycat Goes Up In Iceland

Everyone's favorite doomed goat has gone international.

October 18, 2016

The 1800s Medical Device That Promised Cures by Repeatedly Stabbing Patients

The Life Awakener contraption gave patients "healing" pustules.

October 18, 2016

Let's Choose a New Name for 'Indian Summer'

There are many excellent options.

October 18, 2016

Dial-a-Ghost on Thomas Edison's Least Successful Invention: the Spirit Phone

Building devices to talk with the dead was a popular diversion for inventors in the 1920s.

October 18, 2016

The Strangely Glamorous World of a 1980s Ronald McDonald

A fast-food journey from Hamburger University to celebrity-filled Hollywood parties.

October 18, 2016

Only the Vatican Has More Christian Relics Than Pittsburgh

St. Anthony’s chapel is home to some 5,000 important relics.

October 17, 2016

31 days of halloween

The Persistent Problem of Trying to Rig Elections with Dead People

Zombie voters just aren't efficient.

October 17, 2016

The 1942 Ghost Blimp That Bewildered a California Town

The remains of the missing crew were never found.

October 17, 2016

Digging Through the Archives of Scarfolk, the Internet's Creepiest Fake Town

Haunted TV shows, surveillance owls, liver-based children's toys—nothing is too weird for Scarfolk.

October 17, 2016