Stories - Atlas Obscura

abandoned amusement parks

See the Abandoned Ruins of a Catskills Zoo, in Photos

A once-sprawling farm with a sad ending and a hopeful future.

9 Destinations Where Garbage is the Attraction

Be a trash tourist today!

Watch Paint Spill into Beautifully Soothing Patterns

Norway Built A World-Record-Setting Bonfire Last Weekend

It was for the annual Slinningsbålet festival.

Wax Bullet Duels Were the Paintball Fights of 1909

Prideful men could fluff their feathers without anyone ending up dead.

Found: A Gorgeous New Shade of Blue

Just mix manganese oxide with some other chemicals, and bake in a 2,000 degree oven.

The World's Oldest Library Has Reopened

After years of renovations.

How a Portuguese-to-English Phrasebook Became a Cult Comedy Sensation

Meet 1883's most absurd language guide.

Watch a Man Throw a Bucket of Water at the Olympic Torch and Miss

It was a good try.

Watch a Japanese Chef Turn Slicing a Cucumber into a Fine Art

Who knew you could get so creative with the gourd family.

Huge New Trove of 'Life-Saving' Helium Is Discovered

We've long fretted over a possible helium shortage.

A Night and a Day in Tonopah, Nevada

An adventure through Nevada's historic mining town, featuring the world-famous Clown Motel, a miner's graveyard, and a forest of cars.

fleeting wonders

Orangutans Escape Zoo Enclosure, Attempt To Meet Duke Of Westminster

It didn't happen.

The Unknown French Horticulturist Who Made Lilacs Happen

If you've ever enjoyed a stroll through a modern garden, thank Victor Lemoine.

Found: Elie Wiesel’s Review of Disneyland

Some Astronauts Are Spending 6 Days in Caves to Train for Space

It's part of the European Space Agency's Cooperative Adventure for Valuing and Exercising, which forms the acronym CAVE.

Who Needs a Weather App When You Can Get This Weather Stick?

Swap your Apple phone for an actual branch.

The Scottish Scoundrel Who Changed How We See Data

When he wasn't blackmailing lords and being sued for libel, William Playfair invented the pie chart, the bar graph, and the line graph.